Insulin, Insulin Resistance, Fasting

[Arenera]

Obesity Code - Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss

Insulin is an important hormone our bodies use to get glucose into cells and make fat as needed. When insulin is out of control, so are our bodies.

Excessively high Insulin Resistance is the disease known as type 2 diabetes. High insulin resistance leads to elevated blood sugars, which are a symptom of this disease.

In practical terms, this means that not only does insulin causes obesity, but also that insulin causes type 2 diabetes. The common root cause of both diseases is high, persistent insulin levels.

The treatment for both is to lower insulin levels.
p133-134

[Arenera]

Obesity Code - Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss

Insulin is an important hormone our bodies use to get glucose into cells and make fat as needed. When insulin is out of control, so are our bodies.

Excessively high Insulin Resistance is the disease known as type 2 diabetes. High insulin resistance leads to elevated blood sugars, which are a symptom of this disease.

In practical terms, this means that not only does insulin causes obesity, but also that insulin causes type 2 diabetes. The common root cause of both diseases is high, persistent insulin levels.

The treatment for both is to lower insulin levels.
p133-134

Enemy number 1: Highly Refined Carbohydrates

THE PIMA INDIANS of the American southwest have the highest rates of diabetes and obesity in North America.

An estimated 50 percent of Pima adults are obese, and of those, 95 percent have diabetes. High levels of obesity are once again seen alongside grinding poverty. What happened? The traditional Pima diet relied on agriculture, hunting and fishing. All reports from the 1800s suggest that the Pima were “sprightly” and in good health.

By the early 1900s, American trading posts began to establish themselves. The Pimas’ ancestral way of life, with its agriculture and hunting patterns, as well as its diet, was completely disrupted.

Refined carbohydrates, particularly white sugar and flour, began to replace traditional foods, since both substances could be stored at room temperature for long periods without spoilage. By the 1950s, obesity was widespread among the Pima in association with grinding poverty.
p142-143

[Arenera]

Success at Last: the Australian Romp and Chomp study ran from 2004 to 2008. The program targeted almost 12,000 children aged zero to five years. Here again, daycare centers were divided into two groups. One group would continue their usual programs. The other intervention group received the Romp and Chomp educational initiative.

But rather than giving multiple muddled health messages, the study’s two major nutritional objectives were targeted and very specific: To significantly decrease consumption of high-sugar drinks and promote the consumption of water and milk. To significantly decrease consumption of energy-dense snacks and increase consumption of fruit and vegetables. Rather than reducing fat and calories, the study reduced snacks and sugar. Similar to other programs, it tried to increase exercise and involve families as much as possible.

But mostly, its methods were almost like your grandmother’s advice to lose weight:
- Cut down sugars and starches.
- Stop snacking.

These strategies attack the worst offenders of insulin secretion and resistance. Snacks tend to be cookies, pretzels, crackers and other foods that are very high in refined carbohydrates, so reducing snacks reduced refined carbohydrate intake. Reducing sugar and refined carbohydrates will reduce insulin. Reducing snacking frequency prevents persistent high insulin levels, a key component of insulin resistance. These strategies lower insulin levels—the crucial, central problem of obesity. The program decreased consumption of packaged snacks and fruit juice (by approximately one-half cup daily). This study’s results could not be more different from those of previous ones. Both the 2-and 3.5-year-old children showed significantly better weight reduction compared to the control group. The prevalence of obesity was reduced by 2-percent to 3 percent. Success at long last!

[LdsMarco]

I'm on my 2nd week of intermittent fasting and this plan really works!

I keep it a 5 hr window to eat whatever I want as long as I am not eating like a pig. I noticed I am not as hungry anymore.

[Arenera]

I'm on my 2nd week of intermittent fasting and this plan really works!

I keep it a 5 hr window to eat whatever I want as long as I am not eating like a pig. I noticed I am not as hungry anymore.

Super! When the insulin levels come down, and the insulin resistance, the glucose gets into the cells and your body works better.

[Arenera]

Fructose - The Evil Sugar in the Refined State

The bottom line is that excess fructose is changed into fat in the liver. High levels of fructose will cause fatty liver. Fatty liver is absolutely crucial to the development of insulin resistance in the liver. That fructose directly causes insulin resistance was discovered long ago.

