Proteins are necessary for tissue repair and for the construction of new tissue. Every cell needs protein to maintain its life. Protein is also the primary substance used to replace worn out or dead cells. Your muscles, hair, nails, skin, and eyes are made of protein.
Taking supplemental chromium has been shown repeatedly to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, even to the point of reversing type II diabetes in many people (1). Thus, as my old clinical nutrition professor pointed out, apparently a chromium deficiency can actually lead to type II diabetes.
People with insulin resistance should also increase foods containing omega-3 fatty acids, specifically by eating at least two servings of wild-caught fatty fish every week, as part of an insulin resistance diet. That includes mackerel, salmon, herring, tuna, white fish and sardines.