Hi David,
I'm sure this isn't what you were expecting, but this field of science includes many of the biggest battles being fought over the dietary advice for the last 60yrs.
So firstly a few of pieces of science which are factually correct, though not acknowledged as such by everybody.
1. Body Fat is regulated by Insulin
Insulin both assists Blood Glucose (a sugar) get into muscle cells to be used as fuel.
It also tries to force any excess Blood Glucose (which can be dangerous) to be stored away as internal or visceral fat as well as sub-cutaneous fat.
Its third action is to prevent the 'burning of stored fat' - the body's extra store of energy for what used to be a cold and semi-starvation time of year. This is the same way it works in animals like Bears etc.
So if you have too much Insulin in your body it is impossible to lose fat and a calorie restricted diet that leaves Insulin high will only lose valuable lean muscle mass instead.
2. Insulin is created in the Pancreas in response to the level of Blood Glucose in the system.
Blood Glucose is formed in one of 2 ways. Either from food being digested, or first thing in the morning by the Liver being helpful and using its (small) store of a closely related compound (Glycogen) to make some early in the morning so the body has enough energy to go and hunt/gather something to eat. Note that the Liver has not heard of Fridges or supermarkets.
3. Not all food types we eat raise Blood Glucose and thus Insulin. For example Alcohols and Fats don't raise it at all, since they are either converted into another fuel of the body called Ketones, or are excreted.
Protein doesn't raise Blood Glucose by too much or too quickly since it takes more energy and much more time to digest.
But Carbohydrates (starches and sugars) can spike Blood Glucose very quickly. A High Glycemic Index starch or sugar source can spike Blood Glucose in less than 1 minute!
A high GI starch starts breaking down into sugars in the mouth when mixed with saliva. It can also be absorbed into the Blood Stream while still in the mouth - just as alcohol can be, hence the past craze for drinking spirits through a straw in order to get drunk faster than by normally swallowing it.
4. It isn't Fat in the diet which makes somebody gain body fat, it is Carbohydrates such as all grains (even 'healthy' wholegrains), starchy vegetables (including all those below ground vegetables, though mashed or Jacket potatoes are the worst) and sugars in Fruits.
This is directly because of their effect on Insulin.
Now something that is less well accepted, but evidence is growing and there isn't any evidence against it which meets current modern standards.
Fat doesn't cause Coronary Heart Disease. Neither does any natural form of Cholesterol. It is much more likely that the normal 'Fluffy' LDL repairs inflamation damage to the blood vessels and that it is only the damaged LDL (by Oxydation or Glycation etc.) which causes smaller, denser particles which may do some damage.
5. No matter how hard a person exercises that can't make up for a poor diet in the long run. Because sooner or later will power runs out and so more calories, especially more Carbohydrates are consumed and then Insulin will ensure that they are stored as extra fat.
6. Calorie restricted diets rarely work in the long term because the body goes into 'starvation mode' and finds ways to use less energy to keep the body running, meanwhile the dieter feels constant hunger and a lack of energy. And the lower metabolic rate means that calories need to be cut by even more in order to reduce weight any further plus fewer calories are needed to maintain weight - so piling the pounds back on is almost inevitable.
OK, so what does work for Type 2 Diabetes and for weight Loss? Well it is exactly the same for both, in my opinion the best 2 alternatives are:
A). A Low Carbohydrate 'Way Of Eating' - this doesn't necessarily need to be lower in Calories.
In fact it's best if the reduced calories from Carbs are made up for by eating extra Protein and especially extra Fat.
This way the Insulin levels are reduced while the body isn't feeling starved. Once Insulin is lower it is 'fat adapted’ it can start to burn its own stores of Fat.
After that, Calories can be reduced and the Calorie deficit is made up from burning all that excess body fat - so no hunger and no fatigue!
As a bonus because Fat is more calorie dense than Carbs, the stomach gets used to eating smaller portions.
I lost between 1 1/2 and 2 lbs per week with this method supplemented a little with the next method, while only trying to reduce my Blood Glucose, not my weight.
Warning: because Carbs hold on to fluid, a Low Carb diet means that some of the weight lost is fluid. This mean you need to drink more water or tea/coffee but NOT Fruit Juice!
Also that loss of fluid means that 'electrolytes' are also lost, meaning you need to take MORE Salt and more Potassium (and possibly Magnesium) than before.
A good and easy way of doing that is to buy some Lite/Lo Salt replacement, which are a mix of Sodium Chloride and Potassium Chloride.
There are branded version of these and I know Sainsbury's have an own brand one.
I don't count Calories at all (you don't need to for weight loss either) - just count Carbs! But obviously don't eat if not hungry.
Finally we get to the food. First the things to cut down on:
All added Table Sugar, Grains, Flour, baked goods, highly processed food (nearly always contains lots of Carbs - look at the labels),
Low-Fat foods including skimmed and normal Milk - use Cream instead), Below Ground vegetables, Tropical fruits - especially Banana, Pineapple, Mango.
Where there is a choice between a Low GI Carb and a High GI Carb, always choose the Low Glycemic Index one.
Now foods to eat more of: Fish - especially fatty fish such as salmon, herring, tuna, trout and mackerel.
More fatty cuts of meat even red meat such as Lamb or Beef (or even a little Bacon).
More Eggs, Cheese - especially hard cheeses such as Cheddar, Cream, Full-Fat Greek-style Yogurt, leafy green veg, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Courgette, Cucumber, Avocado. Aubergine, Mushroom.
Olives and/or Olive Oil are good, as is Coconut Oil for frying things
More Nuts - any type of 'Tree Nuts' (except Cashew nuts).
More Berries rather than apples, pears, peaches etc.
Breakfast is usually the most difficult meal to avoid Carbs, but also the most important one to avoid carbs. Most often I have just eggs - 2 or 3 done any way except for scrambled - unless you use cream instead of milk, or Kippers, or Bacon or Berries with lots of full-fat Greek yogurt makes a nice change.
B). Second method for Blood Glucose and/or weight reduction is either shorter- term or longer-term Fasting.
Now I already have to Fast in between the shorter and longer terms for my regular Colonoscopies, so it is possible even without getting 'fat adapted'.
Intermittent Fasting (or restricted eating hours) is just like skipping breakfast and NO SNACKING. I do this if I eat too many carbs the night before!
Just eat enough so you don't feel hungry, but limit it all to an 8hr or even a 6hr period. That way the Insulin level will be low for most of the day (or actually night in this case). Low Insulin = Fat burning is possible (even likely).
Longer term Fasting. These periods vary very much from person to person. In theory the more excess fat a person has, the longer they can fast for.
However non-sugary drinks and supplements may be required since we need more than just calories in order to live.
Quite a few people manage to fast for over 1 whole week - even 3 weeks. They say that the first 3 days are the worst, after that their body gets 'fat adapted' and they live off their own personal energy store and don't feel hungry or fatigued.
Have a think about it, and if one of these seems possible for you, then adapt it as necessary and give it a go.
Regards,
Ian
P.S. If you want to know more about the science parts I can send you (more) links to scientific articles or YouTube videos by experts.
Fasting:
LCHF: From Theory to Practice
Feng-Yuan Liu:
Real Food:
I'm sure this isn't what you were expecting, but this field of science includes many of the biggest battles being fought over the dietary advice for the last 60yrs.
So firstly a few of pieces of science which are factually correct, though not acknowledged as such by everybody.
1. Body Fat is regulated by Insulin
Insulin both assists Blood Glucose (a sugar) get into muscle cells to be used as fuel.
It also tries to force any excess Blood Glucose (which can be dangerous) to be stored away as internal or visceral fat as well as sub-cutaneous fat.
Its third action is to prevent the 'burning of stored fat' - the body's extra store of energy for what used to be a cold and semi-starvation time of year. This is the same way it works in animals like Bears etc.
So if you have too much Insulin in your body it is impossible to lose fat and a calorie restricted diet that leaves Insulin high will only lose valuable lean muscle mass instead.
2. Insulin is created in the Pancreas in response to the level of Blood Glucose in the system.
Blood Glucose is formed in one of 2 ways. Either from food being digested, or first thing in the morning by the Liver being helpful and using its (small) store of a closely related compound (Glycogen) to make some early in the morning so the body has enough energy to go and hunt/gather something to eat. Note that the Liver has not heard of Fridges or supermarkets.
3. Not all food types we eat raise Blood Glucose and thus Insulin. For example Alcohols and Fats don't raise it at all, since they are either converted into another fuel of the body called Ketones, or are excreted.
Protein doesn't raise Blood Glucose by too much or too quickly since it takes more energy and much more time to digest.
But Carbohydrates (starches and sugars) can spike Blood Glucose very quickly. A High Glycemic Index starch or sugar source can spike Blood Glucose in less than 1 minute!
A high GI starch starts breaking down into sugars in the mouth when mixed with saliva. It can also be absorbed into the Blood Stream while still in the mouth - just as alcohol can be, hence the past craze for drinking spirits through a straw in order to get drunk faster than by normally swallowing it.
4. It isn't Fat in the diet which makes somebody gain body fat, it is Carbohydrates such as all grains (even 'healthy' wholegrains), starchy vegetables (including all those below ground vegetables, though mashed or Jacket potatoes are the worst) and sugars in Fruits.
This is directly because of their effect on Insulin.
Now something that is less well accepted, but evidence is growing and there isn't any evidence against it which meets current modern standards.
