If you have tried dieting and lost some weight, only to gain it back and went through the cycle over and over again. You are most probably dealing with an addiction. You crave for highly processed food and refined carbohydrates. This is the result of the blood sugar roller coaster.
Our body must control the blood sugar level in a close range for the body to function optimally. If the blood sugar is too high, it affects our vision and we cannot think clearly. If the blood sugar level is too low, we become confused and may even go into coma.
There are 2 opposing hormones insulin and glucagon that do this sophisticated system of regulating the blood sugar level in a close range.
Insulin – Fat Storage Hormone
Insulin controls the blood sugar level by facilitating the transport of blood sugar from the blood to the cells. The smallest amount of blood sugar following a meal stimulates the release of insulin. Digestions of refined carbohydrates cause a surge in blood sugar, which triggers a tremendous release of insulin from the pancreas.
Insulin attached to specific sites on the surface of the cell to allow sugar to enter into the cells. In fat cells, insulin enhances the conversion of sugar into fat as well as holds stored fat like a sponge holds water. Therefore, insulin promotes fat storage.
Glucagon – Fat Releasing Hormone
Glucagon is opposite to insulin. It promotes fat release from fat cells. Digestion of protein triggers the secretion of glucagon. Digestion of carbohydrates suppresses the secretion of glucagon. Therefore, when insulin level is high, glucagon level will be low.
What happens after breakfast?
After a breakfast of instant oatmeal, toasted white bread and packaged orange juice, the blood sugar level rises rapidly. Immediately, a tremendous amount of insulin is secreted. Blood sugar level fall as rapidly as it climbed and normally falls below the fasting sugar level.
The body must get the sugar level back to normal. This triggers the release of cortisol (stress hormone), adrenaline (fight or flight hormone), growth hormone and glucagon. This avalanche of hormone lead to uncontrollable hunger and you will crave for more food. Once you eat another meal of refined carbohydrate the cycle repeats itself.
Weight Gain
This roller coaster of blood sugar level happens day by day. You cannot control it and become addicted to carbohydrate. Your body responds by storing excess sugar into fat. There is no chance of releasing this fat stored because insulin level is always high.
Diabetes
As time passes, the roller coaster of blood sugar causes the cells to be unresponsive to insulin. The blood sugar level remains high resulting in insulin resistance and eventually diabetes. At this stage, fat storage is accumulated at the abdomen and around the abdominal organs (stomach, liver and kidney) and your belly or waistline starts to expand.
Cannot lose weight
The expanding waistline happens because fat cells around the abdomen area get bigger and bigger in size from the increasing fat storage due to high level of insulin. That is why losing weight is so difficult.
As you can see, eating a healthy diet of good carbohydrate as well as balancing with good protein and fat is very important preventing carbohydrate addiction, weight gain and diabetes.
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