| Unless you have had a specific reason to learn about | | | | the system. Having consequently high insulin levels is |
| it, insulin is quite possibly a mystery to you. You know it | | | | even worse. Insulin is pro-inflammatory, and is now |
| directly affects the lives of diabetics, and can go up | | | | believed to cause atherosclerosis, the stiffening of |
| and down depending on your blood sugar levels, but | | | | artery walls, the rise in blood pressure, the blockage of |
| perhaps you don't know much more than that. How | | | | your circulatory system--and you can figure out where |
| important is it for regular folks to know about? Should | | | | all that takes you. |
| you be aware of your insulin levels, or is it affecting | | | | Finally, think about this: that 'sugar rush' you get after |
| your life in ways that you're not aware? In this article | | | | eating a candy bar or drinking a soda is your glucose |
| we'll take a closer look at what insulin does, how your | | | | levels spiking in your blood stream. Your brain uses |
| diet can affect its production, and the havoc it could be | | | | glucose for energy, and the sudden excess makes it |
| playing on your system. | | | | very happy, energized and upbeat. You feel great! But |
| First, let's start with the basics. Insulin is a hormone that | | | | a few minutes later your pancreas kicks into overdrive, |
| is produced in your pancreas to cause cells in your | | | | dumps a lot of insulin into your system, and all that |
| liver, muscles and fat tissue to absorb glucose from | | | | glucose gets stored away, resulting in a 'crash' as your |
| your blood and store it as glycogen for future energy | | | | brain gets deprived. Suddenly you go from being high |
| needs. Glucose is a form of sugar used by your body | | | | to being grumpy, morose, lethargic. Often people will try |
| for energy, and is derived from the consumption of | | | | to fix this with more sugar-a terrible solution! The very |
| carbohydrates (e.g. starch). So you eat a donut, your | | | | worst though is if you no longer get 'sugar highs', |
| body breaks it down, glucose is released into your | | | | because that means your system is so out of control |
| blood, insulin is released as a reaction, and triggers your | | | | that it's on its way to becoming insulin resistant, and |
| liver, muscles and fatty tissue to absorb this | | | | that's where the real trouble starts. |
| donut-derived glucose as glycogen for use down the | | | | A key way to help regulate your glucose levels and |
| road when you need it. So the more carbs you eat, | | | | thus keep your insulin levels low is to exercise. |
| the more glucose goes into your blood, and the more | | | | Remember, insulin's primary job is to store glucose as |
| insulin your produce. Also, not that when insulin is low, | | | | glycogen in your cells for future energy use. The |
| your body will turn from this glucose/glycogen energy | | | | problems really start when those cells get filled up and |
| cycle and start using your fat as an energy source. | | | | there's no more room, so one easy, healthy method of |
| Now, say you're eating a ton of carbohydrates. Your | | | | preventing that from happening is to exercise. Burn up |
| body will react by producing a lot of insulin. The first | | | | those glycogen supplies, and you will keep that glucose |
| problem we run into is that your liver, muscle and fatty | | | | cycle clicking away happily without jamming up the |
| tissue cells cannot store a lot of glycogen (about 400 | | | | works. |
| grams total), so any excess glucose gets sent to the | | | | Further, realize that everybody falls somewhere on the |
| liver to be turned into fat. High insulin levels will also | | | | range of insulin sensitive to insulin resistant, and that we |
| prevent your body from using this fat as an energy | | | | all need to monitor not only how much exercise we're |
| source, so it simply begins to accumulate. Eventually, if | | | | getting, but also how much glucose we're dumping into |
| insulin levels remain continuously high, your cells will | | | | our systems. A diet high in refined carbohydrates will |
| become insulin resistant, meaning that they will cease | | | | put a lot of stress on this glycogenesis cycle, so if |
| accepting any more glucose at all. In effect, they shut | | | | you're drinking a lot of sodas, eating a ton of pizza and |
| down, and stop caring about how much glucose is in | | | | pasta and white bread, and ordering sugary desserts, |
| your blood. What happens next is that the amount of | | | | realize that you are causing crazy glucose spikes in |
| glucose in the blood stream becomes unregulated, and | | | | your system, which leads to massive insulin generation, |
| all hell breaks loose in terms of blood glucose toxicity | | | | which upsets your whole system and forces it to |
| and insulin damage, which results in even greater risks | | | | work in overdrive to achieve homeostasis once more. |
| for diabetes, heart attacks, blindness, the need for limb | | | | So cut back on the carbs, cut back on the sugar, and |
| amputation and other disasters. | | | | enjoy the rapid improvement you'll see in your health! |
| However, this is just focusing on the glucose levels in | | | | |