Natural Treatments for Insulin Resistance

A few years back a medical test I had showed that I had developed insulin resistance, a pre-diabetic condition. I think this may have been an unintended side effect of my diet changes to help my fibromyalgia. Initially, as a part of my diet changes to stop my chronic pain issues, I had stopped eating whole grains, which can interfere with magnesium absorption. This change, along with others outlined here, did greatly diminish my fibromyalgia issues. However, initially I switched to from eating whole grains to eating refined grains, and this is what I think caused the insulin resistance. Plus, with my fibromyalgia gone I could start working full time again, but with working full time at a desk job I also got less exercise than I had previously.

To correct the insulin resistance, these were the steps I took:

• Reduced my intake of grains of any type - whole and refined
  
  
• Cut back my hours sitting at the PC
  
  
• Increased my exercise times - aerobic dancing, walking and biking
  
  
• Did more yoga (which is good for diabetes and improving insulin sensitivity)
  
  
• Went on a low glycemic diet

Initially I tried a low carbohydrate diet, but that didn't work for me. Low carb diets make you lose a lot of water. For me this meant that I developed all sorts of nasty dry skin problems, including eczema and dry mouth, which both went away as soon as I started eating carbs again. So next I tried a low glycemic diet instead of a low carb diet and that seems to be working out well.

On my last test now my insulin levels went back to normal without any medication. My fibromyalgia has not returned, and I don't have any dry skin or mouth problems like I did on the low carb diet, so I plan to stay on the low glycemic diet indefinitely.

Related Links:

Diabetes, Fibromyalgia and Magnesium Deficiency

High Fiber Diets and Mineral Deficiencies

Diabetic Frozen Shoulder - is magnesium deficiency a cause?