All posts tagged: insulin

10 Days, 10 Ways to Lower Carbs, Day 10

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Ok, Day 10 of 10!  For my “finale” (thank God, this has been hard to post 10 days in a row!),  I’ll talk about supplements to add to your regimen and some general guidelines and links to articles that I think have important information about insulin resistance, weight loss, and staying healthy.   Here are a few supplements that can help stabilize your insulin levels and lower your blood sugar: It’s important you take a good multi-vitamin, even if you are eating totally healthy.  (read why here and more here).  I take Multigenics Phyto Multi which contains vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.  It is widely available. Vitamin D is not really a vitamin, but plays a very important role in metabolism.  Many of us are Vitamin D deficient.  As you doctor to check your level.  Taking 1,000-5,000 units/day of Vitamin D3 is considered pretty safe in most people. read more here There are a few other things that can help your insulin levels stabilize if you’ve struggled with your weight, or if you want to lose …

10 Days, 10 Ways to Lower Carbs: Day 7

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Avoid, or at least be skeptical of anything labeled “non-fat”. This is the biggest scam around.  We were taught, since the 1960’s that fat was to be avoided.  Now that recent research has cleared that stinkin’ thinkin’ up, we still see recipes calling for low fat cheese, low fat milk, low fat yogurt.  WHY?!?  Because habits are hard to break!  Yes, it is ok to eat low fat cheese and yogurt, but NOT if you choose one that has had carbs added to make up for the taste of taking the fat out!  That’s how food companies get low fat/non-fat items to taste better.  Additives, carbs and thickeners.  (chemicals!) I’m going to pick three common foods and compare them side by side.  Full fat is often better, keeps you full longer, and won’t spike insulin.  Dr. Atkins had some of it right, and with the exception of avoiding dairy, I basically eat a low carb diet. Example 1: Peanut Butter Low Fat Peanut Butter is a joke, because they add sugar to make it taste …

10 Days, 10 Ways to Lower Carbs, Day 6

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T2T Restaurant Carb Hacks. It’s not as hard as you think to go low carb at a restaurant.  Here are some of my favorite tricks to stay low carb and still enjoy yourself: I want to say something first.  If you eat out once a year, or it’s your birthday, use the 90/10 rule:  decide when you’re going to have that 10% “blow my rules” meal, and then ENJOY it!  If you order something and then feel guilty about eating it, what’s the point?  For the rest of the time, use these hacks: Look for entrees that offer a simple fish, meat, or poultry option.  Stay away from pasta and things with sauces that may contain cornstarch, flour, sugar, or other thickening agents. When rice or potatoes are served, ask for two servings of the vegetable instead. Order a salad with dinner, and specify you want a dressing without sugar.  Oil and vinegar are usually available, and many restaurants make their own vinaigrettes, you just have to be assertive and ask what is in it.  …

10 Days, 10 Ways to Lower Carbs, Day 4

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This one is simple once you see it in facts.  Stop drinking ALL juice.  Here’s why: Let’s take something you’d never eat on a diet.  How about a “fun size” snickers bar?  That’s clearly in the “no-no” zone, right?  Well, what if I told you that when it comes to blood sugar, insulin, and weight gain, orange juice is worse?  Would you be incredulous?  Here are the facts, based on TWO tiny snickers vs. 1 cup of OJ: So, the calories are a bit higher in the snickers bars.  But, although nutrient devoid (and that’s another post), they have less sugars than the OJ!  Now, this does not mean I want you to go out and eat snickers, but it does mean your use of juice should be negligible to NONE.  These calories go straight into your bloodstream, as there is no fiber in the juice to slow digestion.  Juice is not an item you want in your food plan at all.  In case you’d like more information, all the juices are listed here.  I …

10 Ways, 10 Days to Lower Carbs, Day 3

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Eat a Low Carb Breakfast My mother battled her weight her entire life.  She was never heavy, but it was a constant struggle for her, and she passed on to me and my sister a “deprivation mindset” about food.  But, that is a story for another day.  I have truly battled my weight, for a variety of reasons (read my story later) and changing how I ate breakfast helped enormously. A carb free/low carb breakfast is one way you can start your day off to not sabotage yourself!  My mother complained that “If I eat breakfast, I’m hungry the rest of the day“.  She probably was.  With the American custom of high carb, low fat, low protein breakfasts, you sabotage yourself.   Here’s what happens:   First, you eat a carb heavy breakfast. (BAGEL, OATMEAL, TOAST, CEREAL, JUICE, PASTRY…)→ your body gets a sugar load (that’s what carbs convert into once you digest them) so your body produces INSULIN in response to the spike in your blood sugar (Insulin stimulates the cells throughout your body to …

Yes Virginia, it’s the sugar….

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There’s a new movie out by a team of people trying to educate people about the way we eat.  YOU MUST SEE IT.  It is called FED UP, and it’s the movie the food industry doesn’t want us to see.  EVERYTHING we’ve been told about food and exercise for the last 30 years is wrong.  This move is from Katie Couric, Laurie David (Oscar winning producer of An Inconvenient Truth) and Director Stephanie Soechtig.  FED UP will change the way you eat forever, if this blog hasn’t yet! Do you know what to look for when you read a label in the grocery store?  Do you realize that the food industry is trying to lull us into thinking certain foods are diet foods when they contain 40+ grams of carbs (which turns into sugar in your body once you digest it!) Do you know that sugar goes by over 200 names on food labels? Do you know that school children injest more sugar than adults? Empower yourself.  Get this movie, call your local theatre and …

Do you judge yourself or others who are overweight?

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Don’t…  you may have it ALL WRONG. I have long been a fan of the TED talks.  Often enlightening, and usually entertaining, these videos should be standard in many college level programs.  It’s a way to educate yourself, entertain yourself and empower yourself.  There is one that is SO important, I’m embedding it here.  It is 15 minutes long. Peter Attia, M.D., trained as a surgeon.  He realized he judged his overweight patients, but had an epiphany when he himself gained weight and developed metabolic syndrome. What he has to say is so important, everyone needs to hear it.   Anyone who has been overweight knows only too well the psychic pain, the emotional pain of being judged.  My entire hypothesis and the reason I do this blog is that I believe IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT.  Peter Attia, you are my hero today because of your courage to question the status quo, and your commitment to address this issue by finding an answer to your questions.   For more on Dr. Attia’s work, see:  eatingacademy.com