Good Sunday to you Internets!
I’ve had more requests for nutrition blogs. I though a really good subject to touch on is the glycemic index (shortened to GI for this post) and how to use it to your advantage.
In a nutshell the GI is basically a tool to determine the level your blood sugar spikes after you have eaten a particular food.
According to most health books and websites, such as The GI Diet Guide (www.thegidiet.org), the glycemic index range is as follows:
· Low GI= 55 or less
· Medium GI= 56-69
· High GI= 70 or more
It is important to remember that the GI index of food will vary from person to person and food to food (more specifically brand to brand), but the index is generally in the ball park for most people for most foods.
So why bother using the GI? Well, essentially the GI will provide you with information of which foods will keep you fuller, longer (low GI foods) and what foods will cause your blood to spike and leave you hungry in a few hours.
Let’s look at two examples of a meal and compare the GI. I’m going to use lunch because I find this is a meal that a lot of people choose high GI foods because they seem to be quicker at the time.
Example Meal 1:
· Hot Dog Bun: 72
· Hot Dog: 40
· French Fries: 75
· Coke: 63
· Total GI Score: 205 Whoa mama!
Example Meal 2:
· Salad (containing lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, light dressing, onions): 45
· Handful of Walnuts: 15
· Water: 0
· 2 Hard Boiled Eggs: 0
· Total GI Score: 60
Whoa, what a difference! I was even surprised myself. So why is meal 2 so much better than mean 1? Why is a low GI score better? Well as I touched on before a lower GI score is better for keeping your blood sugar levels constant throughout the day, but why is this good?
Without going into the nitty gritty physiology behind glucose (blood sugar) regulation smaller blood sugar fluctuations have been associated with improvements in long term health (such as heart health and diabetes) and is one of the keys to substantial weight loss (www.theglycemicindex.com). Also, if you exercise later in the day, which most busy people (or people who can’t get their butt out of bed at 5:30, aka me), have to do, lower GI meals will leave you with energy to still perform after hours of not eating.
A quick warning: Do not get the GI confused with the horrible Atkins diet. The GI is just a guide to help you choose healthier, more nutritious longer lasting foods. Think of it this way, would you put diesel fuel into your brand new Lamborghini? Of course you wouldn’t, you’d put the good stuff in there (I don’t know what that is because I drive an old Mazda). This is because you want it to stay in good shape for a long time and the same is (or should be) true for your body.
Now, the GI will only give an idea of the way your body processes the sugars of a particular food and does not give you any information on the fat content. So it is essential that you do not use this as an end all, be all guide. You should never use one thing as your “health bible”, not even my blog, as awesome as it is.
For example if you eat 6 eggs for breakfast, a steak and 3 hotdogs for lunch and 10 eggs for dinner your still not being very healthy, even though the GI is very low, as those foods are very high and cholesterol and fat.
You know my philosophy...
· Get educated on nutrition, i.e. read like you’re doing now... good for you :D
· Eat simple natural foods
· And everything in moderation
I think I’m going to call this the three E’s of eating better!
For more information on the GI and how to use it for your advantage I recommend the following links;
As always, comments, questions and suggestions are appreciated!
Stay tuned for Wednesday’s Vlog where I make a fantastic fruit salad and talk about eating healthier on a low budget!
Stay Strong Internets
Byn
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