Tag Archives: insulin

Ask and Answer

What are some foods I could buy from the market store that is low carb/fat and still will be a meal?

Leave a comment

Ask:

I want to lose some fat and i read the best way to do it was to eat low carbs and low fat with 30 mins of running mon-sat?

Answer:

A low carb way of eating is a high fat diet, otherwise it becomes a high protein diet & protein should never be used for fuel calories.

If you eat only meats without fuel calories from fats or carbs, then you convert dietary protein to fuel leaving no protein for cellular needs, forcing the body to catabolize it’s own lean tissues. Carbs may be optional, but fuel calories are not but they can come from fat or carbs, but not protein. There are not enough calories in fruits & vegs to fuel the body.

If you don’t keep your calories high enough, the body will strip it’s own lean tissue for nutrition. Although that may look great on a scale it will make it MUCH easier to accumulate fat in the future (since all that pesky lean tissue burning up calories will be gone).

Protein is a very inefficient fuel to use exclusively for long term & the byproducts of the conversion to fuel can be dangerous if they overwhelm the body faster than the body can clear out the nitrogen & ammonia..

Just for example – Someone asked “what if” about a diet of 500g of pure protein (2000 calories a day)

500g protein with no fat would be fatal. Fat is essential but protein without fat will cause diarrhea & then death. So this next bit is only hypothetically speaking. Continue reading What are some foods I could buy from the market store that is low carb/fat and still will be a meal? →

Ask and Answer

What multivitamins can I take if I am in a low carb diet?

Leave a comment

Ask:

I want to take a multivitamin supplement, is this allowed while your are in a low carb diet? If so what can I take?

Answer:

A multivitamin is highly suggested also magnesium, sea salt, potassium and lots of water. A half an avocado a day will be very beneficial. I highly suggest a salt substitute (potassium chloride) is a cheap potassium supplement.

There is no reason to ever go off a low carb way of eating, you slowly re introduce carbs to your way of eating and as long as you don’t exceed 9grams of carbs an hour (144 carbs a day) you will never trigger insulin (the fat storage hormone) no matter the calories. Most of us do low carb most of the time and occasionally cheat and slip back into low carb the next day. If you gain weight, drop your carbs a few grams til you slide back into loss mode. Who wants to spend their life on semi deprivation? The longer you don’t do carbs, they really kind of lose their appeal. (Tastes like wet dough) I still cheat with sugar occasionally. It’s just not a regular part of my life (as it was preAtkins, nearly 6 years ago, when I felt it controlled me & I had no control)

You can also cheat easier than someone in glycolysis. IF you trigger insulin, all those carbs that would go to fat cells on someone in glycolysis instead fill up the empty glycogen stores & go to muscles for burning instead of fat cells. Which would slow weight loss but if you’re in maintenance, weight loss is not a concern. (neat little bonus package) Some folks with massive amounts of weight to lose, do weight loss, maintenance & back to weight loss mode – gives them a cheat period without blowing anything.

The rungs to reintroduction of carbs in 5 gram units – all available to very active people in as little as 11 weeks. Make sure you do them in order & you can skip a rung if you do not intend to include it in your permanent way of eating, such as the alcohol rung.:
* (minimum week 3 – maximum 25grams day) Acceptable vegetables, larger quantities
* (minimum week 4 – maximum 30grams day) Add 5grams Fresh cheese
* (minimum week 5 – maximum 35grams day) Add 5grams Nuts and seeds
* (minimum week 6 – maximum 40grams day) Add 5grams Berries
* (minimum week 7 – maximum 45grams day) Alcohol can be added if desired
* (minimum week 8 – maximum 50grams day) Add 5grams Legumes
* (minimum week 9 – maximum 55grams day) Add 5grams Other fruits
* (minimum week10 – maximum 60grams day) Add 5grams Starchy vegetables
* (minimum week11 – maximum 65grams day) Add 5grams Whole grains
If you are continuing to lose or maintain (whichever is goal) in week 12 and beyond, you continue to add 5grams a day per week til you reach your personal carb level.

Many people gain weight on high carb, then switch to low carb to lose weight & then are shocked when they return to high carb that they gain weight. (Isn’t insanity defined as doing the exact same thing, in the exact same way and expecting different results??) Many people can return to moderate carb levels but very few can really eat all they want of sugar and maintain weight or health.

You will lose more body fat eating protein and 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 and half an avocado a day (you’ll need added potassium). Keep the calories high and the fat percentage high, at least 65% of calories. Adding in green vegetables & some cheese will continue weight loss but at a slower pace.

Your body won’t release fat stores if you lower calories below what it needs. It will slow your metabolism to compensate and store every spare ounce as fat. If you continue lowering your calories, it will continue lowering that set point, til you can survive off nothing and store fat on anything. The body will only release it’s fat stores if it knows there is plenty of food. Continue reading What multivitamins can I take if I am in a low carb diet? →

Ask and Answer

How many carbs a day is considered a low carb diet?

Leave a comment

Ask:

How many carbs a day is considered a low carb diet? Thanks.

Answer:

Anything less that 9 grams of carbs per hour controls insulin and is considered low carb (up to 144 grams per day)

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.

The first 2 weeks eat several cups a day of (mostly) lettuce & celery, cucumbers, radishes, mushrooms, peppers & more variety of vegetables thereafter – add 5 grams per day additional every week (20 grams day first 2 weeks, 25grams 3rd week, 30grams 4th week etc) til you gain weight, then subtract 10grams. That will be your personal carb level (everyone is different & depends on how active you are.)

Start with meat, fats & salads for 2 weeks and then slowly add in more green veg, wk4 fresh cheeses, wk5 nuts & seeds, wk6 berries, wk7 legumes, wk8 other fruits, wk9 starchy veg, wk10 whole grains. You will learn how your body reacts to different foods.

