Low glycemic meals produce favorable leptin and insulin responses, resulting in lower food consumption

Low glycemic meals promote a post-meal environment that is favorable for reduced food consumption. This may be an advantage in the control of obesity and related disorders, including insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Low glycemic meals produce favorable leptin and insulin responses, resulting in lower food consumption.

In a recent study, metabolic effects of meals with varying glycemic index (GI) were evaluated. In a group of healthy volunteers, glucose, insulin and leptin responses to two contrasting breakfast cereals were measured. Leptin is a hormone produced by fat cells that indicates the degree of hunger to the hypothalamus of the brain. Lower leptin levels trigger a sense of satiety and decreased hunger.

Meals were provided on two separate occasions in random order after a 12-hour overnight fast, and consisted of 50 g of available carbohydrate from either Corn Flakes (Kellogg's), or Fiber One (General Mills). Blood samples were obtained at rest, and 30, 60, 90 and 120 min after eating. The GI was calculated from the glucose response to the test meal normalized against a 50 g oral glucose load.

The average GI for Corn Flakes was 125 and 49 for Fiber One. These meals were classified as high GI and low GI, respectively, and were significantly different from each other. The insulin response following the low glycemic meal was significantly reduced compared to the high glycemic meal. The high glycemic meal significantly suppressed circulating leptin levels compared to the low glycemic meal.

Lower insulin response and higher circulating leptin levels suggest that low glycemic meals promote a post-meal environment that is favorable for reduced food consumption; this may be advantageous in the control of obesity and related disorders, including insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Ann Nutr Metab 2007 Dec 10;51(6):512-518

Healthy for life program ‏/ Ray D. Strand, M.D.

Healthy for life program overview
‏/ Ray D. Strand, M.D.



When I first began trying to reverse insulin resistance in my patients, I tried to teach them healthy lifestyles in a classroom setting. I personally felt that if these people understood the principles and the scientific concepts involving insulin resistance they would automatically make these effective lifestyle changes. Well, to my chagrin most of the patients really did not do very well and therefore, the improvements in their health were not that great. Most of my patients were very sincere in their attempts to make these healthy lifestyle changes but met with all sorts of distractions and misconceptions and would quickly revert back to their old lifestyles.
About 8 years ago I decided to change my approach and simply counsel my patients individually in my office. This was a team effort between my two nurse practitioners and myself. We held our patients accountable by having them document everything they ate during the week, their exercise, and their consumption of the nutritionals. We then would see them back in my office each and every week for the first month and then every other week thereafter. This was an amazing eye-opener for me and my entire staff. When we made the patients become accountable and they realized that they had to write down everything they had been eating during the week, did we see some major improvements! My staff was also able to further educate my patients by simply pointing out to my patients where they were making mistakes and still spiking their blood sugars. Through this interaction my patients not only were learning these new concepts about healthy living but were now more effectively applying them to their own lives. The results were simply amazing! I have literally been able to see my patient’s health improve before my eyes. Individuals who are trying to make changes in their lifestyles want to know exactly what they need to do to improve their health. The more they would learn in the lay media and books, the more confused they would become. The Healthy for Life Program is cutting-edge and based entirely on medical research. This is why so many people have chosen to become involved with the Healthy for Life Program I have developed. Not only do they trust the information they are receiving but when they personally make these lifestyle changes they are having such tremendous results.
I have now developed this new web page http://www.releasingfat.com/, which I feel offers everyone a greater chance of success. This is literally my personal medical office online. The internet offers us a unique tool which will be even more effective in evaluating, documenting, encouraging, and holding individuals accountable than my approach in my medical office. Individuals anywhere in the world who truly desire to develop these healthier lifestyles that have a side-effect of permanent weight loss can now have lifetime success. This approach can be done in the privacy of their own home and where they receive professional guidance and support from my entire staff.
I want to explain how I am able, through this site, to help anyone around the world achieve these health benefits. Even though these lifestyle changes are simple and easy, we are all creatures of habits—some good and some bad. In order to effectively have victory over some of these poor lifestyles, you need to be motivated, encouraged, and held accountable. Over time, these new lifestyles become natural and eventually just a way of life. Out with the old habits and in with the new healthier habits. You will actually enjoy the freedom of not being addicted to fast food and all the high-glycemic and processed carbohydrates. You will enjoy the way you feel and your new energy level along with a sense of well-being. You will also not be discouraged when you begin to shed excess pounds of fat and realize that you are not even trying to lose weight. You will not weigh your food or count calories. If you become naturally hungry, you simply eat another low-glycemic meal or snack. That's correct, you will not go hungry on the Healthy for Life Program.

