Lose Weight by Keeping Insulin Levels Under Control

Insulin levels are influenced by your diet. When you consume a cookie for example the sugar in the cookie is absorbed by your body rather quickly thus causing your blood sugar to rise. A rapid rise in blood sugar can active an insulin response in the body. Insulin is also known as the fat producing hormone. What this means to you is that even if your calories are low and you follow a low fat diet you can still gain weight.

There are numerous studies, primarily done as research for controlling diabetes, on this subject. What has been developed is a rating system that tells you how quickly foods will cause your blood sugar to rise. If you are overweight or insulin resistant then when your blood sugar goes up rapidly you run the risk of activating an insulin response. Once the insulin is released it will often result in your blood sugar dropping to normal levels. Again if you are overweight or insulin resistant chances are good that your body requires more insulin to stabilize your blood sugar than normally needed. Then what often happens is your blood sugar will drop too low causing headaches, mood swings and cravings for sugar.

The problem with elevated insulin levels is that your body will be in fat producing mode instead of fat burning mode. High insulin levels cause your body to retain water, form plaque in your arteries and gain weight. If you want to manage your weight you will need to manage your insulin levels. One way to do this is to use the “Glycemic Index” as a guideline. We have rated foods from 140 to under 20. The higher the number the faster your blood sugar will rise. One surprise will be potatoes rate in the 100-140 range while peanuts rate fewer than 20. People will often eat the potato and avoid nuts. They think low fat, low calorie, they should lose weight. The reason they may not lose weight is because they are over producing insulin, resulting in weight gain.

Coaching Assignment: Your assignment this week is to avoid an insulin response. Become familar to the Glycemic Index and avoid any foods over a rating of 59. This will be a challenge for you. So many of traditional diet foods will be on the chart rating higher than you might expect. But for one week follow a meal plan that will consistently rate fewer than 59. See how you feel, notice how your body responds. Most people feel less bloated and have more energy.

Rosa Smith-Montanaro is the CEO of http://www.MindOverPlatter.com a virtual weight loss and wellness community. She is the author of the book Mind Over Platter® and the recipient of Best of the Web’s 2004 eBusiness Executive of the Year. Rosa speaks nationally about the power of the mind and how to use it to create a healthier, happier and harmonious life. She can be reached at [email protected]

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