Insulin And Diet: Lower High Insulin Levels to Lose Weight

Insulin and diet are two factors that must be controlled to lose weight.

But they are not separate.

In fact, your insulin levels are largely determined by the amount, the frequency and the type of food you eat.



High Levels of Insulin and Weight Gain

Insulin is a hormone that is needed for glucose or blood sugar to enter the body's cells where it is utilize for energy. But insulin also causes the synthesis of fat and inhibits its breakdown.

As a result, high levels of insulin cause weight gain.

So, if you have high levels of insulin you will need to reduce them in order to lose weight. Fortunately, you can do this by simply changing the way you eat.



Insulin and Diet: How to Eat To Lower High Insulin Levels

Here are some tips that will help you lower your insulin levels:

  • Eat Small, Frequent Meals: Large meals cause the release of a correspondingly large amount of insulin. So, one way of lowering high insulin levels is to eat smaller, more frequent meals.

    The American Diabetic Association recommends that diabetics eat six small meals a day to reduce their need for insulin. And this strategy will help you reduce your insulin levels too.

    Because it can be challenging to eat six healthy meals a day and to keep from overeating when you eat so frequently, I recommend using meal replacements for three of these meals and using whole foods for the traditional three meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner.

    It is important, however, to use meal replacements that contain sufficient protein and that do not contain ingredients that can cause excess release of insulin such as high-fructose corn syrup.

  • Avoid High-carbohydrate Foods: High carbohydrate foods trigger the release of insulin. They are also not the most nutritious foods to eat.
    High carbohydrate foods     include all grain products and products containing refined sugars of any kind.

    The best way to avoid high-carbohydrate foods is to eliminate all processed and commercially prepared foods from your diet.

    This strategy has added advantage of eliminating other substances such as trans fats, preservatives and other additives that may also be injurious to health.

  • Eat High Quality (Animal) Protein At Every Meal: Protein causes much less insulin release than carbohydrates do. Protein also increases satiety which helps you to eat smaller meals. And protein has been shown to actively stimulates fat loss through other mechanisms as well.



Exercise Counts Too

Insulin and diet are closely related but another way to reduce high insulin levels is to exercise. Exercise reduces insulin levels by increasing the body’s sensitivity to insulin. When tissues are more sensitive to insulin, less insulin is needed to get glucose from the blood stream into the cells - so less is secreted.

The best exercise for weight loss is interval training , but you can also reduce high insulin levels and start losing weight by simply walking.

Studies have shown that brisk walking four days a week can result in a significant loss of body fat in both men and women – even without changing one’s diet!

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