It seems that my sermons are getting heavy ,so I have resolved to adopt a more chatty avatar.Trouble is -its a tall order;as I want to be chatty about Insulin-the hormone responsible for Glucose Metabolism.For those of you who have not 'X'ed out already,Iwill do my best to entertain! Think of an over-enthusiastic ,helpful and super earnest neighbour.Your initial warm reception to him grows progressively cooler as you find him barging in un-invited at odd hours .You gradually start finding ways to send him off from the door itself.One day out of sheer exasperation you shut him out forever. This in nutshell is the interplay between the body cells and insulin.Insulin is the over-eager,useful but somewhat witless neighbour who unless kept on a tight leash can create havoc.
All you eat is reduced to glucose which is the fuel for your cells.Our cells appreciate moderate doses of energy at a slow and steady pace so that they can keep chugging along through the day.However a combination of sedentary lifestyles (less energy expenditure) and diets loaded with sugar and simple carbs(sudden insulin spikes) means that we are irritating the body cells and confusing Mr Insulin.When there is genuine energy demand like in the morning,or after a workout,the cells are receptive and primed for insulin's offerings of glucose. If the source of glucose is a complex slow release carb,the cells and Insulin remain mutually harmonious.If the source is choco-honey loops and white bread ( GI =100) the sugar rush is huge and sudden.Insulin over-reaching as always,mops up more glucose than needed(overcompensation) and goes of for a nap,while your sugar levels plummet.This is the mid-morning energy crash which ignites an intense carb craving to restore the blood sugar levels to normal.So you grab another cookie. When you keep giving in to these cravings while remaining permanently parked at your desk,over time, the cells which like it slow and steady grow unreceptive to insulin the duhh bozo who keeps wanting to push huge and unneeded quantities of glucose at odd hours of day and night.They are worn out from the constant effort of converting the unneeded glucose into fat.This unreceptivity is called insulin resistance.As cells reduce the uptake of glucose,blood sugar levels shoot above normal.This sends the pancreas -the Big Boss of Mr Insulin into panic mode.He responds by sending heavy doses of insulin to clear up the sugar.This is hyperinsulinemia and it coexists with insulin resistance and high blood sugar to herald the onset of type-II diabetes. Full blown diabetes happens when the insulin receptors on the cells are drastically reduced on the one hand and on the other, Pancreas also collapse from the strain of having to churn more and more quantities of insulin.Thus at the cost of literally starving themselves of energy,the cells shut their glucose windows and blood sugar turns dangerously high affecting your vision,heart health,kidneys.A bar of candy anyone? The purpose of the above is to underline that your decisions and choices about what is good and wholesome to eat should be informed not by some diet guru's dictum,the latest Kellog's Ad or Maggi's 'Taste bhi health bhi' byline but by a basic understanding of your body's requirements. The rules for taming Insulin are simple. 1.Eat mindfully-try to visualize your cellular responses to the sugar bomb mithai you are reaching out for and decide what level of abuse your body would be comfortable with. 2.Chuck out processed ,white-floured,sugared,corn syruped crap from your pantry and stock up on whole complex carbs.If you go out to work pack some in your bag. 3.Eat breakfast,eat protiens and good fats with every meal, and eat frequent(5-6) small meals to maintain slow and steady energy flow. 4.Exercise!-to maintain and raise energy demand. Check out the 7 habits of good nutrition by the good Dr John Berardi.
Think of an over-enthusiastic ,helpful and super earnest neighbour.Your initial warm reception to him grows progressively cooler as you find him barging in un-invited at odd hours .You gradually start finding ways to send him off from the door itself.One day out of sheer exasperation you shut him out forever.
This in nutshell is the interplay between the body cells and insulin.Insulin is the over-eager,useful but somewhat witless neighbour who unless kept on a tight leash can create havoc.
All you eat is reduced to glucose which is the fuel for your cells.Our cells appreciate moderate doses of energy at a slow and steady pace so that they can keep chugging along through the day.However a combination of sedentary lifestyles (less energy expenditure) and diets loaded with sugar and simple carbs(sudden insulin spikes) means that we are irritating the body cells and confusing Mr Insulin.When there is genuine energy demand like in the morning,or after a workout,the cells are receptive and primed for insulin's offerings of glucose.
If the source of glucose is a complex slow release carb,the cells and Insulin remain mutually harmonious.If the source is choco-honey loops and white bread ( GI =100) the sugar rush is huge and sudden.Insulin over-reaching as always,mops up more glucose than needed(overcompensation) and goes of for a nap,while your sugar levels plummet.This is the mid-morning energy crash which ignites an intense carb craving to restore the blood sugar levels to normal.So you grab another cookie.
When you keep giving in to these cravings while remaining permanently parked at your desk,over time, the cells which like it slow and steady grow unreceptive to insulin the duhh bozo who keeps wanting to push huge and unneeded quantities of glucose at odd hours of day and night.They are worn out from the constant effort of converting the unneeded glucose into fat.This unreceptivity is called insulin resistance.As cells reduce the uptake of glucose,blood sugar levels shoot above normal.This sends the pancreas -the Big Boss of Mr Insulin into panic mode.He responds by sending heavy doses of insulin to clear up the sugar.This is hyperinsulinemia and it coexists with insulin resistance and high blood sugar to herald the onset of type-II diabetes.
Full blown diabetes happens when the insulin receptors on the cells are drastically reduced on the one hand and on the other, Pancreas also collapse from the strain of having to churn more and more quantities of insulin.Thus at the cost of literally starving themselves of energy,the cells shut their glucose windows and blood sugar turns dangerously high affecting your vision,heart health,kidneys.A bar of candy anyone?
The purpose of the above is to underline that your decisions and choices about what is good and wholesome to eat should be informed not by some diet guru's dictum,the latest Kellog's Ad or Maggi's 'Taste bhi health bhi' byline but by a basic understanding of your body's requirements.
The rules for taming Insulin are simple.
1.Eat mindfully-try to visualize your cellular responses to the sugar bomb mithai you are reaching out for and decide what level of abuse your body would be comfortable with.
2.Chuck out processed ,white-floured,sugared,corn syruped crap from your pantry and stock up on whole complex carbs.If you go out to work pack some in your bag.
3.Eat breakfast,eat protiens and good fats with every meal, and eat frequent(5-6) small meals
to maintain slow and steady energy flow.
4.Exercise!-to maintain and raise energy demand.
Check out the 7 habits of good nutrition by the good Dr John Berardi.