| Let's say you eat a simple carbohydrate, such as a | | | | something to think about. However, when you eat a |
| piece of fruit or a candy bar. Eaten alone, it would | | | | little protein with each meal, which forces the |
| enter your bloodstream in the form of glucose and | | | | secretion of glucagon(the hormone that stimulates |
| raise your insulin level almost instantly. Proteins, such | | | | insulin secretion), your insulin level balances out so |
| as lean cuts of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, and | | | | your body doesn't go through the insulin roller-coaster |
| low-fat dairy products, take much longer to digest | | | | ride. The result is that you have a sustained, |
| and are broken down into their smallest components, | | | | well-balanced energy level throughout the day instead |
| amino acids. Amino acids, for the most part, do not | | | | of that tired, lethargic feeling you may usually |
| stimulate insulin secretion. Protein also requires the | | | | experience around midafternoon. |
| body to put forth a greater amount of effort for a | | | | The premise behind a higher-protein diet is that it's |
| longer period of time to digest it, which once again | | | | not the protein or fat in our daily diet that is causing |
| slows down the digestive process. | | | | the obesity epidemic, it is the excess of high |
| When a carbohydrate is eaten in combination with a | | | | glycemic carbohydrates and carbohydrates eaten |
| protein, it becomes a new source of energy on a | | | | alone and in excess that create and store fat. In |
| molecular level. So when a simple carbohydrate is | | | | other words, lean sources protein and good fats will |
| eaten in combination with a lean protein source, such | | | | not make you fat they are eaten in the proper |
| as a piece of cheese or a slice of turkey, that | | | | proportion. Fat does not induce a secretion of insulin. |
| combination of foods goes through a very different | | | | Do you remember the low-fat craze that swept |
| digestive process than if either is eaten alone. When | | | | through our country not so long ago? Every major |
| you combine carbohydrates with proteins, less | | | | food manufacturer jumped on the bandwagon and |
| glucose enters the bloodstream, and it is released | | | | made low-fat versions of almost every food product. |
| over a longer duration of time. This lowers your | | | | What happened? We got fatter, not thinner! We |
| insulin level so your body can burn the carbohydrates | | | | ended up eating more of those low fat foods |
| as fuel as opposed to storing them as fit. | | | | because they didn't fill us up due to the reduced fat |
| Another important factor to consider is those endless | | | | content and the fact that they were high in sugar |
| cravings for sugar or carbohydrates. Eating a little | | | | and carbohydrates. Consider this: an entire chicken |
| protein with each meal will reduce your cravings for | | | | breast has approximately 300 calories; a small |
| such foods. Let me explain. When you eat sugar or a | | | | Snickers bar has approximate 275 calories. The |
| carbohydrate alone, it raises(spikes) your insulin levels, | | | | chicken breast does not require the secretion of |
| but what goes up must come down. So when your | | | | insulin, but the Snickers bar does. As a consequence, |
| insulin level drops, it creates a craving for more sugar | | | | when eating the Snickers bar there is a greater |
| or carbohydrates for immediate energy and to get | | | | chance your body will store these calories in your fat |
| "high" again, because now you are feeling tired and | | | | cells; eating the chicken breast will not. |
| lethargic. Sounds like an addiction, right? It's | | | | |