Control Your Insulin Levels For Fat Loss

Posted by admin

May 31, 2008

Studies suggest that lower insulin levels can help promote fat loss, mental focus, and a healthier life. Research is also showing that insulin levels that are heightened chronically or over an extended period of time can be deadly.

Insulin is a hormone that your body uses to break down carbohydrates and process sugars. It also helps vitamins, and other essential nutrients get absorbed by the body’s cells.

During digestion, carbohydrates are converted into glucose which is absorbed into the blood stream. Insulin is released by the pancreas into the blood in response to higher blood glucose levels. The higher the blood glucose levels, the more insulin is released. The hormone insulin enters cells and sets into motion a process that causes the cells to absorb glucose from the blood. This same process also allows essential vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids and the like to enter the cells.

Higher levels of insulin, due to a high sugar, high carbohydrate diet, encourage a process know as Lipogenesis or fat storage. Increased insulin spikes are also proven to trigger the hypothalamus gland to send out hunger signals to the body. So, the higher and more frequent our insulin levels rise and fall, the more fat storage is encouraged, and the more we are unable to control our hunger. It’s a vicious cycle.

By controlling our insulin levels, we can effectively control our fat levels. The glycemic index rates foods based on their ability to increase blood sugar. If a food causes blood sugar to increase rapidly and in a large amount it will be assigned a higher glycemic index number. High glycemic foods cause rapid rises in blood sugar which lead to insulin spikes. As mentioned earlier, insulin spikes lead the body to promote fat storage.

Look for foods with a low glycemic index number. A lower glycemic index number means blood sugar is released in a slower, more sustainable pattern allowing your body to function in an optimal state. Eating foods that are low in carbohydrates and low in sugars will be reflected in your insulin levels, which in turn will be reflected in your body fat percentage.