Oh Sugar! Naturopathic Strategies for Insulin Resistance & Blood Sugar Control Webinar

This webinar explores insulin resistance and blood sugar balance:

• What insulin resistance is and why it happens
• How it progresses towards type 2 diabetes
• Practical assessment and testing approaches
• Lifestyle and nutrition interventions

Hosted by Ella Kaur (Practitioner Lead, Registered Nutritionist and Nutritional Therapy Practitioner) with guest speaker Mark Killick, Senior Lecturer at CNM & Registered Functional Nutritionist, mANP.

Key Points Discussed

Insulin resistance fundamentals

• Insulin regulates glucose metabolism and cellular glucose uptake, notably via GLUT4 transporters in muscle and adipose tissue.
• Impaired insulin signalling reduces glucose uptake, contributing to hyperglycaemia and metabolic dysfunction.

Pathophysiology and progression

• Insulin resistance commonly develops before blood sugar changes. Insulin may rise first (hyperinsulinaemia), followed by hyperglycaemia and eventually a type 2 diabetes diagnosis.
• Impaired insulin receptor signalling can involve serine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1.

Risk factors and drivers

Diet: High sugar and processed carbohydrates. Sugar-sweetened drinks (including fructose, sucrose and aspartame) are discussed as negatively affecting insulin sensitivity in the short term.

Lifestyle: Sedentary behaviour, obesity/visceral fat, chronic stress/high cortisol, sleep deprivation and circadian disruption.

Inflammation and gut health: An emphasis on an anti-inflammatory lifestyle, with gut microbiome dysbiosis as a contributor to insulin resistance.

Environmental and medication influences: Exposure to toxins and pollutants, and medications (e.g., corticosteroids, beta blockers, statins), may disrupt insulin sensitivity.

Genetics: Gene variants (e.g., IRS-1/IRS-2, PPARD, TCF7L2) influence risk. The genes 'load the gun', but diet and lifestyle provide the trigger.

Nutrient deficiencies

Vitamin D, magnesium, chromium, zinc, vitamin B12, omega 3 fatty acids and folate/MTHF all play roles in insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism.

Assessment and diagnostic tools

1. Differential diagnosis ('what else could be going on'): PCOS, Cushing's-related cortisol excess, hypothyroidism beyond standard panels, and rare endocrine causes.
2. Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs): A practical way to observe food-specific blood sugar responses and patterns (e.g., the dawn effect).
3. Measurement concepts: Fasting insulin targets and HOMA-IR to quantify insulin resistance and beta-cell function. HOMA-IR is calculated as fasting insulin × fasting glucose / 22.5.

Interventions for metabolic flexibility

• Exercise: Resistance training and aerobic activity increase muscle glucose uptake (including via GLUT4-related mechanisms) and improve insulin sensitivity. Even walking helps when capacity is limited.
• Intermittent fasting/time-restricted eating:
• Commonly 14–16 hours overnight with an 8-hour eating window.
• For menstruating women, fasts should be shorter closer to menstruation because of progesterone and carbohydrate needs.
• Dietary strategies: Low glycaemic load eating and ketogenic approaches, selected individually based on the client's context.
• Probiotics and gut microbiome support: Fermented foods, adequate fibre, and screening for gut issues (e.g., SIBO and Candida).
• Fat balance and antioxidants: Balancing omega 3 vs omega 6 intake, and following antioxidant-focused dietary patterns.

Key Takeaways

1. Insulin resistance often precedes diabetes, with insulin rising before blood glucose. Early measurement can reveal metabolic issues sooner.
2. Metabolic flexibility is practical and multifactorial. These all matter together:
3. Diet quality (low glycaemic load)
4. Exercise (aerobic and resistance)
5. Stress and sleep optimisation
6. Gut health
7. Reducing inflammatory drivers
8. Assessment allows better targeting: use CGMs, consider fasting insulin, HbA1c and HOMA-IR, and rule out differential endocrine causes.

Conclusion

This webinar delivers a practitioner-ready framework for understanding insulin resistance and recognising its progression towards type 2 diabetes. It covers evidence-informed interventions (nutrition, exercise, fasting, sleep and stress management, and gut/anti-inflammatory support), with an emphasis on early measurement and differential diagnosis.