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Controlling Insulin With Diet
Taken from "Muscular Development*Fitness*Health"
IF YOU'RE NOT A DIABETIC why worry about insulin? If you're reading this magazine there's probably a good reason. There are four major anabolic hormones: testosterone, growth hormone, thyroid hormone and insulin. Your body can manufacture these hormones as well as manage their levels to create a highly anabolic environment without you going near a syringe. Insulin seems to be the least under-stood of the bunch because it has a very unique characteristic. Depending upon how it's managed, insulin can either enhance muscle building or contribute to fat storage--same hormone, drastically different results. It all depends on what you eat and when. If I'm making this sound casual, I don't mean to. Insulin regulation, function and its management is unbelievably complicated. Doctors specialize in it, universities and major drug companies endow studies on it and scientists spend a lifetime researching it. Even so, all a bodybuilder needs to do is follow a few simple rules to effectively manage this powerful hormone.
INSULIN RULE #1: Food choices directly regulate insulin. Insulin's job is to remove nutrients from the blood and make them available to various tissues of the body. For example, when carbohydrates are eaten, digestion breaks them down into simple sugars (glucose) in the small intestine, then the sugars ale absorbed into the bloodstream. When this newly absorbed glucose enters the bloodstream the pancreas secretes insulin to transport the glucose to various body tissues. The amount of insulin secreted is directly related to the amount of glucose available in the blood at any one time. Different carbohydrates will elicit a different insulin response. this response is charted on a graph called the glycemic index. Simple carbohydrates such as potato, white bread, sugars, grape juice, etc., cause a rapid and high insulin response and rate high on the glycemic index. While complex carbohydrates such as yams, beans and pasta, that cause the body to produce little insulin, rate low on the glycemic index. Straight glucose rates 100 while fats rate about one. All other foods fall in between depending upon how they affect blood glucose and subsequently insulin response.
INSULIN RULE #2: Consume high glycemic foods or drinks immediately after and during exercise for maximum anabolic effect. High glycemic foods quickly load the blood with glucose causing a tremendous burst of insulin. Elevated insulin levels can be anti-catabolic and anabolic because insulin enhances the transport of amino acids particularly branch chained amino acids--into muscle, preventing muscle protein breakdown. Glycogen synthesis is also dependent upon insulin to drive glucose into the muscle to further aid recovering muscle tissue. This creates the perfect anabolic environment to aid in the growth and repair of this tissue while the body recuperates from the stress of intense resistance training.
To further sweeten the deal, studies show that the body's ability to absorb nutrients is significantly elevated for up to 90 minutes post exercise. Since a function of insulin is to shuttle glucose and amino acids--again, especially branch chain amino acids--into muscle tissue, elevated insulin levels from high glycemic foods post exercise can enhance protein synthesis as well as prevent muscle protein break-down. When exercising, simple muscle contractions directly utilize blood glucose for energy without the aid of insulin. Since insulin levels are sup-pressed during exercise the body can use available glucose from your sports drink for immediate energy.
INSULIN RULE #3: Eat low glycemic foods before training and throughout the day. Low glycemic foods convert to glucose slowly, preventing wild fluctuations in insulin release. This results in sustained energy and prevents hypoglycemia. Glucose is the body's main energy source. Elevated insulin scavenges most of the glucose from the blood, leaving little for energy. This is what's known as hypoglycemia or "insulin crash." The body's next logical move at this point is to cause hunger pangs, signaling you to eat and replenish the energy supply, and to slowdown--even sleep to conserve what little glucose you have left. Eating small, low glycemic meals throughout the day keep insulin levels under control. This provides the perfect environment to nourish growing muscle tissue, sustain energy, as well as burn fat.
INSULIN RULE #4: Beware high glycemic foods can make you fat. Rapidly elevated insulin levels during the day affect the appetite control centers in your brain via direct hormone response. Ravenous hunger pangs are the result, signaling you to eat more than you would if insulin fluctuation were kept in check. This can be the beginning of a vicious cycle that would have you eat many more calories than you expend: A tried-and-true method for maximum fat storage.
The next problem you may encounter is even worse. This is where the whole thing gets dicey. As stated above, the only useful time to eat high glycemic foods is during and immediately after training. But, if you include fat with a high glycemic meal, all that newly liberated insulin will drive the fat right into your fat cells. That's why a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on white bread is perhaps the most lethal combination for optimum fat storage. At well over 50 grams of fat with ultra-high glycemic grape jelly and refined white bread, this combination is tailor made to help the body do what it does best--store fat!
