What you don't know can hurt you!

I have been very concerned lately on how to educate friends and family about insulin resistance and carbohydrate consumption. I learned most of what I know now because of my diabetes diagnosis nearly two years ago. I have become educated although not in time to protect myself from getting diabetes. Knowing what I do know now, I just cringe when I see others eating things that I now consider to be poison. That may seem like too strong a word to use when we are talking about food but that is how I've come to see much of what most of us eat today.

Insulin resistance happens because for many years we eat more carbs than our bodies need. Carbs become glucose and glucose must be dealt with. It can't be left running around in the blood because it is toxic and causes all kinds of damage. So, insulin comes to the rescue! We need insulin. Obviously if we don't produce it we will be in trouble because there will be no way to process the glucose and transport it into our cells or to store it for later use.

The problem is that we were never meant to have insulin levels up all of the time. Prior to agriculture and processed foods our bodies only took in carbs from vegetables, fruits and nuts. Insulin took care of it easily. Not any more! When we eat our western diet of cereals and grains and breads etc. our insulin is working overtime, all of the time in fact. This is not good! We were not meant to have insulin levels high all day long. Over the years the insulin just can't keep up, the pancreas becomes less efficient at producing it.

Not everyone gets diabetes from this cycle of bodily abuse but there are many studies that now show that insulin resistance and too much insulin in the blood all the time is the cause of other diseases like heart disease, strokes and Alzheimer's. There are articles that cite studies which show that it may be hyperinsulinemia that causes heart attacks and not high cholesterol at all!   So, although a person may never be diagnosed with diabetes the constant high insulin may cause their death anyway or bring about their dementia.

If the food pyramid or the "newer" plate idea is really the right way to eat then why is it that we are all getting fatter and sicker? We all need to wake up to this epidemic and help our family and friends to understand it as well! Please go to my facebook group and get educated! The link is at the top of the page.