Advocare & Me Keeping it Real: maintenance

Showing posts with label maintenance. Show all posts

Monday, February 7, 2011

Maintaining

It has been freezing outside, hence no exercising.

The weekend was hit hard with parties with lots of treats.

I wasn't stupid, but I wasn't smart either, I was just relaxed.

I have been diligent in taking my Catalyst & OmegaPlex.

Well, kinda diligent, like 3-4 every other day.

I have maintained my weight loss.

With it warming back up, I am on a mission to lose 5 more lbs.

So lets go running with a few pits stops at the park to play I'm sure:)

Today it begins!

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How your body reacts to sugar/carbs: This is loads of info!!!

"It's important that we eat the right kind of sugars. We have all heard that we should be eating complex carbs and not simple carbs (carbs and sugars are the same thing) but we have to know the difference!

A simple sugar/carb is made up of 1 or 2 molecules (thus it is simple). These molecules, when ingested into the body are broken down super fast and cause the blood sugar to spike quickly-there's your sugar high!

Complex sugar/carb, on the other hand, are made of a whole bunch of sugar molecules and are broken down and released slowly. So the blood sugar does not spike.

The problem with simple carbs (things like candy, cake, cookies, ice cream, anything you think of as "sugary") has to do with insulin. When we eat simple sugars, our body breaks them down and releases them into our bloodstream very quickly because they are only one or two molecules. They are very easy to break down. So, about 30 minutes after you eat sugar, your blood sugar is super high and you feel hyper!

Now, let's talk about insulin for a minute. Insulin is a hormone released into your bloodstream to grab the sugar that is there and take it into the body's cells to be used for energy. Think of it as a whole ton of little Pac-Mans running around in your bloodstream eating up sugar and taking it back to your cells.

So, back to the bloodstream. You have eaten a copious amount of sugar and your blood is practically syrup. So, the body says "Let's release this insulin and get this sugar into our cells so we can use it!" So a TON of insulin is released because there is a TON of sugar to be taken in to your cells. So the insulin does its thing and pretty soon your blood is sugar-free! And then you crash :) Well, your blood may be sugar-free, but it certainly is not insulin-free. You still have all this insulin running around looking for sugar to take in to cells. And when that insulin cannot find any sugar, it starts screaming for it! And you start craving sugar again. So you eat a bunch. And your blood is syrup and your Pac-Man insulin eats it all and then all the sugar is gone and Pac-Man starts screaming for it. So you eat some. Do you see the vicious cycle here!? Sugar inhalation breeds more sugar inhalation!

Now, don't get me wrong. I love my sugar sometimes. I do. I can eat ice cream with the best of them and my family knows my favorite meal is dessert. But I can tell you that it is SO nice to know what is going on with your own body! When your body starts screaming for sugar, you can tell that insulin to shut up and it will! After a few hours :) And you can take control instead of your body taking control of you. And that's what it's all about."

Emily Nicoll

My SIL (Emily Nicoll) graduated with a degree in Exercise & Wellness and she has taught me so much about the body. I look at my food intake a whole new way.

Thanks Em!