We must end obesity in this country. The statistics are SCARY! 40% of adults in the U.S. are obese and 18.5% children. Being overweight has become normal and the TRUTH is, it was not always this way. In 1990 the average % of adult obesity was 11% compared to today at 40%. We do not need to be rocket scientists or mathematicians to clearly see something is going on. Most of us know the answer but we don’t want to fully admit it. Our FOOD, ding ding ding!
Our food is the culprit. I am not going to focus much on what happened to our food as that is an entirely different story. I want to explain a huge reason WHY certain food results in fat gain. This is the main secret, or I should say, the science, behind fat gain.
It’s actually no secret at all, and very clear in evidence-based medicine, but most people don’t talk about it. From my experience as a nurse helping thousands of people lose weight, it is my responsibility to educate them on what exactly is going on inside their body. It is incredible what happens when you understand it. You become empowered to make better food choices and take control over your body and health!
There is a VERY important hormone called INSULIN. We cannot live without it. The hormone does a lot but mostly transports blood sugar all throughout the body. The biggest secret is the fact that what we eat will depend on how much insulin is produced. Insulin is like a taxi cab, picking up sugar from our blood and if it’s not being used as energy, insulin will transport and store blood sugar in 1 of 3 places.
- Liver as glycogen with a limited capacity
- Muscle as glycogen with a limited capacity
- Fat with an unlimited capacity
So, you eat a piece of cake. That cake is a simple carb which means it will be quickly broken down into sugar (glucose) in your blood stream. Your body does not like too much sugar in the blood, it is toxic and it quickly says, “produce insulin because we need to get rid of this stuff!” Insulin then spikes and starts knocking on the doors of your liver, muscle and fat cells to store it. Sometimes sugar gets stored in the liver and muscle but since they both have limited capacities to store blood sugar, insulin often turns to fat cells because there is no limit on storage and it must put it somewhere.
A serious note about Diabetes Type II
I have seen Diabetes DISAPPEAR! Most of us have only heard of the word insulin if we know someone with Diabetes. Diabetes Type II is not a fun disease and can be prevented and sometimes reversed. I want to mention it because Diabetes along with obesity, has very SCARY STATISTICS and it is NOT something that you “caught.” It is a disease with a legitimate cause that can be reversed or prevented. I like to describe it as an abuse of insulin. A diabetic needed so much insulin in their life, most likely due to a diet high in sugar or carbs, that their body said, “Sorry I am exhausted and can no longer produce it!” The demand is too high, and the body cannot keep up.
When we stop producing insulin a lot of bad things can happen, blood sugar becomes too toxic and starts deteriorating our body. That’s why a lot of diabetics have trouble with eyesight, circulation in their limbs etc. The blood sugar is literally breaking down their blood vessels. But going back to a positive place, you can control your blood sugar and insulin! You do not have to “catch” Diabetes!
My main expertise is fat loss, not diabetes, but diabetes and fat are tightly linked, and I see it all the time and I also see it go away. If you are a diabetic or prediabetic, there is a lot more that goes into your care, but you will greatly benefit from the following information to learn how to control your need for insulin.
How to control insulin to burn fat & prevent gain
Lesson 1: Do not give your body a reason to produce too much insulin
High insulin producing foods will cause a potential fat gain. Limit or avoid food that spikes blood sugar and insulin such as white sugar, flour, cakes, cookies, crackers, pretzels, bread, pasta, rice, alcohol. You get the idea. CARBS! These foods not only will cause a spike in blood sugar, they will do it QUICKLY. This is because they are very easily broken down in your body. Remember our bodies do not like blood sugar so getting a rush of it when we eat these foods, especially in large amounts, increases insulin production and the likelihood of that sugar stored into your fat cells. Your body must do something with the sugar or “energy” from those foods. If you don’t use it, it will store it!
Another reason insulin gets produced is due to STRESS. Stress to us may be work, bills, kids etc however our bodies do not realize that these are usually not life-threatening situations. Our body still functions like a cave man in some ways. When we are stressed, our body will undergo physiological processes as if we are being attacked and need to “fight” or run away and “flight.” The short of it is this.
