Today I would like to share some basic knowledge on Insulin.
For those of you who suffer from diabetes that is beyond oral medication control, I am sure you are very familiar with the word and the need of insulin. For the rest of you, maybe you've seen it, maybe you've heard of it by chance or from formal education. There are of course some of you who might not know much if not anything about this very important substance.
I would like to share today on getting to know insulin, its main functions and how it can affect your diet and weight.
Ok, the boring basics. Insulin is an endocrine hormone secreted by the pancreas. It spikes in responds to high glucose (sugar) level in your blood. Glucagon is its opposite partner. when sugar lever drops... Glucagon spikes.
Insulin drives sugars into cells to be stored. and when insulin drops and glucagon spikes.. cells use up its glycogen reserves for energy.
But that is just the superficial part of it.
Actually Insulin plays and important role on the utilisation of our fuels for either storage or oxidation to produce energy. this includes glycogen, lipid and protein. Unsteady levels of insulin will cause derangements in the process of fuel utilization.
so lets break it down.
INSULIN AND CARBS
Carbohydrates will break down into glucose at the end of the day. Insulin in the key to allow sugar to pass through the cell door and get stored as glycogen. every cell needs insulin except for your brain,nerve cell and liver. But. Insulin stimulates the liver to bank in as much glycogen as it can.
This results in a drop in sugar in the blood. Hence, Insulin will decrease as well.
Decrease in insulin will trigger use of alternative energy. The liver will also start break down glycogen.
INSULIN AND FAT!
so you must be wondering. why then do i gain so much weight as fat.. even if I only eat food high in sugar and carbs?
Actually the liver can only saturate upto 5% of its mass with glycogen. Once saturated, guess what, it begins to churn glucose into fatty acids. This is then exported from the liver as lipoproteins. Lipoproteins (fat + proteins) will release free fatty acids in the body where it is needed. Mainly will be taken up by the Adipose(fat) cells. so there you go, there is the culprit after all.
What else does insulin do? It inhibits usage of alternative fuel. Alternative meaning anything other than glucose. Insulin signals glucose to be stored in Adipocyte (fat cells), converted to glycerol and with the fatty acid, insulin signals the fat cells to produce triglycerides. basically, producing more FAT!!!
So basically, Insulin in a fat sparing agent. Not only does it signal body to use our primary fuel source, sugar, but it signals accumulation of FAT. converting sugar.. into FAT!
bottom line, spikes of insulin is not what you want for your wightloss - fatloss ambition.
SO WHAT NOW?
well, it is obvious isnt it. keep your carbs and sugar intake low and steady and this will in turn produce a steady low level on insulin in your body.
This is why the Low carb, diet works. you can eat as much as you want provided it doesnt contain sugar or carbs in it. be aware of course, this diet can burden your kidneys in the long run.
If you must take carbs and sugar, take them on regular times each day, and take food with LOW GI. Glycemic index. These are foods that are digested slowly and hence release sugar not in a big pulse, but rather a constant slow ooze. avoiding the unnecessary insulin spike which will lead to the unwanted effects mentioned above.
Diet preparations, weight loss meal replacements or shakes are mainly rich in proteins and low in GI. This is for the sole purpose of getting your body to use its fat storage, the stuff you wanna lose. body isn't so clever when it comes to burning alternative fuel. It will tend to burn protein as well.
PRESERVE YOUR MUSCLE.
Why do shakes contain mainly protein? well, one, would be to make you feel full and curb the cravings. but more importantly it prevents muscle wasting. Muscles are the main fuel users. If you work out, you create a demand to burn more fuel and at the same time, build more muscle. Especially if you do strength training. cardio burns fat, pumping iron bulk up the engine.
HOW ABOUT MEALS?
if you are serious at losing those unwanted fats, then you have to be serious at keeping your food routine tight.
Eat same time each day. keep your diet LOW GI, and avoid as much carbs and sugar as you can. this include the healthy choices of delicious fruits. pick fruits with lots of fiber and low sugar. like apples, pears and watermelon. they make you feel full without the exccess of sugar and carbs.
drink plain water, throughout the day. to burn alternative fuel, your body needs more fluids.
CONGRATS AND GOOD LUCK!
If you made it this far and could digest more than half of the info than good for you. You now have the knowledge to change your body and health.
wether you use this knowledge to your advantage or not is beyond me. Your life, Your choice, Your happiness. succeed or fail its all you. no one else.
"do not stop when you are tired, stop when you are finished" I dunno who said that, i read it somewhere on fb. but it rings true you know.
TAKE HOME MESSAGE:
For those of you who suffer from diabetes that is beyond oral medication control, I am sure you are very familiar with the word and the need of insulin. For the rest of you, maybe you've seen it, maybe you've heard of it by chance or from formal education. There are of course some of you who might not know much if not anything about this very important substance.
I would like to share today on getting to know insulin, its main functions and how it can affect your diet and weight.
Ok, the boring basics. Insulin is an endocrine hormone secreted by the pancreas. It spikes in responds to high glucose (sugar) level in your blood. Glucagon is its opposite partner. when sugar lever drops... Glucagon spikes.
Insulin drives sugars into cells to be stored. and when insulin drops and glucagon spikes.. cells use up its glycogen reserves for energy.
But that is just the superficial part of it.
Actually Insulin plays and important role on the utilisation of our fuels for either storage or oxidation to produce energy. this includes glycogen, lipid and protein. Unsteady levels of insulin will cause derangements in the process of fuel utilization.
so lets break it down.
INSULIN AND CARBS
Carbohydrates will break down into glucose at the end of the day. Insulin in the key to allow sugar to pass through the cell door and get stored as glycogen. every cell needs insulin except for your brain,nerve cell and liver. But. Insulin stimulates the liver to bank in as much glycogen as it can.
This results in a drop in sugar in the blood. Hence, Insulin will decrease as well.
Decrease in insulin will trigger use of alternative energy. The liver will also start break down glycogen.
INSULIN AND FAT!
so you must be wondering. why then do i gain so much weight as fat.. even if I only eat food high in sugar and carbs?
Actually the liver can only saturate upto 5% of its mass with glycogen. Once saturated, guess what, it begins to churn glucose into fatty acids. This is then exported from the liver as lipoproteins. Lipoproteins (fat + proteins) will release free fatty acids in the body where it is needed. Mainly will be taken up by the Adipose(fat) cells. so there you go, there is the culprit after all.
What else does insulin do? It inhibits usage of alternative fuel. Alternative meaning anything other than glucose. Insulin signals glucose to be stored in Adipocyte (fat cells), converted to glycerol and with the fatty acid, insulin signals the fat cells to produce triglycerides. basically, producing more FAT!!!
So basically, Insulin in a fat sparing agent. Not only does it signal body to use our primary fuel source, sugar, but it signals accumulation of FAT. converting sugar.. into FAT!
bottom line, spikes of insulin is not what you want for your wightloss - fatloss ambition.
SO WHAT NOW?
well, it is obvious isnt it. keep your carbs and sugar intake low and steady and this will in turn produce a steady low level on insulin in your body.
This is why the Low carb, diet works. you can eat as much as you want provided it doesnt contain sugar or carbs in it. be aware of course, this diet can burden your kidneys in the long run.
If you must take carbs and sugar, take them on regular times each day, and take food with LOW GI. Glycemic index. These are foods that are digested slowly and hence release sugar not in a big pulse, but rather a constant slow ooze. avoiding the unnecessary insulin spike which will lead to the unwanted effects mentioned above.
Diet preparations, weight loss meal replacements or shakes are mainly rich in proteins and low in GI. This is for the sole purpose of getting your body to use its fat storage, the stuff you wanna lose. body isn't so clever when it comes to burning alternative fuel. It will tend to burn protein as well.
PRESERVE YOUR MUSCLE.
Why do shakes contain mainly protein? well, one, would be to make you feel full and curb the cravings. but more importantly it prevents muscle wasting. Muscles are the main fuel users. If you work out, you create a demand to burn more fuel and at the same time, build more muscle. Especially if you do strength training. cardio burns fat, pumping iron bulk up the engine.
HOW ABOUT MEALS?
if you are serious at losing those unwanted fats, then you have to be serious at keeping your food routine tight.
Eat same time each day. keep your diet LOW GI, and avoid as much carbs and sugar as you can. this include the healthy choices of delicious fruits. pick fruits with lots of fiber and low sugar. like apples, pears and watermelon. they make you feel full without the exccess of sugar and carbs.
drink plain water, throughout the day. to burn alternative fuel, your body needs more fluids.
CONGRATS AND GOOD LUCK!
If you made it this far and could digest more than half of the info than good for you. You now have the knowledge to change your body and health.
wether you use this knowledge to your advantage or not is beyond me. Your life, Your choice, Your happiness. succeed or fail its all you. no one else.
"do not stop when you are tired, stop when you are finished" I dunno who said that, i read it somewhere on fb. but it rings true you know.
TAKE HOME MESSAGE:
- Have a strict meal routine. keep your insulin levels steady.
- Eat food with low GI. spikes of insulin is your enemy
- If you can't keep up with meal demands, get Meal replacements, diet shakes. they are easy and fast.
- Exercise so that you dont waste muscle that help burn the fat. bulk up if you want to see faster results.
- Avoid taking sugar at all cost. they are your primary enemy!
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