What insulin resistance is, plainly
Think of your cells as suitcases. Insulin is the hand that packs sugar from your blood into them. When the suitcases are already full, from years of rice, kuih and sweet drinks, the sugar will not fit. So your body sends more and more insulin to force it in.
That is insulin resistance. Your blood sugar may still look normal, because insulin is working overtime to hold it there. But all that extra insulin tells your body to store fat, especially around the belly, and to keep you hungry.
You do not have a willpower problem. You have a chemistry problem.
Seven signs you can check at home
None of these is a diagnosis on its own. But if you recognise yourself in three or more, it is worth taking seriously.
1. The afternoon crash
An hour or two after lunch, your eyes are heavy and your head is foggy. You reach for kopi or something sweet just to get through the afternoon. A big rise in sugar, followed by a big wave of insulin, is often what brings you down.
2. Hungry again soon after eating
You finished a full plate, yet two hours later you are hungry, or "hangry". When insulin pushes your sugar down fast, your body asks for food again before it truly needs it.
3. Cravings that feel louder than you
The kuih calls you after every meal. You tell yourself one, and it is never one. This is not a weak character. It is a hormone asking for more sugar.
4. Belly fat that will not shift
Your arms and legs may even be slim, but the belly stays. High insulin tells the body to store fat, and the belly is where it likes to keep it. Grab a measuring tape: for Asian women, a waist of 80 cm or more is commonly used as a sign of higher metabolic risk.
5. Dark, velvety patches of skin
Look at the back of your neck, your underarms and your knuckles. Skin that is darker and slightly velvety, not dirt that washes off, is a sign doctors link with high insulin.
6. Skin tags
Small soft flaps of skin on the neck, underarms or under the bra line. They are harmless in themselves, but they often appear alongside insulin resistance.
7. Cycles, skin and hair that changed
Irregular periods, stubborn acne along the jaw, or thinning hair. In many women these are linked to high insulin, including in PCOS. If this is you, my PCOS article goes deeper.
Blood sugar is the number most people are tested on, but insulin often rises years before sugar does. By the time fasting sugar or HbA1c finally climbs, the body may have been fighting for a long time. That is why these everyday signs matter. They show up early.
The one blood test to ask for
At your next check-up, ask your doctor about fasting insulin, alongside fasting glucose and HbA1c.
- Fasting glucose and HbA1c tell you where your sugar is.
- Fasting insulin tells you how hard your body is working to keep it there.
A sister can hear "your sugar is normal" while her insulin has been rising quietly all along. Your doctor will explain your own numbers and what they mean for you.
This is food and mechanism, not a diagnosis, and I am a keto coach, not your doctor. Some of these signs can have other causes, so please see your doctor for proper tests. If you take medication for diabetes, changing how you eat can lower your blood sugar faster than you expect, so speak to your doctor first. And never stop or change your medication on your own.
Three things you can do tonight, for free
You do not need to buy anything from me to start. These are yours, tonight.
1. Measure your waist.
Stand relaxed, breathe out, and wrap a tape around your belly at the level of your belly button. Write the number down with today's date.
Why: your waist tells you more about insulin than your weight does, and it is a number you can watch fall as you heal.
2. Check your skin in good light.
Look at the back of your neck, your underarms and your knuckles. Note any dark, velvety patches or skin tags.
Why: these are some of the earliest signs your body shows on the outside. If you see them, you have a reason to ask for that blood test.
3. Leave the rice off tonight's plate.
Keep the lauk, the sayur, the santan. Just leave the rice mound out.
Why: white rice is what asks for the biggest wave of insulin on a Malay plate. One dinner without it is one evening your body does not have to fight. Tomorrow afternoon, notice whether the crash is softer.
Do those three things this week and you will know your body a little better than you did on Monday. May Allah make it easy for you, Amin.
If you want someone to cook it for you
Reading the signs is the first step. Changing the plate, every day, is the work. For many sisters with a family, a job and no time, that is the hardest part.
That is why I cook. Kyla With Keto is Singapore's first and only halal keto nasi campur. Heritage Malay and Indonesian dishes, protein at the centre, cooked fresh daily with zero artificial preservatives, served on konjac rice instead of a rice mound. I do the heavy lifting. You eat.
The kitchen is here when you are ready, sister.
The 4 Week Metabolic Reset is where the real change happens. I cook every meal, you eat, and I walk beside you the whole way with private WhatsApp coaching, biiznillah.
Open The Kitchen PayNow only . 88844708 . No credit card, our deen forbids riba.Or comment HEAL on @kylawithketo and I will open the right door.
Questions sisters ask me
What are the early signs of insulin resistance?
Common early signs include a heavy crash or sleepiness after meals, strong cravings for sweet things, feeling hungry again soon after eating, belly fat that will not shift, skin tags, and darker, velvety skin on the neck, underarms or knuckles.
Can I have insulin resistance with normal blood sugar?
Yes. Insulin can stay high for years while it works hard to keep your blood sugar in the normal range. That is why a normal sugar reading does not always mean your metabolism is healthy.
What blood test checks for insulin resistance?
Ask your doctor about fasting insulin alongside fasting glucose and HbA1c. Fasting glucose and HbA1c show your sugar. Fasting insulin shows how hard your body is working to keep it there.
What waist size is a warning sign for women in Singapore?
For Asian women, a waist of 80 cm or more is commonly used as a sign of higher metabolic risk. Measure at the level of your belly button, standing relaxed.
Is insulin resistance reversible?
For many people, yes. Changing what is on the plate, moving after meals and sleeping well can lower insulin over time. Always do it with your doctor if you are on medication.
The plate is the effort. Allah is the Shafi. Biiznillah.
Coach Kyla is a certified keto coach, not a medical doctor. This article is educational and is not medical advice. The signs described can have other causes, and only your doctor can diagnose insulin resistance or diabetes. If you have type 2 diabetes, PCOS, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or any other condition, or if you are pregnant or nursing, speak with your doctor before changing how you eat, and never stop or adjust prescribed medication on your own.