Losing Weight With The Glycemic Index

August 2, 2009

The Glycemic Index is a ranking system for carbohydrate rich foods, created to help people manage their blood sugar levels. The GI number signifies how quickly a food triggers a rise in blood glucose (sugar).

If the Glycemic Index is only relevant to carbs, then what are carbs, anyway? Carbohydrates are one of the body’s three sources of fuel, the other two being protein and fat.

But, not all carbs are created equal, thus, the rating system. There are good carbs: complex carbs, which usually have a low GI rating, and not so good carbs: simple carbs, which usually have a high GI rating.

Foods with a low GI rating break down slowly during digestion, resulting in gradual release of glucose into the bloodstream. Foods with high GI numbers, however, break down quickly, causing an undesirable surge of blood glucose into the bloodstream and resulting in a surge of insulin.

Regular consumption of high-glycemic foods leads to a greater chance of developing a number of serious health problems, including insulin resistance, type II diabetes, obesity, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. A low-glycemic diet helps to control weight, lower blood cholesterol levels, maintain energy and promote overall good health.

Knowing how the body processes carbs can help you make better food choices, promoting easier weight loss and disease prevention. Naturally, many of the naughty foods we love turn out to be High Glycemic.

Sugar, white flour, white rice, and potatoes are just a few of the foods we should avoid. That may not sound like many until you think about how many foods are made primarily with white flour and/or sugar. That’s right, all of our favorites: cakes, cookies, breads, dough, mashed potatoes, ice cream, etc..

The good news is that most substitutions are relatively painless, so that you won’t feel like you are giving up too much. White potatoes can be swapped for sweet potatoes, white flour products can be swapped for 100% whole wheat products, and white rice can be swapped for brown or basmati rice.

Sugar is another matter entirely, as there are very few low glycemic sweeteners out there, but one that I know of is Blue Agave Syrup. It’s really tasty and most supermarkets carry it.

For the most part, though, sugar and other simple carbs should really be limited. The damage that they are doing to our bodies is just not worth it. In my personal coaching practice I like to teach the 80/20 principal:

Stick with your healthy diet 80% of the time and allow yourself to indulge 20% of the time. It’s a perfect balance that will let you reap the rewards of your good choices and still allow all of those fun foods that you love.

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