Understanding Insulin Resistance

People, come on read this. So important. About why u cant take only sugar junks and keep going take it. Macam kak Rahimah ajar. hehe. tapi dia terangkan dengan lebih mudah. ni Jillian's article.

We heard a lot about insulin in the days of low-carb diets. And for good reason. Problems with insulin are a root cause of some of the most dangerous health conditions, as insulin affects almost every cell in the body.

Insulin plays a critical role in how your body uses food. Its most important role is to lower the concentration of glucose in your blood. When you eat, your digestive system breaks food down into glucose, and the glucose recirculates in your blood stream. In response to the rise in glucose after a meal, the pancreas releases surges of insulin, whose job is to clean the glucose from the blood. Some of the glucose is diverted into the liver, where it's converted into stored glucose, called glycogen, for later use by the muscles. Insulin then helps turn any leftover glucose into fatty acids and stores them in fat cells where they can be tapped later for fuel.

By making poor food choices, like scarfing down too many highly processed, refined carbs (like white bread and pasta!), we can do things to cause our bodies to create too much insulin. When you repeat that cycle too many times (like by repeatedly eating sugary junk on an empty stomach) your pancreas will overcompensate and produce more insulin, which your cells will eventually start to ignore. This is called insulin resistance and it is the precursor to type 2 diabetes and it is common in overweight people. Turned away at the door, the sugar is left with no where to go. If it hangs around in your blood too long, doctors call this impaired fasting glucose (if measured in the morning) or impaired glucose tolerance (if measured two hours after a meal). You could develop full-blown diabetes if both conditions go unchecked.

While high levels of blood glucose trigger insulin release, low levels suppress it, Maintaining low levels of insulin — one of the primary goals of the diet — allows your body to more easily tap in to your stored fat for fuel. Conversely, being insulin-resistant can hamper your weight-loss efforts. Try to avoid spikes in your blood sugar, by eating regularly. Pair carbs with protein, eat whole foods, avoid sugar juices and fruits, and highly-processed carbs. When your insulin-release mechanism works the right way, it helps keep your weight in check. So strive to keep it balanced!

Drop the Fear of Looking Stupid

Okay, I know I don't need to tell you that exercise is absolutely crucial to getting and staying healthy. Still, I can't tell you how many people tell me that they aren't working out because they are afraid they'll look stupid, they fear trying something new, or, well, any other number of things you can think of. These are fears you NEED to get over. Your attitude creates your reality, so it's crucial to have the right one. The power is in your mind, so if you have negative thoughts about your self-image, if you lack confidence, or if you feel hopeless that you'll ever lose weight, you're still at square one. If you constantly tell yourself you're not capable of working out, then you're always going to feel stupid…and eventually you'll give up. But if you harness your mental power with positive thoughts that you CAN do this, and WILL do this, guess what — you will.

If working out is new to you, empower yourself with knowledge — use the site to learn the proper exercise techniques and form. If you've set your mind to do it, get the skills and you'll feel more comfortable. Start off by trying the workouts from my site or DVDs at home. Doing it home first is the most basic way of getting the moves down before you try them in a public setting. Afraid of looking dumb in front of your family? Hello — they're your family! Let's be honest — they've probably seen you look a lot sillier.

Now, if you're terrified of going to the gym, do it anyway. I understand that a gym can be a bit overwhelming the first time you go. But trust me, everyone has a first time stepping through those doors. Everybody has felt weird about lifting the weights in front of the muscle men, moving on the elliptical for the first time, or even signing up for a class. If you're worried about what you like to other people there, forget it. People are so concentrated what they're doing, in all likelihood they're not paying ANY attention to you. If you're still worried about it, go at a time when the machines are less crowded or meet for a session with a trainer (many gyms offer free introductory training sessions). The important thing is to know that feeling of intimidation will fade. Never be a quitter.

As you keep working out and becoming stronger, you will become aware of your strength — not just in the gym, but in other aspects of your life. Trust me, this will be a major boost to your confidence level and it will change your frame your mind for the better. It's all baby steps, but they make a big difference over time. Keep working out, stop feeling stupid, and start feeling great!

http://www.jillianmichaels.com/fitness-and-diet-tips/overcome-working-out-fears

Are You Getting Too Much Sleep?

Sorry naz dah lama tak update. malas.. ;D
ni ada article from Jillian's. mane lagi kan..

Are you one of those people who likes to brag that you get by on very little sleep? Or do you love to sleep the day away? I've told you before that too little sleep can mess up your weigh-loss efforts, but did you also know that when you sleep too much, your metabolism can also be negatively affected too?

If you sleep 10 hours a night, you might face some of the same hormonal risks as those who sleep too little. A recent Canadian study found that people who sleep fewer than seven hours or more than nine hours weigh an average of four more pounds (and had wider waists) than people who sleep eight hours every night. Researchers believe that having too much or too little sleep interferes with your ability to control your appetite, because it simultaneously increases hunger hormone ghrelin while it decreases satisfaction hormone leptin.
Want to be sure you are getting all the benefits of a good night sleep? Get your rest! Shoot for a consistent eight hours of sleep and stick with the same bed time and wake-up time each day — even on the weekends!