You may not be able to change certain things with which you were born. Your genes, your body type, even parts of your microbiome.. are all things you are kinda stuck with. But you can control, to a very large degree, a whole lot else with proper lifestyle choices. The more research I read, the more it all circles back to one specific factor, your sensitivity to insulin. Controlling the sensitivity to this hormone can have lasting effects that compound as you age . There are a host of ways to become sensitive to insulin and today we will explore my top 5. As we dive in, understand that this is truly a marathon and not a sprint. Your health is tied to your longevity and vice versa.
Insulin 101;
Insulin is a Hormone produced in the pancreas which plays a important role in the metabolism of glucose (sugar) and fat . Insulin is utilized by cells in the body to pull glucose out of the blood for use as energy. This hormone is a regulating hormone which means that like the thermostat in your home, it keeps the amount of glucose in your blood at a specific level just like your air conditioner does with the temperature. If the mechanism is broken or damaged, there are short term problems which occur like weight gain and poor sleep. As well, the long term effects can include Diabetes and Dementia.
Sensitivity to insulin is the goal of a healthy lifestyle. We want a metabolic system that responds well to hormones and flushes excess byproducts through the proper waste channels. Increasing your sensitivity to insulin matters more as we age because our systems dont work as efficiently and degeneration occurs more rapidly as we age. So if you are nearing 50 years old, listen up!. And if you are in your 20’s or 30’s and feeling immortal… check yourself. How we live today is what we feel tomorrow.
5 Ways to Become More Insulin Sensitive;
1. Sleep More; Sleep Better..
Im leading with this because it is one area of research that scares the crap out of me. We are sleeping less and less and our quality of sleep is degrading because of our lifestyles. A widely known problem with aging is the disruption of long sleep cycles. We wake more often, have trouble falling asleep and are more sensitive to distractions. The issue in todays world is that the issues with sleep are happening to younger and younger people. Phones, Television, Light Pollution, Medications and Diet all contribute to our sleep.
When sleep is interrupted so is your sensitivity to insulin. Its like being hit in the face, when you have disrupted sleep, your pancreas and cells get discombobulated and dont process glucose correctly leading to big swings in blood sugar. Additionally, sleep deprivation is being studied in its relation to Alzheimers and Dementia .
Eye masks, Meditation, cutting of Technology at night, natural sleep aids, aerobic exercise … are all ways to boost your sleep quality.
2. Eat High Fiber Foods.
In order to have Insulin Sensitivity you have to activate the system over and over until it becomes overworked. The reason our diets overwork out hormonal systems is because we eat carbohydrates with high glucose content (I.e. processed grains, sugars). High Fiber Foods are foods that contain minimal amounts of starchy carbohydrates. The Breakdown process in the GUT of High Fiber foods is much more satisfactory to the lining of the GUT, the bacteria in the GUT and the inflammatory response that occurs when it passes through the intestines. Without the sudden spikes in glucose from Starchy carbs, our Pancreas can CRUISE… Produce an easy amount of insulin to transport the sugars …. and decrease the amount of Plaques and FAT that the body makes.
My choice for High Fiber foods include, Broccoli, Kale, Arugula, Almonds, Walnuts, Pumpkin Seeds, Lentils, Black Beans, and Brown Rice.
3. Chill Out.
Moving From a very objective change like eating more Fiber to a more subjective change to reducing stress. I see you all nodding your heads and saying…” Yeah Got it!.” Easier said than done though. The reason is that Stress accumulates and is often subconscious. Every day we use sleep to wash away the baggage of stress from our day and each day we pile more on. But if dont fully clear the system from time to time, stress adds up and creates long term damage.
Lets quickly walk through the pathophysiology of stress.
Stress can send us into our primal “Fight or Flight” response which you all know comes with massive hormone dumps. Beyond the famous CORTISOL (stress hormone), your body also pumps Insulin into the body to move Glucose to FAT so that our bodies are ready to endure long bouts of famine. In our day, we dont purge the excess fat, we just keep piling it up. It goes to our bellies, our organs and our Brains in the form of plaques.
Reduce Stress each day through meditation, quiet walking, music, smoking marijuana, hugging a loved one, talking to a loved one, and reading.
4. Drink Apple Cider Vinegar and FAST.
If you want to do a hard reset on your metabolic system you can’t just keep doing the same thing over and over again. A safe and effective way to help your pancreas recover from overworking is to Fast. Fasting can be done daily, weekly, or monthly. The process of fasting is simply consuming THOUGHTFUL calories during a strict 6 hour period and then not eating food for the remaining 18 hours. When you begin and end that period with a 1.5 ounce shot of Apple Cider Vinegar (I take mine with a teaspoon of Turmeric), there is a 30% decrease in resting blood sugar. The reason is that the GUT processes carbohydrates slower when Apple Cider Vinegar is co-mingling with food.
Slow digestion, with a limited window of work allows the body to recover and find a new Set Point for activity. When starting to Intermittently Fast, it can be tricky to juggle your lifestyle and food so I suggest starting by eating Dinner early (1730) and then not eating breakfast until 0900. Once you can manage this, then you can tighten up the Fasting period .
