Insulin Resistance Dietitian Nutritionist in Oklahoma City
Personalized Nutrition Counseling for Insulin Resistance & Metabolic Health
Have you been told that you have insulin resistance, elevated fasting insulin, prediabetes, or a higher-than-normal A1C?
Maybe you’re gaining weight despite trying to eat healthier. Maybe you’re constantly hungry or experiencing strong cravings. Or perhaps your doctor has told you that you’re at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
You may be wondering:
At Life Nutrition, I provide personalized nutritional counseling for insulin resistance. I will help you understand how your food choices, portions, physical activity, body composition, and lifestyle can work together to support your metabolic health.
You don’t need another extreme diet. You need a nutrition strategy that works for your body and your life.
Meet Your Insulin Resistance Dietitian in Oklahoma City
I’m Erin Martin, RDN/LD, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and the founder of Life Nutrition.
I’ve been a Registered Dietitian since 2009 and earned my Bachelor of Science in Human Environmental Sciences with an emphasis in Nutritional Sciences from Oklahoma State University.
I became a dietitian because I wanted to help people become the healthiest version of themselves and help people prevent and manage disease through nutrition.
My approach to insulin resistance nutrition is personalized, practical, and sustainable.
Rather than giving you a generic list of “good” and “bad” foods, we’ll look at your individual health, eating patterns, lifestyle, goals, and relevant laboratory information to develop a plan you can actually follow.
What Is Insulin Resistance?
Insulin is a hormone that helps your body regulate blood glucose.
Insulin resistance occurs when the body’s cells don’t respond as effectively to insulin as they should. The pancreas may compensate by producing more insulin to help maintain blood glucose levels.
Over time, insulin resistance can be associated with an increased risk of conditions such as:
- Prediabetes
- Type 2 diabetes
- Metabolic syndrome
- Cardiovascular disease
- Fatty liver disease
- PCOS
Having insulin resistance does not mean that you are destined to develop diabetes.
Nutrition, physical activity, sleep, weight management when appropriate, and other lifestyle factors can all be important parts of supporting metabolic health.
Signs & Situations That May Be Associated With Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance doesn’t always cause obvious symptoms. Some people discover it after routine laboratory testing, while others may be dealing with metabolic or hormonal concerns.
You may benefit from discussing insulin resistance with your healthcare provider if you have:
- Prediabetes
- Elevated A1C
- Elevated fasting glucose
- Elevated fasting insulin
- Difficulty losing weight
- Weight gain around the midsection
- Strong carbohydrate or sugar cravings
- Increased hunger
- PCOS
- Metabolic syndrome
- High triglycerides
- Low HDL cholesterol
- Fatty liver
- A family history of type 2 diabetes
A healthcare professional can determine which laboratory tests and assessments are appropriate for you.
How Can a Dietitian Help with Insulin Resistance?
Nutrition counseling can help you understand how to build an eating pattern that supports metabolic health without unnecessarily restricting your diet. We may focus on:
Protein
Protein can help make meals more satisfying and may help you maintain lean muscle while working toward weight-loss or body-composition goals.
We’ll help you determine an appropriate protein intake based on your individual needs.
Fiber
Fiber-rich foods can be an important part of a healthy eating pattern. We’ll help you identify practical ways to increase fiber through foods such as:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Beans
- Lentils
- Whole grains
- Nuts
- Seeds
Carbohydrate quality and portions
You don’t necessarily need to eliminate carbohydrates because you have insulin resistance. Instead, we’ll look at:
- The type of carbohydrate
- Portion size
- Meal composition
- Fiber content
- How carbohydrates fit into your overall eating pattern
Healthy fats
We’ll discuss appropriate sources of unsaturated fats such as:
- Olive oil
- Avocado
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Fatty fish
Balanced meals
Rather than eating carbohydrates by themselves, we’ll teach you how to build satisfying meals that combine appropriate amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and healthy fats.
Do I Need to Stop Eating Carbohydrates?
