| If high insulin levels make you fat, then would | | | | eat |
| lower insulin levels make you thin? Well... the | | | | - after eating high-GI foods, your insulin levels will |
| answer is yes. Stopping your insulin levels from | | | | remain high for several hours. During this period |
| spiking is the main solution to you losing weight. | | | | no fat is broken down or used by your muscles |
| Insulin turns on your fat switch and one of the | | | | as fuel |
| reasons you put on more and more weight is due | | | | The lesson here is high-GI foods encourages the |
| to insulin being a powerful fat-building hormone. | | | | storage of fat and also prevents the breakdown |
| What is Insulin and how does it affect you gaining | | | | of fat. This, of course, can occur in anyone but is |
| weight? | | | | a particular problem in anyone with insulin |
| Insulin is one of the most important hormones | | | | resistance which is the precursor to type 2 |
| that affects your metabolism. It is secreted by | | | | diabetes. |
| the cells of your pancreas in response to a rise in | | | | What can you eat to lower both your blood sugar |
| your blood sugar level. It has many functions... one | | | | and insulin levels? |
| is it's effect on the metabolism of carbohydrate, | | | | To cut out carbohydrates altogether would lead |
| protein and fat. | | | | to several problems... |
| Insulin... | | | | - your insulin level would definitely be low leading |
| - promotes the uptake of sugar into your resting | | | | to fat being broken down and used as fuel, and |
| muscle, fat and liver cells | | | | - your body's protein would also be broken down. |
| - promotes the storage of sugar as fat | | | | Protein in your body... |
| - prevents the breakdown of fat | | | | - forms the building blocks for the structure of |
| - promotes the formation of protein | | | | your body including your muscles |
| - prevents protein breakdown | | | | - so a lack of insulin would give you a loss in your |
| In summary, insulin promotes fat and protein | | | | muscle mass and |
| formation and also prevents the breakdown of | | | | - this would lead to a drop in your metabolic rate |
| protein and fat. | | | | and less muscle mass would means you burn up |
| What affect does a high-GI eating plan have on | | | | less fat |
| your insulin level? | | | | An eating plan without carbohydrates means you |
| If you are looking to lose weight it is important | | | | will lose weight but the majority of that weight |
| you be aware of this... | | | | loss would be your muscle mass. |
| - the normal secretion of insulin increases by up | | | | Following an eating plan where your insulin level is |
| to 25 times when you eat a high-GI meal | | | | neither too low or too high means... |
| - insulin levels increase in direct response to the | | | | - eating snacks and small meals often, and |
| rise in your blood sugar levels | | | | - eating small amounts of carbohydrates with a |
| - the faster and higher the rise in your blood | | | | low-GI index and carbohydrates that breakdown |
| sugars, the larger the rise in the level of your | | | | slowly |
| insulin secretion meaning you will have a large | | | | The idea is to allow a steady flow of sugar into |
| amount of insulin floating around in your | | | | your bloodstream without stimulating high levels of |
| bloodstream | | | | insulin. By avoiding large meals containing starch or |
| - insulin secretion does not just rely on the GI of | | | | sugar, you will avoid an insulin surge and lose |
| food, it also reacts to the amount of food you | | | | weight. |