Tag: weight loss

Losing weight doesn’t mean counting carbs!

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There are three macronutrients (or “macros”):  carbohydrates, proteins and fats.  Many diets out there claim you should be avoiding carbohydrates like the plague, but not all carbohydrates are the devil.  Restricting any macronutrient could lead to nutritional deficiencies and other health issues as a consequence.  That said, some carbohydrates are better than others.

When you’re Heading Healthy, you’ll want to concentrate on whole, real (i.e. complete) foods and try to avoid refined carbohydrates.  Complete foods have many things to offer your body in the way of micronutrients, vitamins and minerals – along with energy.  Man made foods are stripped of all their essential factors through the refining process.  This means, they are empty calories.

Try to remember that “eating” is meant to be an activity by which we refuel our bodies.  We often forget the true goal of eating because we are so easily distracted by tasty smells, yummy textures and mouth watering advertisements.  Our bodies, however, don’t.  They require vitamins and minerals to survive; to build new muscle, brain matter, even bone.  Wonder why you’re always hungry after eating a donut?  That’s because it’s nutritionally void of anything your body truly needs!  So, when your body finishes storing all that unnecessary sugar as fat, it reaches out for more – in hopes you’ll eventually swallow something it can use!

Let’s compare one of our favorite staples, Kale, to another food many claim to be “healthy,” Whole Wheat Bread.

Gram for gram, Kale has 200% more Vitamin A and Vitamin C.  A single serving of Kale (1 cup) also has more Iron, Vitamin B-6 and Magnesium than a single slice of Whole Wheat Bread.  Not to mention, Kale has ZERO sugars. [1]  You body also needs the right balance of Sodium and Potassium.  If you’re on the standard American diet, you’re likely getting way too much of the former and not enough of the latter – which means you’re likely suffering from increased thirst, fluid retention, acne, cramping and high blood pressure (all signs of a potassium deficiency). [2]

Hungry?  I guess you could have two slices of lifeless whole wheat bread (crust optional).  Of course, your body isn’t going to get much of anything out of it other than a huge insulin spike, the blood sugar crash an hour later, followed by the urge to eat more, and after years of this practice…disease.  Why?  Because your body isn’t getting what it needs.

Instead, why not eat a huge bowl of Kale sauteed in some Walnut oil and lightly showered in sea salt!  Your body will use all that Vitamin A towards better vision, the Vitamin C towards a healthy immune system, the Calcium towards supporting strong bones and teeth, the Iron towards oxygen rich blood, the Magnesium towards relaxing your body, and the Vitamin B-6 towards making serotonin (which among other things reduces anxiety and depression). [3]  The healthy fats from the walnut oil will keep you satiated way longer than any bread product, and you’ll get the added boost of all the trace minerals from the sea salt (which, by the way, may reduce the signs of aging, prevent muscle cramps and regulate your sleep). [4]

Wanna lose weight and eat your kale, too?  Have as much as you want!

 

[1] Google.com

[2] https://www.webmd.boots.com/a-to-z-guides/low-potassium-hypokalaemia

[3] https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/serotonin

[4] https://draxe.com/10-benefits-celtic-sea-salt-himalayan-salt/

Sugar Math

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Remember the hormone Insulin?  It’s responsible for regulating the amount of glucose inside your body – more specifically, it tries to maintain a blood glucose level of around 100 mg/dL (or roughly 1 “heaping” teaspoon of sugar (or 5 grams)…in your entire body!  Compare that to the reality that most people consume (on average) 18 teaspoons of sugar per day [1]; and, there are some studies that report numbers as high as 42.5 teaspoons [2]…of sugar…per DAY! I mean, holy f’ing sweet tooth Batman!  That’s a lot of sugar!

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest limiting your daily intake of calories from added sugars to less than 10 percent per day [3].  For an average 2,000 calorie diet, that’s 200 calories from added sugar, which is 50 grams of added sugar, which equals about 12.5 teaspoons of added sugar – per day.   The World Health Organization (WHO), however, is urging humanity (on a global scale) to cut that down to less than 5% [4]. “Nutritionally, people don’t need any sugar in their diet,” explains Dr. Francesco Branca, Director of WHO’s Department of Nutrition for Health and Development.  Which is absolutely true. Sugar is simply that – empty calories. It provides no nutritional support to our bodies. And, if you look at the reason behind why the USDA wants you to keep “free sugars” to less than 10% of your daily caloric intake…it’s because you won’t be able to, they say, “meet food group and nutrient needs within calorie limits.”  To put it simply, you’re starving your body of what it needs to get something you think you want.