All animal protein contains some fat, regardless of how lean. Low glycemic meals can be had quite easily simply by combining lean protein with low glycemic complex carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, beans and pasta. The fat found in most animal protein averages down the glycemic index of the meal. This is fine as long as the complex carbohydrates you include elicit a low insulin response. As you can see the premise is quite simple; be aware that all foods are not created equal. Take advantage of the body's enhanced ability to absorb nutrients post exercise by consuming non-fat, high glycemic foods for maximum recovery and anabolic effect. Then, eat foods that stimulate a low insulin response throughout the day to maintain consistent blood glucose levels, sustain energy, prevent hypoglycemia and curb your appetite. And, since exercise sup-presses insulin, you always have the option of drinking high glycemic sports drinks during exercise for energy. You can get really technical and find a glycemic index in a food almanac and create low fat combinations that are extremely low glycemic. What may be more difficult is finding a non-fat, high glycemic combination for your post training meal that's a little more appetizing than non-fat cottage cheese and a plain baked potato. Naturally I have a suggestion...
Hyper Insulin Crepes:
16 ounces non-fat cottage cheese
6 egg whites
10 packets Sweet One sweetener
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons strawberry preserves
Beat sweetener with egg whites in a mixing bowl. Add the cottage cheese and cornstarch. Mix well. Then add vanilla and cinnamon and mix to incorporate. Spray a small non-stick pan with cooking spray. Add one-sixth of the mixture (about 1/3 cup), and spread evenly by rocking the pan from side to side. Cook covered over low heat, about 3 to 4 minutes. Gently remove and place on a plate. Keep each crepe warm in a 200-degree oven while repeating the process five more times using the remaining mixture. Spread 1 tablespoon of the preserves on half of each crepe and roll it up.
Servings. 6
Calories. 180
Protein: 15g
Carbohydrates 30g
Fat 0g
This meal causes such an insulin burst that find myself nodding off afterwards from the crash. Nothing could be better; a nap is the perfect thing after intense training.
Taken from "Muscular Development*Fitness*Health"
IF YOU'RE NOT A DIABETIC why worry about insulin? If you're reading this magazine there's probably a good reason. There are four major anabolic hormones: testosterone, growth hormone, thyroid hormone and insulin. Your body can manufacture these hormones as well as manage their levels to create a highly anabolic environment without you going near a syringe. Insulin seems to be the least under-stood of the bunch because it has a very unique characteristic. Depending upon how it's managed, insulin can either enhance muscle building or contribute to fat storage--same hormone, drastically different results. It all depends on what you eat and when. If I'm making this sound casual, I don't mean to. Insulin regulation, function and its management is unbelievably complicated. Doctors specialize in it, universities and major drug companies endow studies on it and scientists spend a lifetime researching it. Even so, all a bodybuilder needs to do is follow a few simple rules to effectively manage this powerful hormone.
INSULIN RULE #1: Food choices directly regulate insulin. Insulin's job is to remove nutrients from the blood and make them available to various tissues of the body. For example, when carbohydrates are eaten, digestion breaks them down into simple sugars (glucose) in the small intestine, then the sugars ale absorbed into the bloodstream. When this newly absorbed glucose enters the bloodstream the pancreas secretes insulin to transport the glucose to various body tissues. The amount of insulin secreted is directly related to the amount of glucose available in the blood at any one time. Different carbohydrates will elicit a different insulin response. this response is charted on a graph called the glycemic index. Simple carbohydrates such as potato, white bread, sugars, grape juice, etc., cause a rapid and high insulin response and rate high on the glycemic index. While complex carbohydrates such as yams, beans and pasta, that cause the body to produce little insulin, rate low on the glycemic index. Straight glucose rates 100 while fats rate about one. All other foods fall in between depending upon how they affect blood glucose and subsequently insulin response.
INSULIN RULE #2: Consume high glycemic foods or drinks immediately after and during exercise for maximum anabolic effect. High glycemic foods quickly load the blood with glucose causing a tremendous burst of insulin. Elevated insulin levels can be anti-catabolic and anabolic because insulin enhances the transport of amino acids particularly branch chained amino acids--into muscle, preventing muscle protein breakdown. Glycogen synthesis is also dependent upon insulin to drive glucose into the muscle to further aid recovering muscle tissue. This creates the perfect anabolic environment to aid in the growth and repair of this tissue while the body recuperates from the stress of intense resistance training.
