Low Glycemic Index Eating And The Road To Weight Loss And Health

By Ellen Agius

The Glycemic Index (GI) was developed 20 years ago through research on diabetic diets and looking at more complex carbohydrates (sugars) that took longer to process and digest than simple carbohydrates. Therefore this resulted in measuring the Glycemic index of foods.



The Glycemic Index (GI) measures the effect of foods on your blood sugar levels. Eating foods with a high glycemic index value will raise the blood sugar level more dramatically than foods with a low glycemic index value. For example, foods that are processed more quickly by the body rank higher on the Index than foods that take longer to be digested by the body.



The GI values are a measure of 1 to 100 where pure glucose has a value of 100. Therefore a value of 50 indicates that the food has an effect on blood sugar equal to half that of glucose.



The World Health Organisation recently recommended that people based their diets on low glycemic foods. Research has shown that very high glucose levels after meals, called glucose spikes, are damaging to our arteries and various blood vessels, and they promote far too much insulin to be around.



Thus the GI is having a pronounced affect on the health community, with many Doctors and nutritionists now recommending the GI to patients with diabetes and/or obesity. Eating foods with a low GI value tend to provide a feeling of fullness for longer and therefore assist those trying to eat less or lose weight. In addition, diabetics can now choose their foods in a more controlled manner.



A diet rich in low GI foods is a healthy diet, provided that there is nutritional variety. Individuals who use this low GI diet plan claim they are able to lose weight as well as retain more muscle.



When looking at weight loss high GI foods are bad for weight control for two reasons- Firstly, the glucose spikes stimulate hunger because you are getting that dramatic drop in glucose, two hours after eating. By eating low GI foods you feel fuller for longer. Secondly, insulin is a storage hormone that stockpiles nutrients for later use by the body. A high-GI diet causes a lot of insulin to be produced and when you have too much insulin in your body, it makes it easier to store fat and harder to burn it.



To successfully lose weight and maintain weight loss you need to base your diet on foods that rank in the low to medium range on the Glycemic index. To start burning fat a diet based on foods ranked at 55 or below is recommended. Dieters should plan to be on this low GI plan for about six months depending on how much weight they want to lose. After that time period they can advance to maintenance and may eat low as well as medium foods according to the glycemic index.



It is also important to understand that exercise is an important component of a weight loss plan in order for it to work effectively. Individuals must be dedicated to participating in an active and healthy lifestyle. This is not a diet but a change in lifestyle to create a healthier you.



One of the major advantages of eating low GI foods is that it is not restrictive as many other weight loss plans are. For example, you can have some carbs on this diet as long as they are good carbs and they rank low on the glycemic index. In addition, it is perfectly okay for you to eat out. Once you have become familiar with which foods rank low on the index you can then usually find something on any menu which is acceptable according to the low Glycemic Index.



The low glycemic way of eating has proven to be quite effective at managing diabetes, promoting weight loss and encouraging a healthy lifestyle. Here is the heart of low GI eating, your body will love it.



About the Author: Ellen Agius is an International Health and Wellness consultant and Certified Member of the International Association of Nutritional Education. She has helped hundreds on their path to wellness. For more information and support with a safe weight loss program visit http://www.losefatsafelyforever.com

Technorati Tags: low gi foods, low gi food, low gi diet

Source: www.isnare.com
Permanent Link:

Change Of Eating to Low Gi Foods Brings Stunning Results for Soap Star

This is from an article in the Mirror.co.uk about soap star Tina Hobley and how she attained her post-baby body secrets, and no surprises it was not a diet as such but more of a lifestyle change, change to a low gi eating plan,

"She looked at my diet and it was full of carbs.

Also, I was eating a bacon sandwich for breakfast, and a sandwich for lunch or a hot meal like pasta or shepherds' pie. Then when I got home in the evening I would again eat pasta or meat with potatoes.

"So I started to have lots of eggs for breakfast instead - scrambled, boiled or poached.

"I also had to cut back on red meat, with grilled tuna steak with salad for lunch.

I ate wholemeal bread instead of white and jacket potatoes instead of roasted."

Sticking to this low-GI nutrition plan seems to have ensured Tina didn't pile on excess pregnancy pounds this time.

"We've gone organic, so we're eating healthily. I drink lots of water too," she's said.

But the actress hates faddy diets and worries about how the pressure to be thin affects her daughter Isabella.