So, what are you supposed to do?  Well, you’re already doing it! If you’re reading this, you are starting the first step – becoming aware.  It’s quite simple, really. Your body doesn’t (aka, YOU DON’T) need sugar to survive.  You don’t need sugar at all!  Yes, I know it’s sweet and tasty and delicious.  Hell, I used to literally eat it by the spoonful as a kid. But, if you could cut out one thing from your diet – ONE THING – it should be sugar.  

The latest “rule of thumb” is ideally less than 5% of your daily calories should come from added (or natural) sugars.  For a 2,000 calorie diet, 5% equals 25 grams. Now, 1 leveled teaspoon of sugar equals (roughly) 4 grams, therefore MEN should consume no more than 9 teaspoons of sugar per day, and WOMEN should consume no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar per day.

Depending on when you’re reading this, I’d be willing to bet you’ve already crushed that limit!  To prove my point, let’s take a typical “breakfast.” Dunkin’ Donuts sound good to you? Sure it does!  On their site, the Chef’s Pairing includes a frozen Dunkin’ coffee and a blueberry muffin. YUM! But, right above that they ask if I’ve tried the Vanilla Bean Coolatta.  Well no, wonderful Dunkin’ website…I haven’t. So, I must. Let’s investigate.

A medium (not a large), Vanilla Bean Coolatta has 132 grams of sugar.  132 grams, divided by 4 grams in a teaspoon, gives us 33 teaspoons of sugar.  A blueberry muffin only has a modest 43 grams of sugar, or 10.75 teaspoons. [6]  Do the math. Carry the one…and, you get 44 teaspoons of sugar – before you even get to work.

Wow.  Well done.  Not only have you destroyed your daily limit before noon, you’ve already reached your limit (for women) for the entire WEEK!  

So what if you don’t eat that for breakfast?  Well, one 12 ounce can of Coke is more than the daily limit of sugar for men.  More concerning – Tropicana’s “Healthy Kids” orange juice has the daily limit of sugar for kids in just one 8 ounce serving – and it’s marketed as “HEALTHY!”

So what’s the big deal?  In a word – US!

“Consumption of free sugars, including products like sugary drinks, is a major factor in the global increase of people suffering from obesity and diabetes,” says Dr Douglas Bettcher, Director of WHO’s Department for the Prevention of NCDs.  

Long-term over-consumption of added sugars has been verified to be a contributing factor in [7]:

  • Heart Disease
  • Diabetes
  • Large waist size
  • High triglycerides
  • High total cholesterol
  • High blood pressure
  • High blood sugar
  • Liver disease

and there is strong evidence to suggest that it is linked to:

  • Cancer
  • Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Premature Aging

Sugar is everywhere, and it’s extremely hard to avoid all together, but hopefully now you’re aware of the dangers it can cause and how easily it is to “over indulge.”  Keep an eye out for upcoming articles where I’ll go over the sneaky methods the food industry pulls to hide it from you. I’ll also be digging into the biology of how sugar is metabolized in your body, and I’ll even produce evidence that sugar is actually more addictive than cocaine!   In the meantime, however – just cut out the sugar. I guarantee you’ll feel a LOT better once you do.

Closing infographic created by www.OnlineNursingPrograms.com, and found on www.forbes.com, How Much Sugar Are Americans Eating?

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db122.pdf

[2] https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/nhp/documents/sugar.pdf

[3] https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/resources/2015-2020_Dietary_Guidelines.pdf

[4] http://www.who.int/en/news-room/detail/11-10-2016-who-urges-global-action-to-curtail-consumption-and-health-impacts-of-sugary-drinks

[5] http://sugarscience.ucsf.edu/the-growing-concern-of-overconsumption.html#.WuiZCNTwa70

[6] https://www.dunkindonuts.com/content/dam/dd/pdf/nutrition.pdf

[7] http://sugarscience.ucsf.edu/too-much-can-make-us-sick/#.Wui6-tTwa70

 

You have Diabetes

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You “have” diabetes.

