A quick review.

In Part 1 of Secrets of Weight loss, I gave you an overview of some of the sound and safe basic concepts of weight loss. The first is that it is easier to get leaner when the weather is warming rather than cooling. The second insight is insulin management which is the major focus of this part. The third is the essential importance of high-quality animal protein to protect and enhance your lean body mass: your muscles, your bones, your organs and the fluids of your body. The fourth is full-body aerobic exercise, specifically, walking with Heavy Hands – there is no more effective way to stimulate your metabolism. The fifth is water. Getting and staying well hydrated keeps your liver clean. The sixth is getting and staying well rested. Chronic exhaustion releases cortisol – a powerful stress hormone that encourages fat storage and the burning of your lean body mass – your muscles and bones. Chronic exhaustion leads to a fat, flabby body. Welcome to America. The seventh is healthy fat – especially omega-3 fat – the most essential fat. Our body’s hunger for essential fat leads to fat hunger and leads to the massive ingestion of toxic fats like French fries – sugar deep fat fried in toxic, pro-inflammatory omega-6 fat. Eighth, keep your house clean. If it is in your house, you WILL eat it. And lastly, never shop hungry. The vast majority of what you find in a grocery store is toxic and incredibly fattening. Notice the overpowering smell of sugar from the bakery section and the vast array candy- bar minefield you have to negotiate to check out. 

It is not news that overweight, obesity and diabetes are in epidemic proportions in America. Of the seven largest, most prosperous economies in the world, (the G7) the United States is the unhealthiest and has the shortest life expectancy. With a few basic understandings, you can change that. As you will see, it is simple and straightforward. Notice: I did not say easy. You are a salmon swimming upstream against a strong current. 

My message? You can do it – lose weight (fat), get lean, toned and become more attractive. I will teach you how as I have since 1979 for thousands of Americans. The main focus of this part is insulin management.

What is insulin? Why should you care? 

Insulin is a hormone. Insulin is the most powerful fat-storing hormone in your body. Anything that raises your level of the hormone insulin encourages your body to get fat. Secondly, the hormone insulin blocks your body’s ability to burn fat. Simply put, anytime the insulin level in your blood is elevated at all, your body will not be able to burn fat. At all. Insulin creates a one-way gate into your fat cells, gates like those spiked grates at the rental car return centers at airports that say, “Do Not Back Up!”.

When the level of insulin in your blood is elevated, no fat is getting out of your fat cells. None. And no fat will get out to be burned until the level of your insulin drops to a very low level. The sad truth is that the vast majority of Americans are NEVER burning fat. They are only storing fat. 24 hours a day. 

As you begin to understand the power of insulin in light of what the conventional wisdom for a supposedly healthy American diet is, you begin to get angry. 

Let’s review the basics. If even slightly elevated insulin is fattening, what raises insulin? There is an index that has been around for decades. It is called the Glycemic Load Index. It is an extensive list of foods that raise insulin. You can find the Glycemic Load Index on Google in a matter of seconds. It is no secret. As you scan the list of foods, something might strike you. There are no fats on the list. Aren’t fats fattening? Fats, in fact, do not raise insulin. Ever. The glycemic load of a fried egg is zero. The glycemic load for a ribeye steak is zero.

If your goal is weight (fat) loss, then your strategy is to minimize the release of insulin and to maximize fat burning. As you just saw above, the ideal weight (fat) diet consists of a combination of healthy fat and high-quality animal protein.

As you know, I recommend adding leafy greens to your diet to feed your biome (your gut bacteria) among other reasons. Leafy greens typically have a glycemic load of zero, 1, 2 or 3. Adding olive oil and/or avocado oil and salt to a salad will only bring down the glycemic load even further.

The following is a partial list of some truly healthy carbohydrates and their Glycemic Load Scores: asparagus 0.6, broccoli 0.5, cauliflower 0.3, cucumber 0.4, endive 0.0, spinach 0.3, squash 0.7, string beans 1.1, zucchini 0.3.

On the other hand, let’s take a quick look at some carbohydrates which highly recommended by conventional wisdom. Again, remember our glycemic load goal is zero, 1, 2, or no more than 3. Starting with oatmeal 12, banana 14, red beans 18, corn tortilla 23, wheat bread 34, wild rice 34, flat bread 39, oatmeal cookie 39, durum wheat semolina (spaghetti) 42, bagels 48, crackers 50, raisins 52, corn flakes 55, white rice 56, instant potatoes 66, brown sugar 68, and rice cakes 70.

Then realize that the above glycemic load scores are not isolated foods. Many carbohydrates on the above list are staples in the American diet. Americans eat large quantities of many of these foods’ multiple times every day. Once the light of realization clicks on, it becomes obvious why the vast majority of Americans are storing fat 24 hours a day. 

One secret is just how bad the nutrition advice given to Americans really is. Another is that the vast majority of what is found in an American grocery store and fills the inner aisles are these High Glycemic Load foods. You have to work hard to eat a healthy diet in America.

Eating high glycemic load carbohydrates means your blood sugar is chronically low, you are constantly hungry and craving sweet foods, and you are often depressed and anxious.

Like I have said so many times: the answer is simple but not easy. High glycemic load foods give your brain a dopamine rush which leads to addiction. 90% of all Americans are addicted to high glycemic load foods for life. Their body does not lie. All we have to do is simply look around. 

I will teach you how to overcome this.

You can do it.
I will help you.
Joe

Photo by Diana Polekhina