Insulin Index - Controlling Your Insulin

TAKE CONTROL OF INSULIN

Techniques To Control Your Anabolic Hormone - Insulin
Let's start with some meal combinations to avoid.

Avoid meals containing fats and carbs
Unfortunately, this is the typical meal of the Western diet. As a result, it's no wonder that obesity is an epidemic. Meals with a high carbohydrate content in combination with high-fat meals can actually promote a synergistic insulin release when compared to the two alone. High fat with high-carb meals represent the worst possible case scenario.

Now, some people have argued that fat lowers the glycaemic index of foods and should therefore be included in carb meals. But remember, the glycaemic index only gives a measure of glucose response to a meal, not insulin response. And sometimes the glucose responses to a meal and the insulin responses to a meal aren't well correlated. So although you might be slowing the rate of glucose absorption into the blood by adding fat to your meals, you'll promote high blood levels of fats, carbs, and insulin. And that's a big mistake in building a phenomenal physique and optimal health.

Avoid meals high in carbs alone
Ironically, since the liver converts excess carbohydrates into fats, a very high carbohydrate meal can actually lead to a blood profile that looks like you just ate a high carb and high-fat meal! That's why high-carb only diets don't work any better than ones rich in fats and carbs. High carb meals easily promote high blood levels of fats, carbs, and insulin, too. This, as stated will be deleterious to you physique endeavors. Again this is the typical high grain, high carb, low fat diet proported and touted by so many expert nutritionists in the world. Who themselves appear quite tubby and far from Dorian Yates like.

Okay, so now that we know which meal combinations are not conductive to improved physical status. Let's be proactive and talk about what meal combinations to concentrate on.

Eat meals containing protein and carbs (with minimal fat)
It's well known in the research world that eating carbs and protein together also creates a synergistic insulin release (much like the fat and carb meals above). But in this scenario, that insulin release is just what we want. By having a few meals per day that cause high blood levels of insulin, carbs, and amino acids (as long you don't have chronic high blood levels of insulin all day long), the body tends to become very anabolic, taking up all those carbs and amino acids into the muscle cells for protein and glycogen synthesis. And since there's no excess fat for the fat cells, fat gain is minimized.

Obviously this combination is beneficial during the post-workout period, but in addition you might want one or two additional insulin spikes per day to promote anabolism during a mass phase. Again, as long as you aren't elevating insulin all day long, you won't become insulin resistant. Short bursts of insulin elevation seem to play a critical role in proper metabolism of your nutrients. Constant, day long, insulin elevation, however has the reverse effects.

At this point some may argue that although this scenario might not promote fat gain, those high insulin levels will prevent fat breakdown (lipolysis). And they're completely correct! But you have to understand that most meals (unless they contain only certain types of protein) will elevate insulin levels to the point that lipolysis is prevented anyway. This is a very important piece of information that you should be aware of.

Eat meals containing protein and fat (with minimal carbs)
Although it's desirable to eat some meals each day that release lots of insulin, up regulate protein synthesis, and fill up carb stores, it's advisable to avoid too many such meals. I discussed the reasons for this above (reduced insulin sensitivity and prevention of fat burning), but also, since we all know that essential fatty acids are so important to health and favorable body composition, eating protein and carb meals all day will prevent the ingestion of healthy fats. And that's not good. Refer to the section on fats to understand more about how essential they are to your body.

In an attempt to balance out your two or three carb plus protein (minimal fat) meals each day, you should be eating an additional two to three meals consisting of protein and fat with minimal carbs. Taking in 30% of each major class of fatty acids (polyunsaturates, monounsaturates, saturates) is a good mass building tip when thinking about which fats to consume.

Taking a step back, the purpose of protein plus fat meals is to provide energy and amino acids without causing large, lipolysis-preventing insulin spikes. In addition, after fatty meals that contain no carbs, the body oxidizes less carbs (more carbs are stored and retained in the muscle as glycogen) and burns more fat for energy. So basically you'll be burning fat for energy and storing carbs in the muscle after such meals.

We hope that it's clear now that by properly combining meals, you can use the acute effects of food to your advantage. Eat protein plus fat during some meals and you may be burning fat during certain portions of the day. Eat protein plus carbs for some meals and you may be growing during other portions of the day.

Quality and Types of Foods To Control Insulin Response
So what sort of foods should one be eating in order to understand the insulin affects of food?

Well, here are some examples of typical meals to consume when following the rules for managing your insulin sensitivity:

Protein plus carb meals (minimal fat - <5g)
2 scoops of protein powder mixed in with 1 serving of oatmeal

1 sliced banana

1 cup of regular or lactose free skim milk

1 can tuna fish

1 cup of regular or lactose free skim milk

2 pieces of whole grain bread

Vegetables

8 egg whites

1 scoop of protein in 1 serving of oatmeal

1 slice of whole grain bread

1 piece of fat free cheese

Vegetables

2 cups of regular or lactose free skim milk

1 scoop protein

2 pieces of fruit

Here's a list of good carbs and protein for the protein plus carbohydrate meals:

Carbs: apples, oranges, oatmeal, all bran cereals, vegetables, mueslix, white pasta, flax bread, yams

Protein: chicken, whey, casein, turkey, egg whites, skim milk, tuna, cottage cheese

Protein plus fat meals (minimal carbs- <10g)
1 can salmon

1 scoop protein powder in water

Vegetables

1 tablespoon of concentrated fish oils

8-12 oz lean beef

Fat free cheese

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Vegetables

1 can tuna fish

1 scoop protein powder

Vegetables

1 tablespoon of concentrated fish oils

2 scoops protein powder in water

1 tablespoon flax oil

Here's a list of good fats and proteins for the protein plus fat meals:

Fats: Concentrated fish oils (PUFA-omega 3), flaxseed oil (PUFA-omega 3 and 6), olive oil (MUFA), canola oil (MUFA and PUFA), fat from nuts (MUFA and PUFA), fat from beef and eggs, animal fat (SFA)

Proteins: beef, salmon, whey, casein, turkey, whole eggs, pork