Insulin is a hormone that regulates metabolism and plays a major role in gaining weight but unfortunately insulin can even prevent you from losing weight.  Insulin is responsible for the storage of all the food you eat.  Carbohydrates are digested and absorbed into the bloodstream in the form of glucose triggering the pancreas to release insulin.  The amount of insulin released corresponds to the amount and type of carbohydrates consumed.

How it works:
o  When you consume small amounts of carbohydrates and insulin-stimulating foods, there’s a small output of insulin.
o  When you consume large amounts of carbohydrates and insulin stimulating foods, there is a large rise in insulin.
o  When you consume carbohydrates alone, there’s a faster rise in insulin than when they’re consumed in combination with protein.
o  When simple, refined carbohydrates are consumed; there’s also a greater rise in insulin.

One of insulin’s jobs is to transport the glucose from the bloodstream into the cells where it can be used for energy or stored as glycogen for later use.  Think of insulin as a gatekeeper to a medieval castle.  Just as the gatekeeper lets down the draw bride and allows visitors in to the castle, so insulin opens the door to your body’s cells allowing glucose to enter and to be used as energy.  However if you take in too many carbohydrates or the wrong types of carbohydrates, there will be a sharp peak in blood sugar followed by a sharp rise in insulin.  The over-secretion of insulin will quickly remove the sugar from your bloodstream and your blood sugar will drop to lower than normal levels (hypoglycemia).  Hypoglycemia will cause fatigue and triggers intense hunger and sugar cravings and you will inevitably consume more sugar to satisfy these cravings and then the roller coaster cycle repeats itself over and over again.

Glycemic Index:
The glycemic index calculates how high your blood sugar rises in the two hours after you eat a certain food.  Low glycemic foods promote a slow, moderate rise in blood sugar and insulin after a meal.  The result is that it decreases appetite and encourages your body to dissolve body fat because it is converting it to energy.  Conversely, high glycemic foods cause sudden swings in blood sugar and insulin levels resulting in increased appetite and a greater tendency for food calories to be converted to body fat.

Secret to Controlling Insulin Levels
Eat frequent meals in combination with the right types of carbohydrates combined with lean proteins and small amounts of healthy good fats.  Try to choose your carbohydrates from fiber rich vegetables such as green beans, broccoli, or cauliflower. This will stabilize your blood sugar and insulin levels, and prevents the energy highs and lows. Once your blood sugar and insulin levels are under control, you won’t feel like you’re on a roller coaster where you are up real high and then plummet down to the ground and crash.

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