Personal trainer, fat loss, insulin resistance weight loss

Health In-focus

Insulin Resistance and Exercise - An excellent additional treatment for insulin resistance is regular exercise and weight loss. A resistance and cardio based programme will aid fat loss. A programme such a Bodydoctor's will increase lean muscle mass as well as aid fat loss. Try The Bodydoctor Fitness DVD and Book to get you started.

We are going to focus on how to eat in order to minimize insulin resistance and increase energy. The key elements of eating to keep insulin levels low, include eliminating all refined carbohydrates and sugar from your diet - including white bread, biscuits and pasta; increasing your intake of low glycaemic index (GI) vegetables, these will be your main source of carbohydrate - in particular increase green vegetables and low GI fruits such as rhubarb, strawberries and tomatoes; boosting your protein intake and including a good quality snack twice a day.

 

Your health and vitality will be improved by trying to eat food in as natural state as possible - so avoid all processed food and minimize your intake of additives. Aim to eat at least 50% of your fruit and vegetables raw. If cooking, vegetables are best steamed or wok-fried.

Choosing the best balance of carbohydrates:

Aim to dramatically reduce your intake of dense carbohydrate in the form of breads, crackers, rice and pasta. Instead you will be getting the carbohydrate you need from the low glycaemic vegetables, which release sugar very slowly into the blood stream, to help you burn fat, reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure and increase energy. Aim to have at least 2 handfuls of low/medium GI vegetables for every handful of protein. In practice this means for example, half a plate of stir-fried vegetables with a portion of protein such as a grilled tuna steak or small piece of wok-fried chicken. Including red/yellow/orange/purple vegetables will ensure you get a good supply of immune boosting phytonutrients.

 

		Choosing low GI fruits and vegetables
Low GI			Medium GI			High GI
Asparagus Bean sprouts Kale and spring greens Cabbage Cauliflower Cucumber Lettuce Rocket Spinach Radish	Melon Rhubarb Strawberries Cherries Tomatoes Apple Pear Grapefruit		Aubergine Beans and pulses Brussel sprouts Onions Red pepper Turnips Pumpkin Peas Squash Carrots Sweet potato String beans Dried beans	Fresh apricots Blackberries Grapes Lemons Limes Oranges Plums Raspberries		Potato Parsnips Sweet corn Lima beans	Watermelon Banana Figs Prunes Dried fruit

Getting the protein balance right

Try to have a palm-sized portion of protein at each meal. Including protein with carbohydrate helps modulate the insulin response. Good protein sources include fish (especially oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna), cottage cheese, game (rabbit, pheasant and partridge - nutrient-rich but low fat). A selection of seeds such as linseed, pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds can be eaten with fruits as a snack or with breakfast. Seeds are a good source of zinc, vitamin E and essential fats. Try to avoid the high-saturated fat proteins such as sausages, bacon, salami and pepperoni.

The right fats

For optimum health, you need to include some essential fats as well as reducing saturated fats. Essential fats are found in nuts, seeds, grains, olives, avocados, oily fish and game. They are important to boost metabolism, give you a feeling of satiety as well as to support the immune system and hormonal balance. Try to avoid fats in the form of red meats, cheese and dairy products, margarine and cooking oils.

Drinking for insulin balance

Your main drink should be water and herbal teas. 70% of the body is water and it is important to include at least 2 litres a day to clear the body of toxins, aid digestion and avoid fatigue.

Intake of coffee should be minimized as it stimulates the adrenal glands to increase blood sugar (hence raise insulin levels). Similarly alcohol also upsets blood sugar, is high in empty calories and depletes the body of vital nutrients. The one exception is red wine, which does have some cardio-protective benefits and has been shown in research to improve insulin sensitivity when drunk in moderation.

Research News

High blood sugar tied to memory woes.

Proceedings of the National academy of sciences Feb 3^rd 2003

In a recent study 30 adults with impaired glucose tolerance were tested for memory recall and against a number of other cognitive tests. They also did brain scans with magnetic resonance imaging. Those with the lowest scores had the poorest glucose tolerance. Researchers suggest that what may be happening is that in the individuals with impaired glucose tolerance, the hippocampus (the part of the brain responsible for learning and recent memory) is unable to absorb sufficient glucose for optimum function. Long-term, this may cause the hippocampus to atrophy. Convit, a researcher at the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research in New York says ''This is the first study to relate your glucose tolerance - how well you regulate glucose - to measurements in your brain. It demonstrates an association between poor glucose tolerance and memory problems..this is an important study because it points out that people who are not diabetic, who may just have mild glucose intolerance, may have memory problems.''

Focus on food

Recommended snacks to balance insulin resistance:

• An apple and handful of mixed seeds
• Cottage cheese and oatcakes
• Crudites with tablespoon of hummus
• Hard-boiled egg
• Smoothie made with whey protein and a handful of berries
• Sliced chicken breast with few rocket leaves and teaspoon of hemp oil
• 5 brazil nuts with diced pear

Quinoa Stir-fry

Quinoa is a great, low-fat, low GI source of high quality protein. It is also a good source of calcium, phosphorous, iron and vitamins B and E.

2 cups of cooked quinoa

1 cup shitake mushrooms (great to boost the immune system)

Mixture of chopped celery, carrot, onion, red pepper, cauliflower, broccoli, snow peas.

3 cloves of garlic

Tablespoon of sunflower seeds

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

Saute vegetables in olive oil. Add seasoning and quinoa. Serve immediately.

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