Do You Need To Cut Carbs To Improve Insulin Sensitivity?

Welcome to the positive corner of the internet. Every weekday, we make sense of the confusing world of wellness by analyzing the headlines, simplifying the latest research, and offering quick tips designed to make you healthier in less than 5 minutes. If you were forwarded this message, you can get the free daily email here.

Today’s Health Upgrade

• Monday motivation

• One-word answer: Should you buy BCAAs?

• Jumpstart your week

• Workout of the week: The Countdown is back

Arnold’s Corner
Monday Motivation

I hope that all of you are watching the Olympics.

It’s one of my hobbies every four years. I love seeing all of the sports — track and field, boxing, swimming, basketball, gymnastics, and of course, weightlifting.

There is a sport for everyone.

It’s a chance for all of us to watch the very best in the world, once every four years, and find inspiration.

There is a sport for all of us because fitness is for everyone. We might not ever run as fast as these athletes, or lift as much weight, or do any of what they do at the same level — but they still inspire us.

And they also remind us of the power of sports.

Look at how the whole world comes together.

Go watch the women’s gymnastics, or any of these sports; you’ll see people from different countries cheering for each other, supporting each other.

Watch Michael Phelps commentate on the French swimmer Léon Marchand’s races. He’s cheering for his own records to be broken!

In every sport, you see people from different countries, different religions, different backgrounds, embracing, shaking hands, and competing with each other.

I know because I read your emails that many of you have anxiety about the state of the world.

You’re worried about some world leader you disagree with. And in some cases, you might be right. There are awful dictators out there doing terrible things. There are unjustified wars and atrocities.

Please do me a favor. Turn on the Olympics. Watch the highlights.

You will see that sports hold a power that no politician will ever have.

Sports bring us all together. Through competition, we unite. By watching the best of us, we remember our own potential.

One-Word Answer (And A little More)
Should I Buy Supplemental BCAAs? (Branched-chain amino acids)

Nope!

Your body can produce many amino acids on its own. But there are some it can’t make. They are:

• histidine

• isoleucine

• leucine

• lysine

• methionine

• phenylalanine

• threonine

• tryptophan

• valine

These are the “essential amino acids,” and you must get them through your diet.

Foods containing all nine essential amino acids are known as a “complete protein.” When your body has all the essential amino acids present, it can use them. 

If you don't have all the essential amino acids, then your body won't necessarily be able to use them as desired. This is one of several reasons why BCAAs are so overrated. 

BCAAs consist of just three essential amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine), which means you're missing another six essential amino acids. People who take BCAAs alone run a high risk of not being able to use those amino acids.

Plenty of research shows that adding BCAAs has no extra advantage for muscle gain or recovery when you eat enough protein. This is one of many reasons why BCAAs sold as a standalone product are a massive supplement scam.

When you buy BCAAs, you’re spending a premium for something inferior to any quality source of protein. So, if you want more BCAAs in your diet, eat more quality protein. Not to mention, at the end of the day, your total protein intake matters more than your total BCAAs intake. 

There’s no need to stress BCAA consumption or pay extra for expensive supplements that don’t deliver what food or a great protein powder will provide your body. 

Jumpstart Your Week

If You’re Happy And You Know It…Put The Phone Down

Next time you go for a walk, stop scrolling, put your phone on silent, or set it to airplane mode. Research suggests that looking at your phone while walking can offset some of the positive benefits of exercise.

When people scroll on their phones while exercising, they feel more stressed, less connected to nature, have worse posture, and don’t get the mood boost typically associated with movement and getting outdoors. 

This wasn’t referring to using your phone to log a workout (if you use it for that purpose) but reading and scrolling while distracted from the environment. We all use phones, but if you want to be healthy, don’t let them seep into parts of your life when they aren’t necessary. 

Carbs: Still Not The Enemy

Before you drop all the foods you enjoy, a new study focused on diabetics found no difference between lower-carb diets and those higher in carbs for weight loss or glucose (blood sugar) control.

The same rules still apply: getting to a healthier weight is more important than cutting out carbs if you want to improve blood sugar. The amount of body fat on your body affects insulin resistance far more than how many carbs you eat. 

If you want to eat in a way that supports healthier blood sugar, instead of stressing carbs, focus on consuming more protein and fiber. However, you can lose body fat with or without cutting out carbs. The study did suggest that the lower-carb diet improved triglycerides.

Workout Of The Week
The Countdown Is Back

Of all the workouts we’ve shared (there’s been a new workout every Monday for the last 1.5 years), the most popular has been The Countdown. The two-exercise workout shocked most of you with its difficulty, simplicity, and effectiveness. You’ve asked if there are other countdown-style routines, so here’s a new variation to try this week. 

How to do it

• Like the original Countdown, the workout consists of two exercises performed back-to-back, resting as little as possible. 

• You’ll perform the number of reps prescribed for the first exercise and then switch to the second exercise and do the reps listed. 

• Keep rotating between the two exercises until you complete all sets. 

• Use a stopwatch to time how long it takes. Then, you can keep on trying to make progress by seeing if you can complete the workout in less time or by adding more weight and completing it in a similar amount of time. 

The two exercises: Front squats and pushups

Set 1

• 10 front squats

• 25 pushups

Set 2

• 8 front squats

• 20 pushups

Set 3

• 6 front squats

• 15 pushups

Set 4

• 4 front squats

• 10 pushups

Set 5

• 2 front squats

• 5 pushups

The entire time, you’re not changing the weight you use on the exercise. This workout is much harder than it might appear. You can use any weight for the front squats; a great goal is to work up to your body weight or more. 

If you want to make the pushups harder, wear a weighted vest, elevate your feet, or both. 

Of course, you can modify the exercises to do any squat or pushup variation. 

Give it a try, and let us know your time and what you think by tagging Arnold on social media. 

Here’s wishing you a great start to your week!

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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger​

Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell