Dying To Live: How I Reversed Insulin Resistance In Under 6 Months – And How You Can Reclaim Your Metabolic Health

No matter what, insulin resistance is more commonplace than anticipated. You do not need to be overweight or obese to be insulin resistant - in other words on the right road to pre and type 2 diabetes. The fantastic news is that it can be reversed. There is a misperception that a newly diagnosed insulin resistant person has diabetes. Insulin resistance is definitely related to diabetes, however they are completely different illnesses. With Insulin resistance, your pancreas is overworked and fatigued, having to constantly pump out insulin to the cells in order to keep the body alive. No wonder why fatigue is rampant when someone is insulin resistant. It's exhausting. Your body is always craving food, and for some that food noise gets louder and louder. With diabetes on the other hand, the body is struggling to produce that all elusive insulin in order to survive before thriving.

If Insulin resistance is not addressed, blood glucose levels can rise, and this is where an insulin resistant person moves into type 2 diabetes territory. According to the CDC, 115.2 million US adults live with pre-diabetes, and in Australia that number is 2 million adults, according to Healthdirect.

This article is urgent, relevant and inspirational to the longevity community.

Following a particularly challenging life period for yours truly, which involved significant health setbacks, physical injury, surgery, and prolonged recovery; my body had been through more than I could have anticipated. Somewhere along that journey, my metabolic health clearly took a hit.

But what happened next changed my perspective on recovery.

Within less than six months, I had managed to reverse insulin resistance.

Just because you binge on choc tops while enjoying the pleasure of watching an abundance of movies, does not imply that you will get insulin resistance.

On this, what is responsible for causing insulin resistance, apart from illnesses like cancer, and injuries like unstable fractures?

Excess visceral fat, mainly in the abdominal area. (Remember, slim people are not immune to insulin resistance.)

Consuming processed foods (UPF's), refined carbs, trans fats, foods with more than the daily recommended intake of added sugar, as well as consuming more calories/kilojoules than you burn off daily every day. Being interested in consuming only protein bars and shakes is a metab0lic disaster during injury rehabilitation, while the body is stuck in survival mode with a nervous system that is far from regulated.

Physical inactivity. (Illness and injury only compounds this lack of movement.)

Chronic stress / high cortisol levels. High intensity exercise has its place, however not appropriate after working an 8-12 hour day.

Poor sleep also interferes with insulin sensitivity.

Getting older, perimenopause/menopause and genetics do play a role in insulin resistance as well. If appetite hormones such as ghrelin and leptin get affected - for sure.

Fasting insulin and fasting glucose are markers often ignored in blood tests for some unknown reason. Pushing for such tests with your family doctor can feel like sucking blood out of a stone. Insulin resistance alone can lead to other health complications such as strokes and cardiovascular disease if left untreated. Strongly advocate for this blood test with your family doctor, among other important markers such as HbA1c, combined with full liver, thyroid, blood count, lipids, Vitamin D, magnesium serum, B12 (including Active B12), and Iron studies including Ferritin. Just to paint a picture on your metabolic and overall health.

It is a shock when you find out that you are insulin resistant, even if you are a fairly healthy person otherwise. My fasting insulin was a 17 back in June 2026 (way too high), and has now just scraped through into the optimal range - a fasting insulin of 8 in October 2026.

If you are insulin resistant, your doctor is likely to prescribe you Metformin.

This article is not medical or nutritional advice, nor is it intended to replace traditional medical and nutritional treatment; however Metformin did not work for me. I got the results (lost 3kgs/6lbs in a few weeks, as well as having regular bowel movements, combined with the ability to sleep at night again); however it felt like (metaphorically speaking, yet still ever so painful) being hit by bricks over and over again. If you choose to take Metformin, be mindful that this drug will also deplete your Vitamin B12 levels.

It is difficult to go cold turkey off this drug, however I did, while away on a combined holiday and family funeral.

As Metformin was giving me grief, despite biology always winning over willpower, I switched to Berberine (a natural Metformin alternative, also known as Natures Ozempic); however with my low iron levels, I dropped this supplement to have an Iron Infusion, and then switched to Inositol, which ended up being the insulin resistance reversal workhorse in the supplements family for moi (myo-inositol in the powder form, taken with lunch).

Other supplements (still not a substitute for medical and/or naturopathic advice - just based on my research) that help reverse insulin resistance, and most of all keep it out:

• Creatine monohydrate (unflavoured) - currently taking with B12 and Iron.

• Vitamin D3 1000IU (currently taking)

• Magnesium Glycinate (currently taking just before bed)

• Chromium Picolinate

• Apple Cider Vinegar

• Vitamin B1

In additional to breaking up with Metformin after 2.5 weeks, and using top quality hormone free supplements; what else did I do to reverse insulin resistance in only 4 months?

