Why do we get fat?

[MRG]

.snip.... good sounding breakfast


I think some folk, like myself, are more sensitive to blood sugar spikes/plunges than others. It's brutal, so consider yourself fortunate if you don't know what I'm referring too.

Great comment.

I used to think that folks who claimed sugar spikes were a little daft in the head. Till I changed how I ate and realized I had them every day and thought it was normal! I never understood how I could eat, stay hungry and have zero energy other than short bursts of thoughts that went in circles. I was a hummingbird running from one sugary food to the next, believing that was normal. Ate that way most of my life, how silly.

 

[eytonxav]

I wish I could say, as so many do, that I "felt better" after cutting out sweets and junk food, but it didn't make a bit of difference in how I feel. I don't have any more energy, don't sleep any better, don't get fewer colds or whatever. Still, I feel it was worth doing.

I do not know how recently you made these changes, but I would say that positive nutrition changes made in the near term may take a longer period to materialize in how you feel. Our bodies are complex systems, especially given hormones, mitochondria, etc and not everyone will react the same to changes and finding the right balance to increase energy levels.

 

[Amethyst]

Late 2014. But I felt fine to begin with. No mood swings. Just worried about my teeth.

Based on how others write of big changes in their energy levels, I did hope that I would discover some new well-spring of unfamiliar vitality, but I feel the same as ever.

I do not know how recently you made these changes, but I would say that positive nutrition changes made in the near term may take a longer period to materialize in how you feel. Our bodies are complex systems, especially given hormones, mitochondria, etc and not everyone will react the same to changes and finding the right balance to increase energy levels.

 

[eytonxav]

Late 2014. But I felt fine to begin with. No mood swings. Just worried about my teeth.

Based on how others write of big changes in their energy levels, I did hope that I would discover some new well-spring of unfamiliar vitality, but I feel the same as ever.

Keep up the good work, continue to eat healthier and try to exercise 30 minutes per day.

 

[nash031]

Can you please share what's on your typical breakfast menu? Thank you!

My normal weekday breakfast:

~1/2 cup full fat plain greek yogurt
~1/3 cup berries (blue, black, rasp... whatever's on sale)
1 scoop vanilla whey protein isolate powder
pour small amount of plain kefir to mix protein powder
If I'm training, I'll add ~1/4 cup of granola. Mix well, eat. 60ish g protein + fat, only carbs from the berries (and granola).

Simple, fast, satisfying. I have gone from eating that at 6:45a until 1:30 or 2pm before I get really hungry, though I usually eat lunch before that.

Before long runs on weekends, I still do some oatmeal with raw honey, raisins, topped with walnuts.

On weekends, I do bacon and scrambled eggs covering half an avocado covered in salsa with a piece of fruit.

Coffee. Always coffee... with heavy whipping cream.

And water.

 

[tmm99]

My normal weekday breakfast:

~1/2 cup full fat plain greek yogurt
~1/3 cup berries (blue, black, rasp... whatever's on sale)
1 scoop vanilla whey protein isolate powder
pour small amount of plain kefir to mix protein powder
If I'm training, I'll add ~1/4 cup of granola. Mix well, eat. 60ish g protein + fat, only carbs from the berries (and granola).

Simple, fast, satisfying. I have gone from eating that at 6:45a until 1:30 or 2pm before I get really hungry, though I usually eat lunch before that.

Before long runs on weekends, I still do some oatmeal with raw honey, raisins, topped with walnuts.

On weekends, I do bacon and scrambled eggs covering half an avocado covered in salsa with a piece of fruit.

Coffee. Always coffee... with heavy whipping cream.

And water.

Thank you for sharing this, Nash

 

[eytonxav]

Nash, that breakfast does sound good, its making my mouth water

 

[Chuckanut]

Include me with the 'weigh myself every day folks'. I find that this helps keep me focused on my goal. While my weight will vary a good 4 pounds in either direction from day to day, the trend is what I am looking at.

 

[nash031]

Thank you for sharing this, Nash

No problem... Love talking nutrition!

