If you have insulin resistance, you may be able to reduce or even reverse it by adopting healthy lifestyle habits such as regular exercise and a healthy diet.

Insulin resistance occurs when cells in your body do not respond well to insulin. Insulin is produced by the pancreas and helps move glucose from the blood into cells, where it is used for energy. If you have insulin resistance, your pancreas must produce greater amounts of insulin to help maintain normal blood glucose levels.

Eating foods that raise your blood sugar triggers the pancreas to release insulin to absorb the sugars. Consuming large amounts of foods that raise blood sugar puts a lot of stress on the pancreas. Over time, this extra stress can worsen your insulin resistance and your condition may progress to Type 2 diabetes.

“Following a diet lower in refined or simple carbohydrates can help your body better manage sugar levels and may improve your insulin resistance,” says Shelby Hoskins, MS, RD, LMNT, CDCES, Nebraska Medicine diabetes educator and registered dietitian.

This can be achieved by eating a more balanced diet that includes a mix of choices from different food groups, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes and healthy dairy and fats. “This will help you digest your food slower, resulting in a slower, steadier rise in blood sugars and more sustained energy levels,” notes Hoskins.

Another trick to slow the rise in blood sugars is to pair a carbohydrate source with protein or a healthy fat. For example, pair an apple with peanut butter, whole grain crackers with cheese, or a banana with almonds.

While you do not need to eliminate any foods from your diet completely, the key is to be aware of how certain foods affect your blood sugar levels and how to balance or offset those with other food choices, says Hoskins.

Hoskins recommends the following foods to provide a more stable energy source and support insulin sensitivity.

1. Complex carbohydrates

These types of food are high in fiber and nutrients. To know if it is a whole grain, read the label, says Hoskins. The first ingredient should start with “whole,” as in whole wheat or whole oats.

Complex carbohydrates include:

• Whole wheat
• Oats
• Brown rice
• Quinoa
• Whole grain breads
• Whole grain pastas
• Whole barley
• Millet
• Bulgar wheat
• Buckwheat
• Whole rye
• Whole corn

2. Lean proteins

• Lean cuts of red meat
• Chicken
• Fish like salmon, tuna and trout
• Beans, lentils and legumes
• Nuts and seeds
• Nut butters

3. Fruits

All fruits are packed with fiber and nutrients, but some are higher in sugar than others, like grapes and bananas. So if you want to consume a larger portion, keep in mind that you can eat a cup of berries compared to half a banana for about the same sugar content, Hoskins says. With this in mind, some lower carbohydrate fruits include:

• Watermelon, cantaloupe and peaches
• Oranges, mangoes and pineapple
• Berries such as raspberries, strawberries and blueberries

4. Vegetables

While vegetables are always a good choice, keep in mind that some vegetables, like potatoes and sweet potatoes, are starchier than others and provide more carbohydrates. Vegetables with little to no carbohydrate include:

• Broccoli
• Dark leafy greens
• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Cucumbers
• Carrots

5. Dairy and healthy fats

• Peanut butter
• High-protein, low-carb yogurt (Example: Greek yogurt)
• Cheeses
• Nuts
• Hard-boiled eggs

Foods to limit:

Foods high in added sugars can overload the body’s ability to produce enough insulin and should be limited.

These include:

• Sweetened beverages like soda, regular fruit juices, sweet tea or lemonade
• Foods high in saturated fats like whole milk, butter, coconut oil and red meat
• Sugary sweets such as candy, cookies, cake and ice cream
• White bread, rice, pasta and flour-based foods
• Packaged, highly processed foods and snacks
• Canned fruits, which are often packed in sugary syrup (find ones with no added sugar)
• Fried foods
• Alcohol

Tips for creating a balanced, insulin-resistant diet

Trying to make the changes in your diet needed to adhere to these food choices may seem overwhelming at first. To make it easier, Hoskins recommends the following tips:

• Set small, realistic goals. “Choose one or two things to change that are more easily achievable,” she says. “They don’t have to be huge changes. Maybe it’s adding two to three vegetables to your diet a day or reducing or eliminating juices or sugar-sweetened soda.”
• Put a timeframe on it. Then add to it as you achieve your goals
• Don’t beat yourself up if you have a bad day. Commit to starting fresh the next day and getting back on track

Insulin therapy often is an important part of diabetes treatment. It helps keep blood sugar under control and prevents diabetes complications. It works like the hormone insulin that the body usually makes.

The role of insulin in the body

Insulin comes from an organ in the stomach area called the pancreas. The main role of insulin is to ensure that sugar from nutrients in food is correctly used or stored in the body.

If your body can make enough insulin, you don’t have diabetes. In people who don’t have diabetes, insulin helps:

• Control blood sugar levels. After you eat, your body breaks down nutrients called carbohydrates into a sugar called glucose. Glucose is the body’s main source of energy. It’s also called blood sugar. Blood sugar goes up after you eat.

  When glucose enters the bloodstream, the pancreas responds by making insulin. Then insulin allows glucose to enter the body’s cells to give them energy.

• Store extra glucose for energy. After you eat, insulin levels are high. Extra glucose is stored in the liver. This stored glucose is called glycogen.

  Between meals, insulin levels are low. During that time, the liver releases glycogen into the bloodstream in the form of glucose. This keeps blood sugar levels within a narrow range.

If you have diabetes:

Your blood sugar levels keep rising after you eat. That’s because there’s not enough insulin to move the glucose into your body’s cells. With type 1 diabetes, the pancreas stops making insulin. With type 2 diabetes, the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin. And in some people with diabetes, insulin does not work well.

If you don’t get treatment for diabetes, high blood sugar can lead to health problems over time. These conditions include:

• Heart attack or stroke.
• Kidney disease leading to kidney failure.
• Eye problems, including blindness.
• Nerve damage with nerve pain or numbness, called diabetic neuropathy.
• Foot problems that may lead to surgery to remove the foot.
• Dental issues.

Goals of insulin therapy

Insulin therapy keeps your blood sugar within your target range. It helps prevent serious complications.

If you have type 1 diabetes, you need insulin therapy to stay healthy. It replaces the insulin your body doesn’t make.

If you have type 2 diabetes, insulin therapy might be part of your treatment. It’s needed when healthy-lifestyle changes and other diabetes treatments don’t control your blood sugar well enough.

Insulin therapy also is sometimes needed to treat a type of diabetes that happens during pregnancy. This is called gestational diabetes. If you have gestational diabetes, you might need insulin therapy if healthy habits and other diabetes treatments don’t help enough.

Types of insulin

Any types of insulin help treat diabetes. Each type varies in how quickly and how long it controls blood sugar. You may need to take more than one kind of insulin. Factors that help determine which types of insulin you need and how much you need include:

• The type of diabetes you have.
• Your blood sugar levels.
• How much your blood sugar levels change during the day.
• Your lifestyle.

The main types of insulin therapy include:

• Long-acting, ultralong-acting or intermediate-acting insulins. When you’re not eating, your liver releases glucose so your body has energy. Long-, ultralong- or intermediate-acting insulin prevents blood sugar levels from rising without eating.

  Examples of these insulins are glargine (Lantus, Basaglar, others), detemir (Levemir), degludec (Tresiba) and NPH (Humulin N, Novolin N, others). Intermediate-acting insulin lasts about 12 to 18 hours. Long-acting insulin works for about 24 hours. And ultralong-acting insulin lasts about 36 hours or longer.

• Rapid-acting or short-acting insulins. These insulins are ideal for use before meals. If taken with a meal, they can help bring blood sugar back down to the baseline. They also blunt the sugar spikes after you eat. They start to work much faster than long-acting or intermediate-acting insulins do. Sometimes, rapid-acting insulins begin working in as few as 5 to 15 minutes. But they work for a much shorter time. Rapid-acting insulin lasts about 2 to 3 hours. Short-acting insulin lasts about 3 to 6 hours.

  Examples of these insulins include ultrafast-acting aspart (Fiasp) and lispro (Lyumjev); rapid-acting aspart (NovoLog), glulisine (Apidra) and lispro (Humalog, Admelog); and short-acting, regular (Humulin R, Novolin R).

Sometimes, insulin-makers combine two types of insulin. This is called pre-mixed insulin. It can be helpful for people who have trouble using more than one type of insulin. Pre-mixed insulin often starts to work in 5 to 60 minutes. It can keep working for 10 to 16 hours.

Be aware that different preparations of insulin vary in terms of when they start working and how long they last. Be sure to read the instructions that come with your insulin. And follow any directions from your health care team.

