Maintaining Insulin Levels

stargirl21 · 11-14-2004, 03:16 PM

I have heard that keeping your insulin levels up is the key to losing weight. Is there any truth to this?
If so, what kind of snacks should I have to do this? I have a hard time finding time to eat snacks between meals and as a result I often end up overeating 3 meals a day. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Atkins_Nutritionist · 11-29-2004, 09:02 AM

In order to understand the role of insulin in weight loss, you also have to understand it’s relationship with blood sugar. When you eat carbohydrates your blood sugar, or glucose level rises. This happens not only when you eat simple carbohydrates in starches and sugary foods but also with the consumption of complex, so-called healthy carbohydrates, such as those in grains and fruits. Elevated blood sugar provokes your pancreas to secrete insulin, a hormone that absorbs blood sugar. If your metabolism is normal, insulin enables glucose to either be used immediately as energy or stored, either as fat or as glycogen in the muscles.

The Role of Insulin
If you think of insulin as your body’s cavalry charge against the enemy—spikes of glucose—you’ll understand why too many calls to arms produce a kind of battle fatigue. After years of overconsuming carbohydrates, your body’s insulin response can start to work less effectively. As a result you produce excess insulin, which diminishes blood-sugar levels and leaves you feeling shaky, headachy and hungry. This condition is known as hypoglycemis ("hypo" means less, "gly" means sugar and "emia" means blood). Ironically, even with this extra insulin, many people become less able to transport energy-sustaining glucose to their muscles. In a vicious cycle, their body produces even more insulin. Ultimately, they run out of this precious hormone because the pancreas makes a limited supply, and they become diabetic.

Get Stable, Stay Healthy
Induction and subsequent weight-loss phases of the Atkins Nutritional Approach™ interrupt the downward spiral toward diabetes by controlling glucose levels, thereby maintaining constant insulin levels. Keeping your blood-sugar level constant gives your body a chance to heal from the effects of excessive insulin, which include water and sodium retention, arterial plaque formation and high blood pressure. The key to stable blood sugar is the reduction of dietary carbs.
You may have learned in biology class that carbohydrates are your body’s sole source of energy. This is not true. We get energy from either sugar in the blood or from fat (both the type that is stored in the body and dietary fat). When we reduce dietary carbohydrates, our bodies begin to burn fat for fuel. This "fat metabolism," or lypolysis/ketosis, is not to be confused with the metabolic state of starvation, when the body begins to cannibalize both lean body mass and fat. On the Atkins plan, you consume sufficient amounts of fat and protein so your body will not turn to lean body mass to meet its energy needs. The ketones (a by-product of burning fat) your body produces are evidence that you are burning fat for energy. As an added bonus, when you are in lipolysis/ketosis your body won’t store fat, whether in the form of fat on your thighs or cholesterol coating your arteries. That’s why you can eat a good deal of fat when adopting the Atkins lifestyle, without the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Eating for Energy
If you’re often tired between meals, your body is probably producing too much insulin and causing your blood sugar to drop precipitously low. You need to reexamine your meals, snacks and beverages.
Eat three full meals comprised of vegetables, protein and fat. Protein is the building block of every cell and fat is this nutrient’s ideal partner. In addition, monounsaturated fats, such as olives, avocado and pumpkin and sunflower seeds, provide vital essential oils. Don’t fear dietary cholesterol. Cholesterol and fat are precursors of virtually every hormone in the body. Consuming some cholesterol is good for you because it nurtures hormones and buffers organs from free-radical damage.
When it comes to snacks and coffee breaks, avoid caffeine, which brings about an insulin reaction causing blood sugar to drop and stimulating your adrenals to release the stress hormone cortisol. Instead, nosh on a piece of cheese, a celery stalk dipped in cream cheese or a slice of turkey—all foods that won’t affect your blood sugar.
Adopting the Atkins Nutritional Approach™ will enable you to not only lose unwanted pounds, but also to preserve your health for many years to come.

