Glucose (or blood sugar), and insulin which is a hormone associated with regulating glucose metabolism, are the two major substances our bodies use that control anything associated with carbohydrates and its effects on the body.

Glucose is the only source of energy for our body. Everything, no matter what, is converted to glucose if it is to be used as energy. In order that our body’s cells can readily absorb glucose, it will need help from insulin. So, there is a direct relationship between glucose levels and insulin levels. The higher your blood sugar goes, the higher the levels of insulin to regulate it.

So what does this mean for me? Good question, here is the highs and lows of what insulin also does: In its many duties, one of the most important, is how it serves as a communication device for your body’s functions. These functions include fat storage/metabolism, fat synthesis, storage of glucose as glycogen in the liver and muscles, and many more that I do not want to get into. The way insulin communicates to the body is by its blood saturation. High levels force fat cells to take in blood lipids which are converted to triglycerides, and low levels force the fat cells to release the triglycerides. In simple terms, the higher your insulin levels, the more your body will store fat! The inverse of this is if you can keep the level low and stable, you will stimulate the body to naturally release your stored body fat.

And that my friend is the secret to the world of losing weight. Keeping your glucose levels stabilized and low so, in turn, your insulin levels are low. You do this by consuming foods that that do not contain high levels of sugars and that are not converted to sugars rapidly. Foods like green leafy vegetables and non-tropical fruits are converted very slowly to glucose. On the opposite side of the spectrum you have soda, sweets, processed foods, table sugar… these are all high in sugars and are digested very rapidly in the digestive system. Below is a graph that illustrates the consequences of eating the wrong thing. The red zone at the top shows where the body is going to store body fat.

As you can see in the graph most of the time spent was in the red or fat storage zone. You will also note that the sugar was used up quite rapidly. Now lets look at what happens when you eat the “good” carbs.

Here the glucose (energy) levels are stable and they also last longer making you feel more satisfied longer. Since it never reached the red zone, you never communicated to your body to store fat. Now, lets put all this together. Here is a normal day for a normal American. Bob, if you will, will eat only three times a day and eat the wrong things.

If you noticed, I also added a second red zone. This zone, at the bottom, represents extremely low glucose levels that can communicate to your body that it is starving. Research has shown that mostly everything you eat no matter how much will last about 2 to 3 hours. If Bob continues to eat infrequently and keep his “levels” at such a low state with very few but extremely high spikes, he is, in essence telling his body that he is starving. The high levels suggest fat storage, the very low suggests the same. Your body is going to slow down your metabolism to conserve energy if it is not getting enough calories at that moment. Your body is like anything else, too much is not good, just as to little is not good. To show the healthier option, here is Jane with her daily nutritional regimen.

Here we have frequent eating of the right thing. See the difference? Eating every 3 or so hours with good carbohydrates will stabilize your energy levels, help you lose weight, sharpen the mind as well as make you feel great! This way Jane’s glucose levels are always sustained and constant at a nice moderately low level. This is communicating to the body that we have plenty of food coming in and we have no need to store any body fat.

I hope you are getting this, because this can save your life and make you more pleasing to the eyes. Here are some last minute tips.

Tip 1: Eat every two to three hours.

Tip 2: Eat only vegetables, non-tropical fruits and lean proteins.

Tip 3: Slow down the digestion of carbohydrates by eating fiber, protein and fat, but lets make the fats healthy, with your meals.

Tip 4: Eat for what you are about to do. NOT, for what you just did. If you are going to be active then eat a little more. If you are going to be inactive, say going to bed or working behind a computer, eat a little less.

Tip 5: If it does not grow out of the ground like that or someone has to process it, don’t eat it. Processing foods just makes it easier and faster to digest. It is easy to pick good foods. They are in the fresh produce section or in the butcher’s case (although beef is not the best).

Tip 6: What about starches, i.e. breads, potatoes, rice…? Another good question, see this article coming soon… Lose Weight Without Hunger!

Tip 7: What about supplements? This one will be coming soon!

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