Whereas almost every cell in the body can use glucose for energy, no cell has the ability to use fructose. Where glucose requires insulin for maximal absorption, fructose does not. Once inside the body, only the liver can metabolize fructose. Where glucose can be dispersed throughout the body for use as energy, fructose is targeted like a guided missile to the liver.

Heard of High Fructose Corn Syrup?

[Arenera]

Fasting...a forgotten health benefit?

Fasting is one of the oldest remedies in human history. Fasting may be done for any period of time, from a few hours to a few months.

As Mormons, we practice a 24 hour "dry" fast each month. Dry means without food and water.

Can fasting be done for days to months? Yes, that would be water fasting where you drink water every day but eat no food.

Recently Jon McMahon, a type 2 diabetic, went on a 30-day medically supervised fast. He lost over 50 pounds and his blood sugars became normal in the 70s. He has a series where he talks to experts (mainly Whole Food Plant Based) on how to improve health. https://go.ithriveseries.com/ he is running the series again.

Dr. Fung has a clinic in Canada (Intensive Dietary Management Clinic https://idmprogram.com/) where they use fasting as an important part of getting people's health back.

When we talk about fasting to break insulin resistance and lose weight, we are talking about intermittent fasts of 24 to 36 hours.

Intermittent fasting involves fasting for shorter periods of time on a regular basis.

LdsMarco posted he is doing a routine of a 5 hr eating window each day. This gives your body time to reduce insulin levels, which helps reduce insulin resistance.

[Arenera]

The Complete Guide to Fasting: A Special Interview With Dr. Jason Fung

with Dr. Mercola

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/arti ... sting.aspx

[Arenera]

Good video explaining glycogen, fat, and fasting.

[Arenera]

Fasting and Intermittent Fasting work with all diets. Fasting is tops on intervention methods. Make sure you watch your medicines as you fast, you may need to cut back.

The Virgin Diet JJ Virgin is based on food intolerances, a lighter version of the Plant Paradox Steven Gundry.

The Virgin Diet starts out by eliminating these foods for 21 days:
Corn
Eggs
Peanuts
Dairy
Gluten
Soy
Sugar and artificial sweeteners

Corn, peanuts and sugar should stay out 95 percent of the time.

[Arenera]

Testimonial

Source

John, 25 Years of Diabetes Reversed

In May 2017, my internist, for whom I have a deep, professional respect, noted how long (39 years) I had been struggling with Type II Insulin-dependent DM and that my meds, insulin requirements, and A1C were once again increasing along with my yo-yoing weight. You, see, I had lost this 50-75 pounds of weight at least three times in my 69 years of life. So, he recommended that I buy Dr. Fung’s book “Complete Guide to Fasting”, and learn that this cure for Diabetes is dietary, not medicinal. The rest is history.

After reading Dr. Fung’s book, I joined his Long-Distance Clinic in Toronto via internet to consult in a group with other Intensive Dietary Management (IDM) clinic members, led by a professional clinician. At least twice monthly our internet group discusses our progress with the eating/fasting aspect of the program and to share our experiences. Our professional clinician has first-hand knowledge of the fasting program and can provide the group or individual support that each one of us needs. The focus is to achieve my normal weight and to reduce/diminish/or eliminate my Diabetes fasting, either intermittently or extended. I have also added daily meditation and continual study of Dr. Fung’s theories.

[Tree]

Just two major nutritional deficiencies cause Type 2 Diabetes. Providing the body with these will reverse Type 2 Diabetes. No need to all this complex fasting, etc....... .
As always the body not only needs the two nutrients mentioned but an array of minerals, vitamins and amino acids to be healthy.

[Arenera]

The Many Benefits of Fasting

Source

Gundry is also an advocate of fasting, both intermittent fasting and longer water fasts, which I've recently embraced myself. I now do a five-day water fast on a monthly basis, and since I was used to doing 20-hour daily intermittent fasting, I really had no hunger at all. Most struggle with hunger pangs by Day Two or Three.

