Insulin Resistant Diet Plan

If you are insulin resistant, your body's cells do not respond normally to insulin. Your blood insulin levels and blood sugar levels may both be elevated. When you are insulin resistant, choosing the right diet can help. Your diet should be composed of healthy lean protein, low glycemic index vegetables and fruits, and healthy fats along with some dairy and whole grain products.

Choosing Protein

Protein is important in any diet, but especially when you are insulin resistant. Protein has little discernible effect on blood sugar levels. This means your body will not produce significant insulin in response to eating protein. This helps relieve an overworked pancreas and reduce blood insulin and blood sugar levels. The best protein sources if you are insulin resistant are animal sources such as beef, poultry, pork, lamb, fish, shellfish and eggs. For best results, eat some protein at every meal. The total grams of protein you need each day will be determined by your body mass or the particular plan you choose to follow. Expect to eat around 80 grams of protein daily.

Choosing Vegetables and Fruit

If you are insulin resistant, your carbohydrate intake should be composed primarily of low glycemic index vegetables and fruits. These provide needed nutrition and fiber, but have minimal impact on blood sugar levels. Depending on the particular plan you are following, you may be permitted nuts and seeds, which are good sources of fiber and healthy fats as well, and some whole grain products. If you are trying to lose weight, eat more low glycemic index vegetables and fruits and fewer, if any, whole grain products. Avoid starchy vegetables and fruits such as potatoes, corn and bananas. These will raise your blood sugar levels and cause your body to produce more insulin, which exacerbates insulin resistance. For best results, spread your carbohydrate intake throughout the day in several small meals. The amount of carbohydrates you eat each day will be determined by your body's response to carbohydrates or the particular plan you are following. Expect to eat an average of 50 to 75 grams of carbohydrate (not including fiber) each day. Some plans, such as South Beach, include whole grains as carbohydrate sources; other plans, such as the Paleo Diet, do not.

Choosing Fats

Healthy fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats including olive oil, nut oils and are found in some foods like nuts, seeds and avocados. Not only do these provide a feeling of satisfaction when we eat, but they also have a negligible effect on blood sugar levels. The presence of healthy fat in a meal can help slow the digestive process, ameliorating the impact of starchy carbohydrates. The amount of fat you should be eating in a day will be determined by your particular needs or diet plan.

Choosing a Plan

There are a number of diet plans that address the problem of insulin resistance. You can develop your own plan, either from your own research or working with a dietitian. You can also choose from a number of popular plans including the South Beach Diet, the Zone Diet, the Glycemic Index Diet, The Insulin Resistance Diet, the Paleo Diet, Sugarbusters or Atkins. These diets are also commonly called low carbohydrate or right carbohydrate plans.