Tag Archives: glucose

Ask and Answer

What are some tips to stick to a low-carb diet?

Leave a comment

Ask:

I have previously been on a low carb diet and lost 4 kilos in the first 2 weeks, but after i noticed that i wasn’t losing any more weight, so i ended up quitting the diet and went back to my regular diet. I’m planning on starting the atkins diet again but am worried that i won’t lose more than 4 kilos again. I was consuming 30g of carbs a day, with plenty of water. Have i done something wrong? How can i maintain my weight loss on the atkins diet?

Answer:

The body loses weight very easily the first 6 weeks on Atkins program. The body readjusts for up to 2 weeks at this point, which freaks a lot of people out. They make the mistake of cutting calories (which slows metabolism) or quitting. I assumed my body had lost all it was going to lose. (I never thought I could lose weight & wasn’t even trying, I just had to quit gaining weight. I was scared of low calories so forced an extra 1000 calories a day & still lost massive amounts of weight.) So I increased my calories & carbs another 5g and a few days later “poof” I lost 10# overnight. I didn’t think that was even physically possible, but the weight lost continued albeit, much slower thereafter.

Lowering calories has the body in full conversion mode to slow metabolic process & preserve the fat stores while “releasing” lean tissues (which become extraneous). Low carb works by “releasing” excess fat stores, while low calorie works by catabolizing the body’s lean tissues & fat stores. So the body adjusts occasionally, makes sure there is plenty of food & sees there is no reason to continue holding onto excess fat stores. People think low carb is for weight loss, when in fact it is for normalizing a body & excess fat stores are not normal. Carbs force fat storage with a high carb diet & that is not normal either. Continue reading What are some tips to stick to a low-carb diet? →

Ask and Answer

Can you tell me about the biology behind burning fat, and how to effectively tone abs?

Leave a comment

Ask:

What are the foods that are best for toning? Specific exercises (other than crunches and sit-ups, of course)? I’ve also heard that working out first thing in the morning immediately burns fat – is that true? Any other things I should know? Thanks. 🙂

Btw, I’m 15 and have been studying a lot lately, so my tummy area is pudgy. No love handles or anything, but it’s not flat anymore.

Answer:

1) Specific foods don’t automatically signal our bodies to start burning fat. However, there is a way to eat that will force our body to use our stored fat as fuel. It’s basic human metabolism. Our body prefers to use glucose as fuel. Glucose is what carbs turn into after digestion. If our body has glucose in our system it use it as fuel and not touch our stored fat. In fact our body has a preference of substrates to use as fuel: 1) alcohol 2) glucose (carbs) 3) protein (our muscles) 4) fat. As you can see our body fat is LAST on the list and this is why it’s so hard for people to lose. So we have to fool our body into using our fat as fuel. We do this by removing alcohol from our diet. Lets hope you don’t drink alcohol at 15 lol. Then we remove carbs from our diet too. Now at this point our body will then convert our stored protein (our muscles) into glucose. This is how we “lose muscle” during a diet. NOT cool. The actual scientific name to this process is “gluconeogenesis”. We prevent this by feeding our body adequate proteins and fats. Protein and fats are the building blocks of muscle. If our body senses all this protein and fats it will determine that its too much trouble to covert the muscles and then go to the next substrate on the list……OUR BODY FAT! perfect! Bingo!

Specific exercises don’t burn fat. Our diet does. Certain type of cardio does. You do ab exercises to build the muscles under the fat. Continue reading Can you tell me about the biology behind burning fat, and how to effectively tone abs? →

Ask and Answer

What process is the main energy provider in low-carb diets?

Leave a comment

Ask:

I’ve heard that people on low-carb diets start out feeling without energy, because the body is still accustomed to providing energy through glycolycis, but later in the diet have plenty of energy to spare. If it’s not glycolysis that’s providing the energy(how could it be, where is the glucose) then what is it?

Answer:

Glucose provides quick energy but dietary fats provide sustained energy. Coconut oil if the only fat that provides quick energy just like a carb but without insulin or blood sugar reactions.
The core of Atkins program is converting the body from glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) to ketosis (burning fat as fuel). Dietary fat levels need to be at >65% of total calories, if not, the body will still remain in glycolysis by converting 58% of excess protein into glucose (via gluconeogenesis).

Glucose is the bodies preferred fuel (if you want to get technical, it actually burns alcohol most efficiently, but that doesn’t make it any healthier for the body than carbs), the body can convert 100% of carbs, 58% of protein & 10% of dietary fat into glucose. The body can also be fueled by fat (dietary fat & fat cells) but only in the absence of carbs. Your brain actually prefers* to be fueled by ketones (part of the fat burning process), it does require glucose also, but glucose can be easily converted from excess protein if needed or dietary fat.

