The truth is that we can lose weight and decrease body fat by addressing one root cause: insulin spikes.
What
does insulin do?
Insulin is a hormone produced
by the pancreas. It helps glucose enter the body's cells, where it can be used
for energy or stored for future use. If you
don't have diabetes, insulin regulates your blood sugar levels.
After you eat, carbohydrates break down into glucose, which then enters the
bloodstream to be used for energy. Excess glucose
is stored in the liver in the form of glycogen. Between meals, when insulin
levels are low, the liver releases glycogen into the bloodstream in the form of
glucose to keep the blood sugar levels within a normal range. The body can
handle this process beautifully unless insulin levels are spiked continuously mainly
by eating certain foods.
- Baked goods such as breads, pastries, cookies, cakes, and doughnuts. They are overly processed, void of nutrition and have excessive amounts of sugar.
- Packaged and processed foods because they are stripped of nutrition
- White rice and pasta.
- Breakfast cereals with added sugar.
- Sugary drinks, such as sodas, juices, and sports drinks.
- Flavored, sugary coffee drinks
- Yogurts with added sugar
- Honey and maple syrup
Even these starchy
vegetables can cause high insulin levels:
- White potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams
- Corn
- Beans and lentils including pinto, kidney, black, black-eyed, navy, and lentils
- Winter squashes such as Acorn, butternut, spaghetti squash and pumpkins.
What happens when insulin
levels spike?
After a meal, carbohydrates
are broken down into glucose, an immediate source of energy. Excess glucose is
stored in the liver as glycogen to be used later when needed. The liver will store
what it can but if insulin levels spike and there is too much glucose for the
liver to store, with the help of insulin, excess glucose will get converted
into fatty acids, circulated to other parts of the body, and stored as fat in the
cells of the adipose tissue. If you keep consuming foods that spike your
insulin levels, you will never be able to get rid of this fat that has been stored
in your tissues.
Your body only needs so much
insulin to do its daily functions. Any excess will be stored as fat your belly,
thighs, arms, back, hips or chest. Someone who is participating in vigorous
activities such as a marathon, cycling long distances, intense weightlifting
sessions or swimming long distances will require extra insulin.
Reduce
body fat by reducing insulin spikes:
To reduce your body fat and to have the body that you desire, you need to eliminate daily insulin spikes. This can be accomplished by avoiding high carb foods and replacing them with low-carb and high nutrient foods.
Follow
these steps to reduce insulin spikes:
1. Follow a low-carb diet
Carbohydrates
(carbs) are what cause blood sugar to rise.
A low-carb diet is one that limits carbs,
primarily found in processed foods, sugary foods, bread, pasta, and starchy
vegetables. Instead of eating carbs, you will want to eat whole foods including
proteins, fats, and vegetables. The best part is you don’t have to count
calories, just eat 3 balanced meals per day.
Low-carb foods include:
- Lean meats, such as sirloin, chicken breast, or turkey breast
- Fish
- Eggs
- Non-starchy vegetables including all leafy greens, asparagus, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, mushrooms, onions, peppers radishes, snow peas, tomatoes, yellow squash, and zucchini
- Unsalted nuts and seeds, including nut butter. Unsweetened almond, cashew, or coconut milk.
- Healthy oils such as olive oil, avocado oil, flaxseed oil, walnut oil, and sesame oil.
- Some fruit, such as apples, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries.
- Unsweetened dairy products including plain milk and plain Greek yogurt.
- Healthy sugar substitutes such as stevia, monk fruit extract, xylitol, and erythritol.
2. Avoid refined carbs
Refined carbs, also called processed carbs, are sugars and refined grains. They have been stripped of almost all nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Sometimes nutrients are added back in, but it is not the same as eating a real food.
Refined carbs include table sugar and
processed grains, white bread, pasta, pastries, tortilla shells, white rice,
soda, candy, and breakfast cereals.
Refined carbs tend to have a high glycemic
index because they are very easily and quickly digested by the body which leads
to blood sugar spikes.
Generally, whole-grain foods have a lower glycemic index, as do most fruits, non-starchy vegetables, and legumes.
3. Reduce your sugar intakeThe average American consumes 20-22 teaspoons (80-88 grams) of added sugar per day and that’s way too much. That’s about 350 calories/day.