No—not necessarily. Carbohydrates are found in many nutritious foods, including:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Beans
- Lentils
- Whole grains
- Oats
- Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Dairy products
The goal isn’t necessarily to eliminate carbohydrates. Instead, we’ll help you understand how much, what type, and how to pair carbohydrates with other foods based on your individual needs.
You don’t have to be afraid of carbohydrates to improve your metabolic health.
Insulin Resistance and Weight Loss
For some people, weight loss may be an appropriate component of improving metabolic health. But insulin resistance can make weight management feel frustrating. You may feel like you’re doing everything “right” but aren’t seeing the results you want.
At Life Nutrition, we don’t believe the answer is simply “eat less.” We’ll look at your overall eating pattern and lifestyle and develop realistic strategies around:
- Appropriate calorie intake
- Protein
- Fiber
- Carbohydrates
- Meal composition
- Portion sizes
- Physical activity
- Strength training
- Sleep
- Sustainable behavior change
Your goal isn’t just a lower number on the scale. We can also focus on body composition and preserving lean muscle while reducing excess body fat.
Insulin Resistance and PCOS
Insulin resistance is common among women with PCOS, although not every woman with PCOS has insulin resistance. If you have both, nutrition counseling can address both concerns together. We may work on:
- Protein intake
- Fiber
- Carbohydrate quality
- Meal composition
- Weight management when appropriate
- Blood sugar regulation
- Cardiometabolic health
- Sustainable eating habits
You don’t necessarily need to follow an extremely restrictive “PCOS diet.” We’ll develop recommendations based on your individual health and goals.
Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes
Prediabetes can be an important warning sign that your body isn’t regulating blood glucose as effectively as it should. If you’ve been told you have prediabetes, this can be an excellent time to make sustainable changes. We’ll help you understand:
- What your A1C means
- How carbohydrates affect blood glucose
- How to build balanced meals
- How much protein and fiber you may need
- How portions affect your overall intake
- How weight management may fit into your goals
- How physical activity can complement nutrition
You don’t have to wait until you develop diabetes to start making changes.
Insulin Resistance and GLP-1 Medications
Some people with insulin resistance, prediabetes, diabetes, or weight-management goals may be prescribed GLP-1 medications. If you’re taking medications such as Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Mounjaro®, or Zepbound®, nutrition counseling can help you maintain adequate nutritional intake while your appetite changes. We can focus on:
- Protein
- Fiber
- Hydration
- Nutrient-dense foods
- Muscle preservation
- Balanced meals
- Digestive comfort
- Long-term weight management
Your prescribing healthcare professional manages your medication. Life Nutrition provides individualized nutrition support that complements your medical care.
Insulin Resistance and Fatty Liver
Insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction can be associated with fatty liver disease. If you’ve been told you have fatty liver or MASLD, we’ll look at your overall dietary pattern and metabolic health rather than focusing on one “magic” food. We may address:
- Weight management
- Added sugar intake
- Protein
- Fiber
- Healthy fats
- Alcohol intake
- Overall dietary quality
- Physical activity
Your plan will be individualized based on your health history and medical recommendations.
Insulin Resistance and Cholesterol
Insulin resistance often occurs alongside other cardiometabolic concerns. You may also have:
- High triglycerides
- Low HDL
- High LDL
- High blood pressure
- Increased waist circumference
Rather than treating each concern separately, we’ll look at your overall metabolic health. Your plan can incorporate strategies that support healthy blood sugar, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and body composition.
What Should I Eat If I Have Insulin Resistance?
There is no single food list that works for everyone. A balanced eating pattern may include:
Protein
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Fish
- Eggs
- Lean beef
- Greek yogurt
- Cottage cheese
- Beans
- Lentils
- Tofu
- Other plant proteins
Fiber-rich carbohydrates
- Vegetables
- Berries and other fruits
- Beans
- Lentils
- Oats
- Quinoa
- Brown rice
- Whole grains
- Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
Healthy fats
- Olive oil
- Avocado
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Nut butters
- Fatty fish
Beverages
Water should generally be the primary beverage.
Depending on your individual needs, we may also discuss coffee, tea, low- or no-calorie beverages, and strategies for reducing sugar-sweetened beverages.
What About Sugar?
