It's Sensible Splurge Friday.

April 27, 2012

Friday, finally. Long week and I bet the weekend is short.They always are.

The Numbers: 

• Fasting Blood Glucose Level:  94 mg/dl
• Weight:  188ish lbs.
• Exercise:  45 minute ride.  Summer is coming to Houston, TX
• Mood:  8.0.   It's Friday and I am going out with my sweetie.  What could be better?

The Menu:

• Breakfast:  Fresh Fruit medley, one slice of left over pizza from last night.
• Lunch:  Leftovers on a bun.  Amazing how a spicy mustard makes stuff on a bun taste better.
• Dinner:  Tex-Mex.  We who are about to diet, salute you. I am having the fish tacos. 
• Snacks:  A slice of cheese and some dried fruit.  Okay it was four prunes and I don't need them for that. 

Well Known Protein Goes from Slacker to Star.
FGF1 is a protein that was once thought to do nothing, a slacker just hanging around the body.  Now it could be star and natural treatment for diabetes if what applies to mice works for humans as well.  It's thought that this protein regulates metabolism of insulin and thus glucose.  The article is here.

Mice who had their FGH1 emptied from the body were fine when fed a low fat diet.  Add the fat, typical of a Western diet, the mice quickly gained weight and developed an aggressive form of type two diabetes and a system wide breakdown in their metabolic health.  I think that means no fat burning going on and that sounds serious

That is just the beginning of the fun.  A system wide break of metabolic health leads to inflamed visceral belly fat.  Inflamed visceral belly fat leads to heart attacks and strokes. Good times.

There is that inflamed thing again. 

So, if what holds true for mice also holds for humans, this could turn out to be a safe and effective treatment for obese people with diabetes?  Which also makes me wonder if the body is getting fatter does the body not produce enough of FGH1 to handle this on its own?  Or is the body overwhelmed by the calories from too much dietary fat?  Is this a genetic problem or one that develops with age or for some other reason?  Does the body even produce this protein.  I would assume so.

Another question, is a low fat diet better?  Works for mice. 

If and until medical science makes FGF1 ready for treatment, you may want to take the advice of this doctor's 5 easy ways to boost you metabolism. Can't hurt, but there is that whole thyroid issue again.  That was a big excuse back in the 1960's and 70's.  Eating more, smaller meals does work.