Okay, maybe you don’t (or maybe you just don’t know it yet), but I had a one-in- three chance of being spot on with that one.  In fact, if you don’t have diabetes, consider yourself REALLY lucky, or maybe you’re in the minority and just plain healthy.  Oh, and guess what!  Your chances of being diagnosed with diabetes goes up with every day you get older, so if you aren’t exhibiting symptoms of diabetes right now, chances are pretty good you will – just give it time.

This “cheery” prediction comes from a recent report out of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [1] [2] which paints a pretty dire picture for the U.S..  More than 100 million Americans have either diabetes or pre-diabetes.  Of those 100 million, 4% were of age 18-44; 17% between 45-64 years old; and, 25% were above age 65.  The report also details trends based on the level of education one has.  Graduate high school?  You’re 3.1% less likely to have diabetes than someone who hasn’t.  Graduate college?  That put you in a 2.2% smaller pool.  But here’s the scary part…with every study, the overall rates continue to go UP, so it doesn’t really even matter the demographics or economics of your specific situation..

Why should you care?  Well, diabetes, over time, can lead to problems such as nerve damage, dental disease, kidney disease and eye issues. [3]  And, it was the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2015 (the year this data was compiled).  Scarier yet, the longer you have diabetes, the higher your chances of developing heart disease. [4]  In fact, adults with diabetes are nearly twice as likely to die from heart disease or stroke as people without diabetes.  And guess where those two things rank on the worldwide deaths and mortality list – first and fifth, respectively. [5]  Now, I’m not a statistician, but I don’t think it takes one to see that having diabetes “ain’t good.”

So what is diabetes anyway?  Simply put, it’s your body’s adaptive response to being exposed to consistently high amounts of toxic foods.  See, you don’t “catch” diabetes.  You earn it.

Here’s what happens (at a very high level, admittedly).  When you eat or drink something, your body breaks down those ingredients into their most basic forms.  One of the most prominent building blocks of food is glucose (a carbohydrate).  Every cell in your body can utilize glucose as a fuel, but in order for the glucose to get into the cell, a “door” has to be opened, and only insulin knows the secret knock.  Insulin is the hormone, made by the pancreas, that regulates the amount of glucose in your blood by offering it up to the cells.  Once all the cells have their share, any extra glucose is shuttled into your fat stores for later, because your body can only handle so much glucose just floating in your blood stream.  Bad things happen when there’s too much sugar in your blood stream.  The system is quite brilliant, actually – and the majority of the time, it works pretty well.  But, abuse the system, and things start to go haywire.

After excessive and/or constant carbohydrate consumption (yes, protein has affects on insulin as well), the cells (already full of fuel) just start “ignoring” insulin’s knocking.  This would be the pre-diabetes stage (also referred to as “insulin resistance”).  It is the cells’ subtle hint, “Enough already!  Give me a break.”  Maybe a little heart broken at first, insulin isn’t completely discouraged from performing its primary mission.  It continues to keep blood glucose at a safe level by transporting all that sweet energy into fat.  But eventually, the cells constant apathetic attitude takes its toll.  The pancreas sees all its hard work of producing insulin as a complete waste of time and energy, so it simply makes less.  I mean, the cells aren’t going to use it.  They’ve got their own sugar stores packed to the brim, and you sure as heck aren’t going to listen to the lonely cries of rejected insulin and stop consuming SUGAR!

Well, less insulin means less control over rising blood sugars.  And too much sugar is toxic to the body.  Enter your doctor, who prescribes you Metformin (or some other obscure attempt at picking up the slack from your burnt out pancreas).  “Awesome!” says your pancreas, “Now I don’t have to work at all to make this silly insulin!”  Crap!  I guess we need to start manually injecting ourselves with synthetic insulin, now!  This would be Type II diabetes.  Since the environment hasn’t changed (i.e. the toxin not removed), you continue to get worse.  Just remember, your cells (at this point) need sugar like a competitive eater needs an all-you-can-eat buffet after a hot dog eating contest.  So, if the cells aren’t going to accept any sugar, where is that synthetic insulin going to put all that extra carbohydrate?  You guessed it!  FAT.