When we must run or fight, we need ENERGY. Therefore, in times of stress our bodies don’t know the difference and prepare us for life and death! Stored blood sugar will dump into our blood stream so that we can run away or fight BUT usually we are sitting at a desk or in traffic in our car when this happens. The body will go through the normal process of getting rid of that blood sugar. Spiking Insulin and then distributing or storing it, perhaps as FAT! This fat is caused by Cortisol, a stress hormone, and is stored on our belly!
I have worked with Diabetics that did not have diabetes because of diet, it was stress that caused it. In fact, a patient in particular I want to shout out is Alex who is so amazing and inspiring. He is now running marathons 1 year later after losing 50lbs, reversing Diabetes Type II and completely off his insulin and medications. Follow him on Instagram as alex_evolving
Tip 1: Eat carbs that are packed with FIBER. Berries and veggies! These are complex carbs that will not spike blood sugar and insulin at a fast pace. The fiber in them makes your body work harder to break them down slowly, utilizing the energy slowly and preventing fat gain.
Tip 2: Put stress management as a priority in your life. Deep breathing, yoga, meditation, walks in nature, painting, reading, find what works for you! Remember belly fat = stress fat!
Lesson 2: Keep insulin balanced all day long. Timing, type and amount of food is the key to success.
Now that we know the main reasons insulin is spiked, lets learn how to keep it balanced all day with diet. Eating small meals often throughout the day does not allow for blood sugar to spike too high or too low. Too high could lead to fat gain, too low can lead to hunger and binge eating, which leads to fat gain. Eating small meals every 3 hours keeps blood sugar stable, keeping insulin stable.
Timing: Eat every 3 hours, 5-6 times a day.
Type: Choose food that takes longer to break down, sustaining you throughout the day and preventing hunger. Protein like eggs, fish, poultry. Healthy fats such as nuts, seeds, avocado. Healthy carbs like berries and all Veggies besides starchy veggies like corn and potato.
Amount: Depends on your body composition, goals and what you are eating but for general portion guidelines: Protein (1 or 2 deck of cards) Healthy Fats (1 golf ball) Healthy Carbs (hockey puck) Veggies (unlimited)
Lesson 3: Deplete your glycogen storages so that blood sugar does not go into fat cells
Exercise, exercise, exercise! Exercise causes us to use our glycogen storages in our liver and muscles, leaving room for more. Exercise gives us endless benefits and the only time I would tell a patient of mine to spike their insulin is when building muscle. Exercise is truly a fix for fat prevention as it increases metabolism and our nutritional needs. You want to eat more without it becoming fat? BUILD MUSCLE! See NutriMD online personal training for a free trial!
Lesson 4: Get help! Professional guidance about balancing YOUR insulin to burn stored fat!
Everyone is different and has specific imbalances that cause us to be stuck at losing weight. As a Medical Weight Loss expert, I know that when insulin is not balanced, it can be impossible to lose weight. I put every weight loss patient on NutriMD’s FitBody Program with clear guidelines on how to lose weight safely and effectively. To detox my patients from sugar and to optimize fat burning I first start them with NutriMD’s 14 Day Fit Detox Kit and then enhance fat burning with NutriMD’s 14 Day Fit Body Kit. The Fit Body kit stabilizes the hormones insulin, leptin and cortisol, balancing blood sugar and limiting cravings. The ingredients were chosen based on the latest research in overcoming the challenges of losing body fat while maintaining, and even increasing, muscle and metabolic rate. The formula is also designed to control appetite, stress response, mood and energy!
Information about weight loss can be so confusing. We are actually taught a lot of the wrongs things about taking care of our bodies and burning fat. To me, you can’t argue too much with SCIENCE and the results I see in my patients. That is how I know it works! My patients have saved their lives and are now influencing others.
My mission (and I hope you join me) is to start a domino effect of health. We are most influenced by the people we are around. If we change ourselves, we can hope to influence weight loss for someone else in desperate need. That’s all for now! I am always here if you need anything at all or have any questions.
Schedule a FREE Weight Loss Consultation with me! 914-722-9440
“Balance your body, balance your life!”
– Nurse Dayna
Please consult with a physician before following any of our protocols or schedule a free consult with SeeBeyond Medicine.
