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Understanding the Body’s Healing Response

Inflammation is often spoken about as something harmful that must be suppressed. In reality, inflammation is one of the body’s most important protective mechanisms. It is a natural biological response that helps the body fight infections, repair injured tissues, and restore normal function.

Without inflammation, even a minor injury or infection could become life-threatening.

However, while short-term inflammation helps the body heal, inflammation that persists for long periods can contribute to many chronic diseases. Understanding the difference between acute inflammation and chronic inflammation is therefore important.

What is Inflammation?

Inflammation is the body’s response to injury, infection, toxins, or damaged cells. When tissues are harmed, the immune system releases chemical signals that increase blood flow to the affected area and attract immune cells that help eliminate harmful agents and begin the healing process.

This response may occur due to:

Infection by bacteria, viruses, or other microorganisms

Physical injury such as a cut, burn, or sprain

Exposure to irritants or toxins

Damage to body tissues

Inflammation itself is not a disease. It is a protective process designed to defend and repair the body.

Acute Inflammation — The Body’s Immediate Healing Response

Acute inflammation begins quickly and usually lasts for a short period — from a few hours to a few days. It is the body’s natural reaction to injury or infection.

Common examples include:

A cut or wound

A sprained ankle

A sore throat due to infection

Fever during illness

Acute inflammation produces some familiar signs:

Redness

Warmth

Swelling

Pain

These changes occur because blood vessels widen and immune cells move into the affected tissues to fight infection and remove damaged cells.

Although these symptoms may be uncomfortable, acute inflammation is an essential part of the healing process. Once the harmful stimulus is removed and the tissue begins to recover, the inflammatory response gradually subsides.

Chronic Inflammation — When the Process Persists

Sometimes the inflammatory process does not resolve completely. Instead of switching off after healing has begun,

it remains active for weeks, months, or even years. This is known as chronic inflammation.

Unlike acute inflammation, chronic inflammation is often subtle and may not produce obvious symptoms in the early stages. However, over time it can slowly damage tissues and organs.

Chronic inflammation may arise due to:

Persistent infections

Autoimmune diseases in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues

Long-term exposure to irritants or toxins

Excess body fat, especially abdominal or visceral fat

Metabolic disturbances such as insulin resistance

Over time, chronic inflammation can contribute to tissue damage, scarring, and dysfunction of organs.

Chronic Inflammation and Modern Diseases

In recent years, research has shown that chronic low-grade inflammation plays a role in many common diseases of modern life.

Conditions associated with persistent inflammation include:

Heart disease

Type 2 diabetes

Obesity

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Arthritis

Certain cancers

In many of these conditions, inflammatory chemicals produced within the body gradually disrupt normal cellular function and damage tissues.

For example, inflammation within the walls of blood vessels contributes to the development of atherosclerosis, the process that underlies heart attacks and strokes.

Low-Grade Metabolic Inflammation

A form of chronic inflammation that has received increasing attention in recent years is low-grade metabolic inflammation.

Excess visceral fat — the fat stored deep within the abdomen around internal organs — is not merely an energy store. It is metabolically active tissue that releases inflammatory substances and hormones.

These inflammatory signals can interfere with the body’s ability to use insulin effectively, leading to insulin resistance. Over time, this can contribute to the development of metabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Thus, metabolic health, body fat distribution, and inflammation are closely interconnected.

Lifestyle Factors and Chronic Inflammation

Several aspects of modern lifestyle may promote persistent inflammation within the body.

These include:

Diets high in ultra-processed foods and refined sugars

Physical inactivity

Chronic psychological stress

Poor sleep

Smoking

Excess alcohol consumption

Addressing these factors can help reduce chronic inflammatory activity and improve overall health.

Regular physical activity, a balanced diet rich in whole foods, adequate sleep, and effective stress management all contribute to maintaining a healthy inflammatory balance.

The Key Message

Inflammation itself is not harmful. In fact, acute inflammation is a vital part of the body’s defence and healing system.

Problems arise when inflammatory pathways remain active for prolonged periods, leading to chronic low-grade inflammation that can gradually damage tissues and contribute to many diseases.

The goal, therefore, is not to eliminate inflammation completely, but to maintain a healthy balance in the body’s immune and metabolic systems.

Understanding this balance is an important step toward preventing many chronic diseases associated with modern lifestyles.

To better understand how inflammation interacts with metabolic health, you may also read the following articles:

‘Visceral Fat, Pre Diabetes And Type 2 Diabetes!’

‘Visceral Fat and Heart Disease!’

‘Relationship Between Visceral Fat And PCOS!’

‘Interrelationship Between Visceral Fat, Inflammation And Metabolic Syndrome!’

How To Choose A Healthy Cooking Oil!

Choosing a Healthy Cooking Oil

Rather than looking for a single “perfect” cooking oil, we should focus on incorporating a healthy cooking oil into a healthy diet and active lifestyle.

The reassuring fact is that the subject becomes much simpler when viewed scientifically and calmly.

***

Understanding What Cooking Oils Contain

All edible oils are composed primarily of fatty acids. These are broadly classified into monounsaturated fats (MUFA), polyunsaturated fats (PUFA), and saturated fats (SFA).

Most oils contain a mixture of all three in varying proportions. The balance between them influences both health impact and cooking stability.

Rather than labelling oils as simply “good” or “bad,” it is more useful to understand how each category behaves.

***

Oils Rich in Monounsaturated Fats (MUFA)

Oils such as groundnut oil, olive oil, mustard oil, and rice bran oil contain significant amounts of monounsaturated fats.

These oils are generally associated with favourable cardiovascular profiles and offer good stability for routine home cooking, including sautéing and moderate-heat preparation.

When used in moderation as the primary cooking oil within a balanced diet, MUFA-rich oils represent a practical and heart-friendly choice for everyday use.

They are particularly suitable for Indian cooking practices, where food is often prepared at medium-high temperatures, refrigerated, and reheated for a subsequent meal.

Compared with polyunsaturated fat-rich oils, MUFA-rich oils are more heat stable and form fewer oxidative compounds at higher temperatures.

***

Oils Rich in Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFA)

Oils such as sunflower, safflower, soybean, and corn oil are rich in polyunsaturated fats.

These fats are associated with supporting cardiovascular health when consumed in appropriate amounts.

However, PUFA-rich oils are somewhat less stable at high temperatures and form oxidative substances more readily than monounsaturated fat-rich oils.

For this reason, they are better suited for medium-temperature cooking rather than high-temperature deep frying.

When used sensibly as a routine cooking oil at moderate temperatures, and when repeated reheating of food prepared in them is avoided, they can serve as a reasonable primary cooking oil within a balanced dietary pattern.

***

Oils Rich in Saturated Fats

Examples include ghee and coconut oil.

These fats are relatively stable at higher temperatures but contain a high proportion of saturated fat.

Although they may raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol, excessive consumption can increase LDL cholesterol in many individuals. For this reason, they should be used in moderation, particularly in those with elevated cardiovascular risk.

In most parts of India, ghee is traditionally used in small quantities rather than as the primary cooking medium. When consumed in limited amounts within a balanced diet, it is unlikely to pose significant harm in metabolically healthy individuals.

***

Cardiovascular Health: The Bigger Picture

When consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet, commonly used cooking oils do not show major differences in cardiovascular risk markers.

The overall dietary pattern has a far greater influence on long-term health than minor variations between similar oils.

A diet rich in vegetables, pulses, whole grains, nuts, and minimally processed foods, along with regular physical activity, remains the cornerstone of cardiovascular health.