 

[ElizabethT]

I want to throw out a quick, high energy breakfast for days when I'm on the run, that being a 1/2 cup of almonds (@ 280 calories) and a banana. Great energy combo, if not the yummiest breakfast on the planet, but one I can eat on the go, and that will keep me going until lunch with no jarring drops in blood sugar.

 

[LOL!]

Since blood glucose meters are inexpensive nowadays, do folks use them even without a health requirement to have one?

I do not, but I have often wondered what I eat does to my blood sugar levels.

So if you have used one, what did you learn? For instance, if your level goes way up or way down, do you feel hungrier?

Or if you eat greek yoghurt and fruit for breakfast is your level different than if you eat oatmeal and fruit for breakfast?

Or how about before and after exercise such as a 30 minute run or a 60 minute walk?

 

[nash031]

Chances are, oatmeal doesn't cause a major change in BS relative to the fruit. I've never noticed the roller coaster from oatmeal, and I still eat it prior to long runs. My BS issue which made me feel famished by 9AM after breakfast at 6 was likely caused by the other stuff - honey to some extent, but certainly the fruit preserves, sunflower seed butter, and bagel - that I ate along with the oatmeal. I didn't need a BS meter to recognize the insulin roller coaster once I was aware of its existence, and that's what forced the change in my breakfast habit.

Some days, if my caloric intake is too low and I run, I'll get a BS drop afterwards. In those cases, I usually drink a glass of OJ and that'll stabilize me in a few minutes, then I can go with whatever else I want post run (banana, protein, whatever).

In summary, I don't need the BS meter to tell me my BS is much more stable now with the greek yogurt/fruit concoction than it was before with the high carb/high-ish sugar breakfast. I can feel the difference both in satiety and energy.

 

[travelover]

.......... I don't need the BS meter to tell me my BS is much more stable now .......

Me neither. Oh wait - did you mean blood sugar?

 

[nash031]

THAT BS meter broke long ago. Something about being high out of range all the time.

 

[Chuckanut]

I replaced my BS meter with a Gloat-O-Meter. It's much more fun.

 

[eytonxav]

I replaced my BS meter with a Gloat-O-Meter. It's much more fun.

Now that is funny

 

[LOL!]

Alright, does anybody use a glucose meter? Notwithstanding nash031's internal BS meter, does anybody use a real meter that is not subjective?

 

[braumeister]

I started using one about 7 or 8 years ago when my fasting blood glucose level crept up above 100 for the first time. My doc explained about pre-diabetic leading to full-blown diabetes, so I started checking myself regularly.

Once I understood the effects of what I ate (this took a few months of regular testing), I kept checking periodically for a couple of years.

But my glucose level has been below 100 for years now, and I no longer check it beyond the annual blood tests when I go in for my regular checkup.

 

[eytonxav]

I have been a type 2 diabetic for 8 years, and while my fasting BG is typically around 114, my A1Cs have been in the 5.4 - 5.7 range. I do not test regularly any more, but I do get a quarterly blood test. Diabetes can certainly change over time, usually for the worse, but I figure the quarterly testing will catch any changes requiring further action, but after a bout of pancreatitis last year, I may need to be more vigilant in the future.

 

[nash031]

Alright, does anybody use a glucose meter? Notwithstanding nash031's internal BS meter, does anybody use a real meter that is not subjective?

I suspect it'd be helpful to identify when your BS is high/low and associate how you feel along with the hard data... the goal being to be able to identify the condition before it happens based on how you feel and correct it before you have to eat or overeat. I'd say have at it, but I don't think a non-diabetic needs to use one long term since there's no additional insulin correction required.

 

[Amethyst]

Some posters in some threads have mentioned testing their blood sugar regularly, even though they are not diabetic. Doesn't...it...hurt?

I started using one about 7 or 8 years ago when my fasting blood glucose level crept up above 100 for the first time. My doc explained about pre-diabetic leading to full-blown diabetes, so I started checking myself regularly.

Once I understood the effects of what I ate (this took a few months of regular testing), I kept checking periodically for a couple of years.

But my glucose level has been below 100 for years now, and I no longer check it beyond the annual blood tests when I go in for my regular checkup.

