| |
| |
|
Weight Loss Information |
|
What is the Glycemic Index?
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. ---------------------------------------------------------- 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 () 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 yogurt 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 gut. Low GI foods also help to keep blood sugar levels more stable and this has an effect on reducing sweet cravings. Gary Matthews is a fitness trainer from "down under" who has been coaching clients from athletes to bodybuilders for two decades. You may contact Gary directly at gary@maximumfitness.com and visit his website at http://www.maximumfitness.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Weight-Loss - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Carbs Go In, the Cravings Come Out, thats What Weight Gain is All About It can happen with one bite. The moment those refined carbohydrates enter my body, it sets off this chain reaction. Weight Loss - Its in Your Head When you truly consider the weight-loss process, the battle waged is mostly in your mind. "Should I eat the corn muffin with butter or would it be better for me to have margarine or better yet, have jelly? What am I doing eating this muffin anyway? It's so caloric and filled with saturated fat. 2 Ways To Start Burning More Calories Today 1. Start Exercising first thing in the morning. EFT for Weight Loss - How to Stop Eating from Fear of Not Getting Your Share Do You Sometimes Eat Because You're Afraid You'll "Miss Out" on Something Wonderful Otherwise?Have you ever finished a huge meal, Thanksgiving dinner for instance, and being so stuffed you couldn't possibly eat another bite, when suddenly someone showed up with another dessert? Did you suddenly find just a bit of space to eat a little more? That's eating out of fear; the fear of missing out, the fear of not being part of the group (everyone else is having some and you want your share too) and it has nothing to do with hunger.This same thing can happen with any feeling -- you may feel exhausted. Teenage Weight Loss -- How Teenagers Can Safely Lose Weight Teenagers with body mass indices between 25 and 30 require immediate medical attention. The internal stress caused from so much weight almost guarantees the premature development of medical problems such as diabetes, heart disease, cancers, and stroke. Cross Training One of the biggest misconceptions about exercise is that there is "one" program that works for someone all the time. People think that they need to get on a particular workout program and just keeping doing that program over and over again. Diet Plans for a Low Carb Diet One of the most popular diets is the low carb one. But because of its popularity the number of diet plans is growing, and growing and growing. A New Diet -- Bowel Cleansing for Weight Loss An ancient practice from Eastern Medicine, bowel cleansing is fast becoming the next new diet for the Western world.What is bowel cleansing and does it safely cause healthy weight loss?Bowel Cleansing 101Keeping things simple, bowel cleansing is equal to Western Medicine's laxative. Diet Pills, Products, and Dieting Supplements - Can They Help You Lose Weight Quickly? Fighting obesity has become one of the most important issues on the minds of millions of people. Obesity is the cause of health problems and greatly increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and even death. The Most Under-Rated Aspect of Weightloss If I were asked, "what is the most difficult thing many people find to do when they start a weight-loss program?", I would have to say right near the top of the list is this - they don't drink enough water!Few people realize at first just how essential water is to the success of their weight-loss program. In fact, the essential place of water in our diet extends to everyone - whether they want to lose weight, gain weight or stay the same weight! We all know we can't live without water, but just why is it so important? Well there are many reasons. Possible Pitfalls There are as many reasons you've given yourself to eat as there are minutes in a day. Storm clouds do it for me. Weight Loss Frustrations? Slippery Slopes - One Fall And Down You May Go! If you have ever been snow skiing you know that one wrong move, one glance away or one split second of lost focus may get you in a heap of trouble. The hard part comes trying to stop the slide down the slope. Smarter Eating Dieting doesn't have to be a chore. Actually, you can eat what you like and still cut the pounds. Serious Dieting Tips, Humorous Explanations A few months ago, I set out to lose 22.6 pounds, then to put back on at least half of it. Dieting? Upgrading Your Non-Conscious Mind - Part 2 To upgrade the current software in your brain you can create external cues to help remind you and reinforce that changes.Create external upgrading cues with all 5 senses involved. Hybrid Sweeteners in Todays Health What is the advantage of these new half sugar and half synthetic baking sugars that are on the market? These drink products made with the sugar carbs and synthetic sweeteners and foods marketed and eaten by our kids, does it really give the consumer that much more of an advantage?There was a national news story on NBC Nightly News with Tom Brocaw (11.08. Your Eight Hormones and Weight Loss If you find this article helpful, please forward it to friends and relatives. There are many physical, mental, and physiological benefits to regular exercise. Can I Eat Sugar Alcohols On My Low Carb Diet? "Polyols" or sugar alcohols are a number of differentcarbohydrates that are neither sugars nor alcohols--andare commonly used as artificial sweeteners in a rangeof products, from ice cream to chewing gum.While these tasty sweeteners appear to be the perfectsolution for both low-carb dieters and low-carbfood producers, recent studies of sugar alcoholshave painted a somewhat different picture. The One and Only Way to Lose Weight There is only one way to lose weightThere really is only one way to lose weight. You have to burn more calories than you use in a day. After WLS: How To Avoid Mourning The Loss of Food A frequent question brand-new gastric bypass patients ask is "How do you deal with the loss of food?"In the first few weeks out of surgery when patients can only eat is Jell-O or protein shakes or broth patients frequently report grieving for food. After all, food is a beloved friend of the morbidly obese.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