***

Groundnut Oil and Olive Oil in Indian Cooking

Overall, the two oils that appear particularly suitable for Indian-style cooking are groundnut oil and olive oil.

Groundnut oil contains approximately 45–50 percent monounsaturated fatty acids, 30–35 percent omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, 15–20 percent saturated fats, and provides vitamin E as its primary antioxidant.

When used in moderation and at moderate heat within a balanced diet, it is a practical and appropriate cooking oil for Indian homes.

Extra virgin olive oil contains approximately 70–75 percent monounsaturated fatty acids, 8–12 percent omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and 10–15 percent saturated fats. It is also rich in natural antioxidants including polyphenols and vitamin E.

These properties make extra virgin olive oil particularly supportive of heart health when used in moderation at low temperatures or as a salad dressing oil.

Current evidence does not show major differences in cardiovascular risk markers when either oil is used moderately within a balanced diet. Total oil consumption and overall dietary quality matter more than the specific oil chosen.

If cooking is done at moderate temperatures and overall oil consumption is reasonable within a balanced dietary pattern, groundnut oil can be safely used as the primary cooking oil.

If oil is used mainly for low temperature cooking or as a dressing, extra virgin olive oil is an excellent heart-healthy option.

Extra virgin olive oil is not suitable for high-temperature cooking or shallow frying.

For occasional deep frying at higher temperatures, refined groundnut oil or refined (not extra virgin) olive oil is more appropriate.

Both are stable at higher temperatures, although refined olive oil does not provide the same antioxidant benefits as extra virgin olive oil.

***

Practical Healthy Kitchen Habits

Keep deep frying of foods to a minimum.

Discard leftover oil after frying one batch of food. Do not reuse it.

Avoid very high temperature cooking whenever possible.

Promptly refrigerate leftover food. Reheat only the portion required for the next meal and refrigerate the remaining portion immediately.

Avoid repeated reheating of cooked food.

These are simple, practical measures that can be easily adopted in Indian homes.

Also read the articles ‘The Good And The Bad Fats’ and the ‘Basics Of Nutrition’ on this website.

Health Benefits Of Omega 3 Fatty Acids!

Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are the three macronutrients of our nutrition.

Fats are composed of fatty acids.

Fatty acids are of four types, the monounsaturated fatty acids, the polyunsaturated fatty acids, the saturated fatty acids and the trans fatty acids.

Of these, the body can synthesise most of the fatty acids from other fatty acids, except the polyunsaturated fatty acids. Hence they must to be acquired from food. So they are also called the essential fatty acids.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids include Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids.

The omega 3 fatty acids are majorly of three types, namely the Eicosapentaenoic acid  or EPA, docosahexaenoic acid or DHA and Alpha-linolenic acid or ALA.

Of these the DHA and EPA are the sea source or marine omega 3 and ALA is the plant source omega 3.

Marine algae are rich in the DHA and EPA.

Marine fish get the DHA and EPA from these algae.

We get DHA and the EPA fatty acids from these marine fish and ALA from plant sources, like walnuts, some oils like mustard oil and soy oil, flax seeds and flaxseed oil and leafy vegetables.

Seaweed, nori, spirulina, chlorella are some of the sea algae which contain DHA and EPA omega 3 fatty acids, but vegetarian people knowing about them or the chances of their being available and being consumed in India are slim.

Omega 3 are an important constituent of the cell membrane of all tissues of the body, they also have a role to play in the functioning of the receptors on the cell membrane and their genetic functions and in the formation of hormones essential for blood clotting, contraction and relaxation of the arterial walls and in the prevention of inflammation in the walls of the arteries.

Inflammation of the arterial walls leads to the development of arteriosclerosis or hardening and thickening of the arteries which lose their elasticity and this causes the blood pressure to go up.

This inflammation also causes atherosclerosis or development of plaques in and on the arterial walls.

This leads to narrowing of the arteries leading to heart disease, strokes and kidney disease depending upon which arteries are affected.

By preventing or reducing this inflammation, omega 3 help protect us against coronary artery (heart) disease and strokes.

They also help relieve the symptoms of metabolic syndrome.

They help lower blood pressure, regulate and lower the heart rate and improve the functioning of the arteries. They prevent irregular heart rhythm and arrhythmias, which accounts for majority of the cardiac deaths in the US and also kill lacs of people all over the world, every year.

DHA is also essential for the proper development of the brain and other parts of the nervous system of a baby from the first trimester of the mother’s pregnancy to the time the baby is two years old.

Marine omega 3 also help prevent ADHD and reduce the severity of asthma in children.

One large study (GISSI Prevention Trial) has found that heart attack survivors put on daily 1 gm supplement of omega 3 for three years were less likely to have another heart attack or stroke or die suddenly than those who took placebo.

In a recent Japan EPA Lipid Intervention Study (JELIS), it was found that those who took an EPA supplement along with statin (cholesterol lowering group of drugs) were less likely to suffer from a sudden cardiac event than those who took only statin.

So along with the evidence that they prevent heart disease and strokes, omega-3 fats have been shown to help control lupus, eczema, and rheumatoid arthritis, and may play protective roles in some cancer and other conditions.

Omega 3 are also beneficial for the health of the skin and the eyes.

By reducing inflammation, they help reduce acne lesions, improve hydration of the skin and help reduce redness, dryness and itching of skin in different conditions like dermatitis and psoriasis, helps relieve symptoms of sun burns due to ultraviolet A and B rays. They also help wound healing.

They are an important constituent of the structure of the retina and are essential for the health of the eye and vision. They are also linked to a reduced risk of macular degeneration which is one of the major reasons of blindness in the world.

They are also linked to lowered risk of depression and anxiety and relieve symptoms like sadness, lethargy and lack of interest in life and fear, panic and restlessness.

***

Are there any alternative sources of marine omega 3, DHA and EPA?

Unfortunately most of the health benefits of omega 3 are due to the marine omega 3, DHA and EPA.

The plant source omega 3 or ALA doesn’t have the same benefits.

A small amount of ALA is converted by our bodies into marine omega 3 at a slow pace, but this is not enough, so non fish eaters lose out on the benefits of marine omega 3, which are obtained only by eating marine fish.

Contrary to the claims made by some poultry industries, eggs of chicken fed on flax seeds do not have much marine omega 3.

So the only source of marine omega 3 remains marine fish or fish oil.

But the fact remains that purely vegetarian people too can live long and healthy life.

So don’t try to eat fish if you have never eaten it!

***

How much sea fish is enough to get adequate omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA?

Adults should eat about 170 gm sea fish twice a week and children between the ages of 2 to 8 years between 40 to 85 gm and children over 9 years between 115 to 140 gm twice a week to get enough of the two omega 3 fatty acids.

***

How to cook fish to preserve more of the omega 3 available in the fish?

Boiling, steaming or cooking fish in a gravy, or baking it at 200 degrees for 20 minutes or smoking fish (not a common practice in India) can preserve much of the omega 3 in fish.

Cooking fish in a microwave at 200 degrees or lower temperature can also help retain most of the omega 3 intact.

The key to keeping the healthy omega 3 in your sea fish intact on cooking appears to be cooking it at a lower temperature than about 200 degrees and cooking it quickly in about 20 minutes, may even be at a lower temperature if for a little longer time frame.

Higher temperatures and longer cooking time completely alters the chemical structure of the fatty acids in the fish so it doesn’t resemble the original chemical structure of the fish lipids. High heat also helps develop the very harmful trans fatty acids and some other toxic substances in fish.

Deep frying or pan frying fish or cooking it in a tandoor are all done at high temperature which destroys most of the omega 3 in fish

Canning fish also destroys much or most of the omega 3 in fish.

Also read the articles ‘Basics Of Nutrition’, ‘The Good And The Bad Fats’ and the ‘Effect Of Cooking On Omega 3 In Fish’ on this website.

The Threat Of Pre Diabetes!

Even when I started my pioneering obesity clinic in Pune four decades ago, it was clear that we were fast becoming the world capital of diabetes and heart disease!

But the threat of a condition called pre diabetes was not as commonly recognised then as it is today.

Currently the commonest fear with which young people are approaching me to help them get over their weight and health issues is the threat of going from pre diabetes to full blown diabetes!

What exactly is pre diabetes?

Pre diabetes is a condition in which the blood sugar levels are raised above normal but are still lower than the diagnostic levels of diabetes.

The HbA1c or the glycated haemoglobin levels lie between 5.7 and 6.4 per cent, just below the diagnostic levels of diabetes, 6.5 per cent and above.

Pre diabetes is a condition that is part of the metabolic syndrome, characterised by obesity, especially abdominal obesity, hypertension, raised levels of triglycerides and LDL, the bad cholesterol and lowered levels of HDL, the good cholesterol.

LDL cholesterol causes blocks in the coronary arteries which leads to heart disease and myocardial infarctions or heart attacks and HDL cholesterol cleanses the coronary arteries off these blocks and protects us from heart disease.

Pre diabetes is considered the stepping stone towards developing diabetes and some of the complications of diabetes can affect the pre diabetics too.

Pre diabetes is diagnosed by checking the the blood sugar fasting and post prandial levels, the glucose tolerance test, the HbA1c, the blood insulin levels and the lipid profile. Abdominal obesity and hypertension confirm the presence of pre diabetes.

Pre diabetes may not have any recognisable signs and symptoms, that makes it even more difficult to diagnose.

But some people may have the same symptoms as those of diabetes, like excessive thirst, increased urination and fatigue and they could indicate that you aught to rule out pre diabetes and diabetes.

If you are suffering from obesity, especially abdominal obesity, have family history of diabetes, have a sedentary lifestyle, you should check your blood pressure, blood sugars, blood insulin, HbA1c and lipid profile, to screen for pre diabetes.

The causes of developing pre diabetes could be family history of diabetes, sedentary lifestyle, stress, older age, ladies who have had history of gestational diabetes and have had high birth weight (more than 9 pound) babies.

When carbohydrates are digested, they are absorbed in blood as sugar and the blood sugar levels increase.

In response to this the pancreas releases insulin in blood and insulin helps transport the sugar to various tissues of the body and under its influence, the cells of the tissues take up sugar from the blood and utilise it for the energy that they require for their functions.

Under the influence of insulin the liver also stores more sugar for providing energy to the body later.

This lowers the blood sugar and the blood insulin levels.

But when you eat too much sweets or sugary food regularly, the pancreas is forced to produce more insulin to bring down the blood sugar to normal.

After a while the cells of the various tissues stop responding adequately to the insulin and do not absorb sugar efficiently.

This means the cells of the tissues develop insulin resistance.

This causes both, the blood sugar and the blood insulin levels to stay high.

This raised blood level of insulin is called hyperinsulinemia.

When the capacity of the liver and the muscle cells to store sugar is over, the excess blood sugar is stored in the fat cells of various fat depots in the body and our weight increases, gradually leading to obesity.

Diagnostic levels of pre diabetes:

Fasting Blood Sugar Levels: Between 110 to 125 (WHO) or 100 to 125 (American Diabetes Association)

Sugar Tolerance Test: Between 140 and 199 mg/dL two hours after taking standardised 75 gm glucose solution.

Glycated Haemoglobin or HbA1c levels between 5.7 to 6.4 per cent.

Levels above these are diagnostic of diabetes.

Reversing Pre Diabetes:

The earlier that the condition of pre diabetes is diagnosed, the greater are the chances that it can be reversed.

How to reverse Pre Diabetes:

Healthy Eating: Focus on a balanced diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Limiting processed foods and sugary beverages is crucial.

Regular Physical Activity: Engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, such as brisk walking, cycling, or swimming.

Weight Management: Losing even a small percentage of body weight can significantly reduce the risk of developing diabetes.

Regular Monitoring: Keep track of blood sugar levels and have regular check ups with your physician or endocrinologist.

Keeping your consumption of sweets low, so it helps keep your blood insulin from rising unnecessarily high.

If you have uncontrollable craving for sweets, eat ample fruits through the day. It will take away the abnormal craving for eating sweets and also add valuable nutrition to your food.

Staying away from sweets with determination for a fortnight, to allow the taste buds on your tongue to get adjusted to not eating them. Once they are retrained, you won’t be able to eat as much sweets anyway.

So, to reverse your pre diabetes, you need to develop healthy food habits, eat nutritionally balanced food, exercise regularly, reduce your weight, keep stress low and sleep well.

And don’t wait to start all these things till you catch diabetes!

If you start now, you could most likely prevent the development of insulin resistance and pre diabetes!

Related articles

‘Sweets, Obesity And Diabetes’,

‘Insulin Resistance And Diabetes’,

‘Dangers Of Eating Too Much Sweets’

‘Preventing Diabetes’

प्री डायबीटिस!

Eating Too Much Sweets, Obesity And Diabetes!

It was amply clear even when I started my then unique ‘Obesity Clinic’ in Pune, nearly 40 years ago, that our county was poised to be the world capital of diabetes and heart disease!

The three primary reasons for it were that we are genetically more prone to develop both diseases than people in the West and the increasing affluence of the Indian middle class meant that we are eating more calorie rich food and our lifestyles are getting more and more sedentary.

With the modern culture bringing in greater amount of sweets in our food with increasing temptations like rich deserts becoming available with mithai and cake shops and ice cream parlours springing up everywhere and the five star hotel culture introducing us to a rich dessert culture and the television and You Tube master chefs making the average house wives culinary experts, we are eating more and more sweets.

Sugar of course is nearly hundred per cent simple carbohydrate.

When we eat carbohydrates, they are digested and absorbed into the blood as sugar. When the blood sugar rises, the pancreas release the hormone insulin into the blood, to bring down the blood sugar to the normal levels and thus regulate the blood sugar.

The cells of every tissue in the body take up the sugar from the blood under the influence of insulin and use it for the energy that they need for their functions.

The liver also stores more sugar under the influence of insulin, for later use, when the body needs energy.

This brings down the blood sugar and in response, the pancreas cuts down on the insulin production.

This process is smooth and works seamlessly when we are healthy.

But when we eat too much of sweets or carbohydrates, a lot of sugar enters the blood.

This forces the pancreas to produce more insulin than normal, to influence the cells of various tissues to take up more sugar to control the blood sugar levels.

And if we continue to eat a lot of sweets regularly, after some time the various cells of the body respond less efficiently to the available insulin and do not absorb the sugar from the blood adequately.

This means that they become insulin resistant.

With the result, the blood sugar levels increase and so does the level of blood insulin.

This raised blood level of insulin is called hyperinsulinemia.

Under the influence of these raised levels of insulin, the liver and muscles store more sugar and when their capacity of storing sugar is full, this excess sugar is converted into fat and stored in various fat depots.

This leads to development of obesity.

This means our blood insulin, blood sugar and weight, all go up.

Over a period of time eating too much sugar and sweets leads to obesity and diabetes!

Also read the articles ‘Abdominal Obesity, Diabetes And Heart Disease‘, ‘Preventing Diabetes’ and the ‘Dangers Of Eating Too Much Sugar’ and ‘Insulin Resistance And Diabetes’ on this website.

The Process Of Developing Insulin Resistance And Diabetes!

Any one can become diabetic.

It is not a must to have a family history of diabetes to develop the disease.

Yes, you have a greater chance of developing the disease if you have a family history of diabetes.

But you will see that many develop the disease irrespective of a family history of diabetes these days.

That is why it is vital that we understand that the process of becoming diabetic starts much before the actual onset of the full fledged disease.

***

Carbohydrates, Insulin And Blood Sugar

Normally insulin, the hormone produced by pancreas, regulates our blood sugar levels precisely.

The carbohydrates that we consume in our food, enter our blood in the form of sugar and as soon as it enters our blood, the pancreas releases insulin in our blood to regulate the blood sugar.

The cells of every tissue in the body take up the sugar from the blood under the influence of insulin and use it for the energy that they need for their functions.

The liver also stores more sugar under the influence of insulin, for later use, when the body needs energy in between two meals.

This brings down the blood sugar to normal and in response, the pancreas cuts down on the insulin production.

A few hours, typically around four to five hours, the blood sugar levels dip before the next meal.

At this time the liver releases the stored blood sugar in the blood to provide the energy that the body needs and the stored sugar in the liver goes back to normal.

This process is smooth and works seamlessly when we are healthy.

***

Blood insulin levels:

2 to 5 mU/L: Optimal levels, indicate normal insulin sensitivity

6 to 9 mU/L: Suggestive of early insulin resistance

>10 mU/L: Likely insulin resistance or hyperinsulinemia

>15 mU/L: Metabolically unhealthy, indicate hyperinsulnemia

>25 mU/L: Pathologically high levels suggestive of diabetes or PCOS

***

Insulin Resistance And Pre Diabetes

But when we eat too much of sweets or carbohydrates, a lot of sugar enters the blood.

This forces the pancreas to produce more insulin than normal, to influence the cells of various tissues to take up more sugar to control the blood sugar levels.

But if we continue to eat a lot of sweets regularly, after some time the various cells of the body respond less efficiently to the available insulin and do not absorb the sugar from the blood adequately.

This means that they become insulin resistant.

With the result, the blood sugar levels increase and so does the level of blood insulin.

This raised blood level of insulin is called hyperinsulinemia.

Under the influence of these raised levels of insulin, the liver and muscles store more sugar and when their capacity of storing sugar is full, this excess sugar is converted into fat and stored in various fat depots.

This leads to weight gain.

This means our blood insulin, blood sugar and weight, all go up.

At this stage, not only our blood sugar and insulin, but also our blood triglycerides and the LDL (harmful to the heart) cholesterol levels are likely to go up and our HDL (beneficial to the heart) cholesterol levels are likely to drop below normal.

These are all signs insulin resistance.

This is the pre diabetic stage which eventually can lead to diabetes, heart disease and strokes.

***

We yet do not know the exact reasons of insulin resistance, but family history of type 2 diabetes, sedentary lifestyle, total lack of exercise and obesity can all be the contributing reasons.

Stress and lack of adequate sleep too could worsen the situation.

***

How to reverse insulin resistance

Getting physically more active and exercising regularly, walking adequately is the safest exercise, improves the insulin sensitivity of the cells of different tissues of our body.

That is the reason why exercise is the key to not only diabetes management, but also to our overall health and well being!

Keep your consumption of sweets low, so it helps keep your blood insulin from rising unnecessarily high.

If you have uncontrollable craving for sweets, eat ample fruits through the day. It will take away the abnormal craving for eating sweets and also add valuable nutrition to your food.

Stay away from sweets with determination for a fortnight, to allow the taste buds on your tongue to get adjusted to not eating them. Once they are retrained, you won’t be able to eat as much sweets anyway.

So, to reverse your insulin resistance, you need to develop healthy food habits, eat nutritionally balanced food, exercise regularly, reduce your weight, keep stress low and sleep well.

And don’t wait to do all these things till you catch diabetes!

Start now, so you don’t develop insulin resistance in the first place!

Also read the articles ‘Preventing Diabetes’, and ‘Dangers Of Eating Too Much Sugar’ on this website.

इन्सुलिन रेझिस्टन्स आणि डायबीटिस!

Wheat Is As Healthy As Any Other Cereal!

Wheat is the second largest cultivated cereal crop of the world, next only to maize.

Wheat is the largest staple food of the world population, next only to rice.

The wheat crop cultivation covers more land than any other cereal in the world.

Its turnover in the world market is larger than that of all other cereals put together.

The wheat grain, like all other cereals, has three parts, the bran, the germ and the endosperm.

The bran is the protective outer cover of the grain, the germ develops into a new plant when the seed germinates and the endosperm is the store house of the food of the seed, that the grain uses for energy when the new plant is being developed.

The wheat grain has 71 % carbohydrates, 13 % proteins, fibre, some B vitamins, folate, Vitamins E, some minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants and some good fatty acids.

Wheat provides us with 327 calories per hundred gm.

Of these, most of the fibre, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants and fatty acids and 25% of the proteins in the wheat grain are housed in the bran and the germ while the most of the carbohydrates and 75% of the proteins are housed in the endosperm.

The carbohydrates in the whole wheat grain are starch, fibre and some sugars.

Of these, the starch and the fibre are the complex carbohydrates while the sugars are the simple carbohydrates.

Thus wheat is a very important source of calories, carbohydrates, proteins, small amounts of healthy fats, vitamins and minerals of a large proportion of the population of the world.

Wheat, like all other cereals, is deficient in the essential amino acid lysine and hence, by itself it is not a good source of complete proteins.

On the other hand, pulses have lysine but they are deficient in the essential amino acids methionine, tryptophan and cysteine.

And wheat has methionine, tryptophan, and cysteine.

So wheat and pulses together supply us all the essential amino acids and together they become a good source of better quality proteins in a vegetarian diet.

That is why we have chapatis, rice, bhakri together with ‘varan’ / ‘amti’ / ‘dal’ / ‘sambar’ / ‘curry’ or ‘usal’ in both lunch and dinner in our regular meals.

Chapatis, rice, bhakri are all cereals and ‘varan’ / ‘amti’ / ‘dal’ / ‘sambar’ / ‘curry’ or ‘usal’ are all pulses.

Together they provide most of the better quality proteins in a vegetarian diet.

Wheat chapatis or roti are the main ingredient of regular meals for most Indians.

The wheat protein is majorly composed of gluten, constituting 75 to 80 per cent of the wheat protein.

A few people in the world have gluten intolerance and they can’t digest gluten properly and develop abdominal pain, gases, constipation or diarrhoea when they eat wheat.

About 0.5 to 1 per cent people in the world suffer from Celiac disease, a severe autoimmune, chronic disease and can’t eat wheat at all.

Their number is slowly rising probably because of the newer crops developed to increase the yield and disease fighting abilities of the crop and body’s inability to adapt quickly to it. It also may appear to increase because of increased awareness about the illness and also improved diagnosis of the disease.

It is definite that such people shouldn’t eat wheat but that still cannot not be the reason for most of the world population to stop eating wheat which is their staple food.

It is also not right to equate rava and maida with whole wheat, just because they are made from wheat.

Whole wheat is robbed of most of its good nutrition by grinding and separating the germ and the bran from endosperm which is further ground and refined to make rava and maida.

So when we eat rava or maida, we consume only the less nutritious endosperm of the wheat.

Glycemic index of whole wheat is 41, that is low, and that of rava is 66, that is medium and that of maida is over 70, that is high.

That is why rava and maida are bad nutrition

On the other hand, when we eat chapatis made from whole wheat flour, we consume the bran, germ and endosperm together in the whole ground wheat flour.

Currently it has become fashionable to label wheat as unhealthy food.

It is like blaming carbohydrates for weight gain.

Both are passing fads.

But all cereals have more or less similar nutrition.

Various researchers give us slightly variable figures of calories but generally we can say that nachani (325), wheat (329), rice (341 ते 346), jwari (349) and bajri (361) give us more or less similar calories per 100 gm.

Also their glycemic indices and loads are similar.

The whole grain wheat is as nutritious every other cereal.

So you can eat wheat chapatis or bhakri made from nachani, jowar or bajri.

Also read the article ‘Effects Of Rava And Maida On Health’ on this website.

Studying The Effects Of Intermittent Fasting On Health

Intermittent fasting is as ancient as civilisation and has been practiced in all religions for centuries.

An ‘enthusiastic’ paper published by a British doctor over a hundred years ago and lapped up merrily by lay press and very energetically canvassed from time to time by some enthusiastic doctors, all over the world, since the sixties has made sure that it a well known and popular diet.

Some body builders in the West have used intermittent fasting for a long time.

Intermittent fasting includes various kind of diets in which the dieter fasts for different periods of time, with or, more often, without  planned calorie restrictions.

Intermittent fasting are diets in which one goes through regular periods of eating and fasting.

It includes a wide variety of patterns.

Some of the well known varieties are:

Time restricted fasting: It involves fasting for 12 hours or longer and eating two or more meals in the rest of the time window.

The 16:8 or 14:10 kind of diets are of this type. On these diets you eat ad libitum during the 8 hour or 10 hour window and fast for 16 or 14 hours respectively.

The 5:2 diet: It involves eating ad libitum for five days and then eating around 500 or 600 calories for two days, sometimes one day at a time twice a week, or on two consecutive days.

Eat stop eat diet: It involves a full 24 hour fast once or twice a week and eating ad libitum for  the rest of the week. This is an extreme version of the 5:2 diet.

Alternate day diet: It involves eating ad libitum and going on complete fast on alternate days.

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Ad libitum means ‘at one’s pleasure’, meaning eating as much as you please, of whatever you please.

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Available scientific information about intermittent fasting:

Intermittent fasting has generated a fair amount of scientific interest in the last few decades.

Most of the scientific research on the subject has involved animal studies and whatever human studies have been done are of shorter duration and many of them have not taken into account such factors as calorie intake, balance of nutrition and physical activity.

Most of the research on human beings has centred around athletic performance of athletes observing Ramadan. The results are varied, most showing decline in performance of athletes, in both mid and high intensity sports, and none reporting any improvement in performance.

And the results are conflicting, based on the outcome investigated and the methodology used.

Some studies have found worsening of lipids in people gorging on high fat, high sugar, high calorie food in one or two meals than those who nibbled on frequent smaller meals.

This is a very likely outcome, if people will eat two or three high fat, high calorie meals in a window of 10 or even 8 hours and fasted for 14 or 16 hours or even one or two meals in a smaller time window than 8 hours and fasted longer than 16 hours.

Early epidemiological studies have shown increased cardiovascular disease risk on reduced meal frequency and lower total and LDL cholesterol levels in people who reported four or more meals a day as compared to those who reported having one or two meals only.

According to another large cohort study, the Malmo Diet And Cancer Study, the people who ate six or more meals a day had reduced risk of obesity than those who ate three or less meals and the frequent eaters also had lower waist circumference.

On the other hand, animal studies have shown improvement in weight and metabolic markers like blood sugar and blood pressure LDL cholesterol.

According to a 2018 review, different studies show 2.5 to 9.5 per cent of weight and fat loss, but there is little evidence that it is superior to other diets or eating patterns in promoting weight loss.

Calorie restriction is known to improve insulin resistance. After a period of fasting, insulin sensitivity increases and insulin levels drop. These changes result in improved blood sugar levels both during fasting and shortly after eating.

The benefits of fasting also appear to be linked to the Circadian rhythm, which is sometimes also called the ‘body clock’. It is natural for humans to eat during the day and mice to feed during the night.

So the benefits of intermittent fasting are seen when we eat during the day time and fast during the night and exactly the reverse is seen in case of mice.

Abnormal Circadian rhythms may be linked to obesity, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder and sleep disorders such as insomnia.

Intermittent fasting may also cause dizziness, nausea, insomnia, syncope (sudden fainting attacks with loss of consciousness), falls, migraine, weakness, excessive hunger, dehydration and hypotension, in some people.

Diabetics are more likely to suffer from these ill effects. Certain drugs prescribed for the treatment of diabetes also increase the risk of developing these illnesses.

Besides these, many people complain of developing severe hyper acidity on these diets.

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Inference:

There appear to be some benefits of intermittent fasting. Diets based on it could help lower some weight and improve metabolic markers like blood sugar and blood pressure and LDL cholesterol.

These benefits are available only if you don’t gorge on high fat, high sugar, high calorie food in one or two meals during the window of eating. That means you can’t really eat ad libitum.

Eating ad libitum, anything you fancy, as much as you please will not bring you the desired health benefits, even if you follow the rules of intermittent fasting strictly.

It means you still have to eat healthy, you still have to observe the rules of balanced nutrition to get the full benefits of intermittent fasting.

And also the health benefits of intermittent fasting are available only if you follow the Circadian rhythm, that is to eat during the day and fast during the night.

Intermittent fasting is not the only way to improve your blood insulin levels, insulin resistance and blood sugar, much less of losing weight and lowering your blood pressure, total and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides levels and increasing your  HDL cholesterol levels.

If intermittent fasting helps people lose between 2.5 to 9.5 per cent of their excess weight, a 5 foot 70 kg lady can lose approximately between under 2 to 7 kg weight and a 5 foot 6 inch 80 kg man can lose approximately between 2 to 8 kg weight.

On the other hand, balanced food in three or more meals a day and exercising regularly can help both lose full 20 kg weight and get completely slim and have much better metabolic markers, especially the abdominal circumference.

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Intermittent fasting versus balanced nutrition and normal meals:

Intermittent fasting can give you some weight loss and improved metabolic markers.

Most times, intermittent fasting programs are run on mass scale as a diabetes control campaign and not as an individual treatment, individual nutrition is not planned, people are left to choose to their own food, eating ad libitum could be dangerous and exercise may not be a part of the regimen.

Individually planned balanced nutrition in regular meal pattern with three or more meals and regular exercise can give you complete weight loss and much improved metabolic markers.

Those people who habitually eat only two meals a day, viz. lunch and dinner and are not used to having a breakfast, could find intermittent fasting suitable.

Those people who have fixed time slots available for lunch and an early dinner, could find intermittent fasting suitable.

If your work schedule doesn’t allow regular meal hours, intermittent fasting may not suit you.

Many people on intermittent fasting could soon complain of hyper acidity, hunger pangs, possibly headaches and fainting spells.

Such people might not find intermittent fasting suitable.

Some people find it difficult to continue with the intermittent fasting regimen a year or two after starting it successfully initially, for one reason or another and give it up.

