As a fitness professional, one of the most common hurdles I encounter in a client is the immovable "love handle". They've lost all the bodyfat elsewhere . .lean face, muscular legs and arms, but that persistent inches of pinches hangs around the sides of the waist.
In the landmark work of Dr. Charles Poliquin's "Biosignature of Fat Storage", he was able to conclusively correlate love handles and upper back (subscapular) fat dominance with varied degrees of insulin resistance, the predecessor to Hypoglycemia and Diabetes.
Between carbohydrate management and use of supportive botanicals and ergogens, we can usually rid the body of the last inches and ward off the statistically foreboding, "... 1 in 2 North Americans will have blood sugar issues".
To put it in simple terms, it's not just what we eat, but when we choose to eat it and with what. Was that simple ??
Carbohydrates (starches, sweets, fruits and veggies) absorb best when our blood sugar is lowest. These times are post workout or when we first arise.
Nutrient timing and glucose tolerance
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2008, 5:17
A decent workout of high intensity (sprinting intervals to resistance training) taxes our glucose levels and allows us to consume more without dealing with an undesirable insulin elevation
Exercise and oral glucose tolerance
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2008, 5(Suppl 1):P14
For years, I had trained a very high powered, high stressed executive, in charge of a major Canadian retail chain. Thomas would work hard but the love handles would go nowhere. Upon prodding, Thomas admitted that to avoid overuse of the stress managing martini, his second "relief" of choice were "Crunchy bars" . .sponge toffee coated in milk chocolate. Knowing the above, I asked Thomas if he'd be willing to earn his bars ?
While not optimal for health, I knew that if we had a hard 30 minutes of resistance training, the candy bar would be less damaging to his insulin (fat storage) profile and more apt to supply the muscles, etc. with needed fuel.
In doing so, Thomas lost his last 2 inches and his MD echoed a positive sentiment of significantly lowered resting glucose levels.
He had his pants taken in and was able to retain his effective weight control adjustment.
Beyond this, insulin control came as result of all other meals being a balance of healthy protein, carbs and fats in a balance, not unlike Dr. Sear's ZONE DIET, as this controlled the glycemic index of each meal, effectively limiting insulin spikes.
Now further to nutrient timing and meal balancing, many supplements can aid in glucose clearance from teh blood stream. Indeed rotating these ergogens is an uderlying tenet to the success of the Biosgnature of Fat Loss system.. I strongly reccomend you pursue each one in a rotating manner under teh watchful guidance of a Naturopath or licencesed Biosignature practitioner. Well worth researching include:
1) Gymnema Sylvester
Use of Gymnema sylvestre leaf extract in the control of blood glucose in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
J Ethnopharmacol. 1990 Oct; 30(3): 281-94.
Antidiabetic effect of a leaf extract from Gymnema sylvestre in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients.
J Ethnopharmacol. 1990 Oct; 30(3): 295-300.
2) Alpha-Lipoic Acid (R-ALA preferred)
Differential effects of lipoic acid stereoisomers on glucose metabolism in insulin-resistant skeletal muscle.
Am J Physiol 1997 Jul; 273(1 Pt 1): E185-91
3) Cinnamon
Effect of cinnamon on postprandial blood glucose, gastric emptying, and satiety in healthy subjects.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jun;85(6):1552-6.
4) Corsolic Acid
Effect of corosolic acid on postchallenge plasma glucose levels.
Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin;2006;29(3):585
5) Chromium Picolinate or Polynicotinate
Follow-up survey of people in China with type 2 diabetes mellitus consuming supplemental chromium.
J. Trace Elem. Exp. Med. 12:55-60, 1999
6) Fenugreek
Effect of Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek) extract on blood glucose
Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16 Suppl 1:422-6.
Now by no means are these the only supplements that contribute to managing glucose levels. Omega 3 fatty acids, magnesium and Bitter Gourd have all been used successfully as well. The key is first to time and balance your carbohydrate intake and then cycle the use of supplements to test which you respond to best.
Here's to the loss of the love handles and maximizing your vitality and health.
