Some of the worst effects of a high-sugar diet are fat storage and insulin resistance. The good news is that regular exercise can reverse both of those!
Exercise improves insulin sensitivity, and it also improves your cholesterol profile. Improved function of the insulin receptors means that your body produces less insulin and stores less fat. Along with reduced carbohydrate intake, regular exercise is the most important treatment for type 2 diabetes.
Strength training is an important part of losing weight because lifting weights increases your metabolism so you burn more calories doing everything, even sitting down reading this book (stand up and keep reading!).
Exercise burns up your muscles’ stores of carbohydrate (called muscle glycogen), so when you eat carbohydrates after you work out, your body uses the carbs to refuel your muscles instead of storing them as fat. Exercise also suppresses ghrelin (the hunger hormone), thus decreasing your appetite and limiting cravings.
In addition to these beneficial effects on sugar metabolism, exercise reduces stress, improves brain function, reduces arthritis pain, elevates mood, improves the immune system, increases flexibility, and strengthens bones!
