Physical signs and Lab Markers
We’re continuing to talk about the first Sign Post of Aging—Grains and Sugars, and how they contribute to disease and accelerated aging.
Insulin resistance is the underlying driver of heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer’s. It accelerates aging and makes any chronic condition, including cancer and hormone imbalances, worse. Grains and Sugars are the first factors to focus when talking about developing insulin resistance, or just walking around with elevated insulin levels, which are inflammatory and harmful.
And it’s really important to be in tuned to both the physical signs and lab markers that indicate insulin resistance, even if your glucose and A1C levels appear to be normal.
The Image here depicts the clinical or physical signs of insulin resistance.
📌Skin tags, especially around the neck area
📌Dark, velvety patches around the back of the neck, armpits and groin area
📌Weight gain around the belly area
📌Carbohydrate cravings
📌Low energy levels an hour or 2 after you eat.
📌Difficulty losing weight no matter what you do!
If a lot of these signs resonate with you, it’s definitely worth having a conversation with your doc! If you need help with that conversation, let me know and schedule a chat with me here.
Now let’s touch on the LABS you’d want to have done yearly to make sure you’re retaining your sensitivity to insulin, and not producing too much in an effort to keep your glucose levels steady.
Remember, insulin resistance is often silent and insidious.
It usually develops gradually and there’s a cumulative effect.
Why don’t we see it coming? Why don’t our labs reflect problems with insulin and blood sugar?
Because doctors are not ordering the right markers or looking for patterns, at optimal ranges, or connecting the dots. And it’s not their fault, they’re just not trained to do so.
Here are my four favorite markers over and above fasting glucose and HA1c!
- Lipid panel A basic and testing
- Fasting insulin (my #1 favorite marker!) can reveal problems with blood sugar and oncoming diabetes long before glucose and A1c levels begin to rise.
- Ratio of Triglycerides/HDL. A pattern where triglycerides start to rise and HDL is low is also a really good indication that blood sugar regulation is in trouble.
- Hs-CRP Inflammation is another clue and is easily measured by this marker.
Your doctor probably annually orders glucose, A1c and a basic lipid panel (unless you’re with Kaiser—they are testing fewer and fewer markers), but is your doctor testing fasting insulin and/or Hs-CRP? Probably not! And they should! And are they connecting the dots between triglyceride/HDL ratio. Again, probably not, which is unfortunate.
One of the things I do for my clients is help them become their own advocate. Learn to understand your basic lab values, how to ask for additional lab work and how to order your own labs without breaking the bank.
Let’s get you blood sugar and insulin savvy! It will take years off how you age!
Need some help? Book and complimentary introductory call with me HERE.