Part 4(parts 1-2 at
IHateDialysis.com Diabetes Section)
After a discussion with my high-carb eating vegetarian son, I realized I needed to look more into the question
"Does fat make you fat?". The answer is it depends on whether you are already lean or your weight needs to come down. This is according to a very reliable source I've mentioned on the
IHateDialysis forum in Part 1: Dr. Jason Fung. From what I'm getting from
Dr. Fung's article on the Diet Doctor site is people who are insulin-resistant are also probably leptin-resistant (leptin tells the body to stop storing fat).
For the lean person trying to gain weight by eating fat, it will be hard. Leptin will kick in and tell "the body to stop gaining weight". Even if a lean person being force-fed fat will find it difficult to gain weight according to Dr. Fung since "leptin travels through your nervous system, stimulating fatty tissue to burn off fat and calories". Your metabolism will be raised and the extra calories will be burned off. The person could eat carbs and bring up the insulin which is the fat storage hormone - but storing fat isn't normally what a person wants. What is left? Protein[1]. According to Dr. Richard K. Bernstein, upping the protein and resistance training are the best ways to gain weight. I've mentioned Dr. Bernstein on the IHateDialysis thread. Which brings up another question:
"How can you tell if you are getting too much protein?", One way I know of is personal experience. When I get too much protein my IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) kicks in, or specifically IBS-C or constipation. I'll also mention too many carbs will give me IBS-D or diarrhea. Dennis Pollock, who I've also mentioned, and my wife might use what he calls "Mike the Meter" to tweak their diet. I use "Gary the Gut".
For the person trying to lose weight, the combination of fat and carbs can definitely send a person in the wrong direction. Insulin, again the fat storage hormone triggered mainly by carbs, will do what it is supposed to and cause a sedentary person to store more fat. Add the fat to the diet and storage will naturally occur in the cells without leptin signaling satiety and not turning up the metabolism - a double whammy from both insulin-resistance and leptin-resistance!
From all my reading, what is a person to do if faced with the choice of only fat or carbs to choose from? Knowing that carbs raise insulin and fat doesn't so much, also having seen the effects of the keto diet -
fat looks to be the better choice for so many. Heart problems from fat have been addressed further in this
Reddit subreddit post. Also LDL particle size has been addressed in
this article..
My wife and I have tried to use a good balance of protein and fat, along with low-carb veggies to lose weight. That protein/fat ratio can vary with the person and where they are at on their weight loss journey.
[1] Protein's first job is to repair - and build muscle and tissue. It also can produce blood glucose with the extra through a process called gluconeogenesis. Protein and some fat can provide a stable blood glucose needed by such organs as the brain! Carbs can produce a high and rapid rise in blood glucose, protein comes in second, and fat the least rise. While carbs aren't essential, fat and protein are.