This is easily avoided by working your way up to the point where you're fasting 20 hours a day for at least a month before you try a longer water fast. I personally do not know of any more powerful metabolic intervention than fasting. Gundry agrees, saying:

"We have an amazing repair system that goes to work when you're fasting. Not the least of which is [letting] your gut rest. It's probably one of the smartest things that any of us can do — putting the wall of your gut at rest, not having to absorb nutrients, not having to deal with the constant inflow of lectins or toxins. But I think more importantly, it gives [your body] a chance to finally do some serious cleaning of your brain …

Alzheimer's and Parkinson's have a unifying cause, and that is the brain is defending itself against perceived threat, a lot of which are LPSs. If you put your gut at rest and don't have LPSs coming into your system, and the longer you can maintain that, realistically, the better off you are.

As Jason Fung would say, intermittent fasting is great; doing a modified calorie-restricted diet is great, but it technically is so much easier to just stop eating … The second level of my modified food pyramid is 'Don't eat anything.'"

Importantly, fasting activates autophagy, which is your body's way of taking out the trash. Surgeons will typically excise lipomas (soft rubbery bulges beneath your skin that develop when fat starts to grow in soft tissue), but fasting will actually get rid of lipomas without any surgical intervention. Fasting will also trigger the regeneration of stem cells.

Remarkably, whereas low-calorie dieting will cause morbidly obese people to develop skin folds that must be surgically removed after significant weight loss, this typically does not occur when you're water fasting. Your body actually eliminates the excess loose skin as you go along, because your body is in such efficient regeneration mode.

Even having as little as 200 or 300 calories a day is enough to abort the autophagy process, though, which is why I now do a complete water fast. For me, it's been a game changer. The mental clarity it provides is truly profound. Now, if your insulin is high when you start a water fast, you may experience hypoglycemia, which can trigger severe headaches. Gundry suggests taking coconut oil or MCT oil several times a day to counteract this.

That said, if you've been doing 18- to 20-hour daily intermittent fasting for some time, you're not likely to have an insulin sensitivity problem and won't crash once you begin your water fast. Should you develop either intractable muscle cramps or flu-like symptoms while fasting, know that both of these are symptoms of sodium deficiency. Your body's sodium requirement actually increases when you're fasting, so make sure you take some high-quality unprocessed salt every day to avoid these side effects.

[Arenera]

From "Never Feel Old Again" by Raymond Francis.

Fasting is the one practice that has been proven to extend life.

Making a habit of fasting one day a week is not difficult, and by doing so, your body gets fifty-two days a year to rest and detoxify. Some people prefer to fast three or four days in a row each month. (water fast where you drink water but eat no food)

I normally fast one day per week, and once a year, I fast for seven to ten days; I feel fantastic afterward. In fact, it was a ten-day fast that helped me recover from liver failure caused by a toxic prescription drug.

p.197

[Arenera]

Interesting conversation about afib, magnesium, water fasting.

Fasting is a profound metabolic intervention.

[Elizabeth]

I have extensive experience water fasting. 33 days has been my longest.

[Arenera]

I have extensive experience water fasting. 33 days has been my longest.

Wow, that is amazing!

[Arenera]

Autophagy, a process where the cells recycle waste materials, down regulate wasteful processes and repair themselves is increased during periods of fasting.

What is also interesting is that studies have shown that elevated levels of insulin actually reduce this process of autophagy.

from “Water Fasting for Wellness”

[Arenera]

Fat Loss Benefits

One of the greatest benefits associated with fasting is that of fat loss, and there are many ways that fasting achieves this:

Fat Loss Benefit #1 -Boosts Human Growth Hormone The first way that fasting increases fat burning is through boosting Human Growth Hormone. It is well known that during a fast, Human Growth Hormone (HGH) –one of our premier fat burning hormones is increased. Studies have shown that even a simple 24 hour fast increased growth hormone by 1300% in women and 2000% in men.

This is great news for those wanting to lose that fat and build that muscle. If you are still not 100% sure of what Human Growth Hormone is or what its benefits are, let me just go into it a little: Promotes the building of new muscle by increasing the synthesis of new protein tissues, such as in muscle recovery or repair. Produces more energy. Improves sexual performance. Builds stronger bones. Improves the quality and duration of heart and kidneys. Increases the breakdown of stored fats (triglycerides) and increases increases the use of this fat to create energy. Counteracts the action of insulin. Insulin moves sugar into the cells (i.e. stores fat) and Growth Hormone moves sugar out of the cells to be burned (i.e. fat burning). Human Growth Hormone reduces obesity because of its actions on two enzymes that control lipolysis (breakdown of stored triglycerides into free fatty acids) and lipogenesis (fat accumulation).

