The Winning Solution
The Atkins diet principles lay the foundation for a healthy, more balanced way of eating than the standard American diet. Its emphasis is on using good carbohydrates in balance with adequate protein. This is in stark contrast to what most Americans eat on a daily basis. The average American eats lots of processed foods that have hidden sugars and highly processed carbohydrates. This has put most Americans on the road to diabetes and pre-diabetic conditions. What is sad is that diabetes has a predictable set of stages and that they can be easily recognized.
Type II diabetes is the result of blood sugar gone wild. The consumption of highly-processed carbohydrates and refined sugars send blood sugar levels skyrocketing. In response, a healthy pancreas reacts by producing and releasing a larger dose of insulin. Insulin unlocks the body's cell, allowing it to convert sugar into usable energy. When insulin is released in large doses, the body also releases adrenaline to bring everything back to balance. Unfortunately, this process creates what looks like a hill and valley pattern.
We are able to more readily digest these foods as children, because our bodies function more efficiently in our youth. There may have been side effects, like weight gain and mood swings, but they didn't stand out. As we age, however, these symptoms begin to grow and become more prevalent. The nation-wide obesity epidemic is a result of high-carbohydrate diets and unstable blood sugar levels.
A large part of the problem is the average American diet. Hidden sugars and highly processed carbohydrates work against our body's natural metabolic processes. Certain foods are known to have a high-glycemic index. A glycemic index is a number that refers to the effect a carbohydrate has on our blood sugar levels. The higher the number, the more insulin the pancreas has to produce to convert the sugar into usable energy. Unfortunately, the American diet is rich in high-glycemic index foods.
With age, blood sugar and insulin difficulties become more aggravated. The condition is called "hyperinsulinism" and is a precursor for type II diabetes. It is normally accompanied by high blood pressure and high triglycerides.
Eating a low-carb, no-carb diet will reduce the extreme blood-sugar fluctuations that a body experiences when highly processes foods are digested and metabolized. The Atkins diet emphasizes a high protein, low carbohydrate diet. Proteins are metabolized differently than carbohydrates in the body. They have less of an affect on the blood-sugar level. The effect is a more stable, continual level. This is the most desired insulin-sugar balance.
Of course, exercise and a healthy lifestyle are important components of delaying or preventing Type II diabetes. The Atkins diet, however, is one of the simplest changes a person can make to get on a healthy track. Balancing proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, the building blocks of nutrition, allows a person's body to work efficiently and optimally. The result is stable blood-sugar levels, weight loss and more energy.
The Atkins diet helps effectively control blood sugar. The combination of proteins, fats and good carbohydrates will keep your body satisfied without the roller coaster effect. Controlling carbohydrates in quantity as well as type will help limit the insulin spikes. This will let your pancreas work in the way that it was meant to be, and it will decrease the likelihood of your developing pre-diabetic conditions. It's a vicious cycle that, if left unchecked, can lead to diabetes later in life. When the Atkins diet is followed effectively it produces stable blood sugar throughout the day and helps you stay off the road to diabetes.
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About the Author
Julia Hanf author of the book How To Play the Diabetes Diet Game and Win Through a real life crisis Julia figured out how to live diabetes free. Visit http://www.yourdiabetescure.com and learn more about your solution for diabetes.
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by: JuliaHanf
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