Unlike the previous topics, this one is an easy concept to explain: For myself and for people who have metabolic sydrome, high blood sugar (aka high glucose levels) is a direct result of excess insulin and insulin resistance.
This tells me I can’t eat like a normal person with a healthy metabolism. Three meals a day would make my life worse, especially if I went with the FDA MyPlate or Food Pyramid guidelines of daily food intake.
I have to control my blood sugar levels with a specific set of tools.
Blame My Parents for High Insulin & High Blood Sugar?
Let’s first start with where high insulin comes from.
According to Dr. Jason Fung in his book, The Obesity Code, hormones are the primary driver for weight gain. Genetic factors play heavily (no pun intended) to your propensity to gain weight. Out of all the contributing factors, nearly seventy percent is determined by your parents. Obesity is overwhelmingly inherited.
Your genetic makeup influences the hormones that manage your body fat, determining how much is stored, its distribution across your body, and how your body will utilize it later on.
Since insulin is the prime regulator for blood sugar, it is the primary driver of weight gain and obesity.
My family prior to my parent’s generation were farmers and fishermen. Hard working people who spent 10 to 12 hours in fields and on boats. Having the ability to store fat easily was a benefit in that context. My parents had desk jobs and didn’t exercise at all. And yes, they were overweight.
As for myself, after university, I had a desk job programming websites and spent my free time playing video games. My brother on the other hand, runs triathlons and trains daily with extended weekend sessions. It’s no wonder he can maintain a 10% body fat or less, while I sit in my comfy gaming chair writing this article at nearly 50% body fat.
Genetics might set the stage, but lifestyle choices amplify the outcome.
Blame Highly Processed Carbs
Insulin is a hormone. High levels tell your body to store glucose as fat. Low levels tell your body to burn fat. Unusually high levels of insulin for a prolonged time, the more likely your body will store fat.
How does the Insulin balance get so out of whack? The most common way is by having a diet high in processed carbohydrates and added sugars. This triggers large insulin spikes, eventually leading to insulin resistance where the body becomes less responsive to insulin.
Specifically large insulin spikes, especially after eating heavy carbs, is the primary way insulin resistance occurs in the body, causing further insulin production and promoting fat storage. Essentially, the body’s attempt to manage high blood sugar levels from excessive sugar intake results in increased insulin levels and potential weight gain.
Emotional Consumption Magnifies the Ramifications of Processed Carbohydrates
I gained some really bad eating habits from my parents. Food was a reward for good deeds. Food was a celebration for birthdays and anniversaries. Food was a medication for illnesses. Food was a comfort when someone died. Food was a way to cope with anger and sadness. Guess what we ate: cakes, white rice, cookies, sweets, and breads. Starting to see a theme? I’m sure you do.
My parents didn’t know anything about nutrition. They simply ate the way their parents ate. That kind of eating was great if you tilled a field or hauled fishing nets six days a week. Little did they know that that kind of eating wasn’t healthy for a modern lifestyle behind a desk and in a chair.
Needless to say, I was in a state of constant elevated insulin for a very long time. Even as a child. Combo this with my genetics and you get the picture. There is also a set of medical studies that point insulin imbalance to PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), which also explains my current state.
Control Insulin → Control Blood Sugar Levels
Back to the tool kit. If you have metabolic syndrome, like I do, then there is a two part solution to controlling insulin and blood sugar levels: what you eat and how frequently you eat.
All diets are equally successful and unsuccessful. They often fail because weight loss tends not to be lasting. For weight loss to become permanent, you must continue losing weight until you achieve your body’s set point. Essentially, this process resets the brain’s ‘fat thermostat.’
Diet Strategies to Lower Insulin
- Reduce added sugars, simple carbs, and highly processed grains.
- Foods like white bread, white rice, sugary snacks, and syrups spike insulin levels and promote resistance over time.
- Increase protein to 30% of daily calories.
- Protein helps you feel full longer, potentially reducing overall calorie intake. This is known as the “protein leverage hypothesis,” where adequate protein regulates appetite and curbs overeating.
- Choose natural fats over processed ones.
- Healthy fats (avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, butter, lard, tallow) have minimal impact on insulin. In contrast, processed fats (seed & vegtable oils) can impair insulin signaling and promote resistance.
- Boost fiber and vinegar intake.
- Fiber slows carbohydrate absorption, while vinegar improves insulin sensitivity and appetite control.
Control Through Fasting
When insulin resistance is deeply entrenched, dietary changes may not be enough. Fasting becomes a powerful tool to reset insulin levels and improve sensitivity. Here’s how fasting works:
- After 12 hours: Glucose levels drop significantly.
- After 24 hours: Glycogen stores are depleted, prompting the body to rely on fat for energy.
- After 48 hours: Insulin decreases further, and ketones increase as the body shifts into “starvation mode.”
Regular fasting (e.g., intermittent fasting or alternate-day fasting) can help lower insulin levels more effectively than exercise alone. Exercise, while beneficial, may cause glucose levels to drop too rapidly during fasting.
My Fasting Life
For myself, I selected a 20 hour / 4 hour fast where I eat within a 4-hour window and fast for the remaining 20 hours. Will I stick with this particular intermittent fasting schedule? For as long as I need too. If I plateau, I might take a break and then try a different fasting schedule.
On occasion, I’ll switch to a 36-hour fast – a more intense method where you finish eating dinner one day and don’t eat again until breakfast the day after. This works really well, if I’m having a hard time with my glucose levels.
When I’m on vacation or traveling, I’ll switch to a 16 hour / 8 hour fast, eating in an 8 hour window instead of 4.
I know that fasting is not for everyone, nor is one fasting schedule is the best. Its just best to use what you need for the issue you’re trying to solve or for the situation you’re in.
In Summary
That was a pretty easy hike through the peaks and valleies of glucose level hills! Less sciency for sure.
Metabolic syndrome and high blood sugar aren’t solely a result of poor choices—they’re often the outcome of genetic predispositions and ingrained habits. However, by understanding the relationship between insulin, diet, and fasting, I think I can regain control over my health. Small, consistent changes can make a big difference in resetting my body’s fat thermostat and achieving sustainable weight management.
Resources
Anton, Stephen D, et al. “Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Understanding and Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting.” Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), vol. 26, no. 2, 2018, pp. 254–268, Accessed 27 Jan 2025.
Casale, Jarett, and Martin R. Huecker. “Fasting.” PubMed, StatPearls Publishing, 2020, Accessed 27 Jan 2025.
Fung, Jason. Obesity Code. Vancouver, Greystone Books, 2016.
Vrdoljak, Josip, et al. “Can Fasting Curb the Metabolic Syndrome Epidemic?” Nutrients, vol. 14, no. 3, 1 Jan. 2022, p. 456, Accessed 27 Jan 2025.
Wilkinson, Michael J., et al. “Ten-Hour Time-Restricted Eating Reduces Weight, Blood Pressure, and Atherogenic Lipids in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome.” Cell Metabolism, vol. 31, no. 1, 7 Jan. 2020, pp. 92-104.e5, Accessed 27 Jan 2025.