Ways to take insulin

Insulin doesn’t come in pill form. The digestive system would break the pill down before it had a chance to work. But there are other ways to take insulin. Your health care team can help you decide which method fits best for you.

Choices include:

• Shots or pens. You can inject insulin into the fat just below the skin with a syringe and needle. Or you can inject it with a pen-like device. Both types of devices hold insulin with a needle attached. How often you need to use an insulin pen or shot depends on the type of diabetes you have. It also depends on your blood sugar levels and how often you eat and exercise. You may need to take insulin shots or use insulin pens multiple times a day.
• Insulin pump. An insulin pump gives you small, steady amounts of rapid-acting insulin throughout the day. This works like using a shot of long-acting insulin. A pump also can give a rapid burst of insulin, often taken with food. This works like using a shot of rapid-acting insulin. The pump pushes the insulin into a thin tube placed beneath the skin. Several different kinds of insulin pumps are available.
• Inhaled insulin (Afrezza). This type of insulin is rapid acting. You breathe it in through a device that goes in your mouth, called an inhaler. You take this type of insulin at the start of each meal. People who smoke should not use inhaled insulin. Nor should people who have lung problems such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Sometimes, using insulin therapy can be a challenge. But it’s an effective way to lower blood sugar. Talk to a member of your health care team if you have any trouble with your insulin routine. Ask for help right away if at-home glucose tests show that you have very low or very high blood sugar. Your insulin or other diabetes medicines may need to be adjusted. With time, you can find an insulin routine that fits your needs and lifestyle. And that can help you lead an active, healthy life.

If you take many doses of insulin a day, ask your health care provider if there’s a way to make the routine simpler. Adding noninsulin medicines to your treatment plan might lower the number of insulin shots you need each day. And if you take fewer insulin shots, you’ll need to check your blood sugar … Read the rest

If you have type 2 diabetes, you may have always thought that taking insulin was something you used when everything else failed to manage your blood glucose level. In fact, insulin may give you the most control over your diabetes if you aren’t ready to change what you eat when you go on a very low-carb diet.

“If you don’t shape up, I’m going to make you inject insulin,” is a threat we may hear from our doctors. How about turning the table on your doctor and ask for it yourself?

If you really want to regain your health, taking insulin is the quickest way to get there. None of the other good diabetes drugs — the non-insulin injectables or metformin — can bring your blood glucose level down to normal nearly as assuredly as insulin can. While a very low-carb diet can work wonders, some people find it difficult to give up the bread and sweets and others are still suspicious of the amount of fat you need to eat for energy.

Two major myths about insulin

While everyone who has type 1 diabetes has to take insulin, of course, only one-fourth of people with type 2 diabetes do. This relatively low proportion is due to two misunderstandings:

1. Insulin has an undeserved reputation as being difficult to get just right. The amount and time that you take it certainly can be tricky to figure out for the older bolus insulins that you need to take before each meal. But for several years now we have been able to use a basal insulin that we take just once a day without having to calculate how much we eat and when we ate it.
2. Until recently, all types of insulin required us to inject it with a needle, and many people fear that the injection would hurt. In fact, unlike the fingerstick tests that we have to take to check our blood glucose level, insulin injections, they rarely or ever hurt. Even if you have needle phobia, we now have a great way to overcome it called the “Buzzy.” Furthermore, a type of insulin that doesn’t have to be injected became available a few months ago.

What you should ask your doctor about insulin

If your blood glucose level as measured with an A1C test is above 6.0, you can do your body a big favor when you ask your doctor to prescribe insulin. Here are the first questions to ask:

1. Should I take a long-acting insulin? Should I take it once a day, or twice a day, like some people tell me to?
2. Instead, should I take a rapid-acting insulin that is inhaled, so I don’t have to inject it?
3. Or should I take both, at least at first?
4. What should I do if insulin makes my blood glucose level gets too low?
5. What other side effects might I get?
6. Should I get a continuous glucose monitoring system, or CGMS?
7. What about getting an insulin pump?

Your doctor will probably be pleased to hear your request to take insulin, especially if he or she has been nagging you to take it. The beta cells in your pancreas that have been working so hard ever since you got diabetes will also be happy, appreciating the break that taking insulin will give them.… Read the rest

Diabetics require insulin to help maintain balanced blood sugar levels. The two methods of getting insulin are either through pumps or injections. Pumps carry convenience, but injections can be more cost-effective. Physicians can help patients determine the best method for individual circumstances.

