Glycemic Index is your best Battle Buddy
Fighting fat in our 40’s is like fighting a war. There is a constant, physical and mental battle going on within us as we try to find the right balance of food, exercise, time, and motivation. Luckily, there is hope for those of us who wish to wage the tricky weight battle, however, it does not come in the form of a diet nor a diet pill. It all starts with finding that balance of eating the correct foods to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. Our Glycemic Index may be one of the most important weapons in our weight control arsenal.
Scientists discovered the glycemic index (GI) while trying to help people suffering from diabetes. The good news is, what they found not only helps diabetics, but it helps us as well. They wanted to see how carbohydrates affected glucose levels (how much sugar is in the blood.)
What they found was certain carbohydrates spiked glucose levels quickly after being consumed. Your body quickly digests these foods and quickly turns them into sugar in turn producing way too much insulin causing a big spike in sugar levels. (This is where the pancreas becomes consistently overwhelmed causing diabetes.) Quickly coming down off of the other side of the spike causes your hunger to feel out of control.
If you eat a low GI lunch then you should start to feel a little hungry around 3:00. If you eat a poor lunch with high GI foods, chances are your hunger will be way out of control at 3:00. Why? Low GI foods take longer for the body to process providing a steady stream of energy and keeps you feeling full much longer. In addition, foods with high GI ratings tend to have little nutritional value, which translates into useless calories. Here is the GI Chart to give you an idea.
The glycemic index range is as follows:
Low GI = 55 or less
Medium GI = 56 - 69
High GI = 70 or more
Here is an example of one food’s GI rating.
Instant White Rice 87
Brown Rice 50
Once you start to pay attention to the GI Index, you will see that the foods with a higer GI value are also the foods that we should be avoiding. White bread, white mashed potatoes, white rice, processed foods, bakery items, crackers, sugary cereals all have a high GI value. It starts to make massive sense when you put this all together.
The best part of starting on a healthier diet is you will feel so much better. This doesn’t mean that you can never eat your favorite foods or some French fries or even a fried fish dinner. But, I promise, once you eliminate these foods and start eating healthier, you will no longer want these foods. Once you pick up a boxed meal at the grocery store and read the ingredients and really start to think about what you are doing to your health it just won’t seem quite as appealing as it once did. I promise. It works.
Next: we are going to look at breakfast - that thing we never have time for. LOL
