Got lots of belly fat?
What is insulin?
Insulin is an anabolic hormone, which means it is responsible for building things up - like putting glucose and amino acids into our cells. It's sister hormone, glucagon, is responsible for breaking things down - opening the fat cells and releasing their contents as needed. Together, their main job is to maintain blood sugar within the tightly regulated range it needs to be to keep your metabolic machinery running smoothly.
How does it work?
When you eat food it mixes with acids and enzymes and is broken down into smaller molecules. The nutrients are then absorbed through the intestinal wall into the portal vein which carries them into the liver. As they pass through the portal vein en route to the liver, the pancreas responds by secreting insulin, the larger the amount of carbohydrate, the larger the release of insulin.
What is Insulin Resistance?
Insulin resistance makes losing weight very difficult and is a risk factor for heart disease and diabetes. It develops when the muscle cells won't accept any more sugar - they have become resistant to the effects of insulin and won't let insulin push the sugar into them.
If this situation continues, the level of blood sugar rises, the pancreas pumps out yet more insulin and so it goes on, the end result being type 2 diabetes.
What are the signs of Insulin Resistance? In men, having a waist measurement of more than 102cm and in women a waist measurement greater than 88cm is an indication that you may be insulin resistant. This is because you are storing excess fat in the most dangerous place – your abdominal cavity.
Simply having a waist measurement over 88cm in women and 102cm in men makes your body less sensitive to insulin, with the result that the glucose isn’t transported into the cells and is left floating around in your blood.
High levels of sugar in your bloodstream age your body – diabetes ages you one and a half years for every year you live.
Insulin prevents you from losing fat: Insulin isn't only responsible for getting sugar into the cells and out of the bloodstream, it is also responsible for getting fat into the cells and keeping it there. Insulin actually prevents fat burning. By lowering insulin levels you open the doors of the fat cells and allow the body to release fat.
Insulin resistance is more likely to occur in overweight, sedentary people who eat excess carbohydrates.
Reduce your risk factors with regular exercise and reduction of body fat. Insulin sensitivity always improves when you lose weight. Insulin resistance is often referred to as
Syndrome X
The information herein on our website is general information provided for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional care. It is not intended nor should it be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Persons who have or suspect they may have an illness or medical condition should seek the guidance of a qualified health professional.
