I always seem to use Bart as an example when I am discussing diabetes related issues. I suppose it is because
he was the first one diagnosed and he was the sickest at the beginning. Flo didn't look sick because we diagnosed hers before
she became symptomatic.
Insulin is the body's primo fat storage and weight gain hormone because it is responsible for pushing the
nutrients(mainly sugars--glucose)into the body's cells for growth, repair, and regeneration. Insulin, via delivery through
his pump, has taken Bart from a scrawny toddler whose clothes were falling off even though they were age appropriate,
to the buff, genetically gifted prepubescent 11 year old that he is now. He's definitely future bodybuilder material. He has
a very wide back and wel developed lats even at his age. All thanks to insulin.
Insulin, however, is not such a good thing for me. I don't need all those big spikes of insulin that are
caused by eating high glycemic foods that turn to sugar in the bloodstream very quickly. Spiking insulin is likely to turn
what you eat into fat if you aren't careful.
I try to have planned insulin spikes, usually following very intense weightlifting workouts. At that time
my muscles are exhausted and about to feed upon themselves. If I eat something fairly high glycemic my muscles are like sponges
and insulin spikes and drives the nutrients in to replenish glycogen stores and prevent the muscles from breaking down. The
other times that I eat during the day the food has to be lower on the glycemic index. This allows the insulin to remain stable
and my pancreas does not dump out large amounts to cover some food like a candy bar. I simply won't eat that stuff. Eating
six small meals a day of protein/carbs/fat in a 40/40/20 ratio is also helpful at controlling insulin. This way I only eat
what my body needs at the moment so my muscles and other organs get fed but nothing is stored. The body knows by now that
another meal is soon to come(every 2.5 to 3 hours) so it doesn't bother storing anything as fat. This is, of course,
providing I don't eat too many calories for the day.
If obese people and non insulin dependent type II diabetics would adopt this way of eating they would
find that they would lose weight and the diabetice would have better controlled blood sugars. Sure, it involves a certain
amount of sacrifice but what is that old saying? Nothing tastes as good as looking/feeling good feels.
