Diet and Insulin Connection

Insulin is a hormone that responds directly to what you feed your body. Roles of insulin includes regulation of fat metabolism and it helps control blood sugar levels. Blood sugar is the basic fuel that is needed by the cell to make energy. The body maintains the blood sugar level in a narrow range. When it is to low it is called hypoglycemia and too high it is know as hypergylcemia. Keeping the blood sugars stable is really important because imbalances, particularly hyperglycemia can cause serious health problems.

High glycemic index foods (GI), are foods that triger high levels of blood sugar. With an over abundance of these foods, your body will respond by producing higher levels of insulin than it would if you were to eat lower GI foods. When insulin levels are high, besides converting the blood sugar to energy, it stores any extra energy as fat. So, when insulin levels are high, you store more fat and when insulin levels are low, you burn fat more efficiently. The catch is, when your diet consists of too many high GI foods, it leads to carbohydrate cravings and an increase in appetite - which produces weight gain.

Approximately 33% of the population produces more insulin than needed to maintain a healthy blood sugar level. This is called "insulin resistance" and is usually present in people that are overweight, have low energy, mood swings, and muscle loss. People who are insulin resistant are also at an increased risk of developing diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease.

An important key to weight loss is keeping your glycemic levels in a balanced state. The following lists will help you determine the best foods to eat and best foods to avoid.

• Top to Low GI Foods Top to High GI Foods
• Apples
• Berries and cherries
• Barley
• Grapefruit
• Legumes (lentils, beans, peanuts)
• Nuts (almonds, walnuts, soy nuts)
• Oatmeal (unsweetened)
• Green peas
• Tomatoes
• Unsweetened, plain yogert

• Top to High GI Foods
• Candy
• Cookies
• Juices with added sugar
• White potatoes
• Chips (corn and potato)
• Sweetened cereal
• Sweetened soda
• Sweet snacks
• White bread and bagels (processed flour)
• White rice

Which catagory does your diet fall into? Is it any wonder that there has been an increased number of children and adults with obesity problems and diabetes? Eatng more of the low GI foods with a good exercise and weight resistance program will help you be more successful with your weight loss program.

Dr. Jerore is a Certified FirstLine Therapy practitioner. The above information is found in the FLT Therapeutic Lifestyle Program Guide.

In Case of an Emergency

When following a weight loss program, it is important to look at ways we sabotage ourselves and get creative so we don't fall into the same old trap. Here is a helpful tip.

One of the best things to help bump up you metabolism is to eat more frequently. Experts say it is best to eat every three hours, so your body won't think you are trying to starve it. If you go too long between meals, your blood sugar drops and that is when the binge eating begins, and you don't always make wise decisions when your are hungry and want something quick. If you haven't planned ahead, it is too tempting sometimes to pull into a fast food drive-thru and grab anything quick.

I have found, when trying to make lifestyle changes and watch your food intake, it can be especially challenging in the beginning. If your life is as busy as most Americans these days, I have found with my clients that it is helpful to pack a small insulated bag of nutritious food, "in case of an emergency." Then you can keep it in your car or with you, when your sugar levels drop, and you start craving or needing something NOW! You will be prepared to tie you over until it is time for your next meal.

Some healthy choices include:

• A bottle of water
• Protein powder and shaker cup
• Nuts: almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.
• Apple or apple sauce
• Fruit
• Cut up veggies
• Protein bar

Any other ideas you may have to share regarding healthy snacks to help stay on track will be welcome if you would like to share them on this blog. Thanks

Six Steps to Healthy Weight Loss

A good weight loss program is like a balancing act. The following are six steps to help balance your weight loss efforts, so you will be more successful this year then ever before.

1. Knowledge - The more knowledge you can arm yourself with, the better results you will have. Knowledge helps you make informed decisions about making choices that will impact your health daily. If you know "why," it's much easier to resist when temptation comes your way. Following the information in this blog will continue to give you valuable information, to make your results more successful.
2. Balanced Eating - Balanced eating habits have a direct influence on excess insulin productions, body composition, and disease prevention. Insulin resistance becomes a cycle of food cravings of sugar and carbohydrates, which in excess is stored as fat in the body. Body composition is basically a healthy balance of body fat and lean body mass. To slow down the aging process, a healthy body composition must be retained as long as possible. Unhealthy body composition leads to inflammation and diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, osteoperosis, alzheimer's, and more.
3. Regular Activity / Exercise - A regular program of aerobic, strength training, and flexibility exercises has been shown to reverse insulin resistance, increase vitality, and reduce your risk of disease. If you have tried starvation diets in the past, or have had a sedintary lifestyle, you can bet your metabolism has decreased. The only way to safely and effectively increase your metabolism it with movement.
4. Nutritional Supplementation - Incorporating a nutritional program to help build a foundation in order to supply your body with the fuel it needs is crucial. The body needs vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and protein, among others to function, but also to build and repair itself as you age. We will get into more detail in future blogs.
5. Stress Management - Stress causes one of the biggest roadblocks in a successful weight loss program. For optimal health, regular stress management helps to keep insulin and other hormone levels balanced, improving vitality. We will talk about nutritional support, as well as methods for relaxation in the future.
6. Sleep - Sleep is crucial for the proper funciton of the mind and body. Lack of sleep has been shown to cause illness, fatigue, irritability, and a number of psychological problems. It is important to get 8 hours of sleep per night. When you are lacking sleep, there is no nutrient that can replace it. Only getting caught up on you sleep will really refresh and rejuvinate you. Sometimes that is hard to do when you are stressed and wired.

Imagine waking up in the morning and feeling great, having all the energy you need to keep you going all day long. By gaining control of your health, you will gain control of your life.

Contact me for more information on creating the balance in your life with the FirstLine Therapy Program, or continue to watch for more posts to further your knowledge and education.

Know Your Body Composition

January 1st, always offers new beginnings to us. The number one thing most people want to change is their weight. They want to look better, but don't always stop to think, how it is affecting their health. This month the blog posts will be geared toward weight loss, and will give you important keys to make weight loss easier and make you healthier this new year.

Key to Weight Loss: Know Your Body Composition

Weight loss should be more then just dieting. Gaining a healthy body composition is really the bottom line. With weight gain, which is now considered an inflammatory disease, there is altered body composition, which can eventurally create chronic health conditions.

By reducing body fat, a healthy body composition can:

• Improve insulin sensivity and glucose tolerance.
• Improve blood circulations in all parts of the body, reducing the risk of heart disease.
• Promote healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
• Reduce respiratory infections, breathlessness, and improve overall lung function.
• Improve quality of sleep.
• Relieve strain placed on you knees, hips, and lower back - which can reduce pain.
• Increase energy and endurance.
• Improve mood and self-confidence.

Knowing your body composition is important because it tells your fat percent and your fat to muscle ratio, how much of your weight is excess water, how well your cells are replicating themselves, and most importantly, how many calories are you burning in a day. The best way to get this information is with a Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). It is a simple, quick test that many FirstLine Therapy practitioners use.

Knowing your daily caloric consumption is a key factor to weight loss. From there, a dietary program that balances proteins, carbohydrates, and good fats can be developed specifically for each individual. Include other nutritional support your body may need, along with a fitness program and it becomes easy to follow. You will be delighted with the results.