11-14-2004, 03:16 PM	#1
stargirl21 foxy librarian Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: from PA, now VA Posts: 5,845 Gallery: stargirl21	Maintaining Insulin Levels I have heard that keeping your insulin levels up is the key to losing weight. Is there any truth to this? If so, what kind of snacks should I have to do this? I have a hard time finding time to eat snacks between meals and as a result I often end up overeating 3 meals a day. Any suggestions? Thanks.

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11-29-2004, 09:02 AM	#2
Atkins_Nutritionist Nutritionist Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Atkins Health and Medical Information Services Posts: 684 Gallery: Atkins_Nutritionist	In order to understand the role of insulin in weight loss, you also have to understand it’s relationship with blood sugar. When you eat carbohydrates your blood sugar, or glucose level rises. This happens not only when you eat simple carbohydrates in starches and sugary foods but also with the consumption of complex, so-called healthy carbohydrates, such as those in grains and fruits. Elevated blood sugar provokes your pancreas to secrete insulin, a hormone that absorbs blood sugar. If your metabolism is normal, insulin enables glucose to either be used immediately as energy or stored, either as fat or as glycogen in the muscles. The Role of Insulin If you think of insulin as your body’s cavalry charge against the enemy—spikes of glucose—you’ll understand why too many calls to arms produce a kind of battle fatigue. After years of overconsuming carbohydrates, your body’s insulin response can start to work less effectively. As a result you produce excess insulin, which diminishes blood-sugar levels and leaves you feeling shaky, headachy and hungry. This condition is known as hypoglycemis ("hypo" means less, "gly" means sugar and "emia" means blood). Ironically, even with this extra insulin, many people become less able to transport energy-sustaining glucose to their muscles. In a vicious cycle, their body produces even more insulin. Ultimately, they run out of this precious hormone because the pancreas makes a limited supply, and they become diabetic. Get Stable, Stay Healthy Induction and subsequent weight-loss phases of the Atkins Nutritional Approach™ interrupt the downward spiral toward diabetes by controlling glucose levels, thereby maintaining constant insulin levels. Keeping your blood-sugar level constant gives your body a chance to heal from the effects of excessive insulin, which include water and sodium retention, arterial plaque formation and high blood pressure. The key to stable blood sugar is the reduction of dietary carbs. You may have learned in biology class that carbohydrates are your body’s sole source of energy. This is not true. We get energy from either sugar in the blood or from fat (both the type that is stored in the body and dietary fat). When we reduce dietary carbohydrates, our bodies begin to burn fat for fuel. This "fat metabolism," or lypolysis/ketosis, is not to be confused with the metabolic state of starvation, when the body begins to cannibalize both lean body mass and fat. On the Atkins plan, you consume sufficient amounts of fat and protein so your body will not turn to lean body mass to meet its energy needs. The ketones (a by-product of burning fat) your body produces are evidence that you are burning fat for energy. As an added bonus, when you are in lipolysis/ketosis your body won’t store fat, whether in the form of fat on your thighs or cholesterol coating your arteries. That’s why you can eat a good deal of fat when adopting the Atkins lifestyle, without the risk of cardiovascular disease. Eating for Energy If you’re often tired between meals, your body is probably producing too much insulin and causing your blood sugar to drop precipitously low. You need to reexamine your meals, snacks and beverages. Eat three full meals comprised of vegetables, protein and fat. Protein is the building block of every cell and fat is this nutrient’s ideal partner. In addition, monounsaturated fats, such as olives, avocado and pumpkin and sunflower seeds, provide vital essential oils. Don’t fear dietary cholesterol. Cholesterol and fat are precursors of virtually every hormone in the body. Consuming some cholesterol is good for you because it nurtures hormones and buffers organs from free-radical damage. When it comes to snacks and coffee breaks, avoid caffeine, which brings about an insulin reaction causing blood sugar to drop and stimulating your adrenals to release the stress hormone cortisol. Instead, nosh on a piece of cheese, a celery stalk dipped in cream cheese or a slice of turkey—all foods that won’t affect your blood sugar. Adopting the Atkins Nutritional Approach™ will enable you to not only lose unwanted pounds, but also to preserve your health for many years to come.