| Insulin has two critical roles in the
body that we cannot live without,
yet it can be the root of many
health problems, including diabetes.
Insulin carries sugar (glucose),
fat and protein into your cells
where they are used for energy
and the repair of your cells.
When you eat, a certain amount
of the food will be converted
into glucose and enter the bloodstream.
As the sugar levels rise, the
body senses it and the pancreas
secretes insulin to lower the
sugar. This is insulin's second
main function. If you eat too
much of any food, especially carbohydrates
(starch and sugar) the levels
of glucose in the blood rise to
very high levels. In turn this
triggers a large release of insulin
from the pancreas. Your cells
will take what they need and then
insulin will begin the process
of converting the excess glucose,
fat and protein into fat and then
put it all away in your fat cells.
By combining foods the right way
for your body, you will maintain
optimum levels of insulin throughout
the day. The best way to control
insulin and fight sugar cravings
is to eat protein snacks when
you are hungry or when you have
severe "sweet" cravings. Also,
try to limit yourself to three
carbohydrate-containing meals
per day and try to eat vegetables
with most meals and snacks. A
particularly good snack is non-fat
cottage cheese and salsa. The
only vegetables to avoid in the
evening are corn, yellow or orange
squash, peas, beets and carrots.
They have high simple carbohydrate
(sugar) content. Good natural
sources of protein for meals or
snacks are: Chicken breast Turkey
Fish Lean Pork Lean Steak 7% or
less Ground Beef Egg whites Egg
Beaters Tofu Non-fat cottage cheese
Non-fat cheese Non-fat cream cheese
Non-fat sour cream Fat-free Ham
or Canadian bacon You can also
try protein powder and protein
bars. I recommend Labrada ProPlete
Protein powder. It is low fat,
low carb and high protein. It
comes in several flavors and you
can probably get it at GNC stores
or any vitamin store. It does
not have artificial sweeteners.
It is sweetened with Stevia, which
is all-natural and it made from
the root and leaves of the Stevia
plant. Labrada also makes good
low-carb, sugar free protein bars.
Other good protein bars are Ultimate
Lo-Carb, Ultimate Lo-Carb2 and
Premiere Elite. These are good
as a "pretend candy bar" when
you're having a craving. Just
don't over do it. The last three
bars I mentioned do have artificial
sweeteners. You can find them
at GNC, Trader Joe's and many
vitamin stores. The key is to
eat frequently throughout the
day and also have a real sweet
treat once a week if that will
help you stay away from sweets
the rest of the week. My fat loss
and fitness plan "Every Body Loses"
will give you the tools you need
to begin a healthy weight loss
program. The style of eating and
exercising outlined in my book
is one that you can follow for
life without feeling deprived.
If you're serious about losing
fat and getting fit go to www.aim4nutrition.com
and get started TODAY! Good Luck
and Be Well, Aimee Deak Personal
Trainer & Nutrition Analyst AIM
4 NUTRITION www.aim4nutrition.com
Aimee Deak is a certified Personal
Trainer & Nutrition Analyst, author
of the nutrition and fitness book
"Every Body Loses" and owner of
AIM 4 NUTRITION. She offers online
personal training and training
by phone. www.aim4nutrition.com
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