Insulin, is a peptide hormone produced in the pancreas and is very important for both human beings and animals alike. The cells that produce Insulin are found in an area of the Pancreas called the "Islets of Langerhans". This is also where the name of the hormone comes from - the Latin word for island or Islet is – "insula."
Insulin's primary purpose is to regulate the balance of sugar in the body. When we ingest foods containing sugar, such as carbohydrates, the concentration of insulin in our blood increases and regulation occurs by bringing the blood sugar content down. Insulin also regulates the intake of sugar into each one of the body's cells. How? It is the "key" that opens the "door" to the cell and that closes the "door" to the cell.
To understand how this process works, we must look at the way the body uses carbohydrates. Carbohydrates consist of many "single sugar chains“ known as mono-saccharides. Also known as glucose, this is the type of sugar that is used by the human body for energy.
Glucose is stored first in your liver and then in your muscle tissue. The body can store about 500g (approx. 18 oz.) in these two areas. The stored glucose is later used to create energy for the body when the body is being exerted physically.
If the glucose storage capacity is full in your liver and muscles, then the body looks for the another option for storage. The third storage option is to convert the glucose into fat and store it in the fat cells. A lot of glucose can be stored as fat...if allowed. The reason for this phenomenon is a very old genetic program which humans developed during periods of evolution, and the purpose was to help us survive times of famines. This whole process is controlled by insulin! It regulates the blood glucose level and the storage of glucose in your body. Moreover, insulin actually stops the fat deposits from being released from the fat cells once it has been stored.
These accumulated fat deposits make up the fat we all would like to get rid of.
When we have a closer look at the regulation process or cycle, it becomes very clear why we put on weight, and then again more weight. The standard regulation cycle is: Blood glucose level goes down and a hormone sends out a signal to our brain telling us that we are hungry - we eat - our blood glucose level rises - production of insulin increases and the feeling of hunger disappears. However, as soon as the blood glucose level sinks, you start feeling hungry again and the cycle starts over.
It is highly probable, with the pitfalls of our modern diet, for this very important process to get out of balance and even be disturbed permanently. In cases where it is disturbed, the process no longer works properly. Surplus carbohydrates cause a continuous high level of insulin in your blood. As your glucose storage is already full, the surplus glucose is used to only build up your fat storage. Since there is too much insulin in the blood, the blood sugar level is continually being regulated, rising and then sinking rapidly, resulting in feelings of hunger and the need to consume more carbohydrates. (e.g. sweets) Hence, more sugar gets into this cycle, the blood glucose level rises again, more insulin is produced and the cycle keeps going and going - resulting in more and more fat being stored! When you are in such a negative cycle, your body cannot find its way out on its own. Generally, the heavier a person becomes the greater the reality of this vicious cycle becomes.
The Metabolic Balance® nutrition program breaks this "fat trap" and brings a healthy regulation to your blood sugar and insulin cycle. It enables the body to find its way out and to return to its original and most ideal state of health. Simply, by regulating your glucose intake - balancing of your insulin levels and hormones - thus, allowing the unlocking of the fat cells - the fat naturally can be burnt off and can stay off.
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