Fat Loss Benefit #2 -Increases Lipolysis by Decreasing Insulin Levels Lipolysis is the process of releasing stored triglycerides from the body (body fat) so that it may be burned for energy. However, when Insulin Levels are high, the process of Lipolysis is low, therefore making fat burning almost impossible. By lowering the insulin production through fasting, lipolysis is activated.

Fat Loss Benefit #3 -Improves Insulin Sensitivity Insulin resistance has been linked to many conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, as well as a variety of cancers (prostate, breast and pancreatic). Fasting has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce insulin resistance.

Fat Loss Benefit #4 -Increases Catecholamine’s and therefore activates Hormone Sensitive Lipase Hormone Sensitive Lipase is present in the adipose tissues and is responsible for spurring the release of fat. The bodies Catecholamine’s Adrenaline and Noradrenaline which are increased during fasting also increase this hormone sensitive lipase, therefore triggering the body to burn fat.

Fat Loss Benefit #5 -Burns More Calories Short Term Fasting (between 12 hours and 72 hours) has been shown to increase your metabolism and adrenaline levels. This causes you to increase calorie burning during the period of the fast.

Fat Loss Benefit #6 -Trains your body to burn fat instead of sugar As mentioned previously, once you shift your metabolism from burning sugars to burning fat (ketosis) you will be able to start tapping into stored body fat. By the end of the 24 hour fast your body has burnt more fat than you typically would in a normal day of eating. The more days you fast the more keto-adapted you will become and therefore the more fat you will burn.

from Water Fasting for Wellness

[Arenera]

I have extensive experience water fasting. 33 days has been my longest.

How did you feel the first few days when you started?

Did your appetite disappear?

Did you have any physical improvements that you noticed?

Did you incorporate any spiritual components to your fast?

How did you feel afterwards?

Thanks!

[Elizabeth]

Firstly, tell your body to not expect food but to instead rest and concentrate on healing.
When there is no expectations of food there is no problem fasting.

The body uses fat reserves and in doing so releases and disposes of stored toxins, unwanted bacteria etc.

Clean teeth, gargle mouth and throat often.

The purity of water is important, be sure to drink only pure spring or rain water, or properly filtered water ... always in glass, never plastic.

I always feel great when fasting, both spiritually and physically, with clarity of thought and increased energy.
It is a welcome relief for the body to not have to deal with food

It is a burden to return to eating, but when the skin feels dry vanity dictates healthy food is needed

I have extensive experience water fasting. 33 days has been my longest.

How did you feel the first few days when you started?

Did your appetite disappear?

Did you have any physical improvements that you noticed?

Did you incorporate any spiritual components to your fast?

How did you feel afterwards?

Thanks!

[Tetraman]

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2002. I was told it would only get worse as I got older and that while I might be able to control my blood sugar levels with diet for a little while, I would need medication. By 2017 I had tried nearly all the available medications and was taking a lot of insulin, had gained a lot of weight, and still not able to keep my blood sugar under control. I was eating a low fat, moderate carb based diet similar to what used to be promoted by the American Diabetic Association.

In Oct of last year I went on a ketogenic diet. Mostly leafy green, whole plant based, with moderate animal protein, and all the healthy fat I needed to feel satiated. I also started intermittent fasting. I only eat during a 4 to 6 hour window each day and then don't eat anything for 18-20 hours. I also did a few 5 day fasts. It is very easy to do when you are not addicted to sugar.
The result:
I lost 25 lbs. My A1C went from 9.1 to 5.0 (A1C is a 3 month average measure of blood sugars and 5.0 is normal, non-diabetic)
My Triglyceride dropped to normal levels and my HDL went up to normal levels for the time since having lipid panels done.
I am off all insulin and off all medications, including the statin I was on. My cells are slowly becoming more insulin sensitive. I'm can now eat a small amount of fruit without my blood glucose levels spiking.
The haze brain that used to plague me is gone, my energy level is way up, my dry cracked skin has healed, my GERD is gone. I feel 15 years younger. All this and the only reaction from my doctor was being upset that I had stopped my statin, even though my lipid numbers were all within the normal range. I found a new doctor.
Hope has returned to my life that I'm not going to slowly rot away as I age. I'm no longer a slave to the drug industry. For me, this as been nothing short of a miracle.

