Posts Tagged ‘blood sugar balance’

Weight Management

Monday, September 5th, 2011

Factors influencing weight gain

There are many reasons why people gain weight, and often it is the result of a combination of factors. Factors leading to weight gain include: dieting (yes, really), too much food combined with not enough exercise, certain prescription medications, eating the wrong types of food and even food allergies. Underlying medical conditions can also make it difficult to manage your weight -– for example an underactive thyroid, gut problems like an overgrowth of yeast, or excessive stress.

Why diets don’t work

When you restrict your calorie intake, your body lowers its production of appetite-suppressing hormones, and increases it’s production of appetite-stimulating hormones. Your metabolism also slows down, to conserve energy, so when you go back to eating normally more food will be stored as fat. Not only does counting calories rarely help you lose weight and keep it off, it is time-consuming, difficult to do and it makes you miserable! So instead of worrying about calories, think about maximising the nutritional content of the food you eat.

Blood sugar balance: the cornerstone of weight management

Blood sugar concentration refers to the amount of glucose, or sugar in the blood. Keeping blood sugar levels constant is the cornerstone of a long-term weight management strategy. Blood sugar levels can fluctuate from being very high, such as after a meal, stimulant or a stressful episode, to being very low, say if you skipped a meal or didn’t eat for several hours. The hormone insulin works to keep blood sugar levels within the desired range. After a meal insulin stimulates the body cells to take up glucose for energy or storage. Stress, stimulants like coffee and tea and refined carbohydrates such as white bread and rice release glucose very quickly into the bloodstream, and as a result insulin can get a little out of control. While these foods lead to a sudden burst of energy, the effect is short-lived as the body will promptly release high levels of insulin to try to return blood sugar levels to within the desired range. This often results in blood sugar dipping too low, and subsequently energy levels crash, leading to cravings for sweet foods and stimulants, and thus begins a rollercoaster of energy highs and lows. When your blood sugar is out of balance, it affects many systems in your body – and can lead to cravings for sugary snacks and weight gain.

Nutrition for weight management

When it comes to weight loss, slow and steady really does win the race! Aim to lose 1-2lbs per week for long-term success. Crash diets can result in rapid weight loss – but it is mainly muscle and water weight, and generally causes rebound weight gain.

  • Follow a blood sugar balancing, or low GL diet, with small, regular meals and snacks to increase insulin sensitivity in cells, balance blood sugar and eliminate cravings.
  • Eating protein with each meal slows down the release of food from the stomach. Choose lean chicken and turkey, fish, eggs, yoghurt, cottage cheese, nuts and seeds.
  • Limit processed foods as they often contain hidden sugars. Check the labels – 4g of sugar equals 1 teaspoon. A Twix isn’t so appealing when you realise it has 7 teaspoons of sugar!
  • Focus on nutrient-dense, whole foods, like vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Stock up on tinned fish, beans, artichoke hearts etc, to add to fresh salad for a healthy packed lunch.
  • Remove empty calories like alcohol, sugar, refined carbohydrates (white bread and rice) that actually use up nutrients just to be digested!
  • Replace saturated fats found in red meat and full fat dairy products with essential fatty acids such as those found in oily fish, nuts, seeds, avocado and olive oil. These may help to prevent insulin resistance.
  • Thirst can be mistaken for hunger, so make sure you are drinking adequate water!
  • Fibre slows down the release of sugar into the bloodstream, makes you feel full quicker and helps restore appetite-signaling hormones. Choose complex carbohydrates such as whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, rye, oats) instead of refined carbohydrates such as white bread or white pasta. Vegetables and legumes are also a great sources of fibre.
  • Liver support: Supporting the liver is very important during weight loss. As weight is lost, toxins are released, which the liver is responsible for processing. Include cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts) and sulphur-rich foods (onions, garlic, eggs) to support your liver.

