Monday, September 27, 2010

Sugar and Fat - The Deadliest Diet Combination

I originally intended to write a web page on this topic and I still may, but for the moment I would rather spin off a blog post on it. For those of you who may be wondering what the most serious dietary mistake is, I won't keep you in suspense about it. It's eating a large amount of fat and carbohydrate in the same meal.

Examples would be a Big Mac, large coke and fries. Or just eating a sugar desert immediately following a fatty meal.

The reasons this is a problem is that the combination of fat and sugar causes blood sugar (and in turn insulin) to be elevated for a long period of time, much longer than normal.

The longer blood sugar and insulin stay elevated, the more problems are caused. Insulin is a "growth hormone" with receptors in many of the body's tissues. Chronically elevated insulin is asking for problems, because it causes hypertrophy (growth) in tissues that you really don't want to grow, such as internal organs and cartilage.

It is also a causative factor in obesity because it shuts down fat burning in your body. Let the scientists and doctors debate the cause of obesity for the next 20 years. Trust me when I tell you its caused by elevated glucose and insulin levels and the suppression of lipolysis. That's a fancy word for fat burning.

Smart food combining will go a long way toward helping you lost weight and get leaner. A quick rule of thumb is to make sure you are eating a quality protein source at every meal. You can combine protein and carbohydrate, or protein and fat in one meal, but NEVER combine a large amount of carbohydrate and fat.

This one tip will help you win the battle of the bulge. If you avoid refined carbohydrates as much as possible, controlling your weight will be a lot easier.