Insuline response can be your best friend

Perhaps at one point or another, most of us have heard the term “food is a drug”. Considering all of the chemicals within the sport of bodybuilding, and in our world in general today, many of you may likely have dismissed this statement as fraudulent or ridiculous. But make no mistake, the phrase is much truer than you can imagine. That’s because eating any kind of food, any time, sets off a chemical reaction within the body that at least involves digestion, and at most, involves a lot more.At best, food can be nourishing, enlivening, balancing and can cause our bodies to respond with better health and performance. At worst—or should we say ‘at our worst’—the foods we eat can cause utter havoc, and include things like mood swings, ill health and a general chemical imbalance within our bodies that create yet other chain reactions. We can see this clearly within someone who has an impaired metabolism, in that it can cause diabetes, obesity, and a host of other ailments. But for others, it may be much more subtle than that. And because it’s subtle, it can cause a host of problems that mount without us being aware of them, until it’s too far along to repair. Such is the case with insulin response and how the foods we eat can be our best friends or worst enemies.More and more, we hear about insulin and insulin-producing foods in the fitness and diet media. The term “glycemic index” is now something that the average fitness-aware person has come to understand as legitimate. Fortunately, experts have locked into what’s really happening to our bodies when we eat various foods, and have determined what is most crucial in the scheme of feeding our bodies to best maximize all of its many functions and minimize potential problems. Our “insulin response” to the foods we eat is the context within which we can look at all of our successes and failures with foods, and manipulate how food affects our bodies on a short and long term basis.In this article we’ll explore the truth about insulin… what happens when insulin levels are categorically high and chronically low and how it impacts the body. And whereas this topic may have been lightly covered in other publications, the truth is, the body’s insulin response isn’t just about a few simple carbs one way or another—it’s about lifestyle and a host of other factors that positively or negatively impacts our insulin levels.Insulin is a major hormone. Most people don’t identify it as a hormone, but that’s precisely what it is. As a matter of record, it’s important to understand what it is and isn’t before trying to eliminate its presence in your body and life based on a few superficial articles about insulin and its villainous impact on your ability to lose body fat. What is best is learning how to utilize insulin to achieve the balance within the body and metabolism that can rebuild the body in the strongest and best of ways.FACT: Insulin prevents your body from using up your vital bio-chemicals (enzymes, hormones and neuro-chemicals).FACT: Insulin is a rebuilding hormone and very important to muscle and health.FACT: Whether you skip meals, generally eat spartanly or overeat carbohydrates and sugar on a regular basis, the imbalances that over or under-producing insulin can cause will be as negative on either side of the coin.You truly ARE what you eat, based on your choices, because you can only rebuild whatever bio-chemicals are available to you through those particular food choices. If you choose to eat mostly sugary carbohydrates, the amount and quality of bio-chemicals you replace and build will be minimal. Likewise, dependent upon what you eat, your body will secrete what it needs to secrete in the way of hormones to deal with that particular type and amount of food. If you are constantly supplying your body with large amounts of empty calories in the form of sugary carbohydrates, the amount of insulin you secrete will be enormous in order to deal with the necessary clean up.The Positive Aspects of InsulinInsulin is often seen as the enemy of dieters because its abundant presence can help the body store fat, rather than burn it. However, insulin actually has beneficial action because it counteracts the effects of both adrenaline and cortisol—the two hormones released during times of great duress, fear, overwhelming life situations and the general stress on the body that dieting places on it. Insulin is very important because it prevents you from using up more bio-chemicals than you make. It tells the body to rebuild structural/functional and energy related bio-chemicals from the proteins, fats and carbohydrates that you eat. But, as we just mentioned, what you rebuild is dependent upon what you eat.The biggest thing to remember, however, is that every time you practice any kind of habit that releases either adrenaline or cortisol, insulin is released to prevent your body from using up its