Your blood sugar needs to enter your cells from the bloodstream where it is used immediately or stored. But if your cells do not react to insulin, it cannot enter your cells. Then, it is stored as fat around the body - especially the waist in men.



It is the low blood sugar level or hypoglycemia that is the hidden connection to weight loss. This causes us, during the day, to feel tired and fagged out. The body then wants an instant source of energy which we think choclate or a fizzy drink will do the job.

What would cause the cells not to react to insulin (insulin resistance)? First up, would be the kind of foods and the diet you have. Cakes, sweets and white breads will raise low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) and the amount of insulin flow.

In addition, lifestyle. Work pressures, no exercise and burning the candle at both ends also cause insulin resistance. So, one of the first steps in gaining control of weight is to overcome the high and low (hypoglycemia) blood sugar levels of your body.

How is this done? What happens when you start dieting? It depends on the kind of food you take. Fats, proteins and carbohydrates create a slow supply of insulin and a slow rise in blood sugar levels.

But different carbohydrates, refined carbohydrates, such as bakery food, pastas and white bread, go through the digestion process far more quickly because they possess little fibre.

The result of eating a cookie is almost instant: blood sugar levels spike up and soon after collapse to low (hypoglycemia). Generally it is these ups and downs, which cause a strong desire for even more refined carbohydrates and a tendency to ignore dieting. Your insulin becomes out of control and soon fat is stored.

To introduce some balance to your diet at least 20-35gms of fibre a day needs to be consumed. This does two things - it removes cravings and controls weight.

In addition, a useful way of keeping low blood sugar levels normal so as to escape insulin spikes and reduce fat storing, is to increase your number of meals in your diet. No, this not an invitation to binge eat, but advice to reduce the size of your daily three meals and to eat 5-6 times a day.

George R. regularly slumped in the afternoon and needed a jolt of refined cakes or choclate. By carefully dividing his meals in half - and with conscious effort - he created 5 or 6 small meals of 250 - 300 calories.

And he always made sure that he had a healthy snack within easy reach. Having cottage cheese, nuts, two pieces of fruit and cheese nearby, he was able to keep the hunger pangs at bay and not go back to his old way of gorging on refined products.

Best of all as his levels got back into balance by knowledgeable dieting, his body stopped storing fat. His weight stabilized and then after a few months started dropping.

"Because I took these steps I reversed the onset of hypoglycemia and dangers of heart disease and diabetes" he said.

George found that by carefully looking into the causes of low blood sugar levels and weight loss and building on his new knowledge of dieting he was soon able to live a far more balanced happier life.