Other blogs on this website that discuss insulin insensitivity:

Berberine & Insulin Sensitivity

Insulin Sensitivity and Menopause, The Evidence

Insulin Insensitivity, Weight Gain & More

 

How being in Africa changed my life.

Not only has it been a lifelong dream to travel to Africa, but being there for over a month also changed how my body worked – in a good way.

So what does Africa have to do with insulin sensitivity or weight loss/gain?

I’ll just get right to it…

Like some of my friends and clients alike, menopause kicked the shit out of me!

Aside from debilitating hot flashes that rendered me unable to wear any under garments, make up or lotions on my body (because they sealed the heat in), disrupted sleep and disrupted every-other-aspect-of-life for weeks and months at a time… I also gained about 15-20 lbs over a 1-2 year period.

It’s not a ton of weight, I know.  And even with that extra weight, I would still be considered ‘a healthy weight’ range by medical standards.  However, as many of you can relate to – it was enough weight that I no longer feel comfortable in my body.  A body that I didn’t recognize in the mirror and could no longer squeeze into my favorite clothes.

The worst part of that weight gain was that it seemed completely unstoppable. 

I know numbers, I know nutrition and exercise, and I know how to safely and effectively lose body fat. None of that worked. No matter what I did, the weight just kept creeping up and I felt utterly powerless to it. It was just illogical!

How could I be continuing to gain weight despite what I was and was not doing nutritionally?! It was beyond frustrating. Why was my body not responding?! I didn’t have the answers and I couldn’t figure it out. 😩

Eventually the gaining stopped, I believe with the help of hormone replacement therapy. But I was still trying to lose the weight I had already gained.  Still nothing was working, but still I kept trying… hoping.

 

I became even more diligent and careful with my nutrition and training.  So at least I felt in control – of my actions anyway.  I had good energy, overall good health, and was feeling strong and fit.  This larger body had slowly become my new ‘normal’.

But I won’t lie –

I’ve never stopped wanting to shed those extra lbs of body fat that took up residence on my body and of which I felt had no right to be there.

About Africa…

While I was in Africa for 5 weeks, I didn’t do a single exercise. I barely even walked anywhere. We’d spend 6 hours a day in the back of a truck  tracking animals (we were on a volunteer expedition).

I was also eating far more than I usually do. Plus, our meals were super carb heavy. I knew this going in, and therefore had intentionally packed some ‘baggie’ clothes to prepare for putting on a couple more lbs, as per the pattern of gaining in the last 4-5 years.

But… the opposite happened!

I lost weight!  I actually lost about 4 lbs of body fat specifically. This was epic! … as my body had been so resistant to any change, however big or small, for several years to this point.

Just to note – there had been plenty of times in the last few years where I had, in fact, tried the strategy of eating more and exercising less in my attempts to ‘figure out’ my new body. It never resulted in weight loss at home.

So…  I dove into the science to try to figure this out.

What was different about my actions in Africa than anything I’d tried at home over that last several years? What had I done consistently for 5 weeks there that I had never tried before back home? What had finally triggered a change in my body during my time in Africa?

The only thing I could put my finger on…

After analyzing my every move, there was only one thing I could identify that was different than anything I’d tried at home up until Africa.

It was the timing of my eating.

I realized that before traveling, I was used to grazing all day.  Although everyone is different (and now I’ve realized that my new body IS different), eating smaller amounts more often through the day works well for the vast majority of people – especially athletes whose energy needs are higher.  It’s the way I’d always eaten and always felt good with in the past.

But while I was away in Africa on the expedition and later on safaris, I’d have long stretches of not eating.  We were provided with three meals per day.  And there was no snacking in between.

So how did this help me shed some body fat?  Insulin.

 

Insulin Sensitivity

I had suspected in the last few years that I might be dealing with some insulin insensitivity. I knew that it was a known part of menopause. But after seeing doctors in the past, my fasting blood sugar levels were only sometimes a little above normal and my insulin levels were always a smidge away from ‘normal’.  So I was always viewed as ‘healthy’ according to their numbers. I should have pursued this further.  As a holistic nutritionist, I know better.

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps to make sure the cells in our bodies can absorb the glucose into cells for energy and storage.

When you have low insulin sensitivity, also known as insulin resistance, your cells don’t respond effectively to insulin. So the body produces more insulin to compensate, which can lead to higher levels of insulin in the bloodstream.

Both high levels of blood sugar AND high levels of insulin can cause the body to store fat, leading to weight gain. Insulin resistance can also increase appetite and cravings for high-carbohydrate and high-fat foods, which as we know, also contributes to weight gain.

 

So why does eating less often improve insulin insensitivity?

REDUCED INSULIN DEMAND 

Every time you eat, your body releases insulin to help manage the influx of glucose into your blood from the digested food. By eating less frequently, you reduce the number of times your body needs to release insulin. This can help your body maintain insulin sensitivity because your insulin response isn’t being constantly triggered.

INCREASED INSULIN EFFICIENCY 

Less frequent eating can lead to longer periods between meals when insulin levels are lower. These intervals allow your body to become more sensitive to insulin because cells are not constantly exposed to insulin, which can reduce the risk of developing insulin resistance.

IMPROVED FAT OXIDATION

By extending the time between meals, the body may be more likely to use stored fat as an energy source, rather than relying on constant glucose availability from frequent meals or snacks. Burning fat for energy instead of storing it can help improve metabolic flexibility and insulin sensitivity.

ENHANCED HORMONAL REGULATION

Eating less often can also influence levels of hormones like ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and leptin (the satiety hormone), which help regulate hunger and fullness. Better regulation of these hormones can reduce overeating and weight gain, which are linked to insulin resistance.

 

Scientific Support:

Several studies have examined the impact of meal frequency on insulin sensitivity:

• A study published in Diabetologia found that subjects who consumed a reduced-calorie diet with three meals per day showed improved insulin sensitivity compared to those who ate more frequent meals. The researchers suggested that fewer meals might help improve metabolic health by enhancing the body’s natural circadian rhythms.
• Research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that men who ate three meals a day had better insulin sensitivity than those who ate more frequently. The study indicated that increased meal frequency could lead to higher daily insulin levels and reduced insulin sensitivity.
• A 2017 review in the Journal of Nutrition and Healthy Eating reported that longer fasting intervals overnight, which naturally occur with less frequent eating during the day, could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and support better overall metabolic health.

These findings support the idea that eating fewer meals per day, without snacking in between, can potentially reduce the burden on the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas and help maintain or improve insulin sensitivity.  It appears it did for me.

However, everyone is different and it’s important to approach your nutrition in a holistic view – taking into account other factors in your physiology, your lifestyle, even your time schedule – all the things that make eating a certain way for you your body, life and goals.

If you’d like to chat about your individual nutrition needs and your goals, reach out anytime.  I’ve learned a few things about how insulin sensitivity can impact your body and goals, and I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve!

 

 

Originally posted in April 2023, updated in November 2024.