Metabolic X Syndrome, Insulin Resistance, Diabetes and the Glycemic Index
If you are overweight or obese, your body's insulin production will function differently to people who have healthy bodies. The excess fat tissues cause your body to resist the natural actions of insulin.
As you eat foods that rank high on the glycemic index i.e. foods that virtually inject glucose directly into your bloodstream, your pancreas will work hard to try and keep up by producing an ever-increasing amount of insulin. As a result, too much hormone insulin is produced and once so much insulin is present it has nowhere to go and slowly but surely to begins to create all sorts of problems for your body not least of which is Type 2 diabetes.
Did you know that there are about 16 million people that have Type 2 Diabetes today and the problem seems to be getting worse since around a third of that number have developed the illness in the last 10 years. If that doesn't scare you then perhaps the potential consequences of diabetes may such as kidney damage or amputation of toes or legs.
Sufferers of Type 2 Diabetes are also at increased risk of developing heart disease, obesity and cancer.
One effective way of protecting yourself from developing insulin resistance and diabetes is to manage your diet using the glycemic index since it was developed specifically for sufferers of diabetes. Keeping your diet focused on low GI foods will ensure that your body's secretion of hormone insulin is maintained at a steady level.
Elevated glucose levels are serious, especially if these conditions are maintained over a long period. Even if these levels don't rise high enough to be classified as diabetes, the glucose can still interfere with the proper functioning of your body's natural processes.
Scientists are just now recognizing that a combination of symptoms work together to warn you of the future possible development of diabetes in your body. These symptoms are known collectively as Metabolic X Syndrome and can include the following:
Elevated blood pressure
Elevated level of triglycerides
Low level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) which is a good cholesterol
obesity
Resistance to insulin
All these conditions work closely together and is a good example of how the bodies' processes are so interdependent. For example, increased insulin raises triglycerides levels which in turn creates a higher risk developing heart disease and stroke. Excess insulin also impedes the functioning of the kidneys, which in turn can lead to high blood pressure.
I don't know about you but if following the glycemic index is an effective way of managing the secretion of hormone insulin and moderating the glycemic response of the food you eat, and in so doing reduce the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease or stroke, I for one would not hesitate in using glycemic index and assign it a more prominent role in my diet.
The benefits are quite overwhelming; you will get your weight under control and simultaneously battle numerous weight-related health problems that plague our nation today.
As you eat foods that rank high on the glycemic index i.e. foods that virtually inject glucose directly into your bloodstream, your pancreas will work hard to try and keep up by producing an ever-increasing amount of insulin. As a result, too much hormone insulin is produced and once so much insulin is present it has nowhere to go and slowly but surely to begins to create all sorts of problems for your body not least of which is Type 2 diabetes.
Did you know that there are about 16 million people that have Type 2 Diabetes today and the problem seems to be getting worse since around a third of that number have developed the illness in the last 10 years. If that doesn't scare you then perhaps the potential consequences of diabetes may such as kidney damage or amputation of toes or legs.
Sufferers of Type 2 Diabetes are also at increased risk of developing heart disease, obesity and cancer.
One effective way of protecting yourself from developing insulin resistance and diabetes is to manage your diet using the glycemic index since it was developed specifically for sufferers of diabetes. Keeping your diet focused on low GI foods will ensure that your body's secretion of hormone insulin is maintained at a steady level.
Elevated glucose levels are serious, especially if these conditions are maintained over a long period. Even if these levels don't rise high enough to be classified as diabetes, the glucose can still interfere with the proper functioning of your body's natural processes.
Scientists are just now recognizing that a combination of symptoms work together to warn you of the future possible development of diabetes in your body. These symptoms are known collectively as Metabolic X Syndrome and can include the following:
Elevated blood pressure
Elevated level of triglycerides
Low level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) which is a good cholesterol
obesity
Resistance to insulin
All these conditions work closely together and is a good example of how the bodies' processes are so interdependent. For example, increased insulin raises triglycerides levels which in turn creates a higher risk developing heart disease and stroke. Excess insulin also impedes the functioning of the kidneys, which in turn can lead to high blood pressure.
I don't know about you but if following the glycemic index is an effective way of managing the secretion of hormone insulin and moderating the glycemic response of the food you eat, and in so doing reduce the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease or stroke, I for one would not hesitate in using glycemic index and assign it a more prominent role in my diet.
The benefits are quite overwhelming; you will get your weight under control and simultaneously battle numerous weight-related health problems that plague our nation today.
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