Insulin has two critical roles in the body that we cannot live without,
yet it can be the root of many health problems, including diabetes.
Insulin carries sugar (glucose), fat and protein into your cells where
they are used for energy and the repair of your cells. When you eat, a
certain amount of the food will be converted into glucose and enter the
bloodstream. As the sugar levels rise, the body senses it and the
pancreas secretes insulin to lower the sugar. This is insulin's second
main function.
If you eat too much of any food, especially carbohydrates (starch and
sugar) the levels of glucose in the blood rise to very high levels. In
turn this triggers a large release of insulin from the pancreas. Your
cells will take what they need and then insulin will begin the process
of converting the excess glucose, fat and protein into fat and then put
it all away in your fat cells. By combining foods the right way for
your body, you will maintain optimum levels of insulin throughout the
day.
The best way to control insulin and fight sugar cravings is to eat
protein snacks when you are hungry or when you have severe "sweet"
cravings. Also, try to limit yourself to three carbohydrate-containing
meals per day and try to eat vegetables with most meals and snacks.
A particularly good snack is non-fat cottage cheese and salsa. The only
vegetables to avoid in the evening are corn, yellow or orange squash,
peas, beets and carrots. They have high simple carbohydrate (sugar)
content.
Good natural sources of protein for meals or snacks are:
Chicken breast
Turkey
Fish
Lean ****k
Lean Steak
7% or less Ground Beef
Egg whites
Egg Beaters
Tofu
Non-fat cottage cheese
Non-fat cheese
Non-fat cream cheese
Non-fat sour cream
Fat-free Ham or Canadian bacon
You can also try protein powder and protein bars.
I recommend Labrada ProPlete Protein powder. It is low fat, low carb
and high protein. It comes in several flavors and you can probably get
it at GNC stores or any vitamin store. It does not have artificial
sweeteners. It is sweetened with Stevia, which is all-natural and it
made from the root and leaves of the Stevia plant.
Labrada also makes good low-carb, sugar free protein bars. Other good
protein bars are Ultimate Lo-Carb, Ultimate Lo-Carb2 and Premiere
Elite. These are good as a "pretend candy bar" when you're having a
craving. Just don't over do it. The last three bars I mentioned do have
artificial sweeteners. You can find them at GNC, Trader Joe's and
many....
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