According to The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Health Information Center (holy crap that’s a mouthful), there is no “cure” for diabetes – BUT!  It can be managed!  [6]  Well, they are kinda right.  There is no magic pill that you can take to “cure” this condition.  That much is true.  Your body has adapted to its environment.  If your environment doesn’t change, it will continue to deal with those stresses the way it’s evolved to over the past hundreds of thousands of years.  But what if you changed the environment?  What if…you removed the toxin?

Remember those stuck up cells that were too good for insulin?  What if you played a little “hard to get?”  What if you cut out the reason for them becoming tone deaf to the knocking?  Like a date that suddenly becomes interesting when they stop smothering you and start dating someone else, insulin may still have a shot!  Since excessive carbohydrate intake led to this problem, you’re probably wondering, “Maybe reducing the amount of sugar I consume on a daily basis would be a good start?”  Yes.  I think you’re on to something!  And I know what you’re thinking…”If I stop poisoning my body and give it good, healthy foods – it will heal.”  Now you’ve got it!

Later on, I’ll go into more detail about how insulin works in the body and how YOU can become the puppet master; how this hormone may not be the daemon everyone is making it out to be; how this all ties in to gaining weight and stimulating other physiological imbalances; and, the easy and effective lifestyle changes you can make (starting today) that will completely turn this thing around.  Just think, in a few short weeks, you could be off that medication.  In a handful of days, you could drop the mic on your doctor and strut out of that exam room beaming from the self-confidence you rightfully deserve for beating this.  Don’t succumb to the outdated and hopeless disease management model and become another statistic that trends our impending doom.  Be a part of this optimistic movement and start Heading Healthy, instead!

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p0718-diabetes-report.html

[2] https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pdfs/data/statistics/national-diabetes-statistics-report.pdf

[3] https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview

[4] https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-problems/heart-disease-stroke

[5] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm

[6] https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/managing-diabetes

Using Insulin to Lose Weight

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In an earlier post, I demonized insulin as the “fat storage hormone.”  If you haven’t already, you can read it here.  Anyway, in that article I explained how insulin makes fat – so, if that’s the business you’re in, you now know just what to do.  But, what if you’re ready to lose fat?

