Whether you have been overweight most of your life or have started gaining weight in the last couple of years, all weight gain is caused by one thing…..insulin. Insulin is an anabolic hormone, meaning that it builds things. And it is the best fat builder we have! Insulin is released by the pancreas in response to elevated glucose levels in the blood. The more sugar, or things that turn into sugar, you eat, the more insulin is released. The more insulin released, the more fat is created. It’s really that simple. However there is another hormone called glucagon. Glucagon is a catabolic hormone, meaning it breaks things down, particularly fat cells. So the more glucagon released, the more fat is broken down to be used as energy and that’s when weight loss occurs.
The important thing to know is glucagon is inhibited by insulin. When insulin levels are high, glucagon levels are low and vice versa. Of course the important question then is……How do you decrease the amount of insulin in your blood and increase glucagon? Well that’s easy…..and not so easy. There are four primary factors that influence insulin levels in your blood. The amount of glucose you consume, how sensitive your cells are to your insulin, how often you consume glucose and how much physical activity you do.
Foods that increase the glucose levels in your blood
What many people don’t realize is that glucose comes in many forms, either as simple carbohydrates such as table sugar and candy, or complex carbohydrates like pasta, rice, bread and crackers. Grains are a source of energy. That’s their purpose. So they break down into glucose… just like candy. It just takes bit more time for that breakdown process to happen. Did you know that 2 cups of cooked white rice is equivalent to 22 tsp of sugar? So anything made with any form of sugar or grains is going to raise your blood sugar. This includes: honey, maple syrup, agave syrup, high fructose corn syrup (the worst product ever made), bread, crackers, chips, spaghetti and cookies just to name a few. It doesn’t matter the source, the body will see it as sugar. Eating whole fruit in its natural state is different. Fruit is rich in fiber which slows the absorption of sugar so less is absorbed into the bloodstream. Dairy also contains sugar in the form of lactose. Lactose breaks down into galactose and glucose, so dairy products also raise glucose levels. In fact, a fruit flavored yogurt typically has the same amount of sugar as a KitKat bar at about 21 grams of sugar.
How much glucose you consume
The primary function of glucose is to provide energy to the cells. When you eat a meal that contains glucose, let’s say…chicken, broccoli and some rice. Your insulin levels will increase for about 2 hours as it helps shift the glucose from the bloodstream into the cells. Once the glucose levels have lowered, glucagon levels then increase and will stay elevated until you eat again. The less glucose in your meal, the faster the insulin will return to a low level and glucagon levels can rise and breakdown fat.
How sensitive your cells are to insulin
In a perfect world, your cells respond quickly to insulin and open the door to let glucose pass through into the cell. However, you can develop insulin resistance (IR). IR is the underlying cause of metabolic syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes. When you are insulin resistant, your cells don’t readily respond to insulin and so they don’t open the door for glucose to pass into the cell. This leaves glucose levels higher in the blood for longer amounts of time. When this happens the glucose is turned into triglycerides and stored as fat. Remember, insulin is our best fat builder! And when glucose levels remain high, then insulin levels remain high and glucagon can’t come out and play. We used to believe that people would eat an unhealthy diet and gain weight and then become insulin resistant and then become diabetic. We now know that isn’t the case. Rather, people eat a carbohydrate rich diet, become insulin resistant and then gain weight. The weight gain occurs because of the low glucagon levels.
How often you consume glucose
Because of this interplay between glucagon and insulin, it makes sense that the more often you eat glucose, the longer your insulin levels remain elevated and glucagon will remain low. When you eat something that contains glucose, if you are insulin sensitive, it takes about 2 hours for your blood sugar to return to normal. Only then can glucagon levels begin to increase. But if you eat 5-6 small meals per day, or snack on carbohydrate rich foods in between meals, then your glucose and insulin levels will remain high. When this occurs for months to years, the cells become desensitized to insulin and that is how people develop insulin resistance.
How physically active you are
Glucose is a source of energy for the cells, that’s its purpose. When you exercise, your cells need the glucose from your bloodstream so the cells become more sensitive to insulin, meaning the glucose can be transferred into the cells more quickly. Physical activity is one of the best ways to lower glucose levels in your blood. However, fat can also be used as a fuel source. In fact, a diet that is low in carbohydrates will force your body to seek out another fuel source and so it will turn to fat. Fat cells are then broken down, with a little help from glucagon, and used as energy.
How the FASST Plan helps lower insulin levels
The first pillar of the FASST Plan is to “fuel your body without spiking your blood sugar.” The core 4 are designed to do just that. Protein, healthy fats, non starchy vegetables and green leafy vegetables provide the necessary nutrients to fuel your body without spiking your glucose levels. Vegetables are a great source of carbohydrates and one of the reasons why we encourage them at every meal. The core four were designed to fuel your body with just a modest and brief increase of your insulin levels. Your glucagon levels are then able to increase and start the fat breakdown process.
The other foods listed in the Always Foods section, starchy vegetables and fruit, also provide needed nutrients but they can increase your blood sugar more than the core four. That is why we don’t necessarily recommend them at every meal. The same holds true for the Sometimes Foods. And the glucose rich Avoidance Foods, well that goes without saying. If you want to lose weight, avoid them.
If you’re interested in weight loss, the best way to navigate the FASST Plan is to stick to the core four as much as possible. Add starchy vegetables and fruit collectively no more than twice daily. Sometimes Foods should be enjoyed 1-2 times per week. And keep alcohol to a minimum. It’s that easy.
Thank you for the information