365 Ways #198–A true Mind Bender

#198--When measured at the level of the umbilicus, a man's waist should be no bigger than his hips. The same measurement on a woman should find her waist no bigger than 80% of her hip measurement. If you find that your belly is a bit bigger than the previous parameters, you are likely becoming insulin resistant. And that's one step closer to Type II diabetes.

Once referred to as Adult-onset diabetes until it started showing up in our kids in increasing numbers, this is a disease which is entirely preventable as it has its etiology in nutrition and lifestyle. The most obvious is what we're putting in our mouths. Difficult to recognize as food anymore, the things we eat and drink are often laden with new, man-made sugars which jack our blood sugar through the roof. But a typically overlooked cause are the many and constant stressors which derive from living contrary to the Six Foundational Principles. The habitual activation of the Sympathetic Nervous System exposes the body to a continual supply of cortisol. Cortisol release is coupled in the body with the release of adrenalin--with one of its primary roles being the release of stored glucose into the blood. In response, the pancreas is forced to produce insulin. This brings blood sugar levels back down, but often these levels fall well below baseline. So here comes more cortisol to release more adrenalin to release more glucose which causes more insulin production and here we go again. The amount of hormones being produced has more ups and downs than the roller coasters at Six Flags. But once this ride shuts down, your pancreas is toast and your adrenals are shot. Pretty soon, your entire "park" will be closed. Not so amusing, huh?