The first week is just water weight but fat is lost thereafter if you keep your calories high enough. Otherwise the body will strip it’s own lean tissue for nutrition. Although that may look great on a scale it will make it MUCH easier to accumulate fat in the future (since all that pesky lean tissue burning up calories will be gone). The body won’t release fat stores if you lower calories below what it needs. It will slow metabolism to compensate & store every spare ounce as fat. If you continue lowering calories, it will continue lowering the set point, til it can survive off nothing & store fat on anything. The body will only release it’s fat stores if it knows there is plenty of nutritious food. Continue reading How many carbs a day is considered a low carb diet? →

Ask and Answer

What do you think about the food combining regimen?

Leave a comment

Ask:

I’ve been trying to learn a little more about nutrition, I’ve encountered with the “food combining” method and the “traditional” balanced meal (pyramid). I’m a little confused about which regimen to follow because with the pyramid regimen you CAN mix carbohydrates and protein which you can’t in the other regimen. What do you think about this regimen of having certain foods combined for maximum results?

Answer:

There is no better way to bring the body to the state of optimal health than with a low carb way of eating. Low carb doesn’t cause high blood pressure, high blood sugar or high cholesterol, it cures it. It is actually dangerous to take meds that lower these levels and do low carb at the same time because the levels will become dangerously low. Carbohydrates trigger insulin. High insulin levels unbalance other hormones. Anything less that 9 grams of carbs per hour controls insulin and is considered low carb (up to 144 grams per day).

U.S. government guidelines were changed 35 years ago to suggest we lower our fat intake & increase our carb intake. American society followed these recommendations & lowered their fat intake by 11% & increased their carb consumption. In this same time frame obesity, diabetes, heart disease are all at epidemic levels. Through their direct effects on insulin & blood sugar, refined carbohydrates are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease & diabetes.

A low carbohydrate diet is a high fat diet. The protein should only be a little higher than adequate. Although it is completely possible to live on a fat/protein only diet for long term (as proven by research done in a hospital setting) it becomes boring fairly quickly. Luckily many vegetables & some fruits, nuts & seeds are low in carbs & greatly expand the diet. Most long term low carbers eat as many, if not more non starchy vegetables than vegetarians.

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.

Plaque build up in the arteries is more attributable to carb consumption than dietary fats, which seems to be the conclusion of the following study. Carb consumption raises triglycerides & VLDL (bad cholesterol). Fats raise the HDL (good cholesterol). High triglyceride levels & low HDL levels are an indicator of plaque & glycation – the precursors to a heart attack & heart disease.

study from the Oxford group examining the postprandial (after-eating) effects of a low-fat vs. low-carbohydrate diet. (Roberts R et al, 2008)

Postprandial lipoproteins, you’d think, would be plentiful after ingesting a large quantity of fat, since fat must be absorbed via chylomicrons into the bloodstream. But it’s carbohydrates that figure most prominently in determining the pattern and magnitude of postprandial triglycerides and lipoproteins. Much of this effect develops by way of de novo lipogenesis, the generation of new lipoproteins like VLDL after carbohydrate ingestion.

Gary Taubes who wrote “Good Calories, Bad Calories” spent 7 years going through all the studies over the last century & dividing up the real science from the faulty science & concluded that low carb was the best way to control insulin levels which balances out other hormones & allows the body to function properly.

His main points are:

1. Dietary fat, whether saturated or not, is not a cause of obesity, heart disease or any other chronic disease.

2. The problem is refined carbs in diet, their effect on insulin secretion & the hormonal regulation of homeostasis.

3. Sugars – sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup specifically – are particularly harmful, the combination of fructose & glucose simultaneously elevates insulin levels & overload liver with carbs.

4. Through their direct effects on insulin & blood sugar, refined carbs, starches, sugars are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease & diabetes. They are likely dietary causes of cancer, Alzheimer’s & other diseases.

5. Obesity is a disorder of excess fat accumulation, not overeating.

6. Consuming excess calories does not cause us to grow fatter.

7. Fattening & obesity are caused by an imbalance in the hormonal regulation of adipose tissue & fat metabolism. Fat synthesis & storage exceed the mobilization of fat from adipose tissue & its subsequent oxidation.

8. Insulin is the primary regulator of fat storage. When insulin levels fall, we release fat from fat tissue.

9. By stimulating insulin secretion, carbs make us fat. Continue reading What do you think about the food combining regimen? →

Ask and Answer

How often should a diabetic exercise? What kinds of exercise would be appropriate?

Leave a comment

Ask:

I’m not sure how much exercise would also be considered too much. I’ve heard and read some recommend an exercise of 3 times a week. Would exercising daily be too much? I think other people leading active lifestyles have no problem with daily physical activity. Is it possible for a diabetic to still build up their muscles? Or would their condition make it a little more difficult for them?

Answers:

Answer 1:

If you’re out of shape or have recently been diagnosed as having diabetes, see your doctor before you begin an exercise program. Your doctor can tell you about the kinds of exercise that are good for you depending on how well your diabetes is controlled and any complications or other conditions you may have. Here are some tips for starting:

* If you’re planning to walk or jog, be sure your shoes fit well and are designed for the activity you have in mind. Be alert for blisters. Wear new shoes for a bit each day until they’re comfortable and not as likely to cause blisters. Remember, always wear socks.

* Start slowly with a low-impact exercise such as walking, swimming, or biking.

* Build up the time you spend exercising gradually. If you have to, start with five minutes and add a bit of time each day. Continue reading How often should a diabetic exercise? What kinds of exercise would be appropriate? →