There are no long term studies to show how many people stay on, on intermittent fasting long term.

Most people are used to eating at least three meals, including breakfast, lunch and dinner, spread over the day.

So they are more likely to be more comfortable eating in the same pattern all their lives, than switch to eating  two meals during a smaller time window.

So it is for you to take a call on which of the two regimens suits you better.

Please also read ‘Basics Of Nutrition’ and ‘Simple Steps To Slimming’ on this website.

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इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग आणि त्या वरील संशोधना विषयी थोडेसे!

हल्ली वजन कमी करण्यासाठी आणि डायबीटिस कंट्रोल करण्यासाठी अनेक लोक एका विशिष्ट पद्धतीचा किंवा प्रणाली चा इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग चा डायट करत आहेत.

फास्टींग म्हणजे उपवास करणे.

उपवास करणे ही विविध संस्कृती आणि धर्मांमध्ये अगदी त्यांच्या उत्पत्ती पासून प्रचलित असलेली प्रथा आहे.

इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग म्हणजेच विशिष्ठ कारणांसाठी, विविध पद्धतीने केलेले उपवास!

अशा प्रकारचे इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग हे काही आजारांवरचे उपचार म्हणून फार पूर्वी पासून वापरले गेले आहेत. 

युरोप अमेरिकेत काही बॉडी बिल्डर्स बॉडी बिल्डिंग करण्यासाठी ही अशा प्रकारचे इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग एक शतकभराहून अधिक काळ वापरत आहेत.

विविध धार्मिक उपवास ही अशाच पद्धतीचे असतात, फक्त आपण त्याला इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग म्हणत नाही इतकेच!

एकोणिसाव्या शतकाच्या सुरुवातीला इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग विषयी एका ब्रिटिश डॉक्टर ने प्रकाशित केलेल्या एका ‘एन्थूझिॲस्टीक’ (उत्साही) पेपर ने आणि जगातील विविध नामांकित पब्लिकेशन्स नी तो त्यावेळेस उचलून धरल्याने इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग अचानक प्रकाश झोतात आले.

त्या नंतर जगातील विविध डॉक्टर्स नी वेळोवेळी त्याचा उत्साहाने प्रसार केल्याने इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग हे सतत प्रकाश झोतात राहिले आहे.

इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग मध्ये लोक काही तास उपवास करतात, आणि बहुतेक वेळा उरलेल्या वेळात ‘ॲड लिबिटम’ म्हणजे  ‘पाहिजे ते आणि पाहिजे तितके’ खातात. काही वेळा अशा फास्टींग मध्ये कॅलरी रिस्ट्रिक्शन (कॅलरीज कमी करणे) ही प्लॅन केले जाते, पण बहुतेक अशा डायट्स मध्ये फक्त खाण्याची वेळांची बंधने असतात, पण काय आणि किती खायचं ह्याची बंधने नसतात.

इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग प्रकारातील काही कॉमन डायट्स असे आहेत:

टाइम रिस्ट्रिक्टेड फास्टींग: ह्या प्रकारा मध्ये बारा तासा पेक्षा अधिक काळ उपवास करणे आणि उरलेल्या वेळात दोन किंवा अधिक वेळा खाणे.

ह्या प्रकारातील फास्टींग मध्ये 16:8 आणि 14:10 हे प्रचलित डायट्स ही येतात. ह्या प्रकारच्या डायट मध्ये लोक 16 किंवा 14 तास उपवास करतात आणि उरलेल्या 8 किंवा 10 तासांच्या ‘विन्डो’ मध्ये ‘ॲड लिबिटम’ म्हणजे ‘पाहिजे ते आणि पाहिजे तितके’, दोन किंवा अधिक वेळा खातात.

सध्या आपल्या कडे प्रचलित असलेल्या इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग डायट मध्ये खाण्याच्या विन्डो मध्ये दोन जेवणात काय आणि किती खावे ह्या पेक्षा जे काही खाल ते विशिष्ट वेळात संपवण्याचे बंधन असावे.

ईट स्टॉप ईट डायट: ह्या प्रकारच्या डायट मध्ये लोक अठवड्याभरात एक किंवा दोन दिवस पूर्ण उपवास करतात आणि 5 किंवा 6 दिवस ‘पाहिजे ते आणि पाहिजे तितके’ खातात.

इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग प्रकारातील 5:2 हा डायट ही ह्याच प्रकारात मोडतो. ह्या डायट मध्ये लोक आठवड्याभरात 5 दिवस ‘पाहिजे ते आणि पाहिजे तितके’ खातात आणि दोन दिवस उपवास करतात. काही लोक एक आठवड्यात एक एक दिवस दोन वेळा किंवा काही लोक सलग दोन दिवस उपवास करतात.

ऑल्टरनेट डे डायट: ह्या प्रकारच्या डायट मध्ये लोक एक दिवसा आड एक दिवस पूर्ण चोवीस तास उपवास करतात एक दिवस ‘पाहिजे ते आणि पाहिजे तितके’ खातात.

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सायंटिफिक रिसर्च:

गेल्या काही दशकात इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग बद्दल बराच सायंटिफिक इंटरेस्ट निर्माण झाला आहे.

त्या मुळे इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग वर रिसर्च ही झाला आहे.

पण हा रिसर्च प्राण्यांवर अधिक आणि ह्यूमन (मानवा वरील) रिसर्च त्या मानाने कमी प्रमाणात आणि काहीसा शॉर्ट टर्म झालेला आहे. आणि त्यात ही बहुतेक वेळा ह्या रिसर्च मध्ये आहार आणि व्यायाम हे फॅक्टर्स विचारात घेतलेले नाही आहेत.

ह्यातील बराचसा ह्यूमन रिसर्च हा रामदान हे उपवास करणाऱ्या ॲथलिट्स च्या परफॉर्मन्स वर झाले आहेत आणि ह्या पैकी बहुतेक रिसर्च मध्ये ॲथलिट्स चे परफॉर्मन्स खालावलेले दिसले आहेत पण परफॉर्मन्स उंचावलेले मात्र एका ही रिसर्च मध्ये दिसलेला नाही.

ह्यूमन रिसर्च मध्ये रिझल्ट्स कॉनफ्लिक्टींग (परस्पर विरोधी) दिसून आलेले आहेत.

काही रिसर्च मध्ये इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग मध्ये लोकांची वजने कमी झाल्याचे आढळले आहे पण ते इतर कॅलरी रिस्ट्रिक्टेड डायट पेक्षा अधिक असल्याचे दिसून आलेले नाही.

काही रिसर्च मध्ये इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग मध्ये लोकांनी हाय फॅट – हाय शुगर – हाय कॅलरी दोन किंवा तीन मील्स (जेवणे) घेतले असतां त्यांचे लिपिड प्रोफाईल्स अधिक खराब झालेले दिसून आले आहेत.

सुरुवातीच्या इपीडीमिलॉजिकल स्टडीज् मध्ये कमी मील्स (कमी वेळा खाणे) घेणाऱ्या लोकांमध्ये हृदयविकाराचा धोका वाढलेला दिसला तर अधिक मील्स घेणाऱ्या लोकांमध्ये टोटल कोलेस्टेरॉल आणि एल डी एल कोलेस्टेरॉल चे प्रमाण कमी आढळले आहे.

मॅल्मो डायट आणि कॅन्सर स्टडी ह्या मोठ्या स्टडी मध्ये तीन किंवा कमी मील्स घेणाऱ्या लोकांची वजने तीन पेक्षा अधिक मील्स घेणाऱ्या लोकांपेक्षा अधिक असल्याचे आढळले आहे.

ह्या उलट प्राण्यांमधील (उंदीर) स्टडीज् मध्ये इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग वर वजन, ब्लड प्रेशर, ब्लड शुगर आणि मेटबॉलिक मार्कर्स (पोटाचा घेर, ब्लड शुगर, ब्लड प्रेशर, ट्रायग्लिसराइड्स, एच डी एल कोलेस्टेरॉल) मध्ये सुधारणा झालेली आढळली आहे.

चार वर्षांपूर्वीच्या, 2018 मधील, एका रिव्ह्यू मध्ये इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग वर लोकांची वजने 2.5 ते 9.5 पर सेंट कमी झालेली आढळली पण हे रिझल्ट्स इतर कुठल्या डायट वर असलेल्या लोकांपेक्षा अधिक नव्हते.

म्हणजे पाच फूट उंची असलेल्या 80 किलो वजनाच्या बाईचे वजन 2 ते 7.6 किलो उतरू शकण्या सारखे आहे, जेव्हा तिला 30 वजन कमी करायची गरज आहे.

काही वेळ फास्टींग केल्याने इन्सुलिन रेझिस्टन्स कमी होऊन इन्सुलिन सेन्सिटिव्हिटी सुधारते आणि इन्सुलिन लेव्हल्स आणि ब्लड शुगर्स फास्टींग पिरियड मध्ये आणि थोडा वेळ त्या नंतर कमी राहतात असे दिसून आले आहे.

फास्टींग चे हे फायदे ‘सिरकॅडियन ह्रिधम’ (बॉडी क्लॉक) शी ही कनेक्टेड असलेले ही आढळून आलेले आहे. मानवांच्या बॉडी क्लॉक प्रमाणे दिवसा खाणे नॉर्मल आहे, तर रात्री खाणे ॲबनॉर्मल आहे, म्हणजेच नॉर्मल नाही.

त्यामुळे इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग चे पूर्ण फायदे मिळवायचे असले तर आपल्याला दिवसा खाणे आणि रात्री फास्टींग करणे आवष्यक आहे. ह्या उलट करण्याने इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग चे पूर्ण फायदे होत नसावेत.

इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग वर काही लोकांना थकवा, खूप भूक भूक होणे, गरगरणे, मळमळणे, अचानक शुद्ध हरपणे (सिनकोप), पडणे, मायग्रेन (एक प्रकारची असंह्य डोकेदुखी), शरीरातून पाणी कमी होणे (डीहायड्रेशन), ब्लड प्रेशर कमी होणे असे त्रास होऊ शकतात.

डायबीटिस असलेल्या लोकांना तसेच डायबीटिस साठी घ्यावी लागणारी काही औषधे घेण्याने ही अशा प्रकारचे दुष्परिणाम होण्याचा धोका अधिक असतो.

अर्थातच हे साईड इफेक्ट्स काही काळात कमी होतील असे ह्या लोकांना सांगितले जात असावे.

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ह्या शिवाय प्रत्यक्ष प्रॅक्टिस मध्ये अनेक लोक इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग वर हायपर ॲसिडिटी चा खूप त्रास सुरू झाल्याने ते सोडून दिल्याचे सांगतात. ह्यातील काही लोक पूर्वी कधीच हायपर ॲसिडिटी नसल्याची तक्रार करतात.

आणि काही लोकांना एखाद दोन वर्ष इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग केल्या नंतर ही ह्या ना त्या कारणावरून जेवणाच्या त्या वेळा पाळणे जमणे अवघड झाल्याने हा डायट सोडणे भाग पडते असे ते सांगतात.

अर्थातच काही लोक इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग यशस्वीपणे करत असतीलच पण ते माझ्याकडे येत नसल्याने त्यांचे म्हणणे माझ्या पर्यंत पोचत नाही.

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इनफरन्स:

इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग प्रकारच्या डायट्स मध्ये 2.5 ते 9.5 पर सेंट पर्यंत वजन आणि ब्लड प्रेशर, ब्लड शुगर, टोटल आणि एल डी एल कोलेस्टेरॉल कमी होऊ शकतात.

पण ह्या डायट्स मध्ये ही तुम्ही ‘ॲड लिबिटम’ म्हणजे ‘पाहिजे ते आणि पाहिजे तितके’ खाऊ शकत नाही.

जर तुम्ही 8 किंवा 10 तासांच्या खाण्याच्या काळामध्ये (विंडो मध्ये) ही एक किंवा दोन जेवणात, अगदी तुम्हाला दिलेल्या विशिष्ट वेळात ही जेवलात तरी ही, हाय फॅट – हाय शुगर – हाय कॅलरी अन्न खाल्लेत तरी ही तुमचे वजन, पोटाचा घेर, ब्लड प्रेशर, ब्लड शुगर, टोटल आणि एल डी एल कोलेस्टेरॉल कमी होण्या ऐवजी वाढू शकतात आणि चांगले म्हणजे एच डी एल कोलेस्टेरॉल वाढण्या एवजी कमी होऊ शकते.

ह्याचाच अर्थ, तुम्ही इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग केलेत तरी ही तुम्ही हेल्दी न्युट्रिशन चे नियम पाळले नाहीत, तर तुमचे वजन, पोटाचा घेर  आणि ब्लड प्रेशर, ब्लड शुगर, टोटल आणि एल डी एल कोलेस्टेरॉल, ट्रायग्लिसराइड्स कमी होण्या ऐवजी वाढू शकतात आणि एच डी एल कोलेस्टेरॉल वाढण्या ऐवजी कमी होऊ शकते.

तसेच तुम्हाला दिवसा खाणे आणि रात्री उपवास करणे ही आवष्यक आहे.

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जर तुम्हाला इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींगच्या कॉन्सेप्ट्स आवडल्या असतील, पटल्या असतील, दोन जेवणाच्या फिक्स वेळा तुम्हाला पाळता येणार असतील, हे डायट्स तुम्हाला सूट होत असतील, अशा आहारावर असताना तुम्हाला अगदी फ्रेश आणि एनर्जेटिक वाटत असेल, त्या वर तुमचे वजन आणि ब्लड शुगर खाली आलेल्या असतील आणि ते आयुष्यभर फॉलो करता येणार असतील, तर तुम्ही तो जरूर फॉलो करा.

पण जर ते तुम्हाला सूट होत नसतील, त्या आहार पद्धतीचा तुम्हाला त्रास होत असेल, तर लक्षात घ्या, वजन कमी करण्याची किंवा डायबीटिस कंट्रोल करण्याची आणि हार्ट हेल्दी होण्याची इंटरमिटन्ट फास्टींग ही जगातील एकमेव ट्रीटमेंट नाही.

दिवसाभरात निदान ब्रेकफास्ट, लंच आणि डिनर ह्या तीन मील्स मध्ये न्युट्रिशनली बॅलन्स्ड किंवा संतुलित आहार आणि ह्या मील्स च्या मधल्या काळात भरपूर दूध आणि फळे खाऊन आणि पुरेसे चालून तुम्ही 2.5 ते 9.5 पर सेंट फॅट कमी करणेच नव्हे, तर पूर्ण स्लिम होऊ शकता आणि तुमचे ब्लड शुगर सकट सर्व मेटबॉलिक मार्कर्स सुधारून अधिक तुम्ही अधिक हार्ट हेल्दी होऊ शकता.