 It’s pretty simple, really.  Insulin is the fat storage hormone.  You will NOT be able to burn fat in the presence of insulin.  Insulin transitions the body from a catabolic process (i.e. the breakdown of molecules to release energy) to an anabolic process (i.e. the synthesis of molecules to store energy).  Insulin is the fat storage hormone.  When insulin is absent, your body will break down your glycogen and fat stores to produce energy.  When insulin is present, your body will fill all those reserves (after cell utilization of course) to be used at a later time.  Insulin is the fat storage hormone.  What is insulin?  That’s right!  The freakin’ fat storage hormone!
So, now that we know we won’t be able to lose weight while insulin is around (because insulin is the ___ _______ _______), what do we do about it?  And what triggers the release of insulin in the first place?  Well, I hit on sugar pretty hard in the previous post.  Glucose, a sugar, also a carbohydrate, is one of the most well known factor that increases insulin secretion, but in reality proteins and fats do the same – just to a lesser extent.  That means, whenever you eat or drink something, your body releases insulin.  Check out the graphic below.
This chart illustrates the physiologic insulin secretion of a healthy pancreas. [1]  Notice that, with every meal, insulin spikes.  More importantly, take notice to how the levels of insulin drop in between meals and throughout the night when you’re asleep.  If we overlay what we’ve learned about insulin being the gatekeeper for our body to store/burn fat, we get the following.
By now, the wheels should be turning…  “So, Mr. Blogger-man,” you ponder, “all I have to do to burn fat, is to keep insulin low?”  YES!  Well, let’s put it this way…you are ONLY going to be able to burn fat when insulin is low.  Remember that Red Light – Green Light game we used to play as kids?  Think about that tomorrow when you wake up and fantasize about stuffing your face with a bagel or eggs and sausage, knowing that as soon as you do, you are flipping that switch out of fat burning mode.  This is why intermittent fasting can be an incredibly valuable tool for losing weight.  The longer you’re in the green, the longer you’re burning fat.  The longer you’re burning fat, the MORE fat you burn, baby!  Instead of eating right away, ask yourself if you’re really hungry and consider waiting for a bit longer.  You’re not going to starve, and for goodness sake you don’t have to eat breakfast.  Just give it a go and see how you feel.  You’ll be amazed at how easy it is.  Anyway, we can go into more detail about intermittent fasting later.  Let’s get back to insulin, because there are two more points you need to understand.
Again, take notice to the green periods between meals.  The above chart assumes you eat “meals.”  This does not mean eat breakfast when you wake up, then have a coffee with cream and sugar on the commute in, then tackle those donuts someone brought in for the office, then eat a banana, and THEN eat lunch.  Between lunch and dinner: you get a little groggy after lunch so you head to the vending machine and crack open a Red Bull, maybe munch on some pretzels as an afternoon snack along with a few innocent dippings into the candy bowl next to the sweet receptionist, and maybe one last coffee before you depart for the day (you know, so you can stay awake through the exceedingly boring commute home).  Look.  If you don’t give insulin a break, you’ll never get out of Fat Storing Mode!
Finally, understand that different foods give rise to varying levels of insulin response.  We can chat about the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load another time, but know that carbohydrates (breads, pastas, sweets, et cetera) spike insulin higher and faster than proteins (chicken, fish, eggs, et cetera), which have a more moderate response.  Fats (oils, nuts, butter, et cetera) barely trigger insulin at all, not to mention they satiate you longer so you can stretch that fat burning window and optimize progress.
The above information is really the cornerstone to fat burning and serves as a strong, healthy foundation on which to build from.  Understanding the principles behind insulin is crucial in managing a healthy weight and especially important when recovering from metabolic diseases, such as diabetes.  Mastering your insulin levels takes practice, and may take a few lifestyle changes from what you may be accustom to – but that’s not to say it’s hard or painful.  A few mindful tweaks and you’ll be a fat burning machine!
By the way, all of our recipes and principles have the above in mind – keep insulin levels low and optimize the fat burning time throughout the day.  When you DO eat – eat good, nutrient rich, whole, real food.  Don’t worry.  We’ll keep you Heading Healthy!

It’s Not Your Fault

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It’s simply unfair.

Over one third of U.S. adults are obese [1], and listen – the cards are stacked against you.

It’s extremely hard, these days, to decipher what is healthy and what is unhealthy; what nutrients you need, and heck, what nutrients are!  One day, saturated fats cause cancer, and the next day they are the cure all.  Should I eat eggs or not?  What the heck is cholesterol?  But one thing is for certain, FOOD is good for you.  Food-like products…well, they really aren’t.  And I’m certain you already know this.

Take a look at the images below.

 

Which choice do you feel would be best for your body?  In other words, which could your body use to help make new muscle or help heal ailing joints?  Notice, I didn’t ask you which one you WANT, nor did I ask which one makes you hungry…that’s a topic for another post down the line, and believe me, the science behind that is amazing!

 

So, back to the topic at hand… According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Obesity results form a combination of causes and contributing factors, including individual factors such as behavior and genetics.  Behaviors can include dietary patterns, physical activity, inactivity, medication use, and other exposures.  Additional contributing factors in our society include the food and physical activity environment, education and skills, and food marketing and promotion.” [2]  See!  They are admitting that what and how you eat are directly being affected by your environment.  So, what’s the big deal?

 

Well, what are you constantly reminded of?  How many fast food joints surround your local grocery store?  How often do you see an advertisement from local farmers’ markets?  And be warned, unless you prepared your food from scratch – and by that I mean you started with real, whole food that you cleaned and cut and cooked your self – you forfeited your decision making abilities about your well being to whomever you bought it from.  Do you think they had your best interests at heart?  Do you think they care about you?  Or perhaps, more plausibly, do their core values center around making money?  After all, they are a business, right?

