Teenage Health and Wellness Flashcards

To strengthen teenagers physically, mentally, and spiritually.

1
Q

What are the main causes of insulin resistance?

A
  • Stress
  • being overweight with belly fat
  • diet high in carbohydrates with a sedentary life style
  • excess protein
  • unhealthy eating habits
  • bad sleep habits
  • smoking
  • prolonged high insulin levels (overdoing the carbs, snacks, etc., never giving insulin a chance to clear out glucose from the blood and into the cells).
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2
Q

Insulin is a ____ made by the ______ of langerhans in the ______.

A

hormone
islands
pancreas

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3
Q

The purpose of insulin is ____

A

To metabolize glucose (and many other things too).

Insulin helps the following cells use glucose:

  • muscle cells
  • fat cells
  • liver cells
  • brain cells
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4
Q

Blood glucose comes from ____

A

mostly the carbohydrates you eat.
A small amount comes from protein metabolism in the liver during periods of fasting (gluconeogenesis).
When you eat too much protein, the excess protein is turned into triglycerides and stored as fat through the process of gluconeogenesis. Eat only moderate amounts of protein, around 100g daily, limit carbs to lose some weight.

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5
Q

What is insulin resistance?
Synonym: Hyperinsulinemia

A

Insulin resistance is when the cells in your body do not respond well to insulin, resulting in the pancreas to work harder to keep blood glucose in check. Not only are you at risk for too much blood glucose, but all the other diseases like high blood pressure, PCOS, heart disease, dementia and alzheimer’s disease.

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6
Q

What are some downsides of insulin resistance and why you should avoid insulin resistance?

A
  • stroke
  • type 2 diabetes
  • heart disease
  • obesity
  • migraine headaches
  • dementia
  • osteo-arthritis
  • childhood obesity
  • polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
  • fatty liver
  • arthritis
  • alzheimer’s disease
  • erectile dysfunction
  • sarcopenia
  • high blood pressure
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7
Q

How do humans (which includes teenagers) develop insulin resistance or prediabetes?

A
  • overweight
  • poor diet (way too much sugar, fructose, and carbohydrates)
  • a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes
  • belonging to certain ethnicities
  • physical inactivity (sedentary lifestyle, too much time on cell phone exercising only your fingers)
  • high blood pressure
  • abnormal cholesterol levels
  • history of heart disease
  • history of stroke
  • people with metabolic syndrome (combination of high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, large waist size)
  • age 45 or older (your parents)
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8
Q

Eating too many of the wrong _____ too often causes _____.

A

carbohydrates
stress

Eating the wrong kind of carbohydrates too often causes a rise in stress hormones that urge one to eat more to stabilize their metabolism. Bottom line:

  • stay away from refined carbohydrates (candy, soda pop, chips, etc.).
  • Eat complex carbohydrates, don’t drink them, eat them.
  • Stay away from food from bags, boxes and bar codes.
  • Eat real food. Avoid processed food.
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9
Q

Cortisol weakens your ____ ____.

A

immune system

Rising cortisol tells your liver to make more glucose, which demands more insulin. Insulin that stays high for long periods of time, due in large part to your diet, causing insulin resistance which is not good.

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10
Q

Eating behaviors control ____.

Hormones control ____ ____.

A

hormones
eating
behaviors

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11
Q

Proper fasting blood glucose levels:

A

between 70 and 85 mg/dl. Anything higher might mean you are headed for prediabetes. Pay attention to your diet. Learn all you can about a proper human diet.

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12
Q

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of familiar health problems:

A
  • increased belly fat
  • slightly elevated fasting blood glucose
  • high blood pressure
  • high triglycerides
  • low HDL cholesterol
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13
Q

Markers for metabolic syndrome (3 or more of the following): ___

A

elements of metabolic syndrome: waist size, fasting glucose, BP, triglycerides, and HDL

  • Waist circumference: men greater than 40 inches, women greater than 35 inches
  • Fasting blood glucose between 111-125 mg/dl or taking medication for high glucose (blood glucose higher than 125 mg/dl indicates you have type 2 diabetes)
  • blood pressure greater than 130/85 mmHg
  • High fasting triglycerides greater than 150 mg/dl
  • Reduced “good” HDL (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol): Less than 40 mg/dL in men or less than 50 mg/dL in women.
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14
Q

How does Type 2 diabetes occur?

A

Type 2 diabetes occurs when climbing insulin levels and greater insulin resistance eventually damages your metabolism to the degree that even persistently high levels of insulin cannot bring blood glucose back to normal: not even after fasting all night long.

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15
Q

Insulin resistance (sometimes called prediabetes).

Insulin resistance is a precursor for: obesity, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver and much much more.
Insulin resistance is a dangerous metabolic disease.
Think on the following conditions you need to avoid by eating a proper human diet:

A

Insulin resistance either instigates or aggravates all of these conditions:

  • Type 2 diabetes
  • NAFLD
  • Tinnitus
  • Vertigo
  • Hearing loss
  • Coronary artery disease
  • Obesity
  • Gallbladder disease
  • Breast cancer
  • PCOS
  • Prostate enlargement
  • ED
  • Stroke
  • High blood pressure
  • Acne
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16
Q

Do you have Insulin Resistance?

A

There is no single direct test for insulin resistance. Doctors use a combination of several blood tests:

  • Fasting insulin
  • Fasting lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides)
  • Fasting glucose
  • HOMA-IR (Homa Static Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance)

Note: fasting means nothing to eat or drink except water for twelve to fourteen hours prior to the test.

17
Q

What results for fasting insulin indicate insulin resistance?

A

Higher than 10 µU/ml makes insulin resistance very likely.
Keep fasting insulin in the single digits; below 6 µU/ml is ideal. Watch your carbs and glucose forming foods.

18
Q

What results for fasting blood sugar (glucose) indicate insulin resistance?

A

Above 100 mg/dL = insulin resistance
Below 100 mg/dL is good.
Between 70 and 85 mg/dL is ideal.

19
Q

What results for fasting triglycerides indicate insulin resistance?

A

Over 150 mg/dl fasting triglycerides makes insulin resistance very likely.
Triglycerides below 100 mg/dl is ideal.

20
Q

What results for HDL cholesterol indicate insulin resistance?

A

When HDL is lower than what is good.

Men: higher than 40 mg/dl is good.

Women: higher than 50 mg/dl is good.

21
Q

Is there a ratio of lipid test results which might indicate insulin resistance.

A

Yes.
The triglyceride-to-HDL ratio.
Below 2.0 is good; closer to 1.0 is better.
Your triglycerides should be no more than twice your HDL.

For example: if your fasting triglycerides are 99 mg/dl and your fasting HDL cholesterol is 57 mg/dl, the ratio of 99/57 = 1.74. This is OK, but indicates that you need to boost your HDL (exercise more) or decrease your triglycerides (eat fewer carbs, eliminate sugar forming food from your diet, eliminate refined carbs, focus on complex carbs). One useful metric is to avoid food found in bags, boxes, and bar codes. Eat real food. Food without a bar code on it.

22
Q

Is there a ratio of waist-to-height which might indicate insulin resistance?

A

Yes.
Divide your waist circumference near your navel, by your height.

Below .5 is good.

For example, if you are 5’10” (70 inches) and your waist is 32 inches, your waist to height ratio is 32/70 = 0.46 which is good.

23
Q

What about HOMA-IR (Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance)?

A

You can calculate this with the results of your blood work.
HOMA-IR = (fasting insulin x fasting glucose) / 405
Less than 1.0 is excellent.
1.8 or higher indicates insulin resistance.

24
Q

A ketogenic diet is low in _____

A

carbohydrates.

25
Q

Metabolism is the _____

A

chemical processes to maintain life.

Observe and marvel at all the different ensymes, atoms, molecules, processes and systems that are contained in your human body.

What are you doing today to keep all these systems as healthy as possible?

26
Q

The goal of the ketogenic diet is to lower _____

A

insulin.

  • The body metabolizes fat in the absence of insulin.
  • High insulin results in the body storing fat.
  • To keep insulin low, limit carbohydrates.

BTW, there is no ‘essential’ carbohydrate. You can skip all carbohydrates and still be healthy.

27
Q

Metabolically meaningful ketosis begins when blood ketone levels are at least or above ____

A

0.5 mM (millimolar).

  • Be keen to limit your daily carbohydrates based on your age, life style, activity.
  • Discuss with your parents a proper human diet.
  • Be careful of Internet movie stars, celebrities trying to sell you something, etc.
  • Watch smart YouTubes with your parents.
  • Create discussion items to take with you when you visit your teacher or a health care professional.
28
Q

What is a Proper Human Diet?

A

The Proper Human Diet (PHD) is a way of eating that emphasizes whole, nutrient-dense foods that our bodies have evolved to thrive on. This diet is not about fad diets or quick fixes but about nourishing our bodies with foods that support optimal health and well-being. It focuses on consuming nutrient-dense, natural foods while reducing the intake of processed foods, sugars, and grains. By following the PHD, individuals can support their metabolic health and manage their weight more effectively.

29
Q

If it’s sweet, ____!

A

RETREAT

30
Q

What does my situation demand of me now?

A

This question is timeless.

The question is from Victor Frankl’s book: Man’s Search for Meaning.

Take time right now, to open your journal and write a few answers to this question. This question is a great way to start your morning pages every day.

In the near future, check out Man’s Search for Meaning from your school library or from your city library.

One more chance for a teenager to grow in wisdom.

31
Q

The REAL Reason You Should Drink Coffee (Dr. Berg)

A
  • Boosts mental acuity by inhibiting adenosine
  • May help to prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
  • Fights neurodegenerative diseases
  • Enhances athletic performance
  • May lower the risk of type 2 diabetes
  • Potential anti-cancer effects: lowers risk of several types of cancer (liver, colorectal, and breast)
32
Q

Eight unexpected benefits of coffee

A
  1. Lowers risk of brain disease
  2. Lowers risk of gall stones
  3. Lowers risk of kidney stones
  4. Anticancer
  5. Anti-inflammatory
  6. Helps metabolic syndrome
  7. Live longer
  8. Hepaprotective
33
Q

What you behold you _____.

A

become

To behold means to have a clear idea of something with a subtle appreciation of that something. Like when you behold a favorite spiritual leader, civic leader, or a famous Olympic champion. Remember, what gets your attention, gets you. Be smart with what you choose to behold. You become what you behold.