People with diabetes need to take periodic doses of insulin every day to manage their blood sugar levels. The two main insulin delivery methods are through an insulin pump or multiple daily injections. Figuring out which method will work best for you depends on factors including which type of diabetes you have, the type of insulin you need to take, and how often you need to take it. This guide will explain the benefits of each, but you should talk to a doctor at a local family medical center in Suffolk County, NY, about these and other methods for insulin management.

What Insulin Is

Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that lets your body use and store sugar from the carbohydrates in the foods you eat. If, for example, you have too much sugar in your blood, which is known as hyperglycemia, the pancreas will produce insulin to balance things out. People with type 1 diabetes can’t make insulin due to abnormalities in their pancreas. They need to add insulin into their bodies every day to help process blood sugar and prevent blood vessel and organ damage.

People with type 2 diabetes don’t produce enough of, or are resistant to, insulin. In the beginning, diet, exercise, and oral medications are enough to manage their blood sugar levels. This type of diabetes can progress over time. If you’ve had type 2 diabetes for a long time, you will likely need to take insulin to maintain your blood sugar levels. For both types of diabetes, you will get a prescription for insulin from you doctor.

Daily Injections

The most common method for taking insulin is through subcutaneous injection. The insulin is delivered directly into a layer of fat under your skin. You can use a syringe with needle and tube, in which you have to draw the proper dose of insulin from a vial. Or you can use an injection pen which has a self-contained syringe filled with a premeasured dose of insulin. Some pens are single use while others let you replace the cartridge after each use.

There are several benefits to using daily injections. They are easy to use; all you have to do is fill up the syringe or open a prefilled syringe pen, inject the needle into your skin, and you’re done. This creates a simple daily routine that won’t interfere with your schedule.

You will likely have long-acting insulin which you only need to inject one or two times a day. If you accidentally forget to take your insulin at lunch, you will have a backup available to develop ketones quickly. If you run out of insulin and need more immediately, you can go to any of the urgent medical centers or priority medical centers in your area.

Insulin Pumps

An insulin pump is a small device that pumps insulin through a catheter. The catheter is inserted under the layer of fat below your skin. There are two ways the pump delivers insulin. Basal doses continuously release a steady dose of insulin throughout the day. This mimics how your pancreas would release insulin as needed. With surge or bolus dosing, you choose when insulin doses are given, typically around mealtime.

With an insulin pump, you don’t have to worry about doing injections multiple times a day, unless the pump malfunctions. You have less chance developing hypoglycemia because insulin is released before and during meals. Basal dosing rates are extremely flexible during certain times of the day.

How much insulin you need can be calculated by programming information into the pump. You just tell the pump how many carbs you’re going to eat and what your current blood sugar is. You can fix problems with high or low blood sugars easily and quickly, and you can extend insulin release over periods of time. Doctors at local medical centers can obtain information about the insulin from the pump.

Conclusion

Overall, both methods are excellent for regulating insulin and maintaining blood sugar levels. The most important thing is to take care of your diabetes using the method that works best for you. Remember, taking care of your diabetes means finding a balance between your needs and preferences. Discuss these options with your doctor to figure out whether injections or a pump is the better option.

The Insulin Free World Foundation

can help you determine which method is right for you. Make an appointment today.… Read the rest

When used properly, insulin can be an essential tool for managing type 2 diabetes. Here’s what to do and what not to do when it comes to injecting insulin.

When diet, exercise, and oral medications aren’t enough to manage type 2 diabetes, it may be time for insulin. The most important aspect of insulin therapy is using it exactly as prescribed.

Still, remembering all the little details can be tricky, and certain mistakes are common. By following these dos and don’ts, you can avoid medication mishaps and keep insulin working as it should.

DO: Rotate the insertion site (while keeping the body part consistent). “Insulin is absorbed at different speeds depending on where you inject it, so it’s best to consistently use the same part of the body for each of your daily injections,” says Doreen Riccelli, BSN, director of education at Lake Pointe Medical Center in Rowlett, Texas. “For example, don’t inject yourself in the abdomen on Saturday and in the thigh on Sunday,” she says. “If you choose the thigh for your evening injection, then use the thigh for all of your evening injections.”

