1. Insulin: The Commissioner of Energy
Gosh, I'd sure hate to waste a good meal. Wouldn't you? But what if your body could not absorb glucose, leaving you unable to use it to build your health equity, or to convert it into physical energy and stamina? Without the insulin, which is a hormone, our hungry cells wouldn't be able to use whole foods efficiently! This is energy that generously feeds our mental clarity, carries us to the market, helps us weed and hoe the garden, shovel out the garage or a pile of snow, or to play week-end warrior. In addition, insulin is vital to our body's ability to metabolize protein and fat.
2. Are You Experiencing an Energy Crisis?
Most of you know the vital role insulin plays in controlling diabetes and our overall health. Insulin is one of the essential pancreatic endocrine hormones. The hormone, produced by cells in your pancreas, allows glucose to be used as fuel by your body's cells.
Are you feeling blue, hungry, urinate often, always thirsty, have blurred vision, fatigue or weight loss? Do your wounds heal slowly? Do you experiencing dry mouth, dry or itchy skin, impotence or reoccurring infections -- specifically vaginal yeast infections -- groin rash or swimmers ear? You could be experiencing hyperglycemia, the first step towards diabetes. This would be a perfect time for a check up. If you've been diagnosed with hyperglycemia, the heartening news is that if you grab the bull by the horns now, you can possible avoid full blown Type 2 diabetes. Genetics are a factor in Type 2. Out of the 14 million people in America with Diabetes, one-third go undiagnosed.
3. Insulin: Ground Zero
In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas goes on strike and no longer makes insulin because the body's immune system has attacked and destroyed the beta cells. Type 1 Diabetes sufferers -- and some with Type 2 -- must take regular doses of insulin by injection to replace what is not being produced by their pancreas. Children with Type 1 Diabetes are 50 times more likely to have classic Celiac Disease.
There are some damaging conditions that can be caused by Type 2 Diabetes, such as kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, nerve damage and poor eyesight. When the pancreas does not produce sufficient insulin, glucose levels in the blood stream can get dangerously high. When there isn't enough insulin to go around, diabetes mellitus happens.
The pancreas produces juices that help you break down your food, and the hormone insulin that regulates how your body stores and uses food for energy.
4. Insulin's Nemesis: Processed Foods
Your diet profoundly determines whether diabetes and obesity will pay you a visit. Your ticket to wholeness is punched by your food choices and seasoned with daily aerobic exercise.
The pancreas freaks when it is nutritionally stressed by processed sugary foods, white flour, white rice, salt and white marbling. Sugars are in soft drinks, some sports drinks and OTC medicines. For decades, sugar was used to intensify and compliment the flavor of processed food, and can still be found lurking in salad dressing, gum, pasta sauces, canned soups and sliced fruits. Becoming a savvy label reader becomes more relevant, especially if you are hyperglycemic.
Excessive refined carbohydrates intake--white rice, white bread, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, sucralose, dextrose or fructose--that Americans eagerly consume, places serious stress on our pancreas' ability to produce adequate amounts of insulin. Excess processed carbs raise blood sugar levels, which wreaks havoc on our vascular system. Excess glucose is sent to the liver, where it converts into triglycerides that become body fat. So attempt to be a good steward with your fresh new preventive eating behavior. You can do it!
5. Insulin in Sports and Fitness
To a certain extent, we are all athletes. Not, however, if we have an energy crisis. Sugars in a sports drink depletes fluids and can diminish your performance.
Insulin is also a hormone used by weightlifters. Insulin slows down protein synthesis -- the creation of proteins using DNA and RNA.
Rice University research shows that regular aerobic exercise enhances insulin receptor sensitivity and protects against the development of atherosclerosis. Bodybuilders have discovered that insulin, a protein, can be used to increase muscle mass. However, insulin abuse by weightlifters can ironically cause diabetes as the body becomes insulin resistant.