I think that ketosis is not the back up fuel plan. I think ketosis was meant to be primary fuel plan, that is easily overridden (one bite) by ingestion of carbs (or alcohol). The body is rarely allowed to become fully fat adapted, especially in these days of people using processed food formula to feed infants instead of breast milk. Carbs were never supposed to be available year around, only seasonally during harvest. The body can easily handle carbs even in excess occasionally, just not continuously. The body can also be fueled by protein (via gluconeogenesis) but long term protein synthesis creates the byproducts of ammonia & nitrogen. The body can easily handle clearing out these byproducts but if gluconeogenesis is used as the primary fuel source for long term, the body can be overwhelmed (poisoned) by the excess ammonia & nitrogen. It’s all contingent on balance but the body functions at optimal levels on more dietary fat & suboptimal levels on less dietary fat. Continue reading What process is the main energy provider in low-carb diets? →

Ask and Answer

What process is the main energy provider in low-carb diets?

Leave a comment

Ask:

I’ve heard that people on low-carb diets start out feeling without energy, because the body is still accustomed to providing energy through glycolycis, but later in the diet have plenty of energy to spare. If it’s not glycolysis that’s providing the energy(how could it be, where is the glucose) then what is it?

Answer:

Glucose provides quick energy but dietary fats provide sustained energy. Coconut oil if the only fat that provides quick energy just like a carb but without insulin or blood sugar reactions.

The core of Atkins program is converting the body from glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) to ketosis (burning fat as fuel). Dietary fat levels need to be at >65% of total calories, if not, the body will still remain in glycolysis by converting 58% of excess protein into glucose (via gluconeogenesis).

Glucose is the bodies preferred fuel (if you want to get technical, it actually burns alcohol most efficiently, but that doesn’t make it any healthier for the body than carbs), the body can convert 100% of carbs, 58% of protein & 10% of dietary fat into glucose. The body can also be fueled by fat (dietary fat & fat cells) but only in the absence of carbs. Your brain actually prefers* to be fueled by ketones (part of the fat burning process), it does require glucose also, but glucose can be easily converted from excess protein if needed or dietary fat.

I think that ketosis is not the back up fuel plan. I think ketosis was meant to be primary fuel plan, that is easily overridden (one bite) by ingestion of carbs (or alcohol). The body is rarely allowed to become fully fat adapted, especially in these days of people using processed food formula to feed infants instead of breast milk. Carbs were never supposed to be available year around, only seasonally during harvest. The body can easily handle carbs even in excess occasionally, just not continuously. The body can also be fueled by protein (via gluconeogenesis) but long term protein synthesis creates the byproducts of ammonia & nitrogen. The body can easily handle clearing out these byproducts but if gluconeogenesis is used as the primary fuel source for long term, the body can be overwhelmed (poisoned) by the excess ammonia & nitrogen. It’s all contingent on balance but the body functions at optimal levels on more dietary fat & suboptimal levels on less dietary fat. Continue reading What process is the main energy provider in low-carb diets? →

Ask and Answer

How much fat and protein should I be consuming on a low carb diet?

Leave a comment

Ask:

I’m going low-carb for health and to lose weight, I’ve brought myself down to 20g carbs per day – I’m keeping track of carbs, calories, fat and protein and I’ve noticed my calorie intake is low at around 1500 per day, and I’m worried that I may be running low in fat and protein too. I feel I’m eating okay, not going hungry and still getting vegetables. 

I’ve felt a little dizzy and look tired, not sure if this is an initial reaction to switching to low-carb or a warning sign that I need to eat more calories, fat and/or protein. How much should I be consuming? 

When looking at fat – does it matter what types of fat you consume?
If I need more fat in my diet what’s the best way of achieving this without upping carbs?

I don’t eat fixed meals, I eat one meal per day and snack – I honestly don’t know how people eat three meals per day without ending up the size of a house! For fat I’m currently relying on coconut oil, olive oil, pork scratchings, and dairy like cheese and cream…but the worry is these upping carb intake. I need to know HOW MUCH fat and protein I should be consuming in a day.

Answers:
Answer 1:
I’m a proponent of low carb diets & highly recommend a fat based diet to maximize health. All carbs >9g per hour trigger insulin & insulin doesn’t allow other hormones to function when it dominates the bloodstream. People think a low carb way of eating is for weight loss when actually it is for normalizing the body & allowing the body to finally function properly & is just as good for the underweight as overweight.This is an example of my idea of a near perfect 2200 calorie diet (70% of calories from dietary fats & 100% of RDA for all dietary nutrients) & a good example of Atkins life plan – I would actually include much more vegetables, but this is an example of the basics to cover 100% of RDA for all dietary nutrients. Males would need 2500 calories though.

This has 108g total carbs but after subtracting fiber (which has no calories) only has 56g net carbs.