Read the full story here and how you can do it too, recipes included

Technorati Tags: low gi eating, low gi diet, low go foods, low gi recipes

I found this on a blog called procrastinator’sprogress
love the title, love the lunch idea even more and so easy too.

Take a small to medium sweet potato, wash the skin then stab a few times with a fork. Microwave for around 5 minutes on full, until it feels soft.

Cut the sweet potato open and fill with some low fat soft cheese to which you’ve added your own garlic and herbs.

I’m normally not a big fan of low fat foods - I find them tasteless and I worry about what kind of nasties they’ve used to replace the fat- but this serving is nice enough to make me forget about that.

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: low gi recipe, easy low gi lunch, low gi foods

A Study Of Children On The South Beach Diet!

Laura Ciocan from South-Beach-Diet-101.com tells us about Schoolchildren on South Beach diet

Found this article on a blog post here, it is interesting and the study should bring some good results

Schoolchildren on South Beach diet

As a part of a children's diet

More posts about "diet" from Weight Loss Articles
Why High Fiber Diet Is The Best Diet?
Curb Cravings With Fiber In Your Diet
A Low GI Diet And High Fiber Foods
A High Fiber Diet For Losing Weight Naturally
Diet and Weight - A Series of Choices

and health study, conducted by Dr. Agatston, six elementary schools from Osceola County, Florida were included in a diet program from September through May 2005.

The program mainly focuses mainly on replacing foods with healthier variants. While it remains the South Beach Diet and is based on its main principles, the study is especially adapted to the needs of growing children. The general diet characteristics are as follows:

• It focuses on fiber
  More posts about "fiber" from Weight Loss Articles
  Water and Fiber for weight loss
  Curb Cravings With Fiber In Your Diet
  Why High Fiber Diet Is The Best Diet
  A Low GI Diet And High Fiber Foods
  A High Fiber Diet For Losing Weight Naturally
  
  , making sure children have an appropriate vItamin intake
• no restrictions are imposed -- processed carbs replaced by complex ones, which children need
• It reduces fat, sugar and calories
  More posts about "calories" from Weight Loss Articles
  Calorie Shifting
  Calorie Cycling Weight Loss
  One Hundred Calorie Portions and Average Helpings
  
• It replaces saturated fat wIth unsaturated or monosatured fats, and use lean rather than fatty meat
• It stresses the importance of exercise
  More posts about "exercise" from Weight Loss Articles
  Time For Exercise - Top 10 Tips For Finding Time For Exercise
  Weight loss and Exercise
  Exercise without equipment, flabbiness to happiness for free
  Exercise-what You Should Know
  Foolproof Exercise Program
  
  
  

The study is aimed at the following:

• To help reduce youngsters' health problems generated by an unhealthy diet; the tendency towards obesity
  More posts about "obesity" from Weight Loss Articles
  Childhood obesity: things need to know
  Winning the Battle Against Obesity
  
  is a national problem, and results in diseases such as diabetes and coronary disease
• Its long-term aim is to create healthy eating
  More posts about "eating" from Weight Loss Articles
  Eating healthy for weight loss naturally
  Eating Wisely and Weight Loss
  Why eating low fat can make you gain fat
  
  habIts, by replacing foods based on saturated fats, trans fats and processed carbohydrates wIth foods based on whole grains, vegetables, fruIt and lean meat
• It analyzes the effects of this diet on the developments in children's weight and health over a certain period of time
  

Children are measured and weighed. They are also fItted wIth pedometers, which are devices to count the number of steps taken, thus measuring physical activIty and encouraging them to be active.

This is the first study of this type. It is bound to result in beneficial long-term effects on children's health, now at risk because of an inadequate lifestyle characterized by improper diet and lack of exercise.

Technorati Tags: low gi diet, south beach diet, children's diet,

Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil for Omega-3

Flaxseeds originated in Mesopotamia and there are historical documents showing that flax was cultivated in Babylon about 3000 BCE.

Hippocrates promoted the use of flax for the relief of abdominal pains.

Charlemagne, King of the Franks and ruler of Western Europe, declared the consumption of flax compulsory for his subjects

The early colonists introduced flax into the United States. Flax was first introduced into Canada during the17th century, and today they are the world’s largest producer of flaxseed.

Health Benefits

Found this article, read all the health benefits for Flaxseed and Flaxseed oil here
Technorati Tags: low gi diet, low gi foods