[Arenera]

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2002. I was told it would only get worse as I got older and that while I might be able to control my blood sugar levels with diet for a little while, I would need medication. By 2017 I had tried nearly all the available medications and was taking a lot of insulin, had gained a lot of weight, and still not able to keep my blood sugar under control. I was eating a low fat, moderate carb based diet similar to what used to be promoted by the American Diabetic Association.

In Oct of last year I went on a ketogenic diet. Mostly leafy green, whole plant based, with moderate animal protein, and all the healthy fat I needed to feel satiated. I also started intermittent fasting. I only eat during a 4 to 6 hour window each day and then don't eat anything for 18-20 hours. I also did a few 5 day fasts. It is very easy to do when you are not addicted to sugar.
The result:
I lost 25 lbs. My A1C went from 9.1 to 5.0 (A1C is a 3 month average measure of blood sugars and 5.0 is normal, non-diabetic)
My Triglyceride dropped to normal levels and my HDL went up to normal levels for the time since having lipid panels done.
I am off all insulin and off all medications, including the statin I was on. My cells are slowly becoming more insulin sensitive. I'm can now eat a small amount of fruit without my blood glucose levels spiking.
The haze brain that used to plague me is gone, my energy level is way up, my dry cracked skin has healed, my GERD is gone. I feel 15 years younger. All this and the only reaction from my doctor was being upset that I had stopped my statin, even though my lipid numbers were all within the normal range. I found a new doctor.
Hope has returned to my life that I'm not going to slowly rot away as I age. I'm no longer a slave to the drug industry. For me, this as been nothing short of a miracle.

Thanks for your feedback!

Here is another testimonial from someone who had diabetes. Pills and insulin don't fix diabetes, but eating a certain way can:

Source

When the now 46-year-old Mary Roberts from Lockhart, Texas, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2008, her doctor immediately put her on Metformin (glucophage), a drug to help stabilize blood sugar. “When I got the diagnosis, I guess I wasn’t surprised,” says Roberts, explaining that not only was she overweight but her mom had been on insulin for type 2 diabetes.

Not wanting to be on medication herself for her entire life, Roberts set out on a path to control the diabetes through diet, but a few years of nutrition classes proved unsuccessful in lowering her blood sugar level. It was after her doctor suggested insulin on top of the high dose of Metformin that Roberts switched gears. “I really wanted to find a way to get healthy,” she says.

She found the solution in changing her approach to eating — just not the way she expected. Intermittent fasting (IF) combined with the popular ketogenic diet, which emphasizes dramatically reducing carbohydrate intake, helped her lose weight and lower her A1C. “I feel amazing,” Roberts says.

There are different ways to do IF, including skipping meals and eating only during a certain time period, as well as restricting calories on certain days of the week and eating normally on other days.

Roberts decided to fast by eating two meals a day, but she never follows a strict schedule. “I eat when I’m hungry,” she says.

Within a few months, Roberts' blood glucose level went from over 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) to around 130 mg/dL, and within eight months, it was within a normal range. Her blood glucose level now is always in the 80s and 90s, and her A1C, a two- to three-month average reading of blood sugar, is 4.8, which is also normal. After 22 months, she lost 106 pounds and has since kept it off. “Sometimes I pinch myself [because] I can’t believe I did this. I turned it around,” she says.

[Arenera]

Good conversation on obesity and type II diabetes and what to do.

[brlenox]

Just two major nutritional deficiencies cause Type 2 Diabetes. Providing the body with these will reverse Type 2 Diabetes. No need to all this complex fasting, etc....... .
As always the body not only needs the two nutrients mentioned but an array of minerals, vitamins and amino acids to be healthy.

Currently, your responses are meaningless as you keep saying the same thing over and over and never elaborating.

To illustrate this point, I will say the following: I am convinced that your condition could be remedied by correcting three major deficiencies. In fact I am positive that we could see a complete turn around if you would correct these three things. You are over complicating the process, you only need to correct these three things.

See how ridiculous this is?

PLEASE DISREGARD THIS RESPONSE. IT IS INTERLACED WITH MY COMMENTS AND THEN ONE OF THE MODS SO THAT IT LOSES AN ASPECT OF MY INTENDED IMPLICATION. PLEASE DISREGARD.