Losing weight can be like an unsolved jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces. This was the case for a 43 year old patient I saw recently who was extremely frustrated with her inability to lose weight and I could relate to her sincerity, as she had really done her best!
She went to the gym regularly, counted her calories and did not eat junk foods. I said to her “well let’s do some blood tests to check your metabolism as there has to be a reason why you can’t lose the weight”. I ordered a 2 hour glucose tolerance test with insulin levels so that we could see how her body reacted to a sugar load with accurate measurements of her blood sugar and insulin levels in the fasting state and at hourly intervals. The results were clear and categorical – she had
Syndrome X which is also known as insulin resistance.
Although her blood sugar levels remained normal, her insulin levels were very high. Her fasting insulin was over 16 and her one hour insulin level was 160 and her 2 hour insulin level was 120. In those who have normal insulin metabolism the insulin levels should never go above 70 and the fasting insulin should not go above 10. She was relieved to know that there was a cause for her weight problem that we could rectify to change her metabolism from fat storing to fat burning. Indeed she was so relieved that she cried and became very emotional.
The condition of Syndrome X, or high insulin levels, is the most common reason why people cannot control their weight!
Why do high insulin levels make us overweight?
The reasons are several and include-
- Insulin is a powerful fat storing hormone
- High insulin levels reduce the production of fat burning hormones in our body
- High insulin levels make blood sugar levels unstable and make us tired
- High insulin levels often go along with leptin resistance, which makes us hungry, especially for carbohydrate foods
I explained to her that we had to get her insulin levels down into the normal range otherwise it would be impossible for her to lose the excess weight.
Plan to lower insulin levels
- Use a supplement to help insulin to work better – Glicemic Balance Capsules are designed to improve the function of insulin and to stabilize blood sugar levels – this will lower insulin and promote fat burning. Take one to two capsules of Glicemic Balance with every meal. Glicemic Balance contains the herbs Bitter melon and Gymnema with chromium, carnitine, lipoic acid, selenium and magnesium.
- Exercise regularly. Go for a brisk walk every day. Take up a sport such as golf or tennis, use a personal trainer, join a gym or use some hand weights to strengthen your upper body.
- Eat first class protein three times daily. Good sources of first class protein are- Fresh lean red and white meats, poultry, eggs, seafood and cheese. Another option that’s very healthy is to combine raw nuts, raw seeds, and legumes (beans, peas, lentils) at the same meal. Protein does not elevate blood sugar or insulin levels and it helps to keep you feeling full.
- Eat raw vegetables everyday, as these foods help your liver to burn fat and are essential for healthy weight loss. The liver is the major fat-burning organ in your body. Syndrome X can lead to a fatty liver and if you have a fatty liver you will benefit from a good liver tonic.
- Do not eat carbohydrates by themselves – always have some protein at the same time – as this will reduce the rise in insulin after a meal. Insulin is a fat-storing hormone. Protein has minimal effect on insulin levels.
- Don’t follow a low-fat low-calorie diet – diets like this will lower your metabolic rate, so that when you come off the diet, and start to eat normally, you will put on weight more rapidly than before.
- Don’t take weight loss stimulant drugs to lose weight, as once you come off them, your metabolic rate will slow down causing easy weight gain.
- Be careful with dietary fat but don’t be too paranoid about it either! Healthy dietary fats are essential because your cell membranes and cellular energy factories are made from essential fatty acids. You need healthy cell membranes to have an efficient metabolism. If you do not eat any fat, you may suffer with fatigue and hormonal deficiencies, which will make it harder to exercise and keep motivated. If you avoid all fats and replace them with sugar and excess carbohydrates, your insulin will turn this carbohydrate into body fat – yes you can get very fat on a fat-free diet!
- Naturally acidic foods such as apple cider vinegar (great as part of a slimming salad dressing with cold pressed oil) and tart tasting fruits (green apples, many berries, citrus fruits, kiwi fruit, rhubarb etc.) can help with weight loss, as they lower insulin levels after a meal.
- Spices – such as curry, chili, cinnamon, turmeric, garlic, oregano, rosemary, tarragon, basil, thyme, coriander, chives, cumin, nutmeg, cloves, saffron, galangal, ginger, wasabi, aniseed, cardamom, fennel, fenugreek, chervil, bay leaves, mustard seed, pepper, parsley, paprika, cayenne, horseradish, mint, dill, sage, lemon-grass, are helpful aids for weight loss. This is because they speed up the metabolic rate and improve the circulation of blood to the fat cells. Many of these herbs are beneficial for the liver function and some have been shown to lower blood sugar levels.
- Avoid sugar, pastries, muffins, cakes, cookies, donuts, breakfast cereals, dried fruits, sodas, fruit juices and high sugar desserts.
Don’t run on empty, if you become fatigued and hungry you will be more likely to eat high carbohydrate processed foods, which will slow down your metabolism.
Hidden problems, especially Syndrome X, often sabotage even our best efforts to lose weight and they must be overcome. Otherwise it can be impossible to lose weight and to keep it off. Losing weight does not have to be a battle if you have the knowledge to overcome these problems. Losing weight effectively depends on know how, not on will power.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not designed to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.