1. Improvement in diet/food quality and balancing my relationship with food

Consuming an abundance of protein, fibre, and healthy fats. Foods such as a medium rare steak, salad/vegetables (even boiling my own brussels sprouts), nuts, dried apricots, fruits (acai/berries, banana and kiwi), plain yoghurt, chia seeds, oats, plant based milks, matcha, herbal tea, filtered water, eggs and avocado were in vogue.

Everyone responds differently to food, however you cannot go wrong with eating the following nutrients in order with your food of choice: protein, good fats, and then carbs. Avoid restrictive diets.

And no snacking after dinner. Have dinner by 7pm to give your insulin and body a break. Today I only snack while working, otherwise I no longer snack at all.

2. Movement and muscle building

Strength and resistance training is key. Increasing muscle mass helped me lose belly fat, and is fantastic for glucose metabolism, thus allowing glucose to travel throughout the whole body to help the pancreas and liver out. This meant investing in two 3kg dumbbells, and being involved in repetitive weight training, only for a few minutes a day every day. Engaging in pilates reformer 1-2 times a week was also a godsend.

Walking is fantastic in reversing insulin resistance. It's great to walk 10,000 - 15,000 steps a day, however it is best to walk at least 10 minutes after all meals to not cause insulin spikes.

Gentle restorative exercises like yoga, and having my legs up the wall for 10 minutes before bed is something I also did to reverse insulin resistance, and now it is inspiring to do on autopilot.

Other great exercises that I would suggest include cycling and swimming.

3. More movement/reduce prolonged sitting

This is not to imply that you need to quit your office job, although thanks to the left ankle fracture that happened to me last year (as at the time of writing) I have thrived in more active roles, being involved in exam supervision, retail online fulfilment and hospitality work at private functions to name. And running my new business on part-time limited hours. This is because my body still enjoys and wants to move more than anything. (Even being a part-time student is still a bit on the right side of difficult, as at the time of writing.)

Insulin resistance is a phenomenal teacher in helping people listen and stay in tune with the needs of their own body. In such circumstances, when you take phenomenal care of your body first, abundance in other life areas (even in personal finances) will miraculously follow with faith.

If you need to sit at a desk, aim to get up and move at least once every hour if you can; otherwise calf raises once every hour are just as great in improving blood sugar and insulin sensitivity.

4. Other ways I reversed insulin resistance:

• Prioritised deep, quality sleep.

• Mediation - mainly listening to the Solfeggio Frequencies every night.

• Staying on top of health checks and bloodwork - this includes investigating hormonal changes, including PCOS (I do not have this, however people with PCOS are guaranteed to get insulin resistance.)

• Regular firm bowel movements, to get toxins and excess hormones like estrogen out.

• Prioritising mindfulness and self care - including quality time in the great outdoors/time in nature. (Hug a tree if you want). This includes earthing - walking barefoot in the sand and water at a beach/ocean, and/or invest in a earthing mat to use at home.

• Breath work, massage, acupuncture/dry needling, and physiotherapy.

• Upholding healthy boundaries (knowing when to say no), while staying connected to those who support you.

• Only saying yes to work opportunities where a paycheque is not at the expense to my physical and mental health. If a job and/or freelance opportunity costed me my physical and mental health; I resigned from what was a once promising opportunity quickly and honestly. For instance, yours truly only lasted 1.5 weeks in a Government HR and IT help desk role that took so much from me; even to the point where stakeholders were complaining to my employer about how some phone calls were handled on my end; something that had never happened to me in my career prior. That alone whacks your self confidence, strange economic times or not. Right now, telephone work for me is a red flag, having just reversed insulin resistance. Sitting down at a desk job (with the exception of my own business and some freelance work in digital marketing and data analytics) feels like punishment right now.

In concluding, words are difficult to describe the feeling that having a body with healthy metabolic health after months of suffering is super liberating. I just want to live, move, and explore. Travel is already more meaningful. It all still feels a bit surreal - too good to be true, having just made it to the other side where my vitality and zest for life has fully returned.

Having had a skin tag (insulin resistance unfortunately causes these) removed exactly a week ago (as at the time of writing); appearance wise the scar is worse than the tag for now. Insulin resistance also put me in hospital a couple of months ago, where I could not keep fluids and food down. And this illness put a small drain on my finances. It's worth all of this effort to reverse, beyond the prospect of type 2 diabetes and other long-term health complications knocking on your door, like a house guest who invites themselves to your place.

Life is great on the other end of surviving this insulin resistance storm. It was bloody hard work, but so worth it. The strategies implemented in order to reverse insulin resistance in the first place are pleasant and inspiring - far from a chore.

You definitely feel on top of the world once you have survived this insulin resistance and metabolic health storm:

Thank you so much - the proof is in the pudding here: