I'm Ordering a Nutrisystem Meal

Nutrisystem has a new program in which the meals consist of "good carbs". While this is nice, I also don't want to dread mealtime. I've found out that you can just order one item at a time (a la carte). I'm going to do this to sample their food. If it is decent, I am going for it. I will give them a try. Maybe I will order something for breakfast or lunch since those are the meals that I have little time to prepare for.

Kicking the Carb Addiction- Part 2

So I went to the Nutrisystem website and I have to say that I am afraid to do it. I am afraid that I would not like the food and that I would have wasted $250 plus dollars for a month of food. I have to say that the price for a month of prepared food is not so bad being that it is a weight loss program. I would like for them to offer samples of their food, but I don't see anything on their website for it. I guess its back to just doing it for myself- I guess.

I am not one of those people who can go low carb. If anything, low carb may not be the answer for some people! I've tried it and was sluggish and tired all of the time. It seems that I am better off with carbs that are complex and whole grain. The fiber in whole grains also helps insulin resistance also I've heard. It slows the digestion of food therefore keeping insulin spikes in check.

It makes life easier.

But I Miss the Crunchy carbs!: Kicking Carb Addiction part 1

If you have insulin insensitivity then you know where I am coming from. You hear..no white bread, no white sugar, no white flour, no fried chicken, no this, no that and so on. Don't get me wrong, I've gotten used to not drinking those sodas with 40 grams of sugar in them and actually feel better from it. I've even gotten used to eating whole grains and when I do eat white bread it suprisingly tastes too sweet. Who would've known? But no cake!! No crunchy chicken crispers from Chili's!! What is a girl to do?

I've looked at some of the low-carb recipe books and they give you some ideas on creating some of the high carb taste-a-likes but sometimes they fall short....Uhh.. WAAAY short. Yes I know, I, know... I need to try some more recipes in the kitchen, but I don't have 4 hours a day to be Ms Smith from next door. I've gotten to the point where I am going to try to go to Nutrisystem and get on their low GI plan. Hopefully their food is not overprocessed so, I going to see what their ingredients are. I'll keep you folks informed. Later!

Depression and Metabolic Syndrome

Some studies suggest that depression and insulin resistance are correlated. But is it the insulin resistance that makes you depressed or the depression that makes you insulin resistant. Its hard to say, but I have experienced it and do still experience at times. Maybe overweight people who are already inclined to be IR are just depressed because they are fat. Who knows? I've also read studies wherein chromium picolinate has helped some kick depression and anxiety and chromium is shown to help with managing insulin.

Diabetics are known to be disproportionately anxious and melancholy, yet no mental health counselor asks a depressed person if the person has a these physical ailments. Is the medical establishment not telling us something? Or is it something that they don't want us to link up. Is Kevein T's Book, Natural Cures They Don't Want You to Know About on to something. Ok..Ok, I guess I am reaching there.

But, I do believe there is a connection between the mind and the body. The medical community may have just scratched the surface.

Menopause at an Early Age and Insulin Resistance

Or I thought I had it. For two years I thought I had it. I just knew I was never going to have children and that I was doomed to a life of hot flashes and night sweats until then end of time! This is what prompted me to go seek medical help and the result ended in the knowledge that I had insulin resistance and maybe PCOS.

How are these two related? Many women who have the symptom of no menses are said to have a condition called PCOS (Polycystic ovarian Syndrome). This is characterized by male hair growth patterns, weight gain, acne, oily skin, cystic ovaries, balding and insulin resistance. I had almost all the syptoms except cysts on my ovaries, so my doctor just called it insulin resistance. To be diagnosed with PCOS, one does not have to have cysts ovaries by the way, but she demanded that PCOS is a misnomer in many cases. She believed some doctors are uninformed about this condition and pass this misinformation to the patient. So what is a IR/PCOS person like me to do?

IR or PCOS is it one in the same? Is my insulin resistance the cause or the symptom. Could it be a symptom itself?

Do You Have Insulin Resistance?

Since I am not a medical doctor, you should always go to your doctor if suspect IR. However there are some signs that myself and others have experienced and have been said by medical doctors:

An apple shaped body-type. You gain weight mostly in the abdomen.
A family history of type 2 diabetes.
Difficulty losing weight
Sluggishness after eating (especially a high carb meal)
High cholesterol
High blood pressure

If this seems familiar to you it may be a good idea to get tested by an endocrinologist.

What is Insulin Resistance? IR

It is when the body does not respond well to the hormone insulin. People who are IR tend to need more insulin because of this. It is like a car with terrible gas mileage. The guzzler is not efficient at burning the gas, so it needs more than a normal car would.

Insulin is used to metabolize fats, starches and proteins. IR people have a abnormally high amount of insulin within their system causing serious complications and making it difficult to lose weight. Fat itself contributes to insulin, which in turn contributes to weight gain. But not all overweight people are IR and not all people of normal weight have a normal amount of insulin. So how does one know that they are IR?