Health Advice for Women

So you need to lose 10 (or 20 or 30) pounds - or think you do – but we’ll get to that later, missy. Well what is so hard about that?  All you need is a little self discipline. After all, you only need to eliminate 3,500 calories from your intake, and whoosh – it’s gone.
A one time deal and you never have to think about it again, Right? Right?? Don’t I wish!!

Why is it that I don’t hear cheers and the sound of high fives from around the room? What I do hear is the sneaky rustle of potato chip bags and Twinkie’s wrappings. Ah, you say, I could stick to a diet if it weren’t for those nasty food cravings.

All right, I hear you, and yes, I’ll admit that food cravings are real, and the good news is that there could be medical reasons for these cravings.

• Are you pregnant? If you think you could be, please get tested. Don’t wait for nine months to find out, girls. That kid needs to be fed right, and fed right NOW. (You want a pickle? Go for it, mom! Just don’t use pregnancy to justify stuffing your tummy with everything you have tried to deny yourself for the past 15 years. )
• Premenstrual? Look at the calendar. Does simply being a woman make want you a candy bar? (Or several candy bars? I’ll take two plain chocolate, one with almonds, and a little bag of…but you get the point.)
• Low insulin levels? Yes, lack of insulin could be driving your irrational desire for Real Food, i.e., lots of carbohydrates. If you have low blood sugar or if there is diabetes in your family, your body will try to protect itself by storing every calorie within reach. Go to a doctor immediately, and get this checked out, will you? There are also great website loaded with information, check out www.insulitelabs.com.
• Low Serotonin? So your boss hates you, your mom won’t get off your back about your messy living room, and your guy is the reason for the messy living room, in the first place. Sure, everybody wants to feel good, and if you are under a lot of stress, your body may start to holler for a one pound bag of chocolate chip cookies, fudge-ripple ice cream or three Margaritas. Are you going to give in?
• Yes, food cravings are out there, but the question is, ‘What can you do about them?’ Well, apart from the very real medical issues that some women face, you can do a lot.

Now I know that some of you do not want to go the gym, but exercise really helps. Not only does it elevate the level of those natural feel-good chemicals, it tones your muscles (making the body you have look better, even if it weighs the same), it reduces the number of calories that are available for storage on your inner thighs, and gets you out of harm’s way (that bag of potato chips can’t see you when you are at the gym).

Now that’s not just a two-fer, it’s a four-fer! Of course, you don’t have to go to the gym to exercise. You can take long walks with a friend, go bowling, or swim at your local pool - better than watching TV any day.

Meditation and yoga help, too, and yoga helps keep you flexible, as well as calming your nerves (the ones that are frayed because of your guy, your boss, and your mother: see above). Sex and a bath with candles can help, too. The point is that we do have a lot of control over our lives, so let’s go girls!

Are you overweight and fatigued? Do you feel jittery and irritable but better once you eat? Do you feel sleepy after eating a meal heavy with carbohydrates? Do you suffer from high blood pressure or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)?

These are all signs of Insulin Resistance, one of the major underlying causes of excess weight and obesity. It affects up to 65% of the overweight population.

Insulin Resistance vastly reduces the insulin sensitivity of cells, which impairs the processing of glucose through the cell wall for conversion to energy. As a result, glucose remains in your blood stream, causing elevated levels of blood sugar, which are sent to the liver. Once there, the sugar is converted into fat and stored via the blood stream throughout your body. This process can lead to weight gain and obesity

Insulin Resistance has many factors that contribute to its presence in the body. In essence, our environment and lifestyles have evolved too rapidly for our bodies to keep pace. We are still genetically “wired” to thrive on the entrenched habits of our ancestors who consumed different, nutrient-rich foods, a diet low in carbohydrates and also sustained greater levels of movement and exercise.

Some people may also have a genetic predisposition to Insulin Resistance. Others develop Insulin Resistance through unhealthy lifestyles.

Over time, the above factors have damaged the complex ability of your body’s cells to properly utilize insulin to convert glucose to energy. Unhealthy diets cause the pancreas to overproduce insulin that overwhelms the cell thereby reducing its sensitivity to insulin and impairing the vital glucose-to-energy conversion process. If you feel you may be suffering from obesity caused by Insulin Resistance take this self-test.

The good news is that Insulin Resistance is reversible, without drugs. By weaning yourself from “bad” carbohydrates and replacing them with “good” carbohydrates while increasing your consumption of nutrient-dense foods, you can break the cycle and heal your body by changing the way it responds to food on a cellular level.

Here is a sample daily meal plan from The Insulite LabsGuide to Reversing Insulin Resistance.

For additional information on reducing carbs visit Insulite Labs Excess Weight and Obesity web site: http://weight.insulitelabs.com

Breakfast: Avocado and smoked salmon toast. Puree avocado, 1 garlic clove, 1 tbsp. lemon
juice, 1 tsp. olive oil, 2 tsp. fresh cilantro or parsley. Spread on “Manna from Heaven” bread.
Layer with 6 oz. smoked salmon. Fat 19g, Carbohydrates 18g, Protein 8g

Snack: Yogurt with fruit. One 4 oz. container plain whole-fat yogurt with 1/4 cup blueberries,
plus a pinch of cinnamon. Add stevia to sweeten to taste. Fat 4g, Carbohydrates 11g, protein 4g

Lunch: Chicken with vegetables and salad. Grilled chicken breast, steamed broccoli, and
arugula salad with balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. feta cheese over
the whole plate. Fat 24g, Carbohydrates 17g, Protein 36g

Snack: Slathered celery. Two celery sticks with regular-fat cream cheese.
Carbohydrates 1g, Protein 2g

Dinner: Grilled tilapia. Grilled tilapia with 1 Tbsp. each of capers, lemon juice, and olive oil.
Salad: sliced cucumber and tomato, mozzarella cheese, and basil leaves with olive oil dressing
and chopped dill. Fat 7g, Carbohydrates 6g, Protein 28g

Daily total: Fat 64g, Carbohydrates 53g, Protein 78g