It’s January, and millions of Americans will be making the New Year’s resolution to lose weight. Most do this because they want to look or feel better, or they want to improve their own self-esteem. The truth is people have greatly varying goals when it comes to weight loss. Many people target a number on the scale or a size on their jeans, but others may simply want to tie their shoes again. The truth is many people should have a much deeper set of concerns when it comes to additional abdominal weight. This weight may be indicative of the progression of metabolic syndrome, or even Type II Diabetes.
As of 2010, approximately 285 million people worldwide have diabetes; that number is estimated to increase to 439 million by 2030. “[I]n the last 2 decades, type 2 diabetes (formerly known as adult-onset diabetes) has been reported among U.S. children and adolescents with increasing frequency.”(1) The Journal of the American Medical Association stated that 25% of the adult population has metabolic syndrome; a condition that leads to insulin resistance and is often a precursor to diabetes. Beyond that, Dr. Ray Strand, M.D., adds the fact “that another 25% of the population is on their way to developing insulin resistance.”(2)
Type II Diabetes is largely preventable, and largely manageable. This type of diabetes comes from a pattern of health choices, usually over a long period of time. Many of us make these choices because a. we don’t know better, b. we’re on the run and provide our bodies what is needed when it is needed, and c. let’s be honest. It’s cheap, quick and easy to make poor nutrition decisions here in America.
The key education is the understanding of glycemic index. This is the measure of how quickly food turns to glucose in the blood. Glucose triggers one of two hormones. One is glucagon, the fat burning hormone. When a great deal of glucose is dumped in the blood in a short amount of time, insulin is triggered. Insulin is the fat storing hormone.
Insulin attempts to send the glucose to the muscles first. If the quick ingestion of a great deal of glucose is more than the muscles need, then insulin pours the glucose into the body’s existing fat cells. Once these are full, the body creates more fat cells to store the glucose and get it out of the blood stream. Picture this happening for three poorly chosen meals per day, seven days a week, for months and years on end. This, of course, leads to weight gain and abdominal fat. Even worse, the body becomes insensitive to insulin. Eventually, insulin injections are needed to assist the body. At that point, the individual is considered a full diabetic.
Making proper nutrition choices is key to reversing the trend of insulin insensitivity. Eating low-glycemic meals, and eating five or six times a day will help maintain the body’s metabolism and prevent nutrient cravings that cause us to make poor food decisions. Three other things also help ensure the transition to a healthy lifestyle, with the benefit of weight loss as a pleasant side effect.
Exercise. The sedentary lifestyle of many Americans keeps the body’s metabolism running slowly. Fewer muscles mean fewer targets for insulin following a meal. Use the stairs. Park at the far end of the parking lot. Do a few more manual tasks instead of relying on technology.
Supplement. Providing the cells with the antioxidant protection they need against free radicals is a big deal. Once existing fat cells in the body are burned, they re-introduce toxins into the blood. A strong cellular defense will keep the body from the harm caused by free radicals.
Journal. “What Gets Measured, Gets Done.” – John E. Jones. If you track what you’re doing and what you’re eating, you have four times the chance to succeed than someone who is simply winging it. This is especially important if you’re working with a coach, a trainer, a team or an educator who is attempting to help you understand the principles of insulin resistance (just as Dr. Stacia Kelly and I are coaching a local team.)
Exercise. Eat Right. Supplement. Write it down. These are four key plays to reversing or stopping insulin insensitivity and the road to diabetes for adults and children alike. Get educated on the glycemic index. If you have questions, ask!
All the best,
nK
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1. Diabetes Public Health Resources. March 12, 2010. Center for Disease Control. “Children and Diabetes – More Information.”
2. Strand, Dr. Ray, and Donna K. Wallace. 2005. “Healthy for Life.” Real Life Press. Rapid City, SD.
Thanks for the interesting information 🙂