One of the most important screening tests we’ve been using for years at The Lamkin Clinic is the fasting insulin test. Insulin is the hormone produced by the pancreas to drive glucose (blood sugar) into the cells to produce energy. The test simply involves an overnight fast, then a blood test the next morning to check insulin levels. In a fasting state (no food or drink except water), one should not produce much insulin. Optimal levels are under 5 uIU/ml. A value above 5 indicates there are changes occurring at the cellular level that increase risk for diabetes, and this usually starts with and progresses toward weight gain.

Sleep is one of those wonderfully built-in processes that we all need to maintain health. Everyone on the planet needs regular quality deep sleep (usually between seven to eight hours) for optimal health. If you don’t get consistent deep and restful sleep, which can occur for a variety of reasons, there are serious health consequences.

A couple weeks ago in the first part of this series, I wanted to achieve two goals. First, to help people with insulin resistance or type II diabetes understand what “insulin resistance” really is. Second, I wanted to let people know they don't have to continue to take prescription medications the rest of their lives.

Most people consider the predominant form of diabetes (type II) to be merely a condition of high blood sugar, but the fundamental problem is much more complex (and interesting). I've always felt it important for my patients to understand what is actually going on in their body. As such, one of the talking points for those that are found to have developed insulin resistance (the fundamental problem with type II diabetes) is what's going on at a deeper level.

Unfortunately, being overweight has a stigma associated with it. The opinionated and under-informed often think that overweight people are gluttonous, don't have any discipline, or are just lazy.

Thyroid hormones provide our body's cells and tissues with important signals that affect just about every aspect of health. Every system in our bodies is affected, including our nervous and immune systems and also the functions that regulate temperature and metabolic rate.

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If you’ve tried to lose weight for any length of time, you know the two most basic things you have to do: eat healthy and exercise. But just because those are the...