That said, within the specific body area, it’s important to move each injection site at least one finger’s width from the previous injection site to avoid the creation of hard lumps or extra fat deposits, which could change the way insulin is absorbed.

DON’T: Store insulin incorrectly. Insulin can generally be stored at room temperature (59 to 86° F), either opened or unopened, for one month. When kept in the refrigerator, unopened bottles last until the expiration date printed on the bottle. Opened bottles stored in the refrigerator should be used or discarded after a month.

Never store insulin in direct sunlight, in the freezer, or near heating or air conditioning vents, ovens, or radiators. It should also not be left in a very warm or cold car. Store it in an insulated case if needed.

It’s no exaggeration to say that diabetes is an epidemic in the United States. Cases have risen over the years to the point that now, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 34.2 million Americans are living with diabetes, while 88 million more have prediabetes — when your blood glucose is elevated, but not enough to technically be considered diabetes.

As the premier care provider in and around Panama City, Nation’s Best Family Health Care, and their caring providers and team are ready to help you take steps to avoid type 2 diabetes, as well as provide continuing care if you’re living with diabetes. Our range of services is diverse, and every member of the Nation’s Best Family Health Care team is dedicated to providing you with the best care.

What’s the role of insulin?

To understand how insulin impacts your health, we need to first learn what it is. Insulin is a hormone that’s produced by your pancreas, and its purpose is to aid in metabolizing what you eat and drink so that your body can use the nutrients you ingest for energy.

Without insulin, your body couldn’t utilize protein, carbohydrates, and fat as necessary, or store them for future use, primarily in the form of fat.

In short, insulin — and having proper levels of it in your body — is truly vital. Without adequate insulin, your organs can’t do the work they need to do to keep your systems functioning.

It’s no exaggeration to say that diabetes is an epidemic in the United States. Cases have risen over the years to the point that now, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 34.2 million Americans are living with diabetes, while 88 million more have prediabetes — when your blood glucose is elevated, but not enough to technically be considered diabetes.

As the premier care provider in and around Panama City, Nation’s Best Family Health Care, and their caring providers and team are ready to help you take steps to avoid type 2 diabetes, as well as provide continuing care if you’re living with diabetes. Our range of services is diverse, and every member of the Nation’s Best Family Health Care team is dedicated to providing you with the best care.

What’s the role of insulin?

To understand how insulin impacts your health, we need to first learn what it is. Insulin is a hormone that’s produced by your pancreas, and its purpose is to aid in metabolizing what you eat and drink so that your body can use the nutrients you ingest for energy.

Without insulin, your body couldn’t utilize protein, carbohydrates, and fat as necessary, or store them for future use, primarily in the form of fat.

In short, insulin — and having proper levels of it in your body — is truly vital. Without adequate insulin, your organs can’t do the work they need to do to keep your systems functioning.

When insulin production goes awry

Insulin, along with another hormone — glucagon — balance your blood glucose levels (the amount of sugar in your body). The food you eat is the source of glucose, which is your body’s fuel. Insulin and glucagon partner to ensure that your blood sugar levels are properly regulated.

When you digest your food, carbohydrates convert to glucose. The glucose is directed into your bloodstream, which causes your blood glucose levels to rise. This is what sends the message to your pancreas to produce insulin, which instructs your cells to absorb the glucose traveling through your bloodstream.

Certain cells use glucose as energy, while others, like those within your muscles and liver, put away surplus glucose after it becomes glycogen, a substance that serves as your body’s fuel in between meals.

Yet another player, glucagon, offsets the effects of insulin. Between four and six hours after a meal, your blood glucose levels go down, and this signals to your pancreas to manufacture glucagon.

The hormone glucagon instructs your liver and muscle cells to convert the glycogen your body has stored back into glucose. The cells send the glucose into your bloodstream, furnishing your other cells with energy.

This exquisitely balanced dynamic between insulin and glucagon is never-ending, ensuring that your blood sugar never gets dangerously low and that you have the energy you need to live.

The cells in people who have type 2 diabetes don’t react correctly when their bodies produce insulin, resulting in higher blood sugar levels. A worrying outcome is that as time goes on, your body makes less insulin, and your blood sugar levels elevate even more.

Can I prevent diabetes?