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Whey improves insulin response in type 2 diabetics

In type 2 diabetics, whey added to high-GI meals may increase insulin secretion and improve blood glucose clearance after a meal. This can be of significant benefit to those with reduced insulin secretion and/or compromised blood glucose regulation.

In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers evaluated whether supplementation of high-glycemic meals (GI) with whey proteins would increase insulin secretion and improve blood glucose control in type 2 diabetics.

Subjects with type 2 diabetes were served a high-GI breakfast and lunch supplemented with whey on one day, and lean ham and lactose on another day.

When whey was included in the meal, insulin responses were significantly higher for both breakfast and lunch than when it was not included. In addition, blood glucose response was significantly reduced after lunch with the inclusion of whey.

In type 2 diabetics, whey added to high-GI meals may increase insulin secretion and improve blood glucose clearance after a meal. This can be of significant benefit to those with reduced insulin secretion and/or compromised blood glucose regulation.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 82, No. 1, 69-75, July 2005

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is Reversible‏ ‏/ Ray D. Strand, M.D.

I have personally documented over 50 patients in my practice that had type 2 diabetes mellitus that were not only able to control their diabetes and get off their medications, but were also able to totally reverse their diabetes.

Now not everyone who has diabetes is able to reverse their disease. However, after firmly establishing the healthy lifestyles promoted in the Healthy for Life Program (http://www.releasingfat.com/), many of my diabetic patients were able to reverse their disease. This was documented by the fact that their fasting blood sugar, glucose tolerance test, and their hemoglobin A1C (a measure of the amount of sugar in a red blood cell) all returned to normal off of all diabetic medication.

Now it took my diabetic patients a minimum of 18 to 24 months on the Healthy for Life Program to accomplish this goal. This gives great hope to so many of my patients who are just becoming diabetic. It allows them to significantly slow down the aging process. Just think what you can do if you firmly establish these new, healthier lifestyles that improve insulin resistance before you become diabetic. I personally believe that the Healthy for Life Program is the answer to the diabetes and obesity epidemics.

RAY D. STRAND, M.D.

Specialist in Nutritional Medicine

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Early Signs of Insulin Resistance ‏/ Ray D. Strand, M.D.

When I began to appreciate the serious consequences of insulin resistance, I had a tremendous advantage over the clinical researchers who were located in the major medical centers of our country. I had been doing annual physicals in the police department, fire department, and sheriff department and all of their employees for over 20 years.

When I would see one of these individuals who had develop prediabetes or diabetes, I could look back at years and years of physicals and labwork that I had done. There was a very typical pattern that was evident and I became very familiar with the early signs of insulin resistance. I then began to look for these earlier signs of insulin resistance in all my patients.

Elevated Blood Pressure - I became concerned when there blood pressure was greater than 130/85.
Low HDL or good cholesterol - I became concerned when women had an HDL less than 50 or men less than 40.
High Triglyceride Level - I became concerned when this level began to rise even if it was still in the normal range. I would do a ratio and divide their triglyceride level by their HDL cholesterol, which was an indirect measure of insulin levels. I became concerned when this ratio was greater than 2.
Expanding Waist Size - I became concerned when women had a waist size greater than 32 to 33 inches and men had a waist size greater than 36 to 37 inches.

RAY D. STRAND, M.D.
Specialist in Nutritional Medicine