To further sweeten the deal, studies show that the body's ability to absorb nutrients is significantly elevated for up to 90 minutes post exercise. Since a function of insulin is to shuttle glucose and amino acids--again, especially branch chain amino acids--into muscle tissue, elevated insulin levels from high glycemic foods post exercise can enhance protein synthesis as well as prevent muscle protein break-down. When exercising, simple muscle contractions directly utilize blood glucose for energy without the aid of insulin. Since insulin levels are sup-pressed during exercise the body can use available glucose from your sports drink for immediate energy.
INSULIN RULE #3: Eat low glycemic foods before training and throughout the day. Low glycemic foods convert to glucose slowly, preventing wild fluctuations in insulin release. This results in sustained energy and prevents hypoglycemia. Glucose is the body's main energy source. Elevated insulin scavenges most of the glucose from the blood, leaving little for energy. This is what's known as hypoglycemia or "insulin crash." The body's next logical move at this point is to cause hunger pangs, signaling you to eat and replenish the energy supply, and to slowdown--even sleep to conserve what little glucose you have left. Eating small, low glycemic meals throughout the day keep insulin levels under control. This provides the perfect environment to nourish growing muscle tissue, sustain energy, as well as burn fat.
INSULIN RULE #4: Beware high glycemic foods can make you fat. Rapidly elevated insulin levels during the day affect the appetite control centers in your brain via direct hormone response. Ravenous hunger pangs are the result, signaling you to eat more than you would if insulin fluctuation were kept in check. This can be the beginning of a vicious cycle that would have you eat many more calories than you expend: A tried-and-true method for maximum fat storage.
The next problem you may encounter is even worse. This is where the whole thing gets dicey. As stated above, the only useful time to eat high glycemic foods is during and immediately after training. But, if you include fat with a high glycemic meal, all that newly liberated insulin will drive the fat right into your fat cells. That's why a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on white bread is perhaps the most lethal combination for optimum fat storage. At well over 50 grams of fat with ultra-high glycemic grape jelly and refined white bread, this combination is tailor made to help the body do what it does best--store fat!
All animal protein contains some fat, regardless of how lean. Low glycemic meals can be had quite easily simply by combining lean protein with low glycemic complex carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, beans and pasta. The fat found in most animal protein averages down the glycemic index of the meal. This is fine as long as the complex carbohydrates you include elicit a low insulin response. As you can see the premise is quite simple; be aware that all foods are not created equal. Take advantage of the body's enhanced ability to absorb nutrients post exercise by consuming non-fat, high glycemic foods for maximum recovery and anabolic effect. Then, eat foods that stimulate a low insulin response throughout the day to maintain consistent blood glucose levels, sustain energy, prevent hypoglycemia and curb your appetite. And, since exercise sup-presses insulin, you always have the option of drinking high glycemic sports drinks during exercise for energy. You can get really technical and find a glycemic index in a food almanac and create low fat combinations that are extremely low glycemic. What may be more difficult is finding a non-fat, high glycemic combination for your post training meal that's a little more appetizing than non-fat cottage cheese and a plain baked potato. Naturally I have a suggestion...
Hyper Insulin Crepes:
16 ounces non-fat cottage cheese
6 egg whites
10 packets Sweet One sweetener
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons strawberry preserves
Beat sweetener with egg whites in a mixing bowl. Add the cottage cheese and cornstarch. Mix well. Then add vanilla and cinnamon and mix to incorporate. Spray a small non-stick pan with cooking spray. Add one-sixth of the mixture (about 1/3 cup), and spread evenly by rocking the pan from side to side. Cook covered over low heat, about 3 to 4 minutes. Gently remove and place on a plate. Keep each crepe warm in a 200-degree oven while repeating the process five more times using the remaining mixture. Spread 1 tablespoon of the preserves on half of each crepe and roll it up.
Servings. 6
Calories. 180
Protein: 15g
Carbohydrates 30g
Fat 0g
This meal causes such an insulin burst that find myself nodding off afterwards from the crash. Nothing could be better; a nap is the perfect thing after intense training.
