You may have heard that there’s a connection between the hormone insulin and weight loss. If you haven’t, you should know it. In the end, that’s pretty much everything most people know because, unless you’ve spent a lot of time researching what’s the exact connection between dieting, weight loss, and insulin, it all can be pretty confusing.
However, if you would better understand the insulin and weight loss connection, it can actually help you boost your bodybuilding goals. It could lead to an improvement in the gym. So, you better learn more about insulin as long as you want to keep on progressing.
What is Insulin? What Does It Do?
Insulin is a hormone that is created by the pancreas and it is crucial for a lot of different functions in our bodies. The most relevant is the relationship between insulin and glucose.
Glucose is a type of sugar that is created when carbohydrates (sugar and starch) are broken down and are absorbed into your blood. I’m pretty certain you already know there are blood sugar levels. And the blood glucose levels are the same thing. So, it’s very easy – when you eat sugar or starch, your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels go up.
However, your body must work in order to regulate those levels. In case your blood glucose/sugar levels get too high for too long, your body could suffer damage. Your organs, blood vessels, and nerves can all suffer.
To avoid such damage, you need to avoid sugary products. Your body, in order to stop the blood glucose from getting too high, makes your pancreas crank into action producing insulin. Think of insulin as a microscopic Uber driver that ferries your blood glucose away out of the bloodstream. But since it must go somewhere, insulin is usually stored in muscle and fat cells for later use. If it’s not used, it stays there, thus causing the damage I caused.
Still, it does not answer the question:
How Does Insulin Affect Weight Loss?
Insulin sensitivity and fat loss are actually having a very close connection. It is important to understand that insulin is definitely a good hormone. However, you are likely to develop a condition called insulin resistance.
That’s a condition where the body needs to produce higher levels of insulin in order to get the job done. There are various reasons that could cause this problem to arise. As you can guess, it depends on your lifestyle choices. Mostly – your diet, but also your fitness level, and whether you smoke (tip: don’t).
Having too much of this hormone floating around your body, however, will hinder another very important process – lipolysis. That’s the process when your body takes fatty acids stored as body fat to use as energy. With less lipolysis, your body takes less body fat to use as energy. Of course, it makes it harder to burn fat and lose weight.
Moreover, high insulin levels will also speed up the lipogenesis process. The process in which the fat from the bloodstream is moved into fat cells. In short, lipogenesis creates fat, lipolysis burns fat!
Still, you should not be worried or scared of insulin. It is actually a very important and crucial hormone in keeping your body ticking over. What you do need to avoid, however, is too high insulin levels. You should ensure that you keep the insulin levels in proper balance. Without enough of this hormone, you’re getting on the other spectrum of issues because there are no “Uber drivers” to transport blood glucose to organs requiring it (such as the brain or heart among others!)
But if you’re overweight or struggling to lose fat, you’re unlikely to go into hypoglycemia (low blood glucose).
How To Lower Insulin? (Which Helps Weight Loss)
Eat Fewer Carbs!
As said, carbs are broken down by the body into sugar. If you want to lower insulin, you need to eat fewer carbs. Carbohydrates are able to raise your blood glucose levels far more than proteins or fats can. If you consume fewer foods full of carbs, your body will generate less blood glucose. This means that there’s less insulin required to process it. So, the fatty acids won’t be drawn from your cells. That’s why a low carb diet usually helps shed fat and lose weight easily. It’ll keep your insulin levels at bay.
Keep Your Portions Small
I mean, it’s obvious that if you want to lose weight, you need to keep smaller portions. But you should know that huge portions are also likely going to keep your insulin levels high! Chucking down huge portions of food is a sure way to spike your insulin resistance over time. That’s because your body needs to produce more and more insulin to deal with that massive amount of food. It’ll surely hinder your weight loss goals. Control your portions!
Try Apple Cider Vinegar
I know there are a lot of myths around apple cider vinegar. Yet, lots of benefits you can hear about it are true. Studies prove that only two tablespoons of this fluid can prevent a spike in your blood sugar and, thus insulin levels post-meal. Plus, it may help you feel full for longer. That’s because those studies indicate that apple cider vinegar can delay the emptying of your stomach. The sugars you consume will be absorbed in a more gradual and controlled way.
Ditch The Sugar
Pretty sure you’ve heard about it previously. Want to burn fat and lose weight? Forget about the sugar. But why exactly? Because of insulin! If you try to lower your insulin for weight loss, you just can’t go for those sugary drinks and foods anymore. Studies indicate that people consuming sugary foods/drinks will have way bigger spikes in blood glucose levels than people who opt for alternative snacks. High blood glucose levels? High insulin levels. As said, it hinders lipolysis and promotes lipogenesis.
Intermittent Fasting
Pretty sure you’ve heard about intermittent fasting by now. If you’ve never really understood it, it’s time to learn about it more. A lot of dietitians prove that patients can achieve perfect weight loss results by simply consuming their meals within a narrow window of time every day. That’s because, according to studies, intermittent fasting will likely cause a drop in insulin levels of up to a whopping 57% over a three week period only!
Green Tea
Similar to apple cider vinegar, green tea seems like a wonder drink with almost too-good-to-be-true benefits. However, it does actually have a lot of benefits. Green tea is full of antioxidants which are very important to combat insulin resistance. Lack of antioxidants is the reason why a lot of people find their insulin levels spike up, hindering their weight loss progress. This drink can increase your sensitivity to insulin. This means that your body will need to produce less of it in order to do the necessary job.
Exercise
I know… I know… It already sounds like a cliche. But that’s all actually helpful! You are probably the person who is already exercising. Hell, if you’re researching how to lower insulin levels you’re likely to be on top of your fitness. What I’m trying to say is – you should not stop! Stick to your exercise regimen. A sedentary lifestyle will certainly cause insulin to spike! People who are constantly active will require far less insulin! By the way, that’s one of the reasons why scientists say that you should move after mealtimes – it’ll help lower this hormone’s levels.
Add Salmon and Other Fatty Fish
Almost any diet involves fish and almost any dietician will recommend you eat fish. There are numerous reasons for that. And Salmon is a perfect option. It is a perfect source of protein and omega 3s fatty acids. These are extremely important for lots of internal processes, one of which is to keep your insulin at a good level. Other fatty fish you can look for include herring, mackerel, anchovies, and sardines. Fish oil supplements will also help. But a tasty meal, full of other nutrients and proteins that you can get from an actual fish is way better.
Consume Protein, in Moderation
You need to make sure that your protein sources are optimal if you want to keep insulin in the normal range. For example, avoid dairy protein as it could increase your insulin if consumed in large amounts. You should ensure that the proteins you consume are from lean meats or fish. On the other hand, dairy and beef proteins are highly delicious, but they can spike your insulin.
Insulin: The Bottom Line
Now you have a list of important things you can do in order to lower your insulin. Follow them and you’re sure to lower the insulin, thus accelerating weight loss processes. Moreover, it’s important to understand that insulin does not make you fat. However, high insulin levels can impede your fat burning and weight loss goals. What you should do is avoid consuming the wrong foods. Keep an eye on your diet and continue exercising.
In the end, if you really want to induce lipolysis (fat burning) and stay away from fat gain, you should consider adding the right anabolic steroids to your regimen. At Supps-For-Life.to you won’t just find the best quality anabolic steroids for sale online, you can learn how to use them right, which ones you need for your goals, be it cutting or bulking including numerous other important information.
- Supps-For-Life.to is everything you may need to achieve your bodybuilding goals. We’ll try our best to help you with your needs.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.