Over the weekend I attended a seminar on mental health pre and during the pandemic. It's alarming how much the numbers increased in 2021.

One of the interesting takeaways was that a high percentage of people with anxiety or depression have insulin resistance, and we need insulin sensitivity to have mental wellbeing.

Firstly, mental wellbeing ISN'T the absence of anxiety, low moods or depression.

Mental wellbeing is:
✅ The ability to cope with the daily stressors of life
✅ To use your cognitive & emotional abilities to realise your potential
✅ Ability to form fulfilling relationships & deep connections
✅ Be productive and successfully adapt to change

There are many factors that can influence this, and one is insulin resistance – when cells don't respond well to insulin and can't use glucose from your blood for energy. To make up for it, your pancreas makes more insulin. Over time, your blood sugar levels go up, along with body fat.

Our brain is covered in insulin receptors, impacting our mood.

And lockdown didn't help.

Many people found themselves snacking on sugar, refined carbohydrates, and take-away – all of which increase the need for insulin, eventually creating insulin resistance.

Plus, chronic stress is another driver of insulin resistance.

If you want to elevate your mood, reduce anxiety and lose body fat:

✅ Improve your diet – remove packaged foods, sugar, or fructose that increase the need for insulin and create inflammation

✅ Reduce stress and stress hormones as it drives up glucose and insulin

✅ Supplement with magnesium to improve insulin sensitivity

Much love,