Trim Healthy Mama 101 - Basic Building Blocks and Digestion

In this post, I begin to introduce the basic concept of the Trim Healthy Mama (THM)  lifestyle and break it down as simply as possible.  There is definitely a learning curve to the plan, but don't let that scare you.  If you keep at it, it can eventually become second nature.

It is important to understand the three macro-nutrients:  Fats, carbohydrates, and protein.  Fats and carbs are the nutritional fuels that give you energy, and protein helps to build and maintain your cells.  (My next post will elaborate on these three macro ingredients and how they fit into THM).

The main premise behind Trim Healthy Mama is that in addition to protein, you give your body one fuel at a time.  In other words, not consuming both carbs and fats in one meal.  Before I go any further, let me explain how separating the two fuels affects digestion and your blood sugar.

When you eat a meal that includes both fats and carbs (such as a burger and fries), your digestive system breaks down the carbs first and converts them into glucose.  In other words, your system goes straight to work on the bun, the potato, and the sugary ketchup.

Glucose is what feeds the normal cells of your body.  Picture insulin as a delivery truck.  Your pancreas dispatches the "insulin truck" to go pick up a load of glucose - the carbs that have been broken down - to feed your cells.

Now picture those cells in your body as hungry little birds waiting for their mother to come and feed them.  Here comes that insulin truck (or in this case the mother bird), and it dumps off a load of food for those hungry little cells.

Feed us now!

NOW your body has to go back and deal with the fatty parts of the meal that you ate.  So it dispatches more insulin to go pick up the second load of glucose, created by those fats which took longer for your system to break down.

Here's the problem.   The insulin truck shows up to your regular body cells with more food, but they are now full.  They politely say "no thank you."  So the insulin truck has no choice but to deliver the glucose to your fat cells.  Fat cells are hospitable; they will always welcome more glucose to the party.

More glucose?  Bring it!  Welcome to the party!  We'll make room!

So here is where the concept of separating your fats and carbs comes into play.

If you eat a meal with good fats but without carbs, the digestive system gets right to work turning the fats you've eaten into glucose.  Your regular body cells get nicely fed, no second surge of insulin is necessary, and no extra glucose is delivered to the fat cell party.  Hello S meal.

Conversely, if your meal contains healthy carbs and very little fat, the digestive system breaks down those carbs without needing to come back and deal with any fats.  Greetings, E meal.

There is one other basic option that is a part of THM:  a meal that is still centered on protein but is low in fat and carbs.  Your hungry cells need to grab their meal of glucose directly from your fat cells.  Salutations, FP meal.

E?  S?  FP?  You might be saying, "Um, say what?"

I am working on a post that will elaborate on these three basic meals.  But first, I do not want to assume that everyone knows for sure how to correctly categorize fats, carbs, and proteins.   And I don't want this post to be extremely long, so click here to read about them in a separate post.