Treating Insulin Resistance in Bothell, WA

Naturopathic Treatment for Insulin Resistance in Bothell

The defining feature of Dr. Sanika’s approach here is measuring the right thing early. Fasting glucose and HbA1c only become abnormal once compensation is failing, which can be a decade after insulin resistance begins; by then a substantial amount of pancreatic beta cell function has already been lost. She orders fasting insulin alongside fasting glucose and calculates HOMA-IR, which identifies the problem while it is still highly reversible, and adds a lipid panel with triglyceride-to-HDL ratio, liver enzymes to screen for fatty liver, and — in women with irregular cycles, acne or unwanted hair growth — androgens, since PCOS and insulin resistance are so tightly linked that treating one requires treating the other. Clinical nutrition is the foundation, but it is specific rather than generic: prioritising protein and fibre, ordering carbohydrates within a meal so they are not eaten first or alone, distributing protein across the day, and reducing refined carbohydrate and added sugar rather than pursuing arbitrary low-carbohydrate targets. Lifestyle medicine carries more weight here than in most conditions, and resistance training in particular — skeletal muscle is the principal site of glucose disposal, and building muscle increases the tissue available to take glucose out of the bloodstream, which is why strength training often outperforms cardiovascular exercise for insulin sensitivity. Walking after meals is used deliberately because it blunts postprandial glucose. Sleep is treated as a metabolic intervention rather than a lifestyle nicety, since even short-term sleep restriction measurably reduces insulin sensitivity in healthy people. Nutraceutical support may include inositol, which has good evidence in PCOS-related insulin resistance and ovulatory function, along with magnesium, berberine and chromium where indicated. Dr. Sanika co-manages with prescribing physicians where metformin or GLP-1 agents are appropriate, and monitors response with repeat fasting insulin and HOMA-IR rather than weight alone.