Insulin Resistance: The Body's Smart (But Problematic) Response to a Bad Diet by Roxana Soetebeer, MHP, NNP, PHC, PFC

Insulin Resistance: The Body's Smart (But Problematic) Response to a Bad Diet

Most people hear "insulin resistance" and assume it's a disease—something broken that needs to be fixed. But insulin resistance (IR) isn't a pathology. It's a normal, adaptive response to an environment that the body isn't designed for.

Before we talk about why insulin resistance happens, let's clarify what insulin actually does. Insulin's main job is to shuttle glucose from the bloodstream into cells, where it can be used for energy or stored for later. When you eat carbs, your blood sugar rises, and your pancreas releases insulin to bring it back down. It's a tightly controlled process. Insulin also rises with the consumption of protein and fat, but to a lesser degree.

But insulin has many other important jobs. This is not a comprehensive list.

Amino acid uptake – Helps shuttle protein into muscles for repair and growth.
Electrolyte balance – Regulates potassium and sodium levels in cells.
Fat storage and release – Promotes fat storage when high, allows fat burning when low.
Blood vessel function – Supports nitric oxide production for vascular health.
Brain signaling – Influences appetite, cognition, and even mood.

It's not just about blood sugar—insulin impacts nearly every system in the body.

Why Insulin Resistance Happens

The body doesn't just become "insulin resistant" for no reason. It's a deliberate response to a problem: too much energy, too often. When you constantly flood your system with carbohydrates, your cells start resisting insulin's signal. Why? Because they're already full. The body is saying, "We have enough, stop cramming more in."

This is where people get it wrong—insulin resistance isn't a failure. It's your body trying to maintain balance. If insulin kept forcing sugar into cells no matter what, they'd be overloaded, damaged, and dysfunctional. Instead, the cells push back, making insulin work harder to do its job. In response, the pancreas pumps out more insulin to try and get the job done.

When Insulin Resistance Becomes a Problem

A little bit of insulin resistance isn't inherently bad. It can be a temporary state—like during pregnancy, during intense exercise, following a meal (postprandial insulin resistance), or even as part of normal metabolic flexibility. But when it becomes chronic, that's when trouble starts.

Here's what happens when insulin levels stay chronically elevated over time:

More insulin resistance – High insulin causes more resistance, which leads to even higher insulin levels. It's a vicious cycle.
Fat storage ramps up – Insulin is a fat-storage hormone. When it's always high, it locks fat away and prevents you from burning it for energy.
Hunger and cravings increase – Chronically high insulin suppresses fat burning, meaning you rely on carbs for energy. That keeps you stuck on the blood sugar roller coaster, craving more carbs to keep going.
Inflammation increases – Elevated insulin is linked to chronic inflammation, which contributes to everything from joint pain to heart disease.
Blood sugar crashes – When insulin overshoots, blood sugar crashes, leading to fatigue, brain fog, and the desperate need for another hit of carbs.
Fatty liver – Excess energy, especially from processed carbs, gets stored in the liver, leading to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Metabolic dysfunction – Over time, this state of chronically high insulin and poor energy regulation can lead to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and other metabolic disorders.
Mental health issues – Insulin resistance is linked to depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline due to its effects on brain metabolism and inflammation.
Increased cancer risk – Chronically high insulin promotes cellular growth and division, which can increase the risk of certain cancers, particularly those related to metabolic dysfunction.

Fixing Insulin Resistance the Right Way

Since insulin resistance is the body's response to an unnatural diet, the fix isn't medication—it's changing the diet.

Cut the processed carbs – The biggest driver of high insulin is excessive carbohydrate intake, especially from refined sources.
Prioritize protein and healthy fats – These are more satiating and don't spike insulin like carbs do.
Space out meals – Constant eating keeps insulin elevated. Giving your body time between meals allows insulin to come down.
Exercise (but the right kind) – Strength training and walking improve insulin sensitivity by helping the body use glucose more efficiently. Chronic cardio, on the other hand, can sometimes make things worse.
Fix sleep and stress – Poor sleep and chronic stress elevate cortisol, which contributes to insulin resistance.

Want to see where you stand? Use my Insulin Resistance Calculators:

Final Thoughts

Insulin resistance isn't a mistake—it's your body's way of dealing with an unnatural diet. The problem isn't the resistance itself, but the environment that forces the body into that state. Instead of trying to "cure" insulin resistance with drugs or gimmicks, the real solution is to stop forcing the body to adapt to a diet it was never meant to handle.

There's a lot more to unpack when it comes to insulin resistance, including how gut health, liver function, and even micronutrient deficiencies play a role. I'll be covering those topics in an upcoming blog—stay tuned.

Written by Roxana Soetebeer, MHP, NNP, PHC, PFC
Published March 1st, 2025

Social Media:
Facebook
YouTube
X Roxana
X Joy
Coaching: Are you stuck on your weight loss journey? Check out our choaching programs. Book a free discovery call to find out if we are a good fit.
Patreon with weekly interactive Zooms.