Becoming a better fat burner

How to regulate your blood sugar and become a better fat burner

The difference between burning fat or sugar for energy. 

It can be easy to think of blood sugar as just another condition measured by a number that only people with a particular diagnosis need to worry about.  

In reality blood sugar affects the majority of Americans daily.  All day long our bodies work to keep our cells supplied with sugar (glucose) to turn into energy. The delicate balance can be messed up by eating refined sugars and carbs that are quickly broken down or even just by eating carbs and sugar in the absence of fat which slows the release of glucose into the blood stream.  

If you suffer from any of the following symptoms there is a good chance your body is having trouble converting fat and protein into energy, or your diet needs a better fat/carb ratio.  

Common signs of imbalanced blood sugar: Irritability, anxiety, inability to delay or skip meals, frequent urination, poor energy, mid morning or mid afternoon fatigue, sugar cravings, mood swings...etc.

Before we address what you can do to regulate blood sugar lets look at the steps your body takes in the blood sugar regulation process.  

1. You eat a meal of steak and veggies with 1/3 cup of white rice on the side.  
2. When the food is in your small intestine the pancreas tells the liver to start releasing insulin which is the hormone that shuttles sugar around to the cells and muscles then stores any extra in your fat tissue for later use. 
3. After all the sugar has been delivered, insulin goes away and your cells are content making energy out of their new stores. 
4. Three hours later your cells are getting low on sugar so your liver starts converting stored protein and fat into sugar to be taken to the cells for more fuel making. 
5. Your energy levels are nice and even till you eat again 5 or 6 hours after your last meal. 

If you experience blood sugar issues this process probably sounds nothing like you. Lets take a look at what the process looks like when it’s out of whack.  

1. You eat a meal of salad, chicken, honey vinaigrette dressing, cut fruit and ice tea
2. The honey dressing, fruit and the sugar in the tea are all patricianly digested in your mouth by enzyme in your saliva.
3. Your pancreas tells your body to release insulin (a lot this time) which starts to take sugar around to the cells and muscles. 
4. The extra sugar from your meal that was not used up by the cells (the tea and fruit would supply an excess of sugar) is stored in your fat tissue for later, expanding your fat stores…in other words adding to your body fat.
5.  Because of the higher sugar and lower fat content in your meal your body will quickly use up the sugar and then try to tap into using fat.  If you body is not trained to use fat for fuel it will have to produce a stress response in order to force your body to break down fat.  This stress response is what leads to all those irritating symptoms of low blood sugar and inevitably the “I need to eat or someone is going to get hurt” feeling, which we call 'hangury'.  

Note:  Even if you eat an excellent macronutrient balanced meal with appropriate fat carb protein ratios your body might not be effective at tapping into food stores to carry you from one meal to the next with sustained energy.  

Being a sugar burner (someone who relies on carbs and sugar for quick sources of energy) rather than a fat burner (Someone who has a strong source of energy or doesn't rely on food to supply them with energy, mood enhancement or mental clarity) is mostly caused by our modern diet introducing us to quick energy which our body preferences since it takes little digestion.  

How do you quit?
The all important question is how do you transition to being a fat burner rather than a sugar burner?  Most importantly how do you quit sugar?  

Here’s a few steps to get you started on the right path

1. Proper macronutrient ratios - Having a good ratio of fat, protein and carbs at each meal will ensure you aren't spiking your blood sugar and should keep you nice and full.  Start with a protein serving the size of a deck of cards, Some healthy carbs and of course healthy fats.  Examples of healthy carb servings would be:  Half a piece of sprouted grain bread, 1/2 cup quinoa, 1 half of a large sweet potato, a few cooked parsnips, 1/2 cup blueberries.  Examples of fat servings are: A handful of olives plus oil based dressing, 1 tablespoon of butter, two or three eggs as well as a few teaspoons of coconut oil, grass-fed beef with a gravy…etc
2. Work on digestion: You could be eating the most perfect diet and not receiving the full benefit from it because your digestion is out of whack and your body is not able to properly absorb nutrients.  You need the right amount of stomach acid in order to break down protein, healthy bile in order to absorb fats, enzymes for breaking down carbs and sugars and good bacteria to keep you intestines in working order.
3. Don’t spike your blood sugar:  I understand this is easier said then done.  If you are seeking to have sustained energy and the ability to use fat from food and your own body’s extra fat for energy you must keep away from spiking your blood sugar.  Before the appearances of refined sugar in our diet there was never an emergency need to lower blood sugar, which is what happens overtime when you eat sugar even healthier forms like raw sugar or molasses. Because of our modern diet and state of health even large amounts of healthy sugar like fruit or grains can upset our blood sugar quite easily.
4. Eat fat with carbs and sugars.  Fat helps slow the absorption of sugar in the blood stream. This means that fat should be eaten with carbs and sugars to help your blood sugar not fluctuate up so quickly.   If you are eating an apple for snack try eating only half (apples are high in sugar) and add in at least a tsp of peanut butter (the kind without sugar added) or cheese. Whenever you are eating a sugar or carb make sure to have a healthy serving of fat with it. 

COMING SOON:  In two weeks I will be releasing my E-book that is full of healthy lunch and snack ideas that are great for blood sugar balancing.  These meals are quick and easy to make and especially easy to take with you anywhere.  Come back soon to get your free download.