Insulin - A Hormone That Wreaks Havoc

Insulin – it is one hormone that too much of can wreak havoc with our bodies. An over production of it is the true cause of type 2 diabetes, not blood sugar levels. Both Dr. Michael Platt and Dr. John Lee made this known to me in their books, and the realization led me on a quest to change my eating habits and regain my health.
Besides obesity and diabetes (to name only two of many illnesses/disease caused by overproduction of the hormone), insulin is the #1 hormone to speed up the aging process, per Platt.
Unfortunately, per Platt, most medication given to diabetics stimulate the pancreas to generate more insulin, because the medications are formulated to treat high blood sugar. There would not be high blood sugar if it were not for high levels of the insulin hormone. Blood sugar, is as I gather, a side effect of excess insulin. To treat the cause, one must address the insulin levels.
Extra insulin pushes sugar into fat cells and the result is weight gain, especially around the middle. This is not a womanly issue, and actually more men have mid-belly spreads than women. Fat around the middle is known as visceral fat, and it is the most dangerous kind to have. It wraps around your liver, strangles your kidneys; it is linked to hypertension, heart disease and stroke.
Dr. Platt states the only prescription drug that is actually formulated to address the cause of diabetes is Glucophage (generic term is metformin), and he is still checking into side effects of this drug. Instead of lowering blood sugar it increases the body’s sensitivity to insulin, thus lowering insulin.
Where does all the excess insulin come from? Carbohydrates! How often are we told to avoid the fats, like red meat, butter, eggs and bacon….yet, the real cause of so many diseases, such as high cholesterol, diabetes, clogged arteries, and more is not fat – but the CARBS!
If you listen to the television commercials all the food companies are pushing low-fat processed foods. Listen folks, fat doesn’t matter (for most people), but sugar and carbs have the U.S. leading the world in obesity and type 2 diabetes.
I would like to challenge you to EAT/BUY the butter, bacon and steaks…and OMIT the white bread, white rice, crackers, chips, cookies and other baked goods from your shopping cart.
When you do purchase meat – AVOID the deep fried meat found in your freezer section – half the time they are not real meat anyhow. It’s not the fat from the meat that is concerning, but the breaded ingredients itself.
High blood pressure? This may be news for you, but according to Platt a study was done in which the control groups consisted of people who consumed only fish and lean chicken, while the other group ate red meat, bacon, burgers...there was NO difference in the amount of cholesterol they had, clogged arteries, etc. Hypertension is also a result of a carbohydrate consumption, per Platt and a number of other books I have read.
Counting calories is not all its cracked up to be. When you cut back on calories there is an increase in brain signals that determine your body is starving. Your body is programmed to survive, and in response to the cut in calories is to hang on to that fat! Your body will burn muscle before it will burn fat, if it doesn’t have enough calories to fuel the body. Have you heard this before? I admit – learning this information this past year from about a half dozen different sources, was a huge eye opener. Satiate yourself with vegetables and meat – WHOLE FOOD variety – not deep fried, processed foods meant to simulate real food.
My goal today is to stress the importance of NOT counting calories, not eating low fat, not to be brain-washed by the food industry who wants to sell you a bunch of products that usually do not result in permanent weight loss. I challenge you to educate yourself, and once you do, I think you will change your eating habits, and feel a whole lot better.
As I was climbing a narrow pass in the Badlands a week ago, I realized in my climb that a year ago such a feat would have not been possible. I was not winded, my joints did not hurt – and I fit through the narrowest passage ways less than half my arm’s length wide.
I have the rest of my life ahead of me, and I am determined to never reach a point where it is difficult to get out of bed, or require nursing home care. God made us incredible beings, and made us to live fully and with vigor until our day’s end. The Creator also gave us freedom of choice…and our choices directly affect our health.
I realize I get passionate and up on a soap box and go on and on, so I will stop and continue this avenue of thought in the next post, where I will share how you can address insulin overproduction.

To your health!
Rita S.