Lose Weight by Keeping Insulin Levels Under Control
By Rosa Smith-Montanaro
Insulin levels are influenced by your diet. When you consume a cookie for
example the sugar in the cookie is absorbed by your body rather quickly
thus causing your blood sugar to rise. A rapid rise in blood sugar can
active an insulin response in the body. Insulin is also known as the fat
producing hormone. What this means to you is that even if your calories
are low and you follow a low fat diet you can still gain weight.
There are numerous studies, primarily done as research for controlling
diabetes, on this subject. What has been developed is a rating system that
tells you how quickly foods will cause your blood sugar to rise. If you
are overweight or insulin resistant then when your blood sugar goes up
rapidly you run the risk of activating an insulin response.
Once the
insulin is released it will often result in your blood sugar dropping to
normal levels. Again if you are overweight or insulin resistant chances
are good that your body requires more insulin to stabilize your blood
sugar than normally needed. Then what often happens is your blood sugar
will drop too low causing headaches, mood swings and cravings for sugar.
The problem with elevated insulin levels is that your body will be in fat
producing mode instead of fat burning mode. High insulin levels cause your
body to retain water, form plaque in your arteries and gain weight. If you
want to manage your weight you will need to manage your insulin levels.
One way to do this is to use the "Glycemic Index" as a guideline. We have
rated foods from 140 to under 20.
The higher the number the faster your
blood sugar will rise. One surprise will be potatoes rate in the 100-140
range while peanuts rate fewer than 20. People will often eat the potato
and avoid nuts. They think low fat, low calorie, they should lose weight.
The reason they may not lose weight is because they are over producing
insulin, resulting in weight gain.
Coaching Assignment: Your assignment this week is to avoid an insulin
response. Become familar to the Glycemic Index and avoid any foods over a
rating of 59. This will be a challenge for you. So many of traditional
diet foods will be on the chart rating higher than you might expect. But
for one week follow a meal plan that will consistently rate fewer than 59.
See how you feel, notice how your body responds. Most people feel less
bloated and have more energy.
Rosa Smith-Montanaro is the CEO of http://www.MindOverPlatter.com a
virtual weight loss and wellness community. She is the author of the
book Mind Over Platter and the recipient of Best of the WebÒs 2004
eBusiness Executive of the Year. Rosa speaks nationally about the
power of the mind and how to use it to create a healthier, happier
and harmonious life. She can be reached at MindOverPlatter@aol.com
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