आणि वजन कमी करण्यासाठी किंवा डायबीटिस कंट्रोल करण्यासाठी आणि हार्ट हेल्दी होण्यासाठी कुठल्याही प्रकारचे डायटींग किंवा उपासमार करण्याची आवश्यकता नसते, हे माझ्याकडे ट्रीटमेंट घेणारे कोणी ही तुम्हाला सांगू शकेल!

Effect Of Post Meal Exercise On Weight, Blood Sugar And Insulin

Exercise any time is extremely beneficial to our health and its effects on your our health are well documented in international research.

Exercise boosts the levels of endorphins, the feel-good neurotransmitters,
Reduces stress,

Lifts gloom and depression,

Improves self-esteem,

Improves cardiovascular fitness,

Improves lung function,

Lowers blood pressure, blood sugar, total cholesterol, and LDL Cholesterol and triglycerides,

Improves HDL, the good Cholesterol,

Protects us from hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and strokes,
And boosts immunity.

Exercise also improves our metabolic health.

People with better metabolic health generate more energy and and use it more efficiently, burn fat better and maintain a healthy weight easier. They also have more energy and better memories.

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Effect of insulin and exercise after a meal on blood sugar:

Carbohydrates in our food raise our blood glucose levels, when they are digested and absorbed in our small intestines.

Our body releases insulin in response to the raised blood sugar levels. Insulin influences muscle, liver and fat cells, amongst others, to absorb this extra sugar from the blood, so the blood sugar levels are brought down to normal.

Research has shown that exercising after a meal has similar effect on blood sugar and much better effect on overall health.

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How exactly does post meal exercise lower our blood sugar?

Exercising after a meal triggers several important mechanisms simultaneously that help lower blood sugar naturally and efficiently.

Physical activity causes the heart to pump more glucose-rich blood toward the working muscles. At the same time, muscle contractions activate complex enzyme and signalling pathways inside muscle cells, which greatly increase the muscles’ demand for glucose as fuel.

Most importantly, exercise stimulates special glucose transporter proteins called GLUT-4 transporters to move to the muscle cell surface. These GLUT-4 transporters act like microscopic gateways that allow glucose to rapidly enter muscle cells from the bloodstream. During and after exercise, muscle cells become far more efficient at absorbing and utilising glucose, even with less dependence on insulin.

Together, these mechanisms help muscles remove excess glucose from the blood and use it for energy, which is why light to moderate physical activity after meals can be especially beneficial for diabetics, prediabetics and overweight individuals.

The powerful leg muscles and the glutes act like a sponge and mop up glucose from the blood and and use it directly for energy during post meal walks, even without the pancreas needing to increase its insulin output.

This helps prevent the blood sugar and blood insulin levels from spiking post meals.

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When is the best time to exercise after a meal, to lower our blood sugar?

Recent research suggests that post-meal exercise may offer special benefits when performed from about 30 minutes after a meal up to several hours later, as this is the period during which blood sugar levels are usually elevated. Some studies suggest that exercising between about 30 minutes and 2 hours after eating may be particularly effective for reducing post-meal blood sugar spikes.

However, the ideal timing can also depend on the type of meal consumed. After a predominantly liquid meal such as a milkshake, sweetened beverage or smoothie, blood glucose may rise much more rapidly because liquids are usually digested and absorbed faster than solid foods. In such cases, beginning light physical activity immediately or soon after the meal may help the muscles utilise some of this incoming glucose more efficiently.

Even gentle activities such as walking, climbing stairs slowly or light household work after meals may help improve post-meal glucose control, especially when practised regularly.

It is ideal to begin the post meal walk within 20 to 30 minutes from the meal, this also helps incorporating the post meal walks into our lifestyle and remember to continue long term.

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Which kind of exercise is most beneficial to lower blood sugar and insulin levels best?

Researchers have found that medium intensity exercise like walking lowers blood sugar and insulin best.

How much time should one walk after meals to lower blood sugar and insulin levels?

Thirty minutes would be ideal, but even ten minutes would be fine compared to being sedentary post meals.

Keeping moving around a little every half hour too would be more beneficial than being sedentary.

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To summarise:

Exercising after a meal helps improve our metabolic health, lowers our blood sugar and blood insulin levels and helps us maintain a healthy weight and boosts our energy levels and memory.

That is the reason why exercising after a meal is very beneficial to our long term health!

It could be life saving if you are a diabetic!

Also read the articles ‘Science Of Exercise’ and ‘Walking To be Slim And Healthy’, on this website.

Learning What GI And GL Are And How They Affect Blood Sugar

Most people have heard about the Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL).

Let us understand exactly what they are.

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a numerical value that tells us how quickly a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood sugar compared with pure glucose. Pure glucose is assigned a value of 100, and other foods are given values between 0 and 100 according to how rapidly they raise blood sugar.

As a general rule, the more processed a carbohydrate-rich food is, the higher its GI is likely to be. On the other hand, foods that contain more fibre, protein or fat usually have a lower GI because they slow the absorption of carbohydrate.

The lower the Glycemic Index of a food, the more slowly it raises blood sugar. The higher its Glycemic Index, the faster it raises blood sugar.

At first glance, it might seem obvious that we should simply avoid foods with a high GI if we are trying to control our blood sugar, lose weight or improve our health.

But does the Glycemic Index tell us the whole story?

No, it does not.

Take watermelon as an example. It has a fairly high Glycemic Index—around 75 to 80. However, watermelon contains very little carbohydrate in a normal serving because most of it is water. As a result, its Glycemic Load is only about 5, which means that a typical serving has only a modest effect on blood sugar. This is why people with diabetes can usually enjoy watermelon in sensible portions without causing a major rise in blood glucose.

This is where the Glycemic Load (GL) becomes useful.

While the Glycemic Index tells us how quickly a food raises blood sugar, the Glycemic Load tells us how much it is likely to raise blood sugar in a normal serving.

Glycemic Load is calculated by multiplying the grams of available carbohydrate in a serving of food by its Glycemic Index and then dividing the result by 100.

Because it considers both the quality of the carbohydrate (its GI) and the quantity of carbohydrate in the serving, Glycemic Load gives a more realistic idea of the food’s overall effect on blood sugar.

Glycemic Load can be calculated for a single serving of food, an entire meal or even a whole day’s diet.

The Verdict

Some experts recommend using the Glycemic Index, the Glycemic Load, or both when choosing foods, particularly for people with diabetes. Others feel that these measures are too complicated for everyday use.

The American Diabetes Association points out that the total amount of carbohydrate eaten is generally a stronger predictor of blood sugar levels than the Glycemic Index or Glycemic Load alone.

For most people, the healthiest approach is not to become overly concerned with GI and GL, but to eat a balanced diet in sensible portions. Choose mostly whole grains, pulses, vegetables and fruits, limit refined and highly processed carbohydrates, avoid excess fat, and stay physically active through regular walking or any other suitable form of exercise.

In everyday life, the Glycemic Load of a meal depends not only on the cereal chosen but also on the portion size and what is eaten along with it.

Ultimately, maintaining a healthy body weight and good physical fitness has a far greater influence on blood sugar control and overall health than focusing on any single number. The slimmer and fitter you are, the better your blood sugar control is likely to be.

Related articles

‘Basics Of Nutrition’,

‘Preventing Diabetes’ and

‘The Good And The Bad Carbohydrates’ on this website.