1. Insulin Resistance and Pre-diabetes

What it is
Your cells stop responding properly to insulin, so your body pumps out more to compensate. It is often silent for years. Signs include energy crashes, sugar cravings, stubborn belly fat and skin tags. Around 2 million Australians are estimated to have pre-diabetes, and most don't know it.

How natural medicine helps
This is where lifestyle and nutritional medicine does its best work. Intervention at this stage can prevent or delay progression to type 2 diabetes.

• Blood sugar focused eating: protein, fibre and low GI carbohydrates at every meal

• Resistance training and post meal movement to improve glucose uptake

• Targeted nutrients with supporting evidence: berberine, magnesium, inositol and omega 3s.