The Evils of High Insulin Levels
Posted on 29 September 2008
Insulin is a doubled edged sword its the hormone our bodies releases when we eat that allows us to absorb and store food (Storage Hormone). It gets a larger release when we eat lots of food (Especially Sugar) and it stays at a good healthy level when we eat good food in normal quantities.
Keep it Level
If you want to keep Insulin Levels high and cause FAT to be stored you need to eat high carb foods (Bread, Pasta, Rice, Candy, Juice, on the other hand if you eat a good diet based on: Vegetables, especially greens, lean meats, fruit, nuts and seeds, little starch, and no sugar. The food you eat will be shuttled into your muscles and you will keep burning fat all day long!
Its Evils
Having high Insulin elevels is damaging beyond just causing fat gain, as if that wasn’t enough it does some of the following:
1- It has been proven that high Insulin levels are a Major Factor in Aging. Simply put it the more insulin that you release throughout your time the faster cells get damaged and the quicker you will age. Simple as that; Want more wrinkles, bad vision, and achy joints then keep eating processed carbs. If you want to keep a strong immune system, fight off infections and age releated diseases like Dementia, Cancer and Strokes keep your insulin levels low!
2- I was watching the Recent nutrition seminar with Robb Wolf from the Crossfit Journal and there is a part about how Alzheimer’s is caused by High Insulin levels and is now refereed to as Type 3 Diabetes. This is pretty amazing and coincides perfectly with the fact that Alzheimer’s has only been a prominent disease in the last 20-30 years (the time the ludicrous low fat/high carb diet became the norm). So if you want to keep your marbles keep insulin at bay!
3- Fat Storage, As mentioned before Excess insulin will cause excess food to be stored in fat cells. This explains why people on the Atkins diet have shown to be able to eat huge amounts of calories without gaining weight or even losing weight. This is because eating a low carb diet will ensure your insulin remains low so even excess calories will not be stored as fat. If you want to Read more about this I highly recommend reading some of Gary Taubes work especially “What if its all been a big fat lie” his revolutionary NYT article.
How to Keep this Stuff @ Bay?
Its not that hard to keep insulin sensitivity up (Make muscle tissue rather than fat cells absorb excess)
- Eat a Paleothic/Caveman Diet 80% of the time; Vegetables, especially greens, lean meats, fruit, nuts and seeds, little starch, and no sugar.
- Supplement with Omega 3’s (Fish Oil) and Magnesium Citrate both have been shown to dramatically improve our bodies Insulin Sensitivity (More Muscle/Less Fat)
- Use Apple Cider Vinegar and Cinnamon in your diet.
- Do Short Intense sessions of resistance training; Things like Sprints, Weights based circuits.
- Keep Active go for long walks, do some grocery shopping, get off the bus one stop early.
Keeping your insulin at bay is NOT hard, and it pays off big time; you will experience increased mental focus, better body composition, more stable moods, as well as looking and feeling younger. It will also keep you disease free!
Comment by DR
29 September 2008
Another great post.
I had never heard that “Alzheimer’s is caused by High Insulin levels and is now refereed to as Type 3 Diabetes”
Interesting stuff
Reviewed it for StumbleUpon
Comment by Yegin - No Diet Needed
29 September 2008
Good post Chris,
Just to elaborate on why and how more food means higher insulin levels; insulin regulates (lowers) the blood sugar (glucose) level. Glucose is the carbohydrate our bodies use for energy. So when we intake more carbs, our blood sugar goes high and we produce insulin. Here is a good chart showing glucose and insulin levels through out the day
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Suckale08_fig3_glucose_insulin_day.jpg
Comment by Chris
29 September 2008
@ Yegin: Awesome addition to the post, thanks a load for adding it!
@ DR: Check out the video over here:http://journal.crossfit.com/2008/09/hyperinsulinism-and-diet.tpl Its well worth your time.
Comment by David Brown
30 September 2008
Chris,
Why lean meats? Is it because of the saturated fats in grain-fed animals?
Did you know that muscle tissue burns mostly fat at all times?
Did you know there is really no experimental evidence linking saturated fat intake to heart disease?
If not I suggest you Google “saturated fats benefits truth” to find out how saturated fats are utilized by the body.
Dave Brown
Nutrition Science Analyst
Comment by Chris
30 September 2008
@ Dacid Brown: “Is it because of the saturated fats in grain-fed animals?”
Yes I prefer to eat grass fed meat and then I will eat the fat more liberally, but if the meat is of a poor quality and grain fed its fat as you know is probably the wrong ratio and worth avoiding.
Comment by Tom Parker
4 October 2008
Good post Chris. I do a lot of things on your list and totally agree with you on the supplements. Ever since I started taking magnesium I’ve really noticed the benefits.
My diet is improving but I still have a long way to go before I get to a full paleothic diet.
Comment by Jeff
13 October 2008
Hey Chris,
Great post, as usual. I am reading GCBC and am enthralled. Thanks and keep up the good work.
jeff