Perfect diet –

4 cups Romaine lettuce
2 med tomatoes
half cup sweet red pepper
1 cup kale
1 avocado
4 each strawberries

1 oz raw Almonds
1 oz chia seeds
1 oz flax seeds
3 oz raw sunflower seeds

2T butter
half cup coconut milk
1oz cheddar cheese
8oz plain yogurt
1oz canned oysters (about 4)
4oz can sardines
2 lg eggs

99g – protein
56g – net carbs – 108g total carbs less 52g fiber
170g – fat

total calories 2200

200-1050% of RDA for all dietary nutrients
except –
vitB6 – 174%
niacin – 121%
calcium – 113%
potassium 100%

99g – protein 20%
56g – net carbs 10%
170g – fat 70%

total calories 2200
52g fiber

Fat, Not Glucose, is the Preferred Fuel for Your Body

Answer 2:
You’ll get enough fat in dairy products. Dizziness can mean hypoglycemia or not enough calories.
A good diet/exercise plan would be:Breakfast: Cook 9-grain cereal (from health food store) in water with rolled oats and wheat bran. Make a big pot of it on weekends and scoop out 1/2 cup each morning and nuke it for a minute. Add low fat milk or yogurt, banana, walnuts and berries. Drink hot Ovaltine. Breakfast should be your largest meal of the day to raise blood sugar level which falls during the night. Continue reading How much fat and protein should I be consuming on a low carb diet? →
Health Care

Your Hormones and Weight Loss: How to Find Balance

Leave a comment

Scientists are discovering there’s a hidden key to shedding pounds, and it’s got little to do with calories or willpower. Meet your hormones — and the surprising effect they have on weight.

Say you eat a doughnut. The doughnut you deserve because it’s a hellish day, and carbs are what will make this week — the one before your period — worth living through. Oh, the bliss when that powdered sugar hits your system! Until, inevitably, you crash, which leaves you exhausted and depressed… and sniffing around for another doughnut.

Because a doughnut is never just a doughnut. It’s a Molotov cocktail that you’re lobbing into your hormonal ecosystem.

Hormones are the chief executives of the body, governing everything: our sex lives, our stress lives, our immune response. Research has implicated hormonal imbalance in everything from breast cancer to short-term memory loss — as well as what we eat, why we eat it, and what happens to the body once the food is down our throats. Which means that when you picked up that doughnut, you weren’t just having a weak-willed moment. You were obeying your team of internal managers.

“There are at least 40 chemicals in our bodies that influence our appetite and what we eat,” says Robert Greene, M.D., medical director of the Sher Institute for Reproductive Medicine in Sacramento and the author of several books on optimizing hormones, most recently “Perfect Hormone Balance for Fertility.” “The good news is that we’re developing strategies to shift hormone signals to help people avoid weight gain as well as lose weight.”

It Starts with Good Balance
Three recent books claim that stabilizing our hormone levels is at least as important — if not more so — as the old equation of calories in, calories out. In “The Perfect 10 Diet,” Michael Aziz, M.D., founder and director of Midtown Integrative Medicine in New York City, claims any diet will fail unless it steadies the body’s level of insulin. “I know it sounds counterintuitive, but calorie counting is not everything,” Aziz says. “When insulin is secreted in higher amounts, you feel hungrier and you eat more. Willpower does not exist when insulin is high.”

Neuroscientist Daniel Amen’s diet plan in “Change Your Brain, Change Your Body” recommends optimizing hormone levels through daily interval training, balancing insulin, sleeping well, and lowering stress.  Continue reading Your Hormones and Weight Loss: How to Find Balance →

Ask and Answer

What exactly is a healthy diet plan? What worked for you?

Leave a comment

Ask:

I need to lose 50-60 pounds, I’m trying to figure out what exactly would be a healthy diet plan. I’ve looked into different programs and now I just want to see what worked for everybody else. 

I’ve started a exercise program, now I’m trying to get on the healthy eating diet portion of it. Can anybody give me suggestions? Maybe programs that worked, or types of foods to stick with and stay away from…

Answer:

Unfortunately, anyone who accumulates over 30# of excess fat is more than likely insulin resistant. Long term ingestion of highly refined carbs “burn out” the insulin receptors on muscle cells, so calories go directly to fat cells, leaving muscle cells screaming for nutrition. Exercise forces muscles to accept glucose out of the bloodstream without the need for insulin.

Most people get obese because their bodies just can’t process carbs any more. They become insulin resistant & carbs go straight to fat cells. As healthy as fruit may be, it just doesn’t promote fat loss. The body won’t release fat stores until the blood stream is free of insulin. In someone insulin resistant, the insulin response is too sensitive & produces too much insulin.

Simple carbs are addictive & can be disastrous to health. The best way to break the addiction is NO carbs for 3 days. Make a huge batch of deviled eggs, eat one every time you want “something” – have huge omelets with bacon, sausage, peppers, mushrooms & cheese. Pork chops smothered with peppers, mushrooms & cheese – pork rinds & dip or tuna/chicken/turkey/egg salad – steaks – a huge sugar free cheese cake. Eat so much you won’t feel deprived of anything. By the 4th day, the addiction will be gone & the low carb way of eating will create a natural appetite suppression that makes it much easier to make healthy choices.

You can lose more body fat eating protein & fat (don’t eat protein alone) than not eating AT ALL. To lose weight fast, eat all you want, but nothing but meat, eggs, healthy oils, mayo, butter & half an avocado a day (for added potassium). Keep the calories high & the fat percentage high, at least 65% of calories. Green vegetables & some cheese will continue weight loss but at a slower pace. Continue reading What exactly is a healthy diet plan? What worked for you? →