 

According to a 2016 article on NPR, “American kids see, on average, three to five ads for fast food per day.  And about 50 percent of all ads directed at children are for food.” [3]  Adds for fast food aren’t just on TV, either.  They are littering our landscape with billboard ads and popping up all over our internet feeds.  And it must be working, because BIG food industries (especially fast food companies) are spending BIG money on it!  According to Fast Food FACTS (Food Advertising to Children and Teens Score) 2013, a total of $4.6 BILLION was spent on all advertising by fast food restaurants in 2012 (and 8% increase over 2009).  McDonald’s spent 2.7 times as much to advertise its products as all fruit, vegetable, bottled water, and milk advertisers combined. [4]  When was the last time you saw a commercial about broccoli or kale?

 

The truth is, the food industry knows that you know what’s good and not good for you.  They know (if given the opportunity, exposure and choice) between their food products and actual, real food – you’d pick the food.  So they spend all this money to convince you otherwise.  They have brainwashed you into feeling “lost” without your Grande Caffe Vanilla Light Frappaccino Blended Coffee in one hand and that Grilled Breakfast Burrito Fiesta Potato in the other – all while trying to navigate bumper to bumper traffic with thousands of other hungry zombies on the way into work.  And, let’s face it – they are doing an excellent job.

 

Heading Healthy is a movement dedicated to the awareness, education and guidance of just how out of touch we are with ourselves.  Big food, big pharma, the medical industry, even some educational establishments all have one thing in common – investors.  Their goal is to make money for their shareholders, and you see what they are willing to spend to make sure that happens.  Who do you have backing you up in your corner?  That, my friend…is us.  We want to share the information with you, so that you can finally make informed decisions.  We’re not going to try and convince you of feeling one way or another, either.  We are simply going to submit the facts to you so that you can come to your own conclusions.

 

So, the next time you’re heading through the drive through, be aware.  Are you making a conscious decision that has yourSELF in your best interests…or, are you falling victim to a corporate monster marketing scheme that’s designed to make you hand over a few more bucks?  Take a hard look at that dollar (or card) as you reach over that counter (or out your car window).  Before you put it into the pocket of some shareholder, consider investing it back into yourself.  You’ll be a lot happier you did.

 

Insulin’s Blocking Your Weight Loss

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If you’re a diabetic, you have heard of insulin.  Chances are pretty good that even if you’re not diabetic, you’ve at least heard the term before.  But here is why you should be aware, and to some extent concerned about this little fella.

1.  If you can’t or want to lose weight, insulin is most likely the reason.
2.  If you are diabetic (Type I, Type II or prediabetic), insulin is the reason.
3.  If you get hypoglycemic or hyperglycemic (i.e. you can’t regulate your blood sugars), insulin is the reason.
4.  If you struggle to keep your blood pressure and cholesterol under control, insulin is the reason.
5.  If you have Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and/or other chronic diseases, insulin may very well be one of the reasons.

For the sake of this article, let’s concentrate on the first one.  Why insulin is making you FAT.
Insulin is made by beta cells inside the pancreas.  By the way, if you’re really curious about the cell biology behind how the beta cells actually make insulin, I recommend checking out this video on YouTube by khanacademymedicine.  Their channel is one of my go to spots to geek out on the internet.  Anyway, simply remember that the pancreas secretes insulin (among other things like digestive enzymes).

Insulin is a hormone.  A hormone is a class of chemicals (more specifically, a class of signaling molecules) that are responsible for regulating certain physiology and behavior inside your body.  It’s job is to signal your cells that, “glucose is here!”  Once insulin docks with the cell, the cell will then (and only then) activate glucose transporters, which allow the glucose to enter the cell to be used for energy.  More directly, without insulin, your cells would starve.
But what if the cells already have enough glucose, and quite simply, don’t need anymore energy?  The body needs to keep blood glucose levels below 100 mg/dL [1], which equates to roughly 1 teaspoon of sugar (5 grams) that can be safely floating around in your system at any given time.
Insulin’s other function is to make sure the concentration of glucose in your blood does not exceed dangerous levels – which, if chronic in nature, may will result in cardiovascular disease, nerve damage (neuropathy), kidney damage or failure, damage to blood vessels of the retina potentially leading to blindness, clouding of the normally clear lens of your eye (cataract), bone and joint problems, skin problems, bacterial infections, fungal infections and nonhealing wounds, and teeth and gum infections. By the way, early symptoms of the aforementioned chronic conditions may present as frequent urination, increased thirst, blurred vision, fatigue, headache, fruity-smelling breath, nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath, dry mouth, weakness, confusion, coma and abdominal pain.  [2]  Yuck!  How’s that for making you think twice about downing a McCafe Shamrock Shake?  I wonder how many McDonald’s would sell if they listed all those side effects on the menu?

