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Health & Fitness

Very Exciting: The Glycemic Index

I hope the title of this post doesn’t turn you off to reading more about the glycemic index. This is some important stuff right here. Plus, if you read through to the end, I’ll tell you a joke.

There’s a lot to learn when you’re losing weight the right way (not some fake, fraudulent way) and something that doesn’t get a ton of “air time” is the glycemic index.

What is the glycemic index and what does it mean for you?

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Foods that have a low-glycemic level slowly raise your blood sugar and have a minimal effect on overall blood levels. This matters because your blood sugar level affects how hungry and how energetic you feel – both important factors for trying to drop weight. Agreed