Insulin Resistance and Weight Gain with Baptist Health’s Dr. Pascual De Santis

August 8, 2022

Today we’re diving into the details of our health and learning all about Insulin Resistance – what it is, what it means, and how we can all prevent it. We’re joined by Pascual De Santis, M.D., an endocrinologist with Baptist Health Medical Group, for this eye opening episode of Lift U Up: Inspiring Health Stories. Dr. De Santis breaks down the answer to common questions you might already have, while leaving you with healthy habits you can start today. 

Finding His Place

Born in Venezuela, Pascual De Santis knew he had a future in medicine as early as high school, and worked hard to bring that dream to life. He pursued medical school in Venezuela and finished his training after a move to the United States. His interest in both clinical medicine and research led him to Endocrinology, where he could combine both passions. With a specialty in diagnosing and treating conditions related to the endocrine system, Dr. De Santis has become very familiar with common health conditions, including Insulin Resistance. 

The Science Behind Insulin Resistance

Dr. De Santis opens our conversation by breaking down what Insulin Resistance is and how to recognize it in ourselves. Put simply, when our tissues don’t respond as they should to our hormone insulin, they instead cause traits common in this disorder. Classically, this can be a precursor of diabetes, but the two aren’t always linked. The cause of Insulin Resistance is a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors, so our habits are very important in avoiding a diagnosis. The signs aren’t always easy to identify so Dr. De Santis implores everyone to begin healthy habits now as the best form of prevention. 

Building a Healthy Lifestyle

When it comes to the symptoms of Insulin Resistance, Dr. De Santis says the easy answer is that there are none. However, there are changes that happen in parallel to the disorder, like weight gain and fluctuation. Something he does know to be true? The power of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In today’s discussion, Dr. De Santis answers all of our health questions, like:

  • What if you’re doing all the right things to lose weight, but you’re not seeing progress?
  • Are fake sugars any worse than the real deal?   
  • Can healthy lifestyles reverse Insulin Resistance?

At the end of the day, Dr. De Santis knows the power of a healthy lifestyle and what it takes to build healthy habits that last a lifetime. If we don’t start taking care of ourselves today, we’ll have to work a lot harder to undo it later!

What else can you expect in this episode?

  • More of the reason why Dr. De Santis pursued medicine and what he likes most about Endocrinology. 
  • The three pillars of a healthy lifestyle.
  • The trends in the US in diabetic statistics. 
  • Dr. De Santis’ actionable (and attainable) health tip.

Where to find Dr. Pascual De Santis and Baptist Health :