    •  

    Lifestyle strategies for weight management

  • Put food away after eating, so you are less likely to keep picking. Brush your teeth as soon as you finish
  • Keep a food diary for a week – write down everything you eat and drink.
  • Avoid eating in front of the TV. Think about each mouthful, eat slowly, chew, taste, smell, savor, pause between mouthfuls. When your brain registers you are eating, it helps satiety to kick in, and as a result you eat less.
  • Identify and deal with triggers for eating (if you nibble while watching a movie, drink a glass of water instead)
  • Rest! Lack of sleep increases appetite-stimulating hormones and decreases appetite-seppresiing hormones, so you are more likely to overeat.
  • Get at least 20 minutes of aerobic exercise every day – remember ‘energy in, energy out’!
  • When eating with friends, identify the slowest eater at the table and be slower than them!

    • Tags: , , , ,
    Posted in Weight management | No Comments »

    Caffeine: Is It Really That Bad for You?

    Monday, August 22nd, 2011

    Caffeine is a bitter substance found in coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate, some nuts and certain medicines. It is a central nervous system stimulant, which can make you more alert and give you a boost of energy, however, too much can cause restlessness, anxiety, headaches and irritability. If you suffer from any of these symptoms and drink more than 500-600mgs per day, you may want to cut back.

    What are the Effects of Caffeine on the Body?

    Caffeine exerts its effects by disrupting the function of neurotransmitters, or brain chemicals, involved in energy production. Specifically, it blocks the receptors for the neurotransmitter, adenosine, whose function it is to stop the release of dopamine. Our bodies make adrenalin, the motivating ‘fight or flight’ hormone from dopamine, so if there is a steady supply of dopamine, we continue to make adrenaline, which results in increased alertness and motivation. The problem is that the more adrenalin you make, the less sensitive your body becomes to its effects. Therefore you need more and more over time to achieve the same energy level, and when you don’t have the caffeine you feel tired and irritable and find it impossible to get going.

    How does Caffeine Impact Health?

    As we have seen, caffeine increases the blood level of adrenalin. This has many effects on health. Caffeine increases blood pressure, which over time can cause arterial damage that opens the way for atherosclerosis and heart disease. Adrenalin causes the release of glucose into the blood, raising your blood sugar level, which in turn increases your production of insulin

    How to Reduce Your Caffeine Intake

    If you drink more than one cup of coffee per day, there’s a good chance you’re addicted, which means you will go through some withdrawal symptoms – including headache, tiredness, irritability – if you suddenly stop. A gentler approach is to reduce your coffee intake over a few days or a week. Have your regular cup in the morning, but replace subsequent cups with green or herbal teas. Yerba Maté is a South American herbal tea that is caffeine-free, but gives energy. Even drinking a glass of water in the morning can boost your energy levels – as dehydration is a major cause of fatigue. If you really love the ritual of the morning coffee, it may be useful to try blending regular with decaffeinated, until the latter eventually replaces the former.

    Keeping your blood sugar balanced, which you can achieve through diet, will help to keep your energy level up, so that you no longer crave the coffee buzz. To achieve good blood sugar balance, make sure that you have a good breakfast, combining complex carbohydrates and protein, such as beans on wholemeal toast, or an oat-based cereal or porridge with mixed nuts and seeds. Eat regularly with snacks between meals. Snacks that combine protein or healthy fats with carbohydrates are best – think hummus with crudités, fruit with a handful of nuts, or guacamole and oatcakes.

    How Much Is In It?

    DRINK

    MILLIGRAMS OF CAFFEINE

    Can of Red Bull

    80.0

    Coke/ Diet Coke

    34/ 45

    Starbucks Grande Coffee (16 oz / 480 ml)

    330

    Starbucks Grande Latte (16 oz. / 480 ml)

    150

    Coffee, Espresso (2 oz / 60 ml)

    100

    Coffee, Instant (8 oz / 240 ml)

    65-100

    Tea, brewed (8 oz / 240 ml)

    60

    Tea, green (8 oz / 240 ml)

    15

    Tags: , , ,
    Posted in Health Concern | No Comments »