High Insulin Foods to Avoid (to REVERSE Insulin Resistance!)

In today’s post, we are going to be talking about foods that spike insulin that should be avoided or at least limited if you are trying to reverse insulin resistance. If you are insulin resistant you might find it difficult to lose weight. You might experience intense sugar cravings or have skin tags. If left untreated insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes, PCOS, and heart disease so it is really important to catch it and act upon it early. The best way to reverse insulin resistance is through diet but there is a lot of confusion over what foods you should and shouldn’t eat, which is what we will be talking about today. In today’s post, I’m going to give you the worst nine foods you can eat if you are insulin resistant. If you like this post please give it a thumbs up. Feel free to share and make sure to subscribe and follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook where I do posts every weekday. Today’s post is all about high insulin foods you should avoid if you’re trying to reverse insulin resistance.

I want to start this post off by saying that when you make a diet change I know it can be overwhelming to look at a long list of foods that you’re not allowed to have and that’s why I think it is really important to highlight what is allowed. Yes in this post we are going to be focusing on the negative because I think it is important to mention but I will be giving you alternative better options to all the foods we talk about today.

Now let’s get into the list. Number one bread. Bread is not a good option for someone who is insulin resistant and trying to keep their insulin low. I am talking about all types of bread. White bread, whole grain, rye- yes some of these options might be slightly better they might not have as big an impact on your insulin but the impact is still significant. Remember that the best way to reverse insulin resistance is to keep insulin as low as possible. I know this is one of the hardest foods for people to give up. Bread is such a huge part of our diet. Eggs on toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, bread rolls with dinner but I promise you it is easier to make the switch than you think. There are bread alternatives made out of things such as almond flour which yes have less of an impact on insulin. They are better in this regard, but I’m not a fan of these products for several reasons. I don’t think foods like this need a one-to-one swap. There are ways to make the same meals without bread. Take a burrito for example. Burrito bowls are a great alternative or a burger you would normally eat on a bun. So many places now offer lettuce wraps instead and even if it isn’t on the menu a lot of restaurants will accommodate you. If they can’t make a lettuce wrap they will make you a burger bowl instead. For eggs on toast, you can just ditch the bread and make an omelet or scramble instead. These are just some examples of ways you can skip the bread and your pancreas will thank you.

Number two fruit juice. I think most people nowadays know that juice is just liquid sugar. It is much worse to drink a glass of orange juice than to eat the orange itself. Juice is a refined source of sugar that is absorbed very easily and very quickly by the body. When you drink juice your blood sugar will spike significantly and your insulin will as well to deal with the blood sugar. If you are insulin resistant your blood sugar and insulin can stay elevated for hours from one seemingly harmless glass of juice. In terms of an alternative to eating the fruit, whole is a better option but it’s not great depending on the fruit. The best option is to drink low sugar drinks the don’t use artificial sweeteners. No, I’m not talking about diet soda. What I would suggest is something like Zevia which is naturally sweetened with stevia or if you live in Australia there’s a brand called Nexba which is available at Coals and Woolies and the same thing sweetened with stevia and erythritol.

Number three baked goods. This includes muffins, croissants, pastries, and anything you find in a bakery. You want to stay away from all of these. They are very refined versions of grains and will have a significant insulin impact. Now I know this can be tough especially if you are out celebrating a birthday or a wedding and what I want to say here is that what matters is what you are doing most of the time. All the right decisions you make compound and get you closer and closer to your goal of reversing insulin resistance. Something like eating a baked good every once in a while it’s not going to derail your progress so don’t beat yourself up if you want to have a slice of cake at your friend’s birthday. It’s okay just get back to eating the right foods tomorrow.

Number four vegetable oils. Now this one is interesting. Vegetable oils include canola, corn, soybean, sunflower, safflower, grape seed, and rice bran. Ironically none of which are vegetables. These oils have not been studied extensively when it comes to insulin resistance but there is a connection. In one study done on mice, half the mice were fed a diet high in corn oil, so a vegetable oil, and the other were fed a diet high in olive oil. The group eating corn oil developed hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance. Both groups of mice were eating the same amount of fat and the same amount of calories and yet one group developed insulin resistance and the other did not. Now, of course, this study was done on mice so it’s not a direct comparison to humans but there are a lot of other reasons to avoid vegetable oils. What are some alternatives to these vegetable oils? As we learned from the study olive oil is a better option, avocado oil is another. The thing with these two oils is that they aren’t the best for high heat cooking. They are better for low heat cooking and consuming raw at room temperature. For higher heat cooking you want to use fats that are solid at room temperature. Ghee, tallow, butter, lard, and duck fat are all good options.

Number five granola bars. Granola bars are just an isolated source of carbohydrates. Carbs are the macronutrient that raises insulin the most. Protein has a moderate effect on insulin and fat next to none. In terms of what you can swap granola bars for- ideally, you don’t want to be snacking at all. The longer you can keep your insulin levels low the better when it comes to reversing insulin resistance. If you’re constantly snacking in between meals your insulin will always be bumped up. if you do need a snack some companies offer bars that won’t cause significant blood sugar or insulin spike. You want to look out for bars that are higher in fat and protein and lower in carbs.

Number six dried fruit. Dried apricots or raisins, any dry fruit is not insulin friendly. Like fruit juice when fruits have become dehydrated they are an isolated source of sugar. When you eat them the impact to insulin is quick and significant. Once again, whole non-dried fruit is a better option.

Number seven high sugar fruit. Let’s talk about which fruits are best. Anything high in sugar is best avoided or at least kept to a minimum. These are fruits such as bananas, grapes, apples, peaches, and pineapple. These all have a significant impact on insulin. Better options are fruits lower in sugar. Berries such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, lemons, limes, and kiwi.

Number eight pasta. Like bread and some of the other foods we have talked about today, pasta is a refined source of carbohydrates and has a significant impact on our insulin. Some good swaps for pasta are zucchini noodles or konjac noodles.

Number nine beans. Finally, we have beans and legumes. Beans are a funny one. I honestly think they are one of the worst tasting foods. They have to be drowned in sauce and other ingredients to make them palatable. But taste aside they do not have much going for them on any front. They are not insulin friendly. They raise it significantly. They are filled with anti-nutrients that diminish the nutritional value and also wreak havoc on our gut and they can even be poisonous if not prepared properly. Usually, the reason people eat beans is for a plant-based source of protein but honestly, when it comes to insulin resistance you’re better off getting protein from animal sources such as beef, chicken, eggs, and fish. Now as I mentioned a bit earlier protein does raise insulin moderately and some studies have shown that certain types of protein can raise insulin just as much as certain types of carbs. But here’s the thing with protein. The need for the liver to create glucose determines what the insulin response to protein will be. What do I mean by this? If you are eating a low-carb diet you will not be getting much glucose, so your liver will be producing glucose. If your liver is creating glucose the insulin response to dietary protein is very low. For someone who is eating a high carb diet and the liver is making no glucose their insulin response to dietary protein will be higher, so this is something to keep in mind.

By this point, it should be pretty clear that the key to reversing insulin resistance is keeping your insulin low. And since carbs trigger insulin the most they should be limited. If you are following a low-carb approach you don’t need to worry as much about the insulin response to protein. If you aren’t following this approach, however, then yes the insulin response to protein can be significant especially when paired with carbohydrates.

Let me know in the comment section down below if you’ve taken any of these foods out of your diet and if that helped to improve your insulin resistance. Your comments and likes help to support my publication so thank you!