[2] McDonald’s Shamrock Shake

 

Luckily, humans have evolved to deal with excessive indulgences such as Dairy Queen, Dunkin’ Donuts and the office bagel day – albeit, historically, this was called “summer” when fruits were plentiful and the body needed to store energy for times of famine.  So what does insulin do with all that excess sugar floating around in your circulatory system?  Well, it ingeniously stores all that potential energy as…FAT.  That’s right!  See, your body just can’t metabolize that entire “Gotta Have It” serving of your favorite Cold Stone Creamery concoction in one sitting, especially after cramming your face hole with a charbroiled double cheeseburger, large onion rings and large Coke from Carl’s Jr..  Insulin does it’s best to make sure the cells get all the “energy” they need from it and then, the rest…goes to storage.  I mean, packing on a few extra pounds is much better than losing your eyesight, right?

Let’s try an analogy – let’s say your garbage collector comes every week to pick up your garbage, but he can only pick up 2 bags every week (yeah, not a very good collection service, but just bare with me).

  • Let’s also assume you have a household that’s Heading Healthy, and you only produce 1 bag of trash per week.  Sounds good.  Your house will get all of the trash picked up each week.  Let’s say they have a party!  Ooo, yeah!  Now we’re talking.  But, cleaning up for the party resulted in 2 extra bags of trash to put out for the week.  Uh oh.  Now there are 3 bags out there, but the collector will only pick up 2.  The math says, your left with 1 bag on the curb until the following week.  If you continue your healthy habits, you’ll only produce 1 more bag of trash (for a total of 2) for the following week.  So, the next time the collection service comes around, you’ll be trash free.

  • Let’s now assume you have an UN-healthy household, and you produce 3 bags of trash per week.  Remember, the trash guy (or gal) only picks up 2 per week.  The math says, your left with 1 bag on the curb until the following week.  But, next week you produce 3 more bags to pile on the curb – now there’s 4.  They take 2, you keep 2.  Next week, you make 3 to add to the 2 (now you have 5), they take 2, you keep 3…you get the point?  Each week, more and more trash piles up in your driveway, because the waste management service simply can’t keep up with all the trash being produced.  Don’t even think about having a party!  Oh, you’re going to anyway?  Sure.  What’s the worst that could happen?  It’s only trash, right?  Well, soon you won’t be able to park that nice care in the driveway; soon, the mail carrier won’t be able to deliver your mail; soon, you’ll miss paying your bills because you couldn’t get your mail, and you’ll default on the house you can’t get out of because you’re surrounded in mountains of trash; and don’t even get me started on the smell!
In the above example, you could equate the property with your body; the house as your habbits; you are insulin; and the trash is sugar.  The collection service is simply your body’s way of metabolizing and excreting what comes in.

Now, I’ve used glucose and sugar above, but this also carries over to carbohydrates.  After all, carbohydrates are simply that – sugars.  Yes they come in all sorts of forms and tastes and textures, but don’t be fooled.  Carbs ARE sugars.  After passing through your digestive system, glucose (sugar), is what almost ALL carbohydrates get broken down into.  That’s not to say that “all carbs are the devil.”  Not at all.  It’s really a volume problem, and some products simply produce more trash than they need to.  Likewise, you have the power to choose foods that have a higher level of nutrient density – which will yield much less trash YOU’RE ultimately responsible for getting rid of.

So, I hope I’ve at least made the connection between getting fat and insulin – and more so, how what (and how much) you eat affects insulin and how you gain weight.  You see now why they call insulin the “fat storage hormone?”  In another post, I’ll talk about ways you can keep insulin out of the picture so you can finally shed some of those unwanted pounds.  I’ll also show you how easy it is to prevent and even reverse metabolic diseases (like diabetes) with simple lifestyle changes and NO medications within weeks!