bio-chemicals. This is a positive thing. If your body didn’t have the ability to communicate this, you wouldn’t survive long; even under normal conditions of stress and strain.Cortisol and Adrenaline TriggersKeep in mind that the key to preventing fat storage and a host of other undesirable things is not so much to work on insulin, but to work on minimizing the cycle of releasing cortisol and adrenaline which, in turn, signals a need for a release of insulin. In order to minimize this cycle, and better utilize nutrients and rebuild bio-chemicals without a continuous damage control phase, it’s crucial to know what triggers cortisol and adrenaline release.Cortisol is beneficial in that it helps the body maintain blood pressure, helps the body use proteins for energy and function and use glycogen for energy. Adrenaline is released to manage fear, stress and anger. However, too much of any good thing is often negative. While the cortisol hormone helps the body mobilize fats to be used in times of stress, fats can also be stored in times of chronic artificial stress. Too much release of cortisol over long periods of time, and this negative cycle can destroy the metabolism altogether.Triggers List:Low carbohydrate intake – If you create a situation where the brain uses mostly protein for its fuel, this destroys metabolism.Dieting – Losing weight too quickly and causing the body undue stress, uses up functional bio-chemicals and destroys metabolism. Consistent good eating does not.Skipping Meals – When you skip a meal, your body feels stressed and fears famine, signaling for a release of cortisol to conserve the fat you have.Consistent Lack of Sleep – Optimal hormonal balance is impossible when sleep is irregular, insufficient or lacking in quality.Over-exercising – Working out excessively is damaging to the body and uses up massive amounts of bio-chemicals in addition to triggering the release of cortisol to compensate.Chronic Stress – Stress triggers both adrenaline and cortisol. If stress becomes chronic, cortisol becomes the dominant hormone. You cannot eradicate stress completely, but can learn to minimize it to prevent premature aging, disease and the destruction of the metabolism.Alcohol and Drugs – Alcohol, a depressant, raises cortisol levels, while stimulant drugs raise levels of adrenaline. Drink beer and wine only, and do it infrequently.Note: Remember, stress can be emotional, nutritional, chemical, physiological or hormonal. Knowing this means that you can more appropriately identify cortisol triggers and change behavior.We may seem to be delving deeper into cortisol and adrenaline, but that’s not the case. It’s just much easier to understand why insulin can become a problem when one understands what precursory hormones can trigger its unnecessary release. In addition, because we are discussing insulin and its potentially negative effect on the metabolism, it’s important to note all things that contribute to the big picture destruction of the metabolism. But there’s another reason as well:The Perils of Adrenal BurnoutBecause hormones all overlap to some extent, and are inter-connected, any health problems associated with an imbalance is also closely connected when talking about insulin, cortisol and adrenaline. The problem with having an overabundance of cortisol and adrenaline means that adrenal glands (the gland responsible for producing both) can burn out and cause further damage to the metabolism. Here’s why…Years of over-secreting, of either adrenaline or cortisol, not only stimulates an unhealthy insulin response cycle, but it burns out the adrenal glands, and causes a host of physical symptoms, including fatigue, mood swings, and weight gain. Anything on the list of triggers for either can help facilitate this happening. Chances are, if you are addicted to foods and substances such as white sugar, nicotine, caffeine, diet pills, alcohol, over-exercising or recreational drugs, you have an adrenal problem. This, in turn, stimulates the release of insulin and produces weight gain or metabolic breakdown in some form or fashion.The reason adrenal burnout merits mentioning is that having adrenal glands that are burned out, in addition to having insulin problems, can oftentimes cause people to believe that their situation is hopeless, or that they have reached an age where they are powerless to do anything about it.Where You Are on the Insulin ScaleAdrenal burnout is oftentimes very apparent. Even going down a list of triggers and symptoms can tell a person if they are likely close to or further down the road of adrenal burnout. A simple saliva test (which shows low levels of cortisone throughout the day) is the best indicator, but requires a physician’s assistance. But insulin resistance isn’t as apparent. Weight gain might be a good clue, but since weight gain can come from a variety of causes, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the body’s insulin response is out of whack.Insulin Sensitive or ResistantIt’s best to first define the difference between insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance. Insulin sensitivity is actually where you want to be. It means that your body is responding correctly to all of the actions of insulin, including the ability of the body to make and store fats in its presence. (That’s why weight gain, alone, isn’t necessarily a good indicator). Insulin sensitivity is normal, and it’s actually your goal when trying to heal the hormonal balance of your body and its metabolism.If you are insulin sensitive, here’s what happens within the body:• Sugar is taken up by liver• Sugar is taken up by the cells in your body• When sugar and fats are in your cells, blood sugar levels begin to drop and insulin levels go back down• Excess sugar in the liver is turned into triglycerides and cholesterol• Triglycerides and cholesterol are taken up by cells of your body• Once you eat again, the whole process begins againWhen insulin sensitive, insulin levels rise slightly after a meal and come back down again in between meals. If you are eating balanced meals, this action is not noticeable.When you are insulin resistant from sustained high levels of insulin circulating, your cells are completely full—overfilled—with fat and sugar. Your trigylcerides are high (though they can become high from other things such as birth control pills, smoking, alcohol, etc.) and you have high fasting insulin levels. Though fat weight around the midsection isn’t a definitive symptom of insulin resistance, it can be. Your blood pressure is generally high, and so is your cholesterol when you’re insulin resistant.Years of insulin stimulation and release due to poor nutritional habits can be a major cause of insulin resistance. So can years of high adrenaline and cortisol output as a reaction to life’s stressors or poor nutrition can also cause insulin resistance. If you recognize that you’re on one of these paths, it’s time to start making changes now, to avoid symptoms and the onset of diseases such as Type II Diabetes, abnormal cholesterol levels, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and certain cancers (breast, prostate and colon cancers are most commonly associated with high insulin levels).Unfortunately, recognizing your path towards insulin resistance is difficult. That’s because some symptoms on the list can be associated with a number of different ailments or conditions. But if you are well on your way toward insulin resistance, and don’t yet have symptoms of being diabetic or have been told you are at great risk for cardiac or cerebral damage, you may experience some of the following symptoms:AcneFuzzy BrainAnkle SwellingInfertilityBurning FeetIrregular Menstrual CyclesConstipationIrritabilityDecrease memory or concentrationLoose bowel/ then ConstipationDepressionWater retentionFatigueWeight gainWhere to Go From Here – Determining Your Insulin StatusWhy is it important to know whether you are insulin sensitive or insulin resistant? Well, short of the obvious—not wanting to end up with adult onset diabetes or heart problems as a result of cholesterol and high trigylceride levels—it’s important to know because knowing where you are tells you how to proceed with diet and lifestyle changes.For instance…If you are insulin sensitive and consume more carbohydrates than you need for energy or just consume too much food, you could be well on your way to becoming insulin resistant.If you are insulin sensitive and don’t consume enough carbohydrates or food for your current activity level, you can raise adrenaline and cortisol levels to such an extent that you use up your bio-chemicals far more rapidly than you can replace them. While you may be losing weight now, your weight loss will never be healthy and will damage your metabolism.If you are currently insulin resistant already and restrict carbohydrates or food for weight loss, you’ll become more insulin resistant, and weight gain and poor health can snowball.If you are currently insulin resistant already and continue to overeat in general, or just consume far too many carbohydrate-rich/sugary foods, your current eating habits are making matters worse. Too many carbohydrates in the diet, or too much food in general, invariably increases insulin levels and will continue to cause more weight gain, along with increasing triglyceride and cholesterol production. These only boost your chances of degenerative diseases.A Note on Determining Your Adrenal Status Prior to Choosing a PlanIf your adrenal glands are burned out, no matter where you go with diet and exercise to reduce insulin resistance, you will always have to deal with the fallout that comes from cortisol and adrenaline secretion. Since these two hormones cause an increase in insulin production and circulation, fat weight gain will be much easier, and there will be a resulting difficulty