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A great way to shake down your weight, BMI and blood pressure if you’re diabetic (or not)
Weight loss can be a challenge for anyone.
But if you have a health condition, it can be even harder — especially if you have type 2 diabetes.
That’s because insulin doesn’t just help move glucose from the blood to your cells. Insulin also promotes the storage of fat and blocks the release of fat once it is stored.
That’s why, early on, as a person with prediabetes experiences blood sugar spikes, the extra insulin the body signals again and again to balance blood sugar levels can contribute to weight gain. Then, if you have to treat your condition by taking insulin, well, the side effect there is also increased weight gain.
So, what’s the answer to getting slimmer and feeling healthier? A new study published in Diabetes Care, a journal of the American Diabetes Association has the answer…
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Better BMI and Blood Pressure, too
The analysis, which was commissioned by the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, compared outcomes of patients on various diets including a low-calorie diet and liquid meal replacements for a period of 24 weeks.
And, they found that liquid meal replacements contributed to better reductions of body mass index and systolic blood pressure than the other diets. But the big news was that those drinking shakes in place of one to two meals per day lost an average of five pounds more than low-cal dieters.
Yup, an extra five pounds off just by switching one or two low-calorie meals a day for a meal replacement shake.
And if you want to know what the experts recommend, according to the researchers, the successful strategy involved using liquid meal replacement to make up about 20 percent of total calorie intake and supplementing with fruits, vegetables, and nuts to achieve a targeted daily caloric intake.
Related: 7 (plus 1) fresh spring smoothie recipes
“I think liquid meal replacements could be a way to get to weight loss and then work on achieving a healthier diet to maintain that weight loss,” said Dr. Sievenpiper, who is also a scientist with the hospital’s Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute and the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Modification Centre.
In other words, you can use liquid meal replacements to get you to your goal and then eat a healthy diet to maintain. Sounds reasonable, right?
Using what works for you
Of course, the researchers also emphasize that while the liquid meal replacements did result in higher levels of weight loss, it’s most important to choose a diet that you can stick to.
As Dr. Sievenpiper said, “This is another way to achieve weight-loss goals but I’d emphasize there is no best way. The method that’s superior is the one the individual themselves is able to follow and sustain.”
So, if you’re ready to slim down by summer, choose a weight loss plan that works for you and that you won’t give up on when the going gets tough. The good news is, if meal replacement shakes are your method of choice, you’re likely to lose more, quicker than if you just go low-cal.
Sources:
By Dr. Adria Schmedthorst
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