On Thu, 1 Jun 2000, Amadeus Schmidt wrote:

> Now, that makes sense.
> As I've understood from readings
> (my favourite is now in http://www.zonehome.com/met/metglucose.htm )
> it works this way, that after a meal blood glucose raises.
> Insulin is secreted then to downadjust the blood glucose and glucagon not
> involved.
> Once blood sugar is down again, and begins to fall below "normal" level
> glucagon is released to bring it up again by stimulating the access
> to the reserves (glycogen and neoglucogenesis).

That's right, as I understand it.

> Ok, so Sear's claim in his book "glucagon helps decrease insulin"
> is not very clarifying (politely said).
> Eather the one works *or* the other.

Or they cancel each other out.

> Each carb or protein containing meal
> will elevate insulin for a while (bad eicos).

Yes, and the insulin response will depend on the composition and
quantity of the meal.  And even that gives only a rough
indication.  Jenny Brand Miller has done some research on the
actual "insulin index" of various foods.  This, as oppoed to
insulin index, is what we are really interested in, and some of
the results are surprising.  For instance, the insulin index of
beef was measured to be higher than that of pasta.  I'll post the
summary at the end of this note.

> I understood from your all answers, that at least 4 hours should be
> after a (Zone) meal, and hopefully in this time (in a healthy one)
> insulin will have time to drop.

Again, that is an average, based on Sears' ideas of how big a
"meal" should be (i.e., not more than 500 kcal).

> Ok, how to promote the good eicos then (the original question)?
> Now my own attempt of interpretation:
>
> - Eat as much calories as possible in form of fat
>   (e.g. 500 kcal as carbs for the brain needed anyway and 1800 kcal from
>   fat).

But the brain can adapt to less.  Again, see Lyle McDonald's
comments at http://www.cyberpump.com/nutrimuscle/lyle007.html

> - Keep long enough pauses after each carbo meal that insulin may drop.

Good idea.

> - Intermediate snacks (after enough of time) should best be of
>   predominating protein and fat (low in carbs). So that few glucose enters
>   into the blood (I do this with sunflower seed hehe).

Nuts are good for this purpose.

> - Maybe (high) carb-containing meals may be concentrated to few meals per
>   day - so that the protein-meals can't elevate the already low
>   glucose level too much.

Maybe.

>   This directly contradicts Sears' interpretation.
>   (And promotes Haye's seperation).

There has not been enough study of actual insulin response to
meals.

> - And of course omega-3 then, and Gamma-linolen-acid.

> The above web reference tells us that or carb reserves (glycogen of liver
> and  muscle) last for about 4 days. 6 hours shouldn't be a problem.

Right.  High intensity exercise will deplete them faster.

> Yes, exercise *uses* glucose and will shorten therefore the glucose peak.
> As may heavy thinking ;-) (joke intended)

Always read Wittgenstein with a candy bar nearby. Wovon man nicht
reden kann, davon muss man schweigen.

Todd Moody
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