FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Yes — insulin resistance can often be improved or reversed. The pillars that impact insulin resistance are sleep, stress, exercise or movement, and nutrition. These specifically are improving the quality and quantity of sleep, managing your daily stressors, strength training, and reducing refined carbohydrate load while prioritizing protein and fiber at meals.

There’s no single food that causes insulin resistance. Foods with refined sugar, sugary drinks, and highly processed carbohydrates will contribute to insulin resistance. Pairing carbohydrates with protein and fat, rather than eliminating carbs entirely, is generally more sustainable and better supported long-term than strict low-carb approaches for most people. Consistency is the key.

Prediabetes is a lab-diagnosed stage where blood sugar is elevated but not yet in the diabetic range. This range is usually a fasting number of 101-125mg/dL.

Insulin resistance is a metabolic state where cells don’t respond well to insulin.

Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed when blood sugar remains elevated over time. A fasting glucose >125mg/dL warrants a diabetes diagnosis.

They exist on a spectrum, and insulin resistance is typically the earliest, most reversible stage.

Intermittent fasting can improve insulin sensitivity for many people. However, its effect depends heavily on the individual, including hormone status, stress levels, and how the eating window is structured. It is not universally beneficial, and for some (particularly women with dysregulated cortisol or a history of disordered eating patterns), it can backfire.

Yes — insulin resistance is not determined by body size alone. It can occur in people at any weight due to genetics, visceral fat distribution, chronic stress, poor sleep, or hormonal conditions like PCOS. This is why blood sugar should be evaluated based on labs and symptoms rather than appearance.

Fasting insulin is the most direct blood test. Additionally, a HOMA-IR (homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance) is calculated using your glucose and insulin levels and can assess for insulin resistance. Also a TyG Index can be calculated using triglyceride number and fasting glucose to assess for insulin resistance.

Blood glucose alone is a poor indicator of insulin resistance, as it is often one of the last markers to shift. Many people have “normal” fasting glucose for years while fasting insulin is increasing.