Over the last 30 years, research into food and blood glucose response
has completely changed our carbohydrate classification system.
It has been learned that it is impossible to predict the impact
on blood glucose levels by certain foods, instead people are fed
carbohydrate foods and the response measured.
This response is known as the Glycemic Index (GI), it is a measure
of how quickly carbohydrate foods are digested and absorbed, and
ranks carbohydrate foods according to their impact on blood sugar
(glucose) levels: as indicted by elevated
blood glucose.
Foods with a high GI are absorbed quickly into the blood stream
and cause a rapid rise in blood glucose levels. While foods with
a low GI are broken down more slowly over time and keep blood glucose
levels more stable (Remember that low is slow!).
Some carbohydrate foods will maintain your energy levels for hours,
while some may cause your blood glucose to rise and fall. Different
types of carbohydrate can also affect feelings of fullness in the
stomach and this can influence hunger and
your ability to control your body weight.
Why is the GI important?
When our blood glucose levels are stable we have plenty of readily
available fuel for the brain and muscles. If our blood glucose levels
drop too low (hypoglycaemia) we feel tired, dizzy and generally
unwell. If our blood glucose levels rise too quickly a rapid drop
usually follows this.
Include low glycemic index foods in meals and snacks to slow the
release of glucose into the bloodstream. A low glycemic index snack
a few hours before exercise will help maintain your energy levels
for more effective training.
After high intensity exercise (strength training) a high glycemic
index snack should be consumed within 30 minutes. This will help
to replace energy and start the recovery process.
Low-GI foods take longer to digest and help delay hunger pangs
that little bit more and thus promote weight loss. So please choose
your carbs carefully as this will lower your insulin levels and
burn more fat. The secret is to swap high GI foods with low GI foods.
Simple steps to a low GI diet
Step No 1
Start with a healthy, well balanced and varied diet based on a
good nutrition program. The diet should be low in fats, moderate
in carbohydrate and protein. The program should be high in fibre
and contain a varied amount of foods to provide the required amount
of vitamins and minerals.
Step No 2
Look at the type of carbohydrates that you consume during the day.
Look at the carbs that you eat the most, as these will have the
most dramatic impact on your diet.
Try to change the carbs you eat the most with at least one low
GI one. (Replace potato with sweet potato, use noodles instead of
rice) By substituting half of your daily carbohydrate from high
GI to low GI will result in an overall reduction in the GI of your
diet.
Reducing the GI in your diet reduces your insulin levels and increases
the fat burning apparatus in your body. Try to reduce the high GI's
in your diet by substituting them with low GI's.
Regular consumption of low GI foods increases the feelings of fullness
and satisfaction and so prevents weight gain. Try taking in six
small meals a day of healthy low fat low GI foods to prevent overeating
at meal times and control appetite.
Remember, that it is also important to look at the calories in
food to. Rice and bread might be low in fat but when your body is
burning the carbohydrates in these foods it doesn't burn as much
fat. So if you are on a low fat diet, you wont lose as much weight
if your calories are still high.
Have a look at the table below for the different GI food ratings.
Low GI (<50)
Medium GI (50-70)
High GI (70>)
Grapefruit (26)
Pineapple (66)
Cornflakes (80)
Baked Beans (15)
Raisins (64)
W/M Bread (72)
Lentils (29)
Sweet corn (59)
Brown Rice (80)
Peanuts (13)
Potato Chips (51)
Carrots (92)
Soy Beans (15)
All bran (51)
Baked Potato (98)
Compare these two menus and try to adjust your diet accordingly.
High GI Menu
Breakfast: 40 Grams of cornflakes with milk. Two slices
of whole meal toast with margarine and jam.
Snack: Two sweet biscuits with a white coffee.
Lunch: Ham and salad whole meal Roll with an apple.
Snack: Four crackers with cottage cheese and chives
Main Meal: Serving of Roast chicken with a large baked
potato and peas. Small piece of cake.
Low GI Menu
Breakfast: 40 Grams of bran with low fat milk. Two slices
of low GI toast (Try Burgen) with margarine and jam.
Snack: Two oatmeal biscuits with a coffee (Low fat milk).
Lunch: Ham and salad Roll (Low GI bread). Soft-serve vanilla
yoghurt with toasted muesli sprinkled on top.
Snack: Two bananas.
Main Meal: Serving of Roast chicken with a small baked
potato and peas. Two scoops of low fat ice cream with half a cup
of canned peaches.
Chicken, beef, fish, eggs, nuts, and avocados contain very little
or no carbohydrates. These foods if eaten by themselves will not
have much effect on your glucose levels and are very low GI. Alcoholic
beverages especially wine are also low GI so can be included in
your diet but remember to count them in your daily caloric intake.
Low GI foods are ideal for losing weight due to the slow absorption
from the stomach. Low GI foods also help to keep blood sugar levels
more stable and this has an effect on reducing sweet cravings.
"ATTENTION! FOR "SKINNY GUYS WHO CAN'T GAIN WEIGHT" : Are you following the so called "experts" advice and still not gaining the muscle weight you want?"
At Last... Someone Has Unlocked The Secrets of Gaining Weight Fast. Learn Exactly How To Overcome Your SKINNY-GENES
So, how exactly do you build solid muscle and pack on weight?
With the Critical Weight Gain Program! Read more about this amazing muscle weight gain program.