in losing fat weight already gained.If your adrenal glands are healthy and are not burned out by lifestyle or dietary stress and strain, you can lose fat weight as easily as you can gain it. However, if your adrenals are burned out, it’s easier to gain fat and harder to lose it. Combine either of these with insulin problems and it’s going to be an uphill battle to lose body fat and keep it off. That’s where diet comes in and where you can learn to control both insulin and cortisol levels in order to maintain weight.Where to Go From HereA lot of people who follow a low fat plan, and can’t seem to lose weight, or put on weight, are truly suffering from one of these situations listed above. Family members, trainers, doctors and anyone else overseeing their progress will believe that the person isn’t being true to their weight loss plan, or are closet eaters that need other treatment. This may not be the case at all.When a person is insulin-resistant and has burned out their adrenal glands, it will take a LONG time before any headway is made. That may sound as if it goes against all current dogma in the bodybuilding and fitness industry, but it’s the truth. Knowing this allows a person to at least address their real problems, rather than getting caught in some cycle of shame over not succeeding, even though they are trying their best. The key is to find the right diet to make the gradual change from insulin resistance to insulin sensitivity.Using the Glycemic Index to value carbohydrates as either high or low insulin-producing foods helps a great deal with this because it will tell you how far you can go with each type of food, each day, and during each meal, so that you don’t over-stimulate the insulin response or overload your cells with sugars and fats. Almost immediately, following the glycemic index as a guideline to determine which carbohydrates are acceptable, you’ll be on your way toward healing your damaged metabolism and, if applicable, your burned out adrenal glands. Incidentally, following the glycemic index does not mean excluding carbohydrates from the diet. In fact, excluding carbohydrates is another way to cause insulin resistance, just as overeating carbohydrates and sugars is.Chances are, if you begin eating balanced meals and you initially gain weight, it’s a sure indication that you have a damaged metabolism. Try not to let it rattle you, or cause you to cut back on foods or go back to ways of eating that will further damage your metabolism, just so that you can see some initial weight loss. The point is to heal before you expect to see any real fat loss. The guidelines are simple:• Never skip meals! Eat at least 3 regular meals and 2 snacks per day.• Eat balanced meals – including a protein, a vegetable, a carbohydrate and a fat.• Eat unprocessed foods as much as possible (real food).• Make protein the central nutrient focus of each meal.• Include a vegetable in each meal (non-starchy only).• Include a low glycemic carbohydrate that matches your current metabolism and activity level.• Add a little healthy fat to each meal.• Eat solid food, not liquid (unless it’s a protein snack).• Include snacks each day – several small meals are better than a few large ones (make sure it includes a protein and carbohydrate, plus a small amount of fat).• Drink plenty of water each day – 8 glasses if you’re inactive/12-15 if you’re active.Make Changes SlowlyIt likely took you awhile to get to this place with your metabolism and lifestyle. Make sure to make gradual changes to ensure success. It takes something like 30 days to instill a new habit. Take that much time replacing unhealthy behavior and habits with healthy ones. Reduce stress first. Take up yoga or learn to meditate. Don’t let little things bother you, and try to focus on ways of helping yourself relax when a tense situation arises.Then work on your diet, slowly but surely. Even if it means that you become accustomed to eating smaller, but more frequent, meals first, then start with that. Then add a snack or two. Then begin to clean up your diet to include more quality whole foods.It’s not always easy to remain motivated when you don’t see an appreciable loss of weight on the scale each week. However, this part will come if you stick to these principles. Think of it this way: You have NO chance whatsoever to heal your metabolism if you continue down the path you are on now. Even if it takes you 6 months to begin to see the scale reflect the fact that you’re eating well, it’s 6 months that you could have been traveling in other directions. Be thankful that you have identified your issues and are working on them! About the Author: Dane Fletcher is the world's foremost training authority. He writes exclusively for GetAnabolics.com, a leading online provider of Bodybuilding Supplements. For more information, please visit http://www.GetAnabolics.com.

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