Hi peeps!! Okay so last week I spoke about insulin sensitivity and how it affects your blood sugar levels. NEWSFLASH All carbs are not created equal. Certain foods will spike your blood sugar levels more rapidly than others. What you typically should eat are foods that have less of an impact on your blood glucose levels (ie fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes [beans]) versus foods that will spike your insulin levels (bread, pasta, rice, cereal, and baked goods). 
Continuously eating foods that raise your blood sugar levels drastically can reduce your body’s insulin sensitivity. When this happens your body keeps on releasing insulin which in the long turns into triglycerides absorbed right in your fatty tissue. In the long term continuously eating processed or refined carbs can lead to higher body fat, heart disease, and diabetes.
Continuously eating foods that raise your blood sugar levels drastically can reduce your body’s insulin sensitivity. When this happens your body keeps on releasing insulin which in the long turns into triglycerides absorbed right in your fatty tissue. In the long term continuously eating processed or refined carbs can lead to higher body fat, heart disease, and diabetes. 
Monitoring GI is a good start in the weight loss game but it is not the end all be all cure to eating right. I eat a lot of foods with high glycemic levels (i.e. white rice or red potatoes) right after a workout because white carbs restore your blood sugar levels faster than brown rice . So this doesn’t mean you should not consume foods with a high GI, rather it is a science of when to use it and common sense.A food's GI should also be considered with:
1) The amount of fat or protein in the food,
2) How it is prepared (ie sweet potatoes fries are not the same as a regular sweet potatoes),
3) How your body reacts to the food.
Again stay away from overly processed foods. It is better to eat whole, organic products with as little to none modifications made to it. The more natural a food is the healthier.
Click here for a comprehensive list of GI levels.
Kudos to you cameesha for touching on the Glycemic Index. All carbs are not created equal and how these carbs are prepared does have an impact how your body will respond to them. There is a handy book on this topic called "Good Carbs Bad Carbs: An Indispensable Guide to Eating the Right Carbs for Losing Weight and Optimum Health" by Johanna Burani and Linda Rao. The book is a quick and easy read having only 159 pages. It helped me to understand the concept of Glycemic Index on a beginner’s level.
ReplyDeleteThe authors of Good Carbs Bad Carbs distinguishes food as "gushers", “tricklers” , and “intermediates”. Gushers are foods/drinks with a high glycemic index; such as: Gatorade, Kaiser Rolls, baked white potatoes, white rice, etc. Tricklers are foods/drinks that have a low Glycemic Index, such as; milk, naval oranges, 100% stone ground whole wheat bread, apples, Special K cereal, nonfat yogurt, Chickpeas, etc. “Intermediates” are foods/drinks that have moderate glycemic indexes, such as: short bread cookies, brown rice, honey, mango, bananas, etc.
ReplyDeleteAs Cameesha mentioned earlier you want to eat foods that would be considered a "Gusher" after a workout because it helps to replenish your energy storages quickly. Foods that are “Tricklers” and “Intermediates” should be eaten through out the day to help you maintain a healthy blood sugar level and sustained energy through out the day.
Gaining a basic understanding of Glycemic Index is a great advantage in conquering the battle of the bulge…
Thanks girl!! That definetly sounds like a must read!!!
ReplyDeleteWhile no food is bad (there are just bad diets!), when you are trying to lose weight the greatest enemy is hunger. Tricklers help you feel fuller longer so you can actually last 4-5 hours without needing to eat something. Tricklers also help you feel in control of your eating habits and food choices. There is no blood sugar spike and no subsequent blood sugar drop that you need to correct. Your energy level is steady - no hypo-gitters. You really feel good. I call it being in the "comfort zone." Johanna Burani, MS, RD, CDE, author of Good Carbs, Bad Carbs.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for that tid bit Johanna!
ReplyDeleteI will def read your book.
thank you for making it plain johanna! your book is a godsend....
ReplyDelete