With your doctor’s help, you can take steps to lower your risk of diabetes and stop prediabetes in its tracks. It’s important to do everything in your power to avoid diabetes because the condition is associated with other serious health problems, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, nerve damage, vision problems, and stroke.

Another less talked about malady, insulin resistance is another condition we treat. It’s a result of your pancreas needing to work more intensely than normal to balance your blood sugar, and a primary indicator of the problem is weight gain. Fortunately, we’re able to discover whether you have insulin resistance prior to your blood sugar moving into the realm of diabetes.

The provider team at Nation’s Best Family Health Care wants nothing more than to help you on your journey to health. To prevent diabetes, they may recommend that you shed pounds through our customized medically supervised weight loss program, as well as adopt other lifestyle changes, including upping your daily exercise, quitting smoking, and taking medication.

If you’re already living with diabetes, we help you manage it by educating you about scrupulously monitoring your blood sugar, checking your feet daily for any small cuts, and again, eating a nutritious diet and staying physically active.

We also know that having diabetes can cause some anxiety and depression — it’s a lot to manage! We can help there too since we have a compassionate mental health counselor on staff.

Don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with us by reaching out to us through our website. We can help you if you’re concerned about diabetes.… Read the rest

Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that allows your body to use sugar (glucose) from carbohydrates in the food that you eat for energy or to store glucose for future use. Diabetes is a health condition in which the body is unable to regulate blood sugar on its own through insulin. There are two distinct types of diabetes:

Type 1 Diabetes (T1D): T1D, once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Different factors, including genetics and some viruses, may contribute to T1D.

Type 2 Diabetes (T2D): T2D is a chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar. In T2D, the body either resists the effects of insulin or doesn’t produce enough insulin to maintain normal glucose levels. Genetics and environmental factors, such as being overweight and inactive, have been established as contributing factors.

All patients with T1D and patients with more serious forms of T2D need to take insulin medications to help their body regulate blood sugar.

There are many types of insulin medications available. Each kind has its own unique action and they are not interchangeable. The chart below will help you understand how the various insulin medications work and why your healthcare provider has prescribed them for you.

Insulin is injected into the fat tissue, which helps it absorb into the bloodstream. Some insulin medications work faster than others, but don’t last as long. And some insulins last longer, but work more gradually than others. Your healthcare provider will review your medical history to determine the insulin medication most appropriate for you.

Characteristics of Insulin Action

There are three characteristics that define how insulin medication function:

1. Onset: How long it takes for the insulin to start lowering blood glucose
2. Peak time: Time after administration when the insulin is the most effective at lowering blood glucose
3. Duration: How long the insulin keeps lowering blood glucose

Insulin is prescribed by matching the characteristics of a particular insulin with the individual needs of the patient. Some people are on only one kind of insulin, while others take a combination of insulin medication to customize good glucose control.1

Types of Insulin

There are six main types of insulin available.

1. 1. Rapid-acting: These include Apidra, Humalog, and Novolog. They have an onset of less than 15 minutes, peak in 30 to 90 minutes, and duration of two to four hours.
   2. Regular (short-acting): These include Humulin R and Novolin R. They have an onset of a half an hour, a peak of two to three hours, and duration of three to six hours.
   3. Intermediate-acting: These include Humulin N and Novolin N. They have an onset of two to four hours, a peak at four to 12 hours, and duration of 12 to 18 hours.
   4. Long-acting: These include Levemir, Lantus, Semglee, and Tresiba. They have an onset of several hours, minimal or no peak, and a duration of 24 hours or more. Tresiba has been shown to last up to 42 hours.2
   5. Ultra long-acting: These include Toujeo. They have an onset of six hours, no peak, and a duration of 36 hours.
   6. Combinations/pre-mixed: These combine intermediate-acting insulins with regular insulin and are convenient for people who need to use both. These include mixtures of Humulin or Novoline, Novolog Mix, and Humalog Mix. See the chart for actions.

1. Inhaled insulin: This became available in 2015 and is used in combination with long-acting insulin. Afrezza has an onset of 12 to 15 minutes, a peak of 30 minutes, and duration of three hours.3

Insulin Types and Actions Chart

This chart covers the different brands of insulin, how long it takes for each to start lowering blood sugar, when the peak of action will occur, and how long it will continue to work. Read the product information provided with your medication and follow the instructions from your healthcare provider and pharmacist for using insulin.