“Alcoholics and other addicts would never be encouraged to just have their substance in moderation, just walk away, or just try harder”
I very much enjoyed Miriam Bloch’s article about a truly strong woman who, through herculean efforts, worked through her carb and sugar addiction to become her best self. It was so powerful to read!
I was surprised, though, that no mention was made of the idea of insulin resistance and how this affects cravings and even, to some extent, food addictions.
Insulin is the hormone in charge of bringing glucose into cells and regulating a person’s blood sugar. People who are insulin resistant, however (and many are born with this predisposition), don’t respond to insulin properly, making sugar build up in the blood. This causes blood sugar spikes and crashes, which for many leads to extremely strong cravings for simple carbs and sugars. Many with insulin resistance are literally addicted to sugar and carbs without even realizing it! A lot of people with insulin resistance are predisposed to developing type 2 diabetes later on in life.
For me personally, I was able to help my body by decreasing the amount of sugar and simple carbs I ate, exercising religiously, and balancing my meals carefully. Regardless of the way a person deals with it, a simple blood test from an endocrinologist can help determine if a person’s cravings are hormonal in nature.
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