Bloody Sweet!

Today's entry will be all about your blood sugar levels and insulin hormone.

With Diabetes (especially Type-2) and Hypoglycemia becoming increasingly frequent in our society it's important to understand how your blood sugars work. Most people know that their bodies will store extra energy as body fat, but they don't understand the process behind it.

I think almost everyone has had the experience of eating a food high in fats and sugars and getting that immediate boost of energy - followed by that devastating crash that makes you want to crawl under your desk and take a nap. So why does your body do that?

Quite simply it's due to the excess fats and sugars we're taking in. We do not get an appropriate balance of fat, carbohydrates and proteins with each meal. Fats and simple carbohydrates break down quickly and are rapidly absorbed by your body causing an increase in your blood sugars and a release of insulin. Protein releases more gradually and allows your body to release the correct amounts of hormones at a more gradual rate. Barry Sears developed a great healthy eating plan called the ZONE DIET and I work on achieving a similar balance with clients at the lifestyle clinic.

I love how they state it on their website,

"Any diet that uses the word high or low to describe it is hormonally unsustainable. The only diet that can maintain hormonal balance for a lifetime must use the word moderate to describe it." source: the zone diet explained.

Ideally in my own life I aim for half of my meal to be made up of carbohydrates (healthy vegetables and fruits, whole grain pastas or brown rice) and an even split of lean protein (lean beef, fish, chicken, eggs or soy substitutes) and healthy fats (unsaturated fats from low fat dairy, extra virgin olive or flax oils, nuts, and combined sources like omega-3 rich wild salmon). When I'm trying to build more muscle, or recovering from stress and illness, I'll change the ratio up so that I get a bit more protein into my system.

Another simple way to keep your sugars more balanced and make sure you have the energy you need to get through your day (no matter what you come up against) is to make sure that you are eating approximately every 4-5 hours. A quick balanced snack of high fiber crackers with some cheese and nuts would do it. Or a small fruity smoothie with flax seed oil and protein powder. Once you start remembering what foods you should combine for the healthiest you this sort of thing will just come naturally.

I hope this helps those of you with big plans in 2009 have enough energy and vitality to make every day count!

Happy New Year.
M.