Glucagon Weight Loss
Glucagon is a hormone that comes from the pancreas, that's necessary for energy production when blood sugar levels are too low. After waking in the morning, or having missed a meal the body responds to low glucose by releasing glucagon from the alpha cells of the pancreas. What's great about this hormone is that it causes fat storage cells to release lipids. At the same time, this hormone causes the liver to release stored glycogen, which is meant as glucose for the brain.
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Insulin is an opposing hormone importantly involved in metabolism and processing caloric energy. This hormone is released from the beta cells of the pancreas in response to elevated levels of sugar in the bloodstream. It's important function is to escort sugar into tissues and cells, and if there is unusually high levels of glucose, will turn those excess calories into fat. All the other fat releasing and fat burning actions in the body are blunted or stopped altogether while insulin does it's thing.
The reason both insulin and glucagon are opposing hormones is because the presence of one negates the function of the other. However, when there are equal amounts of these hormones in the blood, insulin will win to continue its work.
All of us watching our weight need to put the spotlight on glucagon by including protein snacks in our diet. Protein by itself incites no insulin response, but it sure gets the alpha cells pumping out glucagon. We can make some changes in our diet to actually control and induce more of this magical hormone to speed weight loss progress. At the same time, it's important not to go into a protein craze, and try to keep a 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein and 30% fat nutritional ratio in the diet overall.
Protein snacks stimulate the metabolism more effectively than carbohydrate snacks. If you snack on 100 calories of chicken or turkey, it takes the equivalent of 25% of those calories of digestive energy to do the work to assimilate it. So, you really only get 75 calories of protein. Protein snacks take longer to leave the stomach, so you feel fuller, longer.
I promote weight loss diets and programs, and I see more and more recommendations for 5 or 6 small meals a day along with protein shakes for snacks. These shakes no doubt induce the release of more glucagon to speed fat loss progress. Just be careful if you go the local vitamin/health shop, that you don't purchase protein shake packets that are cheaply made with high fructose sugar and sweeteners. You can add your own healthier choices of preferred fruit like berries, bananas or apples for carbohydrate and mix in ice chips with a protein powder.
If you want to make a quick protein snack at home you can make an egg white omelet with your favorite diced vegetables. Or make a tuna salad. Beef jerky that's low in fat and sodium is a good protein snack. Leftover slices of turkey or chicken are convenient. Designer Whey protein bars are an excellent weight loss snack for those short on time to prepare a meal. Low fat cottage cheese with fruit slices, or peanut butter on wheat bread are also popular choices.
Glucagon Weight Loss