Ok, so I had to think long and hard about posting this blog. I’d hate for people to get the wrong idea.
Basically I’m trusting you to take this information the right way.
I don’t ever want anyone to think that a supplement is going to do the work for them. The last three blogs about protein are a no-brainer – protein is just food. You need it to build lean sexy muscle.
Today I’m going to tell you about some supplements with strong research that they reduce insulin sensitivity. In fact, they are effective enough at reducing insulin sensitivity that they are considered for treatment of Type 2 Diabetes.
Basically if you “react badly to carbs” it means you have a bigger insulin response to carbs.
And insulin is basically a storage hormone. More insulin = more fat storage. Less insulin = less fat storage.
That’s one reason that lower carb diets work wonders for people who suck at processing carbs. (the other reason that low carb diets work is because they are higher in protein).
So here are some supps that are strong in reducing insulin response
****Standard disclaimer: Only an idiot would think that you could supplement with these and not have to have a smart workout and diet. These are a BONUS for people who are already working out and eating right, and need a boost****
#1. Cinnamomum Burmannii, a potent extract harvested from Indonesian cinnamon bark that has been shown to effectively assist in managing blood sugar after a carbohydrate-rich meal while increasing glucose metabolism by up to 10x.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20515642
#2. 4-hydroxyisoleucine, a natural phytochemical extracted from the Fenugreek herb, has been scientifically shown to increase carbohydrate storage in muscle cells while decreasing carbohydrate fat storage through the sensitizing of insulin receptors in muscle tissue.
4-hydroxyisoleucine has also been shown to interfere with the process by which the body converts muscle protein to sugar for energy. This encourages fat loss (instead of muscle break down) and aids in the retention of calorie-burning lean muscle as you lose fat.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2194788
#3. Pterocarpus Marsupium. This herb is actually used in the treatment of diabetes by Ayurvedic physicians in India. In fact, Pterocarpus Marsupium is so effective that it was shown in a recent research study to reduce blood sugar levels after a meal by a whopping 21%.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9214733
#4 – R-Alpha Lipoic Acid (R-ALA). Alpha Lipoic Acid is a naturally occuring fatty acid made up of two isomers, S-ALA and R-ALA, of which the R isomer has been shown to be significantly more effective and bioavailable. In fact, R-ALA is clinically proven to increase insulin sensitivity by 25% in just 4 weeks and is so powerful at managing blood sugar that it’s even used by German doctors for the treatment of diabetic neuropathies.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10468203
I just dropped one PubMed article on each one. The truth is, there are a gazillion studies on Cinnamon and R-ALA, and both Fenugreek and 4-Hydroxyisoleucine (in Fenugreek).
In fact, I was pretty shocked five years ago when I first heard about Cinnamon (after reading about it in The Truth About Abs). And I’ve written about Cinnamon and insulin resistance before – basically just recommending to use it in food whenever possible.
I’m going to repeat – these supplements won’t do the work for you. You need to work out and eat right.
But if you’re one of those people who feels like you get fat just looking at carbs, you might consider a supplement that will make a difference with your insulin response.
Like I said – I had to think long and hard about sending this email. I know the average lazy almost workout person really wants to be able to sit on the couch, take a pill, and lose all the fat that they want. Lazy people think every supplement is magical. That doesn’t exist.
The reason I’m telling you about this is because I know you’re *not* the average lazy person. That you are capable of hearing about a supplement, and being able to decide if it makes sense for you inside of your workout and food plans. That you’ll do your kettlebell swings AND add in a supplement. Ultimately, if there is a supplement that might give you a little boost – I think you’d want to know, and that you can be smart about it.
None of these supplements are new, people have been using them for insulin response for a while now. You could probably get them all at the local vitamin store. But if you want an all-in-one insulin management supplement….
Of course, it’s on sale:
I liked this blog better when it wasn’t all advertising, all the time.
Here here, D! This used to be one of my favorite blogs. Too bad.
I’ve linked to your blog and sent people here many times–always with a warning that you SOMETIMES are heavy on advertising but to skim through that and read the nuggets of fact in your pieces. Three adverts for the same thing in one week?
I’m unsubscribing and I will no longer send people to you from my blog or IRL. Badly done.
There are two kinds of bloggers – pro and amateur. The definition is those that sell stuff vs. those that don’t.
The guy who plays basketball on the corner never sells any Nikes, but that’s because he’s not capable.
In this case, I think it’s more a perception of me selling than me actually selling.
The way I set up the Valerie Waters posts may have looked more salesy than they should have, given that they were 100% content. But the picture of her product at the bottom may have made what was a content email look like a sale. If I pull out the picture, it’s obviously 100% content.
And of this weeks emails, they were, despite the sales copy at the bottom, content emails. It’s really amazing to me that cinnamon has pages of pubmed studies backing up that it lowers blood sugar. I think it’s really valuable to know that Whey protein is high glycemic.
In reality, only one email of the last two weeks was a sales email. The rest just looked salesy because they had so much sales copy at the end – after the content.
I do much more sales blogs than the blogs that are amateur. On the flip side, I do much less sales blogs than the people who are internet marketers. I live in the middle, and I’m always experimenting with the balance of content/sales.
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I’ve also had stretches of up to SIX MONTHS where I’ve only put out content, no sales at all. This was because I couldn’t find anything I stood behind 100% to sell.
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When I find something that’s obviously great, I sell it. People make huge changes doing programs, and I love to sell great programs. Most people need a protein shake to hit their protein requirements, so I love giving people a better protein shake.