You’ve probably heard over and over again that ‘most’ carbohydrates are perhaps the WORST thing you could eat when trying to lose fat or transform your body, and for most people, that’s 100% true (with a few exceptions) …
The fact is, due to years of consuming a diet full of processed carbs and sugars (yes, including “whole grains”), most people have grown quite insensitive to one of the most important hormones in your body—a hormone that can either be a huge asset to your body transformation goals, or a total fat-loss and health-derailing nightmare.
As you might have guessed, the name of this hormone is insulin.
And insulin’s function is to help your body keep blood sugar normalized, clear it quickly from your bloodstream after a carbohydrate meal, and (hopefully) shuttle that blood sugar to muscle tissue for energy instead of into fat cells (driving up your weight).
I say “hopefully” because that’s actually the exact opposite of what occurs when most people eat carbs. Going back to insulin sensitivity and carbohydrate tolerance, due to a diet full of processed, insulin- and blood-sugar-spiking carbohydrates (this includes whole wheat which is one of the biggest blood-sugar spikers of all!), most folks are suffering from some level of insulin resistance, a condition in which insulin is no longer able to efficiently remove blood sugar from the blood stream.
The result? Dramatically reduced fat burning, increased blood sugar levels and increased fat storage.
Even worse, insulin resistance can and often does lead to type II diabetes and an array of other health problems over time, such as an increased risk for Alzheimer’s and other cognitive disorders, premature aging (high blood sugar leads to “glycation” in your body, aging you faster), heart disease, and even stroke…and it all leads back to insulin sensitivity.
Ideally, when you consume carbohydrates, here is what you want to happen:
1. Minimum insulin release. This occurs when your body is highly sensitive to insulin. When it is, only a small amount of insulin is necessary to effectively and efficiently clear glucose from your blood to its storage sites. This is great news because your body has an incredibly difficult time burning fat in the presence of insulin. The less insulin you have floating around, the better.
Not only that, but high insulin levels due to insulin resistance reduces your growth hormone (aka, the youth hormone) production, which I’m sure you’ll agree is NOT good if you want to slow aging, look younger, and stay lean.
2. Quick and efficient blood sugar clearance. Again, this will occur when your body is highly sensitive to insulin, and keeping lower average blood sugar levels helps to reduce glycation in your body, slow aging, and keep you in a fat-burning mode.
3. Maximum glycogen uptake. Glycogen is the term used for stored carbohydrate in muscle tissue and the liver. When these tissues are highly sensitive to insulin (based on both your nutrition and exercise habits), the vast majority of blood glucose will be stored within them as an energy reserve, instead of being converted to fat. Most people screw this up though!
4. Minimum fat storage. When you increase insulin sensitivity, your body will choose to store your carbohydrate intake as energy, again in lean muscle tissue and the liver, instead of body fat.
Simply put, your body’s ability to process the carbohydrates you eat all comes down to your insulin sensitivity and your body’s ability to quickly and efficiently clear sugar from your blood. And as I said, poor blood sugar control and insulin resistance can lead to faster aging, type II diabetes, weight gain, and other health issues.
Knowing that, and also knowing that you yourself are very likely suffering from too much blood sugar and some degree of insulin resistance due to the previously mentioned dietary and lifestyle factors, you’re probably wondering what you can do to improve your insulin sensitivity and make your body responsive once again to this critically important hormone.
Fortunately, there are 4 somewhat odd, but extremely effective strategies you can begin using that will ultimately end your struggle with insulin resistance and carbohydrate intolerance once and for all, while finally allowing you to experience the excitement of seeing a thinner waist, flatter stomach, and a more defined body when looking back at yourself in the bathroom mirror each morning.