You don’t necessarily need to completely eliminate every gram of sugar.
However, frequently consuming large amounts of added sugar—particularly in beverages and highly processed foods—can make it harder to create a balanced eating pattern.
We’ll help you identify practical ways to reduce excessive added sugar while still allowing flexibility in your diet.
What About Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is popular, but it isn’t automatically the best approach for everyone with insulin resistance.
Some people may find a structured eating schedule helpful, while others may experience increased hunger, overeating, difficulty meeting protein needs, or simply find it impractical.
Instead of automatically prescribing intermittent fasting, we’ll determine what eating pattern makes sense for you.
What About Supplements?
There are many supplements marketed specifically for insulin resistance. You don’t necessarily need a supplement to improve your nutrition.
If you’re currently taking supplements, we’ll review them as part of your overall nutrition assessment and discuss whether they make sense for your individual situation.
Any supplement recommendations should take into account your medications, medical conditions, laboratory values, and healthcare team’s recommendations.
What to Expect at Your First Appointment
Your first appointment is about understanding your individual situation. We’ll discuss:
1. Your laboratory information
If you have recent laboratory results, you may bring information such as:
- A1C
- Fasting glucose
- Fasting insulin
- Lipid panel
- Triglycerides
- HDL
- LDL
- Other relevant laboratory results
2. Your health history
We’ll discuss relevant diagnoses, medications, supplements, family history, and other factors that may influence your nutrition needs.
3. Your current eating habits
We’ll look at your typical meals, snacks, beverages, portions, meal timing, and eating patterns.
4. Your lifestyle
We’ll consider:
- Physical activity
- Strength training
- Sleep
- Stress
- Work schedule
- Family responsibilities
- Eating out
- Other real-life factors
5. Your goals
Maybe you want to:
- Improve insulin resistance
- Lower your A1C
- Lose weight
- Reduce body fat
- Preserve muscle
- Improve cholesterol
- Reduce cravings
- Improve energy
- Prevent progression to type 2 diabetes
- Improve PCOS-related metabolic health
We’ll determine the goals that matter most to you.
What Your Personalized Plan May Include
Depending on your individual needs, your nutrition recommendations may include:
- Personalized calorie recommendations
- Protein goals
- Fiber goals
- Carbohydrate education
- Meal planning
- Portion guidance
- Grocery-shopping strategies
- Healthy snack ideas
- Restaurant strategies
- Blood-sugar-friendly meal ideas
- Weight-management strategies
- GLP-1 nutrition support
- Body-composition goals
- Physical activity and exercise nutrition guidance
- Supplement review
- Sustainable behavior-change strategies
You Don’t Need Another Restrictive Diet
If you’ve been diagnosed with insulin resistance, you may have already encountered an overwhelming amount of advice online:
It can be difficult to know what is actually appropriate for you. At Life Nutrition, we’ll take the confusion out of nutrition and focus on evidence-based, personalized recommendations.
You don’t need to eat perfectly. You need a plan you can realistically follow.
Who Can Benefit From Insulin Resistance Nutrition Counseling?
Life Nutrition may be a good fit if you:
- Have been diagnosed with insulin resistance
- Have elevated fasting insulin
- Have prediabetes
- Have an elevated A1C
- Have difficulty losing weight
- Have PCOS
- Have metabolic syndrome
- Have high triglycerides
- Have fatty liver
- Have a family history of type 2 diabetes
- Are taking a GLP-1 medication
- Want to improve your metabolic health
- Want professional guidance rather than another internet diet
Ready to Improve Your Metabolic Health?
You don’t have to wait until insulin resistance progresses to type 2 diabetes to start making changes.
With individualized nutrition counseling, you can learn how to build meals, understand carbohydrates, improve your eating habits, and create a lifestyle that supports your long-term health.
At Life Nutrition, we’ll work with you to create a personalized nutrition strategy based on your health, your goals, and your real life.
Schedule an Insulin Resistance Nutrition Appointment
Erin Martin, RDN/LD
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Life Nutrition
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
In-person and virtual nutrition counseling available.
Life Nutrition
Personalized nutrition. Practical changes. A healthier you.