|
|
|
|
| Living Healthy with Insulin Resistance |
|
|
|
|
| Dear Stay-On-Track Member, |
 Welcome to Living Healthy with Insulin Resistance,
a newsletter dedicated to helping readers manage Insulin Resistance
through diet and lifestyle. This newsletter is written by
Mary Kay Grossman, RD and Cheryle Hart, MD, the authors of The Insulin Resistance Diet. (For more information, go to the book website.) |
| Do Diet Sodas Cause Metabolic Syndrome and Weight Gain? |
 You
may be hearing some buzz about diet sodas and weight issues, heart
disease and other health problems. This comes from two studies,
both recently published in Circulation: The Journal of the American
Heart Association, which found an association between diet soda
consumption and metabolic syndrome. Both are reputable studies,
one by researchers from the University of Minnesota published in the
January 2008 issue of Circulation and the other published in the July,
2007 issue by Framington Heart Study researchers at Boston University
School of Medicine. But before you vow off the sweet, calorie
free stuff, you should know the facts.
For years
researchers realized that there was a connection between excessive
intake of full-sugar sodas and Metabolic Syndrome. Metabolic
Syndrome is a cluster of disease conditions including increased waist
circumference, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and type
two diabetes. It is believed that Insulin Resistance is a factor
in this syndrome. Both groups of researchers were surprised
however to find that diet, sugar-free soda consumption also showed a
connection. The
Minnesota study was an analysis of dietary intake by 9,514 participants
in the Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (ARIC) study. ARIC is a
collaborative study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute. This study set out to find a relationship between diet and
Metabolic Syndrome by looking at diets of middle-aged subjects over a
period of nine years. The researchers were not surprised to
discover that a typical "Western diet" was associated with 13% to 18%
greater risk of Metabolic Syndrome compared with a more "Prudent
diet". In general, the Western-pattern diet was heavy on refined
grains, processed meat, fried foods, red meat, eggs and soda, and light
on fish, fruit, vegetables and whole grain products. Whereas the
"Prudent diet" was richer in fruits, vegetables, fish, seafood,
poultry, whole grains, and low fat dairy products. What did
surprise them however, was the increase in Metabolic Syndrome in diet
soda drinkers. The researchers found that adults who
consumed one serving of diet soda daily had a 34% higher risk of
Metabolic Syndrome compared to those who consumed no diet soda.
The
Boston University study looked at 6039-middle aged participants in the
ongoing Framington Heart Study, who were free of metabolic syndrome at
the beginning of the study. They found that those who consumed one or
more soft drinks a day were associated with a 44 percent higher risk of
developing new-onset metabolic syndrome than those who did not during a
follow-up period of four years. The
researchers also observed that compared to participants who drank less
than one soft drink daily, those who drank one or more soft drinks a
day had a:
· 31 percent greater risk of developing obesity
· 30 percent increased risk of developing increased waist circumference;
·
25 percent increased risk of developing high blood triglycerides or
high fasting blood glucose;
·
32 percent higher risk of having low HDL
levels. "We
were struck by the fact that it didn't matter whether it was a diet or
regular soda that participants consumed, the association with increased
risk was present," said Ramachandran Vasan, M.D., senior author of the Framingham Heart Study.
A
third study presented at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes
Association in 2005 found similar results. The findings came from
eight years of data collected by Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, and colleagues
at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio on
Americans aged 25 to 64. Of the 622 study participants who were
of normal weight at the beginning of the study, about a third became
overweight or obese. "What
didn't surprise us was that total soft drink use was linked to
overweight and obesity," Fowler said. "What was surprising was when we
looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks, their risk of obesity
was even higher."
For regular soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese was:
· 26% for up to 1/2 can each day
· 30.4% for 1/2 to one can each day
· 32.8% for 1 to 2 cans each day
· 47.2% for more than 2 cans each day.
For diet soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese was:
· 36.5% for up to 1/2 can each day
· 37.5% for 1/2 to one can each day
· 54.5% for 1 to 2 cans each day
· 57.1% for more than 2 cans each day.
For each can of diet soft drink consumed each day, a person's risk of obesity went up 41%.
Despite
the results, all of the researchers are quick to note that their
studies do not prove that diet soda causes obesity or Metabolic
Syndrome. It is possible that something in diet sodas may
cause problems. However it is also very possible that something
linked to diet soda drinking is also linked to obesity. "One
possible ...explanation is that people who see they are beginning to
gain weight may be more likely to switch from regular to diet soda,"
Fowler suggests. "But despite their switching, their weight may
continue to grow for other reasons." This sounds like a typical
scenario for a person with insulin resistance. In this case, the
stage would have already been set for weight gain and Metabolic
Syndrome when the studies started. Obviously more studies are
needed! In the mean time, what should you do about diet sodas? Firstly, I do not
recommend that you switch from diet to regular soda! This would
be like jumping out of the pot and into the fire! We know that
regular soda is a concern, especially for a person with insulin
resistance! Secondly, I always recommend that you include foods
(and beverages) that offer you benefit over choosing those that have
none. Water is an excellent beverage for hydration. Non-fat
or 1% milk is a great source of protein, calcium, and other
minerals. Even tea offers antioxidants that protect against heart
disease. Sodas have no redeeming factors. If you work
towards including more of these healthier beverage choices, you will
automatically decrease the intake of sodas. Thirdly, if you are
drinking sodas of any kind on a daily basis, especially more than one
per day, I would advise you to gradually cut down. It appears
that sodas should be considered "occasional splurges" rather than
routine, everyday foods, at least until more research is done!
|
|
 |
|
|
|
| How Many Americans Have Metabolic Syndrome?!!! |
The ARIC study quoted above found that 60.5 percent of the
subjects had metabolic syndrome by the end of the nine years of
follow-up! The researchers were very troubled by these
results. This is a much higher number than all other previous
estimates of Metabolic Syndrome in the US population of around 30
percent! We all should be troubled by this distressing statistic!
|
| Real Life Solutions |
 Cynthia writes:
I have the dreaded "Lady's Tummy". How can I get rid of it? All of that awful Pilates was to no avail!
Mary Kay writes:
Pilate's and other abdominal exercises will not get rid of
fat around your middle! This fat is caused by high levels of insulin
circulating in the blood stream. There is only one way to banish this
unwanted fat; control your insulin levels and lose weight. To do this,
you must first, Link and Balance carefully, second, listen to your
body's signals and eat only when you are hungry, and third, do a
physical activity routine daily.
Linking and Balancing is key to controlling insulin levels in
your body. This will prevent more fat from depositing in your
midsection. It may also save your life by keeping your cholesterol and
blood pressure to safe levels. But in order to lose the fat that you
have already deposited, you must burn more calories than you take in.
By eating only when you are truly hungry and stopping as soon as you
are no longer hungry, you will avoid overeating. This is an important,
lifelong habit to relearn. Like most of us, you may have unlearned this
healthy habit in your childhood (by becoming members of the Clean Plate
Club and other well-meaning tricks). Remind yourself to consider this
every time you want to take an extra portion of dessert or finish your
plate at a restaurant. Remember that you can always have more later!
In order to burn off the fat that you have already earned,
walk at least 20 minutes every day! Do more if you have time! You can
also use other forms of low to moderate intensity physical activity
such as leisurely bike rides or swimming or dancing, or anything else
that raises your heart beat slightly but still allows you the ability
to hold a conversation. This type of activity can be continued for long
periods of time without lowering your blood sugar. High intensity
activities burn many calories very quickly and must rely on blood sugar
as fuel, whereas, slower activities can burn fat, a more complex
process. If your goal is to burn belly fat, focus on the slower
activities. To improve your cardiovascular fitness, you can throw in 20
minutes of higher intensity activity three times weekly. A bit of
resistance activity, such as weights, leg lifts, lunges, circuit
training, etc. can also help decrease insulin resistance in your muscle
cells and help with bone health. Research shows that those who have
lost weight successfully do an average of one hour of physical activity
daily. Work up gradually though! If you have not been active, start out
with ten minutes daily. Then add two minutes per day till you reach at
least 30 minutes.
Be patient! It took longer than a month to gain that fat, and it will take just as long to lose it!
|
| Succulent Salmon Fillet |
This
no-fail recipe is super easy, and turns out so moist and flavorful. You
can bake it in the oven or grill it on the barbeque so you can enjoy it
all year long. It is sure to be a hit with dinner guests and a family
favorite. Salmon is a great source of omega-3 fats. Eat two servings of
omega-3 source fish every week to keep your heart healthy!
1 1/2 lb fresh boneless salmon fillet
One lemon
Two cloves of garlic, minced
One Tablespoon of minced onion flakes
1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1/2 cup of healthy light mayonnaise
2 teaspoons snipped fresh dill or 3/4 teaspoon dill weed
Place
the salmon fillet, skin side down, in the center of a piece of heavy
duty aluminum foil that is large enough to completely wrap the fillet.
(If baking in the oven, regular aluminum foil can be used if you place
the whole thing, foil and salmon, on an oven safe pan.) Cut the lemon
in half. Juice half of the lemon and drizzle over the fillet. Cut the
other half of the lemon into wedges and reserve. Spread minced garlic
over the cut side of the fillet. Sprinkle with onion flakes and
lemon-pepper seasoning. Spread the mayonnaise evenly over the entire
cut side of the fillet. Wrap the fillet in foil and seal tightly. Place
in 350 degree oven or in a covered barbeque at medium low heat. Cook
for 20 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a fork at an angle in
the thickest portion and gently parting the meat. If fish flakes easily
into sections, remove from heat. If not done, reseal foil and cook for
another five or ten minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with dill and
garnish each slice with lemon wedge. Yield: 6 portions.
Nutrition information per serving
Protein 23 grams
Carbohydrate 3 grams
Fat 19 grams
Calories 274 |
|
|
|
We
hope that you have found this newsletter interesting and
informative! Our greatest goal is to spread the
word about the health risks associated with Insulin
Resistance and the simple way to manage it with The Insulin
Resistance Diet. We know that it works! Thousands of
our readers have lost weight, raised their quality of life through
greater energy and better mood, and improved their
cholesterol, blood pressure, and overall health. We sincerely
believe that it can work for you too! The purpose of this
newsletter is to provide readers with the latest research as well as
tips and ideas for greater success.
Questions for our newsletters can be sent to mkgrossman@irdiet.com
. If you have a question, there is a good chance that
others will benefit from learning the answer to! We
welcome your input!
We
invite you to join our membership program. Program benefits
include a subscription to our monthly newsletter and a monthly live
teleconference with us, the authors. If you would like to join
our program, please go to the book website.
If you have a friend or relative who you think might benefit from our
program, please forward it to them. Help us acheive our
mission to spread the word about this life threatening
condition!
The Best of Health To You,
Dr. Cheryle Hart and Mary Kay Grossman, RD
|
|
|
