6 top foods to boost insulin sensitivity
I’m a biiiigg fan of insulin sensitivity. It’s a brilliant tool for managing your blood sugar levels and reducing some of those sticky highs - ya know the types I mean, where you’re correcting and you’re still high and it feels like your insulin is water? Yep, those. If you’ve taken a glimpse on my social accounts you’ll see that I talk about insulin sensitivity on approximately every other post [OBSESSED]. If insulin sensitivity were a love language, it’d be mine.
Wait. What is insulin sensitivity?
Put simply, it’s about sensitising your body to insulin. The more insulin sensitive you are, the easier it is to keep your blood sugars in range, and expand the foods you can eat without running the risk of Toblerone-esque peaks. It’s the reverse of insulin resistance, which you might think is exclusively an issue for those with type 2 diabetes. Well, it’s possible that insulin resistance is also a problem for us T1Ds too.
When I work with clients, we implement changes that allow us to zoom out, look at the bigger picture and work on increasing insulin sensitivity in the background i.e. across the whole day, week, month. This then allows them to enjoy a meal out (with unknown carb quantities) or tuck into a slice of birthday cake (uh, yes please) without entering the blood sugar rollercoaster *too* much. A slice of birthday cake might push you up and out of range, but what’s important is that we minimise how high blood sugars go and that we encourage them to come back down quickly. Working on your insulin sensitivity allows for this. Winning!
Let’s look at my top 6 foods for promoting insulin sensitivity. Time to start salivating…
Lentils (& other pulses)
OK so I’ve cheated already and listed more than one food. What can I say, I struggle with decisions. So lentils (& other pulses like chickpeas, red kidney beans & butterbeans) are some of my top cupboard staples and all-round insulin sensitising superheroes. They’re a great source of complex carbs and protein, which means they can offer a steady source of energy without spiking blood sugars (the dream). They also contain B vitamins and magnesium, both of which are both co-factors - science-y word meaning ‘helpers’ - in the insulin signalling pathway aka the route to increasing insulin sensitivity. Lentils and the whole pulse family contain soluble fibre which feeds the tiny little gut bugs in your digestive system. When these good bacteria are fed and happy, this seems to coincide with increased insulin sensitivity, so it’s good to get the gut bugs on board! What type of lentils are best, I hear you cry! They’re all ace. Tinned, jarred, or Merchant Gourmet pouch - it doesn’t matter, just go for the most convenient option for you.
2. Fennel and fenugreek
Shucks, I’ve done it again. Two for the price of one, but I couldn’t separate these guys. Both fenugreek and fennel seem effective in increasing insulin sensitivity. How? Well both contain specific phytochemicals which support the insulin signalling pathway that we mentioned earlier. Basically, they lend a hand to the biochemical reactions that occur when insulin is present at the cell, and allow the impact of insulin to be more effective. This means you get more bang for your buck, so to speak, from each bolus or injection. Fennel also has the added bonus of delaying gastric emptying, which means food stays in the stomach for longer and therefore the breakdown of carbs into glucose in your bloodstream is slowed down = less of a spike.
I love to add fennel and fenugreek seeds to salads or salad dressings, or making them into a marinade for fish and meats, or using dried fenugreek leaves for soul-replenishing dahls and curries.
[Special mentions need to go to other herbs and spices - ginger, garlic, turmeric & cinnamon as they have a similar, but less pronounced effect].
3. Wild salmon
Salmon is part of the oily fish family, along with mackerel, anchovy, herring and sardines (the acronym SMASH can be a great way to remember which fish is oily) and is a great source of healthy fats, also know as omega 3s. When it comes to insulin sensitivity, it’s important to not only monitor dietary carbs, but fat intake too. Specifically, the type of fat. This is because cell membranes in the body are made up of fats. In order for the insulin and glucose receptors to work effectively in allowing sugar into the cell and out of the blood, this fatty cell membrane must be lovely and fluid. Omega 3s found in salmon promote fluidity at the cellular membrane level, and allow the insulin signalling pathway (it’s a big deal, this one) to work as effectively as possible. Omega 3 fatty acids are also know for their powerful anti-inflammatory effects. Reducing chronic inflammation is important for anybody’s body, but specifically important in cases of type 1 diabetes, as type 1 has a correlation with inflammatory processes. Finally, opting for wild salmon is important here as it provides more nutrition and is of better quality than farmed counterparts. Tinned is just as good as fresh and is a lot more cost-effective.
[Want some more info on anti-inflammatory eating? Check out my article What’s the deal with anti-inflammation?]
4. Maqui berry
This bright purple berry is native to South America, and is loved by nutritionists far and wide for its potent antioxidant effects and rich polyphenol concentration - two important things if you’re looking to mop up free radicals and keep your cells healthy, you can read more about antioxidants here! In addition to these two powerhouse properties, maqui berry can decrease post-meal changes in blood glucose levels by slowing the rate that sugar enters the blood stream, allowing for a smaller, more gradual rise in blood glucose levels i.e. FEWER SPIKES! So adding maqui berry to your diet across the week is a super smart insulin sensitivity move. Opt for powders as these are easy to add to your meals - my favourite brands are Indigo Nutrition and Healthy Supplies (the latter is a great online shop for buying healthy foods in bulk. This works out much cheaper than going to Holland and Barrett or somewhere else on the high street). And a little goes a long way. A serve is just 1-2 teaspoons.
My favourite ways to add maqui to meals include: stirred into warming porridge, mixed into smoothies, getting fancy with a home-made a maqui bowl (take inspiration from the trendy acai berry bowls…).
5. Bell peppers (specifically yellow)
Bell peppers are packed to the rafters with vitamin C (a banging nutrient needed for T1D health - more in a mo). All bell peppers are high in vit C, but the content increases as they mature, hence why yellow ones are the yellow gold standard. Back to the science - vitamin C is an essential nutrient, we can’t make it ourselves endogenously, meaning we need to ensure daily consumption from foods. Some research studies suggest a causal link between low levels of vitamin C and development of diabetes (both type 1 & 2), suggestive of its role in insulin, or the insulin signalling pathway, or blood glucose dysregulation.
We also know that vitamin C can increase insulin sensitivity indirectly. How insulin works is partly regulated by nitric oxide (a very important substance for blood vessel health). Nitric oxide levels are increased by vitamin C - studies show that injections of vitamin C into the arteries of people with diabetes demonstrates a boost in blood vessel response to nitric oxide these people, making the insulin signalling pathway (here she goes again) work better.
The humble orange is probably the most well-known source of vitamin C, but many other fruits and vegetables actually contain higher levels - as well as bell peppers get munching on kiwi, strawberries, spinach, tomatoes and broccoli. Nom Nom.
And there ya go
6 top foods to boost your insulin sensitivity, and hopefully make life with type 1 diabetes a little less ‘Blackpool Big Dipper’ and a little more ‘Libra zodiac in balance’.