Episode 037: Insulin, AMPK and mTOR

LCHF Family

037: Insulin, AMPK, and mTOR Released: June 14, 2018 News The Express UK had a story recently on a recommendation made by the Arthritis Foundation that people stop using vegetable oils. Industrially produced vegetable oils, such as corn, afflower, sunflow, soy, and canola oils, contain large amounts of omega-6 oils. While omega-6 oils are necessary for our bodies, the American diet tends to involve way more omega-6 fats than we need, to the point that they can interfere with the proper functionality of our bodies and, in some cases, may promote cancer. Rather, the Arthritis Foundation recommends people swap their liquid oils to healthier olive oil. As proponents of low-carb, high-fat eating, we also recommend coconut oil, avocado oil, butter, or bacon grease. Insulin, AMPK, and mTOR Adam has been reading a lot of Dr. Jason Fung's work lately, and took the time in this episode to give a brief overview of insulin, AMPK, and mTOR. Insulin is a hormone produced in our bodies when we increase our blood sugar. It causes us to store excess sugars as fat. Excess insulin can cause cravings and drive us to eat more than we require. One of the reasons why we avoid carbohydrates is to keep insulin at bay. AMPK plays a role in how our cells handle energy. It discourages energy storage as fat and encourages the production of mitochondria. A low carb diet to the point of ketosis encourages the body to produce and use AMPK. It also has a hand in autophagy--the breaking down of unneeded body tissue to be used where it is needed. Dr. Fung suggests that this is why people who engage in intermittent fasting have less of an issue with extra skin after weight loss than those who rely solely on calorie restriction. MTOR is a growth hormone triggered by excess protein intake. This is great if you're trying to put on muscle, but it can also start to encourage you to eat more, generally. It's important to remember that an LCHF diet should not be high in protein; it should be moderate in protein. For most people, this looks like a protein intake of 60-100 grams per day, depending on your lean body mass and gender. Best Option The Best Option for Panera Bread (Also called St. Louis Bread Company in some areas) was harder than we expected, given Panera's reputation as a healthy fast food. When you get down to ingredient level, most of what they offer has added sugars and industrial oils. There were two options available, though. The first was the Seasonal Green Salad without the dressing. However, this option is simply vegetables and won't be very filling. The best option, therefore, is the Greek Salad, also without salad dressing. Though it would be a "dry" salad for you, the inclusion of olive, pepperoncini, and feta will make it flavorful on it's own, as well as making it more filling. Many thanks to Lee Rosevere at Free Music Archive for the music we use in the podcast! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or your podcatcher of choice so new episodes arrive automatically. For more support, like and follow the community on Facebook, and check out our website! Please assume any links in the show notes that go to business sites are affiliate links. Purchasing things from our affiliates through those likes us pay for hosting fees and equipment for the podcast. You can see a list of our partners on the Support the Show page.