While some of this is added as table sugar in
our coffee or tea, most of it is hidden in processed foods and sugary drinks.
It’s even found in most salad dressings and sauces.
Sugar increases belly fat and fiber reduces
belly fat so if you want a flatter belly, cut out the sugar and eat more green
leafy vegetables.
Your body breaks down sugars very easily,
causing an almost immediate spike in blood sugar. When you have a spike, you
will also have a steep drop which will cause instant hunger and cravings.
It is best to switch to a sugar alternative that
doesn’t spike your blood sugar such as Stevia, monk fruit extract, xylitol or erythritol. Natural
sugars such as honey, maple syrup, agave nectar and molasses are less harmful
than regular sugar because they still retain some nutritional benefit, and you
are likely to each much less of it because it is sweeter than table sugar. However,
they still have a high glycemic index, in some cases they are higher than table sugar and they will spike your blood sugar.
4. Keep a healthy weight
Being overweight makes it difficult for your body to control blood sugar levels. Even at fasting, your insulin levels are higher than someone who is at a healthy weight.
Weight loss has been shown to improve blood sugar control and can decrease the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
5. Exercise more
During exercise, muscle cells absorb sugar
from the blood to create energy. Both high-intensity and moderate-intensity
exercise have been found to reduce blood sugar spikes.
6. Eat more fiber
Fiber is
divided into two groups: soluble and insoluble fiber. Some fiber-rich foods have
a combination of both.
Soluble fiber dissolves
in water to form a
gel-like substance that helps slow the absorption of carbs in the gut.
This results in a steady rise and fall in blood sugar, rather than a spike. Soluble
fiber can also make you feel full, reducing your appetite and food intake.
Good sources of soluble fiber are oatmeal,
nuts, legumes, apples, oranges, blueberries, and many vegetables.
Insoluble fiber does not
dissolve in water or gastrointestinal fluids and remains mostly unchanged as it
moves through the digestive tract. Because it is not digested, insoluble fiber
is not a source of calories.
Good sources of insoluble fiber
are whole grain foods such as brown rice, couscous, barley, quinoa, oatmeal, and
wheat bran. Also nuts, legumes, berries, turnips, peas, green beans, okra, spinach,
radishes, rutabaga, coconut, cocoa, apples with skins, pears with skins,
avocado, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.
7. Add vinegar to your diet
Vinegar, particularly apple cider
vinegar, may help control blood sugar levels as well as other health benefits
such as
improve digestion, improves insulin
sensitivity, increase satiety and control cravings, reduce belly fat, lower
cholesterol, and lower blood pressure. Apple cider vinegar was used as a natural remedy for health
problems in Asian cultures dating back generations. Because apple cider vinegar
reduces cravings by inducing satiety, it is great to consume with your foods regularly
if you’re trying to lose weight. Choose apple cider vinegar that still has the
mother in it. Vinegar can be added to salad dressings, drizzled on your vegetables,
or diluted in 8oz of water. Never drink vinegar straight as it can be harmful
to your esophagus. A typical serving is 1–2 tablespoons mixed with 8oz of water and
taken before or after meals. It is especially beneficial when eating a high-carb meal.
Not drinking enough water can cause blood
sugar spikes. The feeling of dehydration is the same as the feeling of hunger
so you may feel like you need to eat but actually, you need water. Learn to
recognize the difference and drink as soon as you’re thirsty and increase your
water intake during hot weather or while exercising. You should drink half your
weight in ounces each day.
Drink water instead of soda or juice since the
sugar content will lead to blood sugar spikes.
9. Add cinnamon to your diet
Cinnamon has been observed to control blood sugar levels following a meal with carbs.
10. Lifestyle factors can negatively affect blood sugar
The following lifestyle factors can cause the
release of certain hormones and eventual blood sugar spikes:
- Stress
- Sleep irregularity
- Drinking too much alcohol
Summary
Dietary changes, such as eating a low-carb
diet with more whole foods and less processed foods, eating high-fiber foods,
and avoiding added sugars and refined grains can help you avoid blood
sugar spikes.
Regular exercising, maintaining a healthy
weight and drinking plenty of water can also help to control your blood sugar
levels as well as plenty of other benefits to your health.
For most people, making simple diet, exercise and lifestyle changes is a great way to start if you are trying to reduce your weight and lower your risk of developing insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes.