Wellness Info
Insulin Resistance an American Plague
Obesity and diabetes in America is epidemic and the consequences have placed a great burden on all of us. For the individual, who struggles with these conditions, there are many personal hardships, for American society the costs of these conditions, both in fiscal terms and personal suffering, are enormous. How have we, the most advanced technological society ever, reached such a public health predicament? In a word: Food. Or, more precisely, our food choices.
How does food make us fat?
The body stores fat through the use of Insulin. Insulin is a hormone that tells our body to remove sugars from our bloodstream and store it in muscles, as glycogen, or in fat cells as lipids. High glycemic carbohydrate foods cause our blood sugar to rise rapidly and to cope with excessive blood sugar levels the pancreas releases Insulin in an effort to lower them. If muscles are full of stored carbohydrates (glycogen), then excess sugar in the bloodstream is converted into fats to be stored, but if muscle glycogen (carbohydrate) levels are low because they were used up during exercise, then muscles will take up blood sugar to replenish depleted muscle glycogen stores. A diet with too many high glycemic foods leads to the constant production of Insulin, and since most of us don’t work physically hard enough to use up much muscle glycogen, our muscles are unable to store much, if any, blood sugar as glycogen, and excess blood sugar must be stored as body fat. Constantly high levels of Insulin lead to the bodies desensitivity to Insulin, which means the body needs to produce more and more Insulin to lower blood sugar levels.
This resistance to Insulin leads to big fluctuations in blood sugar levels, both Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Large peaks and valleys in blood sugar cause a host of problems that ultimately leads to the inability of Insulin to control blood sugar , or Type 2 Diabetes. If left untreated the constant Insulin production causes the Pancreas, over time, to lose the ability to produce Insulin, and now the Diabetic is Insulin dependent, which means Insulin must be injected by syringe or pump.
What can be done to reduce the risk of Insulin resistance?
Eat less carbohydrates and chose low glycemic carbohydrates whenever possible, and exercise more. Exercise is the best way to improve Insulin sensitivity. Use supplements that improve Insulin sensitivity. There are supplements that can help stabilize blood sugar levels, to include; Chromium, Alpha lipoic Acid, and Vanadyl Sulfate. Herbs, such as Cinnamon and Gymnema Sylvestre have shown promise in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. Certain fatty acids also have beneficial properties for blood sugar levels. Most importantly learn the Glycemic Index of the carbohydrates you consume. Just do a search to find a list. CLA appears to help muscles hold more glycogen thus lowering triglyceride levels and has been shown to improve body composition.
Best Insulin Stack |
Good Base |
Gotta Have |
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| Alpha Liporic Acid | ALA | ALA | |||
| Chromium | Chromium | Chormium | |||
| Vanadyl Sulfate | CLA | ||||
| CLA | |||||
| Cinnamin | |||||
| Gymnema Sylvestre |
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