Doing things you want to do when you get older is important.

I believe most of us want a long and healthy life. One that we can do everything we wish to do without limitation. What can stop us? Many things can create havoc with our plans. Insulin is one of them.

Insulin and Longevity

https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2019/03/insulin-and-igf-1-in-human-aging-and-longevity/ A good place to determine the effects of various things in our lives is to examine centenarians, those who reached 100 years of age. They have survived and something worked to get them there. Insulin happens to be one of the topics explored more than almost every other when analyzing the success of healthy aging.

Human growth hormone (HGH) declines with age. Fasting is the easiest and quickest way to increase HGH levels regardless of your age. However, low insulin levels also increase HGH. How do you achieve low insulin levels? In addition to fasting, caloric restriction at every meal is another way.

Our bodies have multiple chemical balancing acts ongoing around the clock. As we age, our glucose tolerance decreases which increase insulin resistance which lowers HGH. When we eat the same foods every year, the result is a wider girth and a body that looks and feels older.

Insulin Resistance

https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00007256-200030050-00002 One of the balancing acts is the control of insulin. White bread increases blood glucose. The pancreas makes insulin to prepare cells to receive blood glucose for energy demands. As the cells absorb the blood glucose, the insulin levels recede. As insulin levels fall, the pancreas signals the liver to start making glucagon to ensure that cells requiring a constant supply of blood glucose, like the brain, have what it needs to survive.

Insulin resistance happens when the cells require more insulin to deliver the same blood glucose to the cells than it had previously. When this situation happens over years, it is possible to become diabetic. There are no symptoms of insulin resistance. Being overweight and not exercising increases insulin resistance. Exercising and maintaining a healthy weight can reverse insulin resistance.

However, that balancing act mentioned earlier can be disrupted easily. Some people are genetically predisposed to insulin resistance than others. Medicines, pregnancy, illness, and steroids also increase insulin resistance. The larger the inner tube we wear around our bellies as we age can lead to metabolic syndrome which is increased blood pressure, and higher levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.

Metabolic Syndrome (MS) and Aging

https://www.longdom.org/open-access/metabolic-syndrome-may-be-a-sign-of-rapid-aging-2155-6156-1000674.pdf MS is a combination of dangerous heart risk factors. The larger your inner tube, the higher your risk for cardiovascular disease and potentially a shorter and less enjoyable life.

Functional decline increases with MS. Inflammation also increases with MS. The genesis of nearly every disease starts as chronic low-level inflammation at the cellular level. The longer your body has inflammation the greater your risk is for many diseases.

Metabolic balance requires optimal weight, balanced nutrition, healthy blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides in addition to regaining insulin sensitivity. Once MS has invaded your body, the trail to return to balance requires more than willpower, a little exercise, and eating right.

Most Americans are deficient in the nutrients our bodies need each day. Balanced nutrition is a good place to start. Cutting back calories helps immensely. Use a salad plate rather than a dinner plate and do not go back for seconds. It is a de facto way to begin caloric restriction.

Wheat is probably the biggest culprit to insulin excess and insulin resistance. Gluten is a protein contained in wheat. It impacts many areas of the body. It is exceedingly high on the glycemic index. The glycemic index measures how fast and how much a food raises blood glucose levels. Examples of high glycemic index foods are bread, corn, oatmeal, rice, pasta, potatoes, pineapple, and more.

On the other side of the fence, low glycemic index foods include non-carbohydrate (proteins, fats, dairy), citrus (lemons, limes, grapefruit), berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries), and vegetables (leafy green, onions, mushrooms). Lowering blood sugar levels improve HGH production, which is key to attaining that long, healthy life.

Conclusion

It is not easy to achieve a healthy body. It is not easy to return to a healthy body once you have exceeded the boundaries of health and wellness. The requirements to balance a chemical equation at 25 years of age is not the same equation at 45 years of age. Keeping HGH levels high gives you an advantage in returning to a healthy world.

Live Longer & Enjoy Life – Red O’Laughlin – RedOLaughlin.com

 

One Response

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *