Did you know that eating things like Cheerios, pasta, bread (yes, your beloved bread), crackers, cakes and candy are more likely to raise your cholesterol and disrupt your HDL/LDL ratios than eating steak? (PS. Did you notice I called those things ‘things’ and not food?  Just seeing if you’re paying attention.)

Why do so many meat eaters along with so many vegetarians struggle with their weight?  One eats saturated animal fat while the other doesn’t and yet they both are often overweight.  Is it possible that eating fat isn't what's making people fat today?

The answer lies in what is now being referred to as the ‘master hormone’ – its name is insulin and, it’s way more important as a biomarker for health than cholesterol, HDL/LDL, or bone density.

As a matter of fact, insulin is being called the ‘longevity biomarker’ – meaning a good predictor of how long you’ll live is your insulin levels on an ongoing, daily basis.

Did you get that?  That means you can live longer (and live well) by managing your insulin production in a healthy manner.

Too much of a good thing
Insulin is an anabolic hormone, meaning it’s responsible for growth and repair – that’s a good thing … up to a point.  When there’s too much insulin produced and circulating throughout the body, the cells of the body become insulin resistant to protect themselves from being overdosed.  When that happens, a lot happens, and it’s all bad.  All chronic lifestyle diseases that dominate our culture today (heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, arthritis, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases) are either directly caused or indirectly influenced by insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance leads to the following:

• Diabetes:  Increased blood sugar from insulin resistance is the best predictor to becoming diabetic
• Suppressed immune system: Vitamin C and glucose are very similar in their biochemical structure so when there’s excess glucose (which goes hand in hand with insulin resistance), the immune system suffers.  Also, because vitamin C and insulin share the same pathway into our cells, insulin resistance by definition causes vitamin C resistance.
• Increased fat: Excess insulin and glucose result in saturated fat storage – in the blood AND the body – you get fat and your cholesterol and HDL/LDL levels go bad.
• High blood pressure from decreased magnesium levels:  (1) magnesium allows for smooth muscle relaxation; when magnesium levels are depressed, it results in chronic increase in blood pressure; (2) magnesium is also important for proper insulin production and absorption; so decreased levels of magnesium worsen insulin resistance.
• High blood pressure from increased sodium levels:  High insulin levels lead to increased sodium levels which also causes high blood pressure and fluid retention.
• Cardiovascular disease (heart attack and stroke):  Insulin stimulates the sympathetic stress response which results in raised LDL levels.
• Increased risk of cancer:  Insulin is also mytogenic – meaning it stimulates cell division; when insulin levels are abnormally high it results in abnormal cell division = cancerous cell growth.
• Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis is not caused by a deficiency in calcium – it’s a hormone and pH problem that is negatively impacted by insulin resistance.
• Thyroid problems: Hyperinsulinemia results in abnormal thyroid hormone regulation
• Dysfunctional sex hormone production:  Insulin participates in the production of cholesterol which all sex hormones are derived from.

Are you starting to get the big idea?  This is no joke.

It’s your fault
Any lifestyle behavior that you do that elevates insulin levels too quickly or keeps it high for extended periods is bad for nearly every aspect of your health.  What causes insulin levels to spike to abnormal levels?   It’s not just when you indulge in a Crispy Cream orgy or eat an entire bag of Chips Ahoy cookies.  When we eat a refined processed food diet, experience chronic stress, are sleep deprived and don’t exercise, our insulin levels rise. 

The Top Insulin Spikers:

• Refined sugar (i.e. sweets: soda pop - even diet soda, candy, energy drinks, coffee drinks - Frappuccinos, sport drinks, corn syrup - it’s in everything, usually as high fructose corn syrup)
• Refined carbohydrates (flour products - bread, pasta, muffins, cereals, crackers, cookies, cakes, etc.)  
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Chronic stress
• Sleep deprivation

The Good News: Avoiding or Reversing/Curing Insulin Resistance is Easy
Insulin resistance and all of its deadly consequences are all associated with lifestyle behaviors that can easily be avoided and/or reversed.

The Insulin Helpers

• High fiber plant-driven diet - eat lots of salads and vegetables (avoiding all grains and dairy)
• Regular consumption of quality fats and quality proteins
• Regular (daily) moderate to intense exercise
• Optimal sleep (no less than seven hours)
• Adequate water intake
• Lifestyle stress avoidance/management

In summary, virtually every hormone in the body is affected by insulin.  You can immediately improve your health and ultimately prolong your life by stepping off the insulin train right now!

You can do it!

Yours in health, Dr. Paul