A question from one of our readers:
Dr. Mericle,
With respect to burning "fat" energy in the mornings before eating, what if you are not a long distance runner? The average person is not, particularly someone who is overweight. A typical run for me in my current condition is 2-3 miles. Would I still be burning fat with a 25-30 min. jog?
JoLee
Answer: Yes, you would still be burning fat as long as you stay in a glucagon state.
This is a very good question since most people today don't run at all -much less even 2-3 miles a day. This touches on one of the most important aspects of the MericleDiet and exercise as it relates to weight loss. Exercise for your immune system, but don't rely on exercise to lose weight and or keep weight off. Even running seven miles a day is not enough to burn any significant calories.
Back to the glucagon state of energy utilization
In the last newsletter I discussed the importance of entering a glucagon state for some part of every day. For me, running helps as it is a real distraction, something I do every day and I have my own rule of never eating before I run. The reason for not eating is that it is a lot easier to run in a state of energy utilization (glucagon) , not energy storage (insulin). Usually in hot weather I will run first thing in the morning. This actually shortens my glucagon phase as compared to running in the late afternoon. Usually if it is hot and I run early, I will try not to eat when I get back from the run until noon at the earliest. This gives me at least four or five hours in a glucagon state -higher energy levels and I get a lot more done. If you are going to eat early in the day, it is best to eat low on the glycemic index. Organic fruit, carrot or celery sticks and fresh organic salads are good choices.
You don't need to exercise to enter a glucagon state
Exercise can help to get you into a glucagon phase but is not necessary. All you really have to do is not go into an insulin state by eating. Most of us are going to eat something during most days but it is optimal if you can limit the time of food ingestion to the mid-day hours, noon to 6:pm or so. You will have a good glucagon phase in the morning and not go to bed on a large load of insulin in the evening. As mentioned previously, hyperinsulinism is implicated in many of our serious lifestyle illnesses.
Dr. Roy Walford and caloric restriction
It may seem hard to believe, but during periods of starvation during WWII, those who had their caloric intake reduced, had improvement in diseases such as heart disease and cancer. It was also noted that they did not age as much. This has been studied by the late Dr. Roy Walford, who was part of the Biosphere. There is no question that calorically restricted mice age much more slowly than those who are allowed to eat what they want. Dr. Walford also made the point that the calories that are eaten must be "nutritionally dense." This is also one of the premises of the MericleDiet. I don't want to suggest that one live a life of caloric restriction, but there is no doubt that reducing your caloric intake and not eating as often or as much will improve your health and slow your aging.
Insulin Glucagon Aging
Somewhere in the basic premise of caloric restriction and retarded aging is the yin and yang of human energy management -Glucagon and Insulin. Too much of either is not good and as noted previously, most people in America have way too much insulin. If you want to feel better and look better while you age more slowly, think glucagon, not insulin. Try to achieve "balance" between them. If you spend four hours a day in an insulin state, try to spend at least as much time in a glucagon state.
Conclusion
Understanding how glucagon and insulin affect your health and your weight is one of the most important concepts one can learn. Not only will you be able to work better, feel better and control your weight more easily, there now is impressive evidence that restricting your insulin secretion by reducing your frequency and quantity of feedings will retard aging.
Reference:
Dr. Walford and Caloric Restriction
http://www.walford.com
Stryer Biochemistry Fourth Edition
Thanks for your time.
Copyright ? John Mericle M.D. All Rights Reserved
For more information on the MericleDiet or to signup for Dr. Mericle's Newsletter click on the link below.
scheduled cleaning services Winnetka ..The latest trend in the area of weight loss is... Read More
Gastric bypass surgery involves stapling the stomach to make it... Read More
Low carb (carbohydrate), high protein diets are the latest ... Read More
Diet tips for losing weight abound. Some are good, some... Read More
Self-acceptance and body love can be tough concepts to grasp... Read More
When you hear a doctor or a personal trainer say,... Read More
We are inundated by exhortations to lose weight - from... Read More
The Constant Quest for Restriction; Not enough vs. too muchRestriction.... Read More
Why is it so hard to lose weight and keep... Read More
Here are the 4 things you need to know about... Read More
Maybe you losing weight comes down to the simple question,... Read More
Okay, so you've read some of these articles, done your... Read More
There are a lot of "crash" diets out there that... Read More
Food is not simply fuel to keep you going. Nor... Read More
Recently, I read an article from Japanese magazine that by... Read More
This is the second article in the series, Weight Loss... Read More
Have a conversation about gastric bypass surgery with just about... Read More
Most men and women that I have trained over the... Read More
Dr. Atkins death was unexpected. On 8 April 2003, he... Read More
Control that sweet tooth. Remember that sweet things generally mean... Read More
What if by making a few small changes in your... Read More
Because the Internet allows so many millions of people to... Read More
While low-fat dieters and non-dieters may want to avoid chicken... Read More
With the popularity of low carb diets such as Atkins,... Read More
Everyone is looking for the secret to losing weight. Everyone... Read More
reliable maid service Lincolnshire ..Nitrates and nitrites are preservatives that are added to certain... Read More
What if by making a few small changes in your... Read More
You've heard them before and may even have believed some... Read More
Now this is the real American Dream! I'm here to... Read More
The importance of drinking water is mentioned in almost every... Read More
Reading labels is an essential part of any weight loss... Read More
AND SAVE MONEY IN THE PROCESS. The secret is simple... Read More
More likely than not a diet with end up a... Read More
Low carb beer and lite beer are two different animals.... Read More
Losing weight is a tough and demanding task for most... Read More
The cost of a tummy tuck is something to consider... Read More
Low Carb, Low Fat, More protein, Eat all the fat... Read More
I clearly remember how much I loathed having my picture... Read More
Who'd have thought healthy eating could be so controversial? Lunching... Read More
Would you run out of fingers, and maybe even toes,... Read More
Many celiacs lose weight before they are diagnosed; indeed it... Read More
Being overweight is no laughing matter. For those who are... Read More
When we hear all the success stories of the gastric... Read More
Weight training combines building muscle tone and working the cardiovascular... Read More
CancerCoronary heart diseaseStrokeOsteoporosisMajor Depression from Brain StarvationHeadlines.WASHINGTON, Jun 22, 2004... Read More
I am somebody who has had an ongoing battle with... Read More
How would you like Julia Roberts to coach you on... Read More
Fast Weight Loss - Is it better to lose 2lbs... Read More
Did you know that how and when you eat is... Read More
Gastric bypass patients often find themselves regaining weight soon after... Read More
Weight Loss |