Optimising Nutrition, Managing Insulin
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Optimising nutrition, managing insulin Overview The recently expanded food insulin index database suggests that the insulin response to food is more accurately predicted by net carbohydrates plus approximately half the protein compared. This deeper understanding of the effect of carbohydrates, protein and fibre enables us to calculate the glucose load using the following formula: 푔푙푢푐표푠푒 푙표푎푑 (푔) = 푐푎푟푏표ℎ푑푦푟푎푡푒푠 (푔) − 푓푖푏푟푒 (푔) + 0.56 ∗ 푝푟표푡푒푖푛 (푔) Managing the glucose load of the diet to around one hundred grams per day will enable most people to achieve excellent blood glucose control and light nutritional ketosis. However this will vary depend on an individual’s metabolic health and activity levels. Diabetes could use the glucose load to more accurately estimate their insulin doses accounting for the effect of protein and fibre. Diabetics and people wanting to reduce insulin can preferentially select foods with the lowest percentage of insulinogenic calories using the formula: [푐푎푟푏표ℎ푦푑푟푎푡푒푠 − 푓푖푏푟푒 + 0.56 ∗ 푝푟표푡푒푖푛] ∗ 4 푐푎푙/푔 % 푖푛푠푢푙푖푛표푔푒푛푖푐 푐푎푙표푟푖푒푠 = 푡표푡푎푙 푐푎푙표푟푖푒푠 Fats and oils, butter and cream have the lowest proportion of insulinogenic calories, however consuming these foods alone is unlikely to provide adequate vitamins, minerals and protein. Rather than simply eliminating carbohydrate and protein, an individual’s dietary insulin load should be optimised to the point where they are achieving normal blood sugar levels while still obtaining optimal levels of vitamins from some carbohydrate containing foods and amino acids from protein containing foods. This document outlines a quantitative system for the ranking of foods that can be tailored to an individual’s goals, metabolic health and financial situation using the following metrics: - proportion of insulinogenic calories, - nutrient density per calorie, - fibre per calorie, - nutrient density per dollar, - nutrient density per kilogram, and - cost per calorie. 11 January 2017 page 1 Optimising nutrition, managing insulin Contents Overview ................................................................................................................................................. 1 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 8 1.1 About us .................................................................................................................................. 8 1.2 As simple as possible, but no simpler ..................................................................................... 8 1.3 The blog ................................................................................................................................... 8 1.4 Feedback ................................................................................................................................. 9 2 Paleo, obesity and insulin resistance ............................................................................................ 12 2.1 The impact of diet on insulin resistance ............................................................................... 12 2.2 Food Insulin index ................................................................................................................. 13 2.3 Latest food insulin index data ............................................................................................... 14 2.4 Carbs, protein, type 1s and canaries ..................................................................................... 15 2.5 Protein and the foods insulin index… Atkins versus the vegans .......................................... 16 3 Analysis of food insulin index data ............................................................................................... 18 3.1 How much insulin is required to cover protein?................................................................... 18 3.2 What about fibre... net carbs or total carbs?........................................................................ 18 3.3 How do you like your veggies… cooked or raw? ................................................................... 20 3.4 Putting it all together… protein and net carbs ...................................................................... 21 3.5 Is sugar really toxic? .............................................................................................................. 23 3.6 Is dairy and red meat more insulinogenic? ........................................................................... 23 4 The most ketogenic foods ............................................................................................................. 26 4.1 General .................................................................................................................................. 26 4.2 Least insulinogenic foods ...................................................................................................... 26 4.3 Most insulinogenic foods ...................................................................................................... 26 4.4 Eggs ....................................................................................................................................... 27 4.5 Dairy products ....................................................................................................................... 27 4.5.1 General .......................................................................................................................... 27 4.5.2 Cheese ........................................................................................................................... 27 4.5.3 Milk ............................................................................................................................... 28 4.5.4 Yogurt ............................................................................................................................ 28 4.6 Fruits ..................................................................................................................................... 29 4.7 Vegetables ............................................................................................................................. 29 4.8 Nuts and Seeds ...................................................................................................................... 30 4.9 Fish ........................................................................................................................................ 30 4.10 Meat ...................................................................................................................................... 31 4.11 Summary ............................................................................................................................... 31 11 January 2017 page 2 Optimising nutrition, managing insulin 5 Diet wars… which one is best ........................................................................................................ 33 5.1 Do we really need carbs? ...................................................................................................... 33 5.2 The great carbohydrate debate ............................................................................................ 34 5.2.1 The low carbohydrate / ketogenic side ........................................................................ 34 5.2.2 Mainstream recommendations .................................................................................... 36 5.2.3 The middle ground? ...................................................................................................... 37 5.2.4 The big picture .............................................................................................................. 38 5.3 Why is this so important? ..................................................................................................... 38 5.4 Comparison of dietary approaches ....................................................................................... 39 5.5 Summary ............................................................................................................................... 40 6 Nutrient Density ............................................................................................................................ 42 6.1 General .................................................................................................................................. 42 6.2 Mat Lalonde’s nutrient density ............................................................................................. 42 6.3 Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI) ............................................................................. 42 6.4 Dave Asprey’s Bulletproof Diet ............................................................................................. 43 6.5 JJ Virgin’s Sugar Impact ......................................................................................................... 43 6.6 Soylent .................................................................................................................................. 43 6.7 Nutrient density versus cost ................................................................................................. 44 6.8 Cost per calorie ..................................................................................................................... 45 6.9 Nutrient density per calorie .................................................................................................