In 2018, I read Edward Bullmore MD’s book on the connection between inflammation and depression. That was also the year when I learned how to reduce the carbohydrates in my diet to the point where I no longer experienced any hunger or cravings between my two meals a day.
Diet and Exercise Improve Insulin Sensitivity.
In 2019, I also re-designed my exercise regimen to specifically improve my insulin sensitivity. Here is a link to the study I used to create my workouts: https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1113/EP087435
This quote from the study describes the results:
“The present study has demonstrated that 6 weeks of resistance exercise, consisting of one set to volitional failure of nine exercises taking 15–20 min per session undertaken three times per week, resulted in a 16% improvement in insulin sensitivity in healthy overweight men. On top of this, increases in muscle strength, size and RTD50 and 100 were also observed. Previous work has shown that single-set resistance exercise to failure can increase muscle strength (Mitchell et al., 2012), but the present study is the first to demonstrate that such simple exercise, with a weekly time commitment of <1 h, can increase insulin sensitivity in overweight men and is also the first to demonstrate the time course of adaptations in muscle strength and size.”
My current workouts consist of nine exercises performed to muscle fatigue three times per week, plus my dance and flexibility practice.
How Do Diet And Exercise Lead To Happiness?
By reducing carbohydrates and following this exercise regimen, I was able to improve my insulin sensitivity to the point where I achieved excellent hormonal balance, good dopamine sensitivity, and better physical strength without injury. Too much insulin in the bloodstream disrupts the brain’s ability to respond to the feel-good hormones and neurotransmitters that generate the physical expression of our emotional well being.
Have you ever experienced these blocks that keep you from the activities you enjoy?
- Fatigue
- Procrastination
- Irritability
- Fear of Judgement
In my experience, all of these feelings can be caused or at the very least made worse by the inflammation that results from insulin resistance. The elimination of corporate carbohydrates, the reduction of all other carbs, and the appropriate amount of resistance exercise caused a true transformation in my state of mind.
In the Past, I Relentlessly Pursued Weight Loss to Try to Improve My Low Self-Worth.
Once I read Doctor Bullmore’s book, and applied what I learned about exercise, my obsession over my appearance finally eased for the first time in decades. I believe that insulin sensitivity has allowed me to overcome my fear of judgement about the way I look to strangers. This has given me the freedom and the courage to pursue singing and dancing at a much higher level. The win/win of insulin sensitivity is physical health plus the emotional well-being to enjoy it.
I hope you are inspired to optimize your nutrition and training so that you can experience the happiness that insulin sensitivity promotes.
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