Thursday, May 8, 2008

Sugar - The Cause of Insulin Resistance in Our Body

Obesity is an epidemic in most western countries. It is a critical issue as it affects children as young as 5 years old. People who are overweight are not likely to be free from disease, pain and suffering until they normalize their weight. At the worst times, they feel weak, tired, depressed, and constantly craving food which is usually anything that has sugar. Most of them want to lose weight but it requires constant self-discipline to make better food choices which is hard for them. Eating the right food does not need to be hard, yet you can still eat all you want without going hungry. You don't have to eat less food, just better food.

Research concludes that fad diets merely lose fat temporarily. Most people start to put weight back as soon as they finish the program. They just can't keep going on with the fad diet for many good reasons. Additionally, fat-loss drugs are able to provide the greatest temporary weight loss, however they do put the body at risk to other health issues.

Science indicates the best way to lose fat and gain more muscle is by adopting 'better choice" eating habits and doing moderate exercise to help control the body hormone called 'insulin' from spiking. Your body uses insulin to escort blood sugar and other nutrients into the muscle cells to be used for fuel. This keeps us alive and energized. However, too much insulin can be detrimental. It can tell the body to store fat instead of using the glucose for fuel. Thus the body can't burn off the fat stored.

In addition, many hormonal systems that regulate our appetite, mood, muscle growth and others are disrupted by excessive insulin. This state of imbalance leads to many illnesses and an addiction to sugar which is present in most processed foods. Thus overcoming obesity becomes even more important.

Most people have learned to pay attention to how many calories or grams of fat they put into their body. Although this is inconvenient, it is a good thing to be conscious of it. Nevertheless we forget that sugar spiking plays havoc on our body fuel system. This is a deadly mistake. Low-calorie and low fat foods tend to be loaded with sugar or "sugar-mimics". Sugar comes in many forms including sucrose, glucose, fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed proteins, trans-fat and milk sugars such as lactose and maltose. Modern living makes us consume some type of sugar just about every time we put something into our mouth. Whether it is drinking "sports drinks", sodas, juices, beers or eating cereals, 'health food' bars and processed food, we are most probably consuming some sugar.

High sugar consumption long term is detrimental. It affects your metabolic rate. The high insulin accumulated in the body is not only toxic; it can lead to a medical condition known as insulin resistance. Thus glucose remains in the bloodstream. Blood sugar levels skyrocket. Recognizing the rise in blood glucose levels, the pancreas produces even more insulin which overloads the body system. This can lead to hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Aging accelerates in people who suffer from insulin resistance and it can also cut some years from their lives!

Fasting is a powerful way to give your body a rest to allow the natural healing to work and toxins to be expelled. Try to do fasting regularly by simply skipping breakfast and or lunch on a given day and drink lots of water.

It is important to take nutritional supplements. They complement a healthy diet to provide optimal nutrition. Our bodies are made up of multiple complex systems in order for us to perform daily functions. Stressful lifestyles, poor eating habits, and environmental toxins all put greater stress on our body. A healthy diet combined with exercise and quality nutritional supplements offers you the best chance for optimal health.

For more information on healthy safe losing weight and keeping it off, check out my website at http://www.vitaminprotection.com/?/Safe_Weight_Loss

Feel free to have a look around other useful health information on http://www.besttruehealth.com

About the Author

Jackie Khor is a home business consultant and internet / network marketer. Her passion is to help people from all walks of life to have an optimum health and freedom.

She and her family have been consuming these quality products for a few years and they are amazed at the health benefits they have noticed in themselves and in their customers.