Why I Love Insulin

Insulin makes you fat, right?

It's a storage hormone so when you eat sugar, it turns that to fat and stores the fat on your thighs. Right?

Well, if you have a really myopic view of insulin, you might be kindof sortof right.

But not really.

Did you know that one of the reasons GLP-1 works so well is because it increases insulin production?

If increasing insulin production made you fat... why does GLP-1 medication work so well for weight loss? (You can find the answer to this in GLP-1 Done Right, by the way.)

I have about a million and a half notes in my note app on my phone. Am I the only one? 😂 (I frequently weed it out, but it currently sits at just under 700 - is that a lot? 🤷🏼‍♀️)

When I'm on the top of my game, I actually take notes while I'm researching all the things I love to research. Unfortunately, this rarely happens because I just get obsessed with reading one study after another... and then they all become lost on each other.

BUT, I do have some notes on why I love insulin. I'm not including sources or anything here - you're just getting a few of my raw highlights, but I wanted to share them with you because I think you might find it interesting.

Insulin helps...

* Clear the blood of free fatty acids. This can get stuck in a crazy loop, but increased free fatty acids are a cause of insulin resistance, are seen in obesity and T2 diabetes, and are a major contributor to cardiovascular disease. Insulin helps lower the fatty acid levels in the blood which actually improves insulin resistance.

* Build muscle. Insulin helps transport amino acids into the muscle and also helps the liver with building proteins. Likewise, it helps with the formation of bone.

* It stimulates the transport of cholesterol into the mitochondria where it gets converted to pregnenolone. Pregnenolone is a neuro protective and anti-inflammatory hormone.

* Insulin plays a role in healthy cognition - enhancing memory and learning.

* Insulin has the opposite effect of glucocorticoids. Glucocorticoids are stress hormones (cortisol is one). A little bit of stress hormone is okay, but most of us live in an almost constant state of glucocorticoid overload. Insulin counteracts that.

* It's a key compound in liver regeneration. Our liver is pretty darn important and it needs insulin to help it stay healthy.

And yes, insulin plays a major role in energy production by getting glucose into the cell.

But that whole issue of turning sugar to fat and storing the fat?

First of all, insulin doesn't turn anything to fat - let's get that straight. The liver does all of that.

But the liver isn't looking to turn glucose to fat unless it has to. No, first the liver is looking to send glucose to the brain. Then the liver is looking to store glucose, in the form of glycogen (which is not fat, but sugar) in the muscles and in itself for later energy use.

Then, every cell in your body is looking to get as much glucose in as possible to create energy, so insulin is trying its hardest to get glucose into the cell.

But sometimes (OFTENtimes these days), there's a problem withIN the cell. The problem doesn't lie with insulin or the cell being "resistant" to insulin.

The cell is actually resistant to glucose uptake. That might sound like semantics, but it's an important distinction. Insulin is doing its job just fine, but the cell isn't accepting glucose as it should.

Because there's a problem INSIDE the cell. And guess what can help fix that?

GLP-1. And insulin.

Insulin isn't the bad guy. It's actually a vilified hero.

If you're feeling confused, I make this easy to understand within GLP-1 Done Right.

But the point I wanted to make today is that we need insulin. Insulin is cool. I like insulin.

And if you want your body to make more insulin, you gotta eat more carbs.

Eat the protein and fat too cause they're all important. (Just know that there is a distinction in fat type and amount that matters, especially if you want your body to heal.)

And hey! Beta testing for Healthy Habits Done Right is underway! You'll love the program! And I would love your feedback!

If you have current access to GLP-1 Done Right, just let me know and I'll add you right away! If you don't have current access, well friend, what are you waiting for?! Get in there and let me know you want to start working on your habits and I'll add you as a tester.

Let me know if you have questions.

Hugs & Smoothie Smiles,

Coach Camille PN, SSR