This is Dubai. You want something? It’ll be at your door in half an hour.
It seems we can get literally anything delivered with a click of a button, and while that’s super convenient, it also makes it pretty easy to indulge in a litre of soda, a kilo or two of biryani, a tub of freshly made gelato - without even getting off the couch. So, it's less than surprising that diabetes is on the rise here.
The crucial role of insulin
Diabetes is the body's inability to regulate insulin properly. Insulin is the hormone at the heart of metabolic health, essential for controlling blood glucose levels, allowing glucose to enter cells and be used for energy.
It’s a neat system, but when it malfunctions—when insulin fails to regulate glucose efficiently—we face diabetes. This misregulation of insulin spans a spectrum from the elevated glucose levels of pre-diabetes to the significant health challenges of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
The stakes are high, as an imbalance in insulin not only disrupts our body's harmony but also has been linked to a laundry list of chronic ailments including obesity, heart disease, and even certain cancers.
So understanding and managing these glucose levels are crucial steps in preventing and controlling diabetes, along with the plethora of other illnesses insulin spikes could cause.
Meet your internal furnace
Interestingly, in the quest for metabolic balance, fat emerges as an ally.
We’re talking here about brown fat, a specialised form of body fat distinct from its counterpart white fat. Brown fat, or Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT) is activated specifically by cold exposure. When it’s activated, it acts as a kind of metabolic furnace, burning calories to produce heat to get you back up to temperature.
But BAT fat's role extends beyond simple calorie burning; it actively participates in thermal regulation and insulin sensitivity enhancement. This contrasts with the more familiar white fat, which stores energy and, in excess, contributes to obesity.
Brown fat offers a promising avenue for boosting metabolic health, spotlighting the ancient wisdom of cold exposure as a modern strategy to ignite our metabolic potential and improve insulin sensitivity.
Ice baths: do they impact blood sugar?
Ice baths harness brown fat's benefits. They're not just a test of resilience but a scientifically backed practice to enhance insulin sensitivity, clear glucose from the bloodstream, and stimulate fat burning.
You’ll know you’ve got your BAT furnace burning when your ice bath plunge is cold enough to induce a gasp and sustained long enough to provoke shivering. Sound familiar from your last plunge? Congratulations, you engaged the body's natural defences against insulin resistance.
But if you are already familiar with ice baths, you’ll also hopefully be aware that those cold dips, like cryotherapy, thermoregulation, or any other step you take to secure your health, don’t work as a magic bullet for wellness, weight loss, or any other gain you’re seeking. What any of us needs to succeed is an individualised, curated, and comprehensive approach.
Data-driven health
Checking my glucose stats and activating my BAT furnace are both part of my routine. Monitoring my blood sugar levels has been mainly to maintain balance and keep myself in check.
There have been phases where I immersed myself in training and racing while adhering to keto states. However, my motivation transcended mere fitness; it was deeply influenced by my growing understanding of cancer.
Today marks the anniversary of my mother's passing; a victim of cancer, as were her parents. This stark correlation between cancer and high insulin and sugar levels has always loomed large in my consciousness.
Tracking my blood sugar intermittently has become a habit. My dietary habits have remained relatively consistent over time, with little fluctuation. You could see this tracking as mundane; I see it as a testament to my body's adaptability, and my commitment to maintaining optimal health.
And once you do make it a habit, it’s not one you’ll want to break. Incorporating Ultrahuman M1’s live glucose tracking into my daily routine gave me a detailed view of my metabolic health, now indispensable in controlling my well-being. After all, if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.
And what I’ve learned is that my body is resilient and efficient. I put that down to my sensitivity to insulin, the benefits of brown fat induced by ice baths, and the maintenance of lean muscle tissue. These elements collectively contribute to a robust metabolic system and underscore the importance of holistic and proactive health practices in my life.
Wellness in the world of instant gratification
The key to optimal health lies in understanding and responding to our body's unique needs. Let data, not convenience, dictate your health choices.
We’ve got access to the tools we need to find out what’s happening in our bodies. Take advantage of this!
It's great living somewhere where you can get anything you want - just make sure your body also gets what it needs.
If you're interested in exploring personalised support for your health journey, including guidance on ice bath routines or interpreting glucose data, our Thermalist °Coaches are available for free 15-minute consultations.