 

[zinger1457]

Some posters in some threads have mentioned testing their blood sugar regularly, even though they are not diabetic. Doesn't...it...hurt?

Nope, the pin prick is just enough to get a drop of blood out. You usually have to adjust the lancing device so that it gives you right amount of blood, some measuring devices need very little.

 

[LOL!]

I suspect it'd be helpful to identify when your BS is high/low and associate how you feel along with the hard data...

Yes, thanks, I wanted the hard data and it seems no one reading this thread has done the kinds of "experiments" that I would like to do. I guess I am just skeptical when an article claims a rise/fall in blood sugar because of something one ate. It would seem easy to test these claims nowadays.

It might be a decent 7th-grade science fair project, but would never get approved because of the use of human subjects.

 

[nash031]

Yes, thanks, I wanted the hard data and it seems no one reading this thread has done the kinds of "experiments" that I would like to do. I guess I am just skeptical when an article claims a rise/fall in blood sugar because of something one ate. It would seem easy to test these claims nowadays.

It might be a decent 7th-grade science fair project, but would never get approved because of the use of human subjects.

I don't know why you'd find that hard to believe. Blood glucose response to what you eat is very well-documented, and is the basis of insulin treatment for diabetics. Things like Gylcemic Index and such exist precisely because of these effects, and they help you shape a diet that maintains a relatively stable blood glucose by consuming foods with low GI, thus avoiding the insulin spike and subsequent biological response that causes hunger, "chills", shaking, fatigue, among a number of other responses. This information is the basis for treatment of hypo- and hyperglycemia, something my mom (hypo-) has dealt with for as long as I can remember (at least 30 years).

There's a wealth of information out there regarding GI that's been tested. Individual responses may vary to certain foods based on your own body's sensitivity to insulin, but I would encourage you to read some of that information before dropping your own money on a BG meter that may be unnecessary.

That said, I fully understand wanting to conduct that kind of self-experiment; I do it often when it comes to nutrition, but without the BG/BS meter!

It's also possible that I've completely missed the mark here on what you're interested in, but I'm just responding based on the stated skepticism that food consumed causes changes in blood sugar.


Linked is a published table by Harvard that shows both glycemic index and glycemic load for various foods. Foods with low glycemic load have less effect on your blood sugar and help maintain steady levels and prevent insulin spikes and their biological effects. These things make sense: a Coke has a higher glycemic load than an apple. Just about anything containing HFCS is going to have a greater effect on your BS than something with a naturally occurring sugar.


http://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods


Here's what WebMD has to say:


http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/guide/glycemic-index-good-versus-bad-carbs

Some foods can make your blood sugar shoot up very fast. That's because carbohydrates like refined sugars and bread are easier for your body to change into glucose, the sugar your body uses for energy, than more slowly digested carbs like those in vegetables and whole grains. Eat a lot of those easy carbohydrates and you'll have a hard time controlling your blood sugar, even with insulin and diabetesmedications.


The glycemic index gives you a way to tell slower-acting "good carbs" from the faster "bad carbs." You can use it to fine-tune your carb-counting and help keep your blood sugar more steady.

 

[LOL!]

@nash031, I have a PhD in biochemistry and have been a co-author on research papers related to the regulation of proteins related to the insulin response. But I have never dealt with human subjects ... just basic research. I have reviewed some research that has had to be retracted, so I am always skeptical of things until I see it with my own eyes.

For instance, your quote from WebMD is an example of something I can easily test myself "Some foods can make your blood sugar shoot up very fast." That makes me ask "How much? How fast?" I am also interested in the changes in blood glucose levels from drinking a can of Coke, a can of diet Coke, a can of Dr Pepper 10 (some sugar, some artificial sweetener), a soft drink with lots of ice, a soft drink with lots of ice over an hour, and so on. Or a breakfast of Oatmeal, Oatmeal with fresh blueberries, Oatmeal with craisins, Oatmeal with low-sugar craisins, and so on.

A blood glucose meter is not expensive nowadays and test strips are cheap, too.