5. Exercise Smarter.
Just because you are moving, doens’t necessarily mean you are working out. Relative Intensity is the process of pushing your body, through exercise and work, to test your threshold. If the Goal is to OWN our Insulin Sensitivity we need to push our bodies to reset and burn the glucose that circulates in the blood. Aerobic Exercise (low intensity) is a wonderful way to develop good circulatory health and oxygen exchange in the body but it does little to teach the body to burn excess fat.
INTENSITY DRIVES RESULTS. You must put in the HARD work , push yourself (safely) to feel the benefits of Insulin Sensitivity. Exercises that are intense does need to be complex. In fact, the exercise is not in how much you can pick up off the ground but how far you are willing to push your mind.
Take a few of your favorite exercises and perform them in succession for :20-:30 at maximal intensity. Rest 1:00 and then repeat this for 6 rounds. The goal is to develop the capacity to perform intense work across all 6 rounds. The more consistent you get at high intensity work, the better your body is working to deliver the necessary fuel .. This is connected to your ability to process glucose and insulin sensitivity
We are not immortal. If you wish for a future where health allows you to enjoy the dreams you have been working for, then we must OWN our Insulin Sensitivity. Begin today with these 5 simple changes and you will be surprised as to the relative quickness with which you feel a difference. Lets work from the inside out and Ill be here to support you the entire way.
Love
Eric
Programming Notes 12/2-12/6 ** This is Week 5 of the Strength Exposure Cycle. No Box , No Tempo, just an active squat hold at the bottom. On Monday, deadlifts go heavy but volume is minor. The conditioning piece will have built in rest with weight changes. And finally, A repeat of the yucky October Couplet on Thursday…Enjoy.
12/2
Baseline:
4X
1:00 Easy Bike
12 Single Leg Toe Touches
8 Jump lunges
12 Barbell Good Mornings
8 Barbell Bent Row
Hamstring Primer
3X8
-Deficit Deadlift
-Pendlay Row
*use 155/115#
Strength:
Deadlift
2X3
2X2
3X1
*Heavy, progressive
Conditioning:
For Time
2 Mile bike
75 Double Unders
21 Deadlift 225/135
1 Mile Bike
75 Double Unders
15 Deadlift 255/155
.5 Mile bike
75 Double Unders
9 Deadlift 295/175
12/3
Baseline:
3X
400 M Run
12-9-6
Wall Squat
Side Plank Knee To Elbow
Squat Flow: Kang Squat, Internal Rotation, Ankle Roll Out, Bootstraps, PNF Stretch, Squat W/ T Spine Stretch
Strength:
Pausing BackSquat
5X3
*Building to Almost Failure!
Then,
5X8
Barbell Front Rack Reverse Lunges
*you call it on the weight
WOD:
“Death by Bear”
In a 4:00 Window, complete 5 Reps of Bear Complex . If completed in time, move up in weight.
-115/75
-135/95
-155/105
-185/115
-205/125
-225/135
*One rep= Power Clean/ Front Squat/ Push Press/BackSquat/ Push Press
12/4
Baseline:
1000m Row
3X
10 Scapula Push Ups
8 Kip Swings
6 Hanging Flutter Kick
4 Burpee
Shoulder Prep W/ 5# Plates:
-Bent Scarecrow + External Rotation
-Bent Reverse Flys
-Bent Scarecrow + Press
-Bent Supermans
-Standing Corkscrews
-standing front Raises
-Standing Lateral Raises
-Standing Y Press
-Standing Cross Over Presses
Gymnastic Skill Work:
6 Rounds ,
6 Toes to Bar
6 Chest to bar
*No Dropping off bar during set, scale reps if needed.
Not For Time:
3 Rounds,
50 Cal Row
:45 Sandbag Hold 200/150#
100m Sandbag Walk
12/5
Baseline:
5:00 Assault Bike -Easy
4X
10 Banded Pull Aparts
10 Arm Banded Bench Press
10 Arm Banded Wall Squats
10 Banded trunk Twist
Strength:
3X 10
Single Arm Dumbbell Bench Press (Each arm)
3X 10
Single Arm Dumbbell Overhead Press (Each Arm)
WOD:
30-25-20-15
Single Arm Dumbbell Clean and Jerk 50/35
Burpee
**Compare to 10/3
12/6
Baseline:
Kettlebell Warm Up: (top to bottom)
-Halos
-Single Arm Press
-single Arm Bent Row
-Lateral Trunk Rotation and Punch
-Trunk Circles
-Straight Legged Deadlift
-Bow and Bends (kettlebell begins from floor and finishes locked out overhead)
-Squats
-Side Lunges
-Overhead Lunges
-Windmills
-One Arm Thruster
-Squat Jump
-Toe Touches
HERO WOD:
“TK”
20 Minute AMRAP
8 Strict Pull Ups
8 Box Jump 36/30”
12 Kettlebell Swing 70/53#
U.S. Army Major Thomas E. Kennedy, 35, of West Point, New York, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, based in Fort Carson, Colorado, died on August 8, 2012, of wounds suffered when an insurgent detonated a suicide vest in Kunar province, Afghanistan. He is survived by his wife Kami, son Brody, daughter Margaret, parents George and Patricia, and brothers John and George.
