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Understanding the Glycemic Index
By Robert Adams
Things get so confusing when it
comes to understanding what foods are
high on the glycemic index scale and
what effects your blood sugar
production. I have focused a lot of my
diet around eating lower glycemic
index foods, but more importantly
understanding that even when you eat
high glycemic foods you can help
reduce the blood sugar impact, by
eating a combination of both high and
low glycemic index foods together,
that overall helps slow down the
insulin production in your body. What
I mean would be the following example
:
Say you’re hungry for toast in
the morning. Your first and worst
option would be to grab a couple
slices of plain white bread and put
jelly and butter on them. You have
three sets of problems with this
scenario. One is the bad carbohydrates
in the over processed white bread and
the next is the saturated fat levels
in the butter, and third is the sugar
content in the jelly that factors into
spiking your insulin production. So
many people eat something simple like
toast in the morning and this is just
one example of a choice that could be
improved upon. Let’s look at another
way to eat more healthy:
So you’re hungry for toast in the
morning. How about this option :
Select whole wheat pita bread that is
all natural. I get mine from Trader
Joe’s!! I love this store. Next you
slice the pita in half and put NO
FAT or reduced fat cheese in
between the pocket and toast away. Now
you have incorporated a lower glycemic
index carbohydrate that provides more
fiber and added a protein in the NO
FAT or low fat cheese, that in
combination with the consumption of
the good quality carbohydrate,
produces a mucher lower effect on
spiking your insulin production.
So Make your choices wisely when it
comes to selecting the right types of
foods that have an impact on raising
and lowering your blood sugar levels
quickly.
Remember it takes less than an hour
to metabolize carbohydrates, between
2-3 hours for proteins, and over 3
hours to metabolize fat in your diet.
Ever get that hungry feeling less
than an hour after chowing down on a
bag of Doritos or potato chips. Ever
feel hungry less than an hour after
eating a plate full of oriental food
that was all vegetables. It is because
your body starts metabolizing almost
right away, when it comes to
carbohydrates. Now just imagine those
carbohydrates are made up of simple
carbohydrates (sugar-like in regular
soda, potato chips or other over
processed snack foods, or French
fries- deep fried potatoes that are
loaded with saturated fat and heavy on
the high glycemic index scale of
carbohydrates.) Also there have been
some recent studies that have stated
that high fructose corn syrup- found
in many foods produced for children
that include fruit drinks, fruit
snacks, and things like ketchup, are
helping enormously to contribute to
the huge increases in childhood
obesity.
A BAD COMBINATION THAT DOES NOT
SUPPORT A HEART HEALTH LIFESTLYE
Here are some other great
options : One of the keys to a
lean, sexy, healthy body is
controlling insulin production and
blood-sugar levels. The easiest way to
do that is by eating healthy low-glycemic
foods -- things like vegetables,
fibrous fruits, whole grains, seeds,
nuts, lean proteins, etc. Generally,
it's a good idea to avoid most foods
that contain high-glycemic ingredients
like white flour, white sugar, corn
syrup, etc. These are those 'bad'
foods that wreak havoc on your insulin
levels and increase your body fat
levels in the process. They can also
damage your health over time.
However, if you can’t stand the
idea of never again eating some of
your favorite foods - pancakes and
muffins for instance - and 100%
whole grain flour just isn't an
option for you, there is an easy way
to lower the glycemic count of just
about any food: Oat bran
Oat bran can be added to most foods
to help lower their glycemic counts.
It’s one of those ‘magical’
fiber foods that does all kinds of
good things for your body. In fact,
oat bran is probably one of the
healthiest low-glycemic carbs you can
eat.
The best part is that oat bran can
be added to literally hundreds of
different foods and recipes without
significantly changing their taste.
That’s not the case with most other
brans and whole grains, which
definitely alter the taste and texture
of any food they’re added to. You
can mix oat bran into muffins,
pancakes, breads, scones, soups,
stews...the list goes on! These
normally high-glycemic foods all
become quite a bit healthier when you
add in a good amount of oat bran...and
less likely to cause your body to
store more fat. (Of course, using
whole grain flours and whey protein
powders will make them even healthier
and MUCH lower on the glycemic scale!)
Pure oat bran can be purchased at
many health food stores and natural
grocery stores, as well as on the
Internet. Always choose an
‘organic’ version when possible to
limit your intake of harmful
chemicals.
So remember choose low glycemic
index foods that do not cause your
blood sugar to spike and insulin
production to jump. If you are eating
potentially higher glycemic index
foods select the best ones that
provide the most in the way of
nutrition and health, and always try
to incorporate proteins that will help
slow down the metabolizing of those
higher glycemic index foods and keep
your blood sugar and insulin
production in check.
Robert Adams holds an Associates
Degree in Culinary Arts from the
Culinary Institute of America, is a
Certified Coach in Coaching for
Personal Development as well
Interaction Management, is a member of
NESTA- National Endurance Sports
Trainers Association, and lives a
healthy lifestyle through his Body
Perfect Fitness philosophy of healthy
eating and fitness focus.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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