Fat doesn't cause Coronary Heart Disease. Neither does any natural form of Cholesterol. It is much more likely that the normal 'Fluffy' LDL repairs inflamation damage to the blood vessels and that it is only the damaged LDL (by Oxydation or Glycation etc.) which causes smaller, denser particles which may do some damage.
5. No matter how hard a person exercises that can't make up for a poor diet in the long run. Because sooner or later will power runs out and so more calories, especially more Carbohydrates are consumed and then Insulin will ensure that they are stored as extra fat.
6. Calorie restricted diets rarely work in the long term because the body goes into 'starvation mode' and finds ways to use less energy to keep the body running, meanwhile the dieter feels constant hunger and a lack of energy. And the lower metabolic rate means that calories need to be cut by even more in order to reduce weight any further plus fewer calories are needed to maintain weight - so piling the pounds back on is almost inevitable.
OK, so what does work for Type 2 Diabetes and for weight Loss? Well it is exactly the same for both, in my opinion the best 2 alternatives are:
A). A Low Carbohydrate 'Way Of Eating' - this doesn't necessarily need to be lower in Calories.
In fact it's best if the reduced calories from Carbs are made up for by eating extra Protein and especially extra Fat.
This way the Insulin levels are reduced while the body isn't feeling starved. Once Insulin is lower it is 'fat adapted’ it can start to burn its own stores of Fat.
After that, Calories can be reduced and the Calorie deficit is made up from burning all that excess body fat - so no hunger and no fatigue!
As a bonus because Fat is more calorie dense than Carbs, the stomach gets used to eating smaller portions.
I lost between 1 1/2 and 2 lbs per week with this method supplemented a little with the next method, while only trying to reduce my Blood Glucose, not my weight.
Warning: because Carbs hold on to fluid, a Low Carb diet means that some of the weight lost is fluid. This mean you need to drink more water or tea/coffee but NOT Fruit Juice!
Also that loss of fluid means that 'electrolytes' are also lost, meaning you need to take MORE Salt and more Potassium (and possibly Magnesium) than before.
A good and easy way of doing that is to buy some Lite/Lo Salt replacement, which are a mix of Sodium Chloride and Potassium Chloride.
There are branded version of these and I know Sainsbury's have an own brand one.
I don't count Calories at all (you don't need to for weight loss either) - just count Carbs! But obviously don't eat if not hungry.
Finally we get to the food. First the things to cut down on:
All added Table Sugar, Grains, Flour, baked goods, highly processed food (nearly always contains lots of Carbs - look at the labels),
Low-Fat foods including skimmed and normal Milk - use Cream instead), Below Ground vegetables, Tropical fruits - especially Banana, Pineapple, Mango.
Where there is a choice between a Low GI Carb and a High GI Carb, always choose the Low Glycemic Index one.
Now foods to eat more of: Fish - especially fatty fish such as salmon, herring, tuna, trout and mackerel.
More fatty cuts of meat even red meat such as Lamb or Beef (or even a little Bacon).
More Eggs, Cheese - especially hard cheeses such as Cheddar, Cream, Full-Fat Greek-style Yogurt, leafy green veg, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Courgette, Cucumber, Avocado. Aubergine, Mushroom.
Olives and/or Olive Oil are good, as is Coconut Oil for frying things
More Nuts - any type of 'Tree Nuts' (except Cashew nuts).
More Berries rather than apples, pears, peaches etc.
Breakfast is usually the most difficult meal to avoid Carbs, but also the most important one to avoid carbs. Most often I have just eggs - 2 or 3 done any way except for scrambled - unless you use cream instead of milk, or Kippers, or Bacon or Berries with lots of full-fat Greek yogurt makes a nice change.
B). Second method for Blood Glucose and/or weight reduction is either shorter- term or longer-term Fasting.
Now I already have to Fast in between the shorter and longer terms for my regular Colonoscopies, so it is possible even without getting 'fat adapted'.
Intermittent Fasting (or restricted eating hours) is just like skipping breakfast and NO SNACKING. I do this if I eat too many carbs the night before!
Just eat enough so you don't feel hungry, but limit it all to an 8hr or even a 6hr period. That way the Insulin level will be low for most of the day (or actually night in this case). Low Insulin = Fat burning is possible (even likely).
Longer term Fasting. These periods vary very much from person to person. In theory the more excess fat a person has, the longer they can fast for.
However non-sugary drinks and supplements may be required since we need more than just calories in order to live.
Quite a few people manage to fast for over 1 whole week - even 3 weeks. They say that the first 3 days are the worst, after that their body gets 'fat adapted' and they live off their own personal energy store and don't feel hungry or fatigued.
Have a think about it, and if one of these seems possible for you, then adapt it as necessary and give it a go.
Regards,
Ian
P.S. If you want to know more about the science parts I can send you (more) links to scientific articles or YouTube videos by experts.
Fasting:
Feng-Yuan Liu:
