Home
>
Weight Loss
>
Understanding the Glycemic Index

Understanding the Glycemic Index

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.

disinfecting cleaning services Arlington Heights ..

In The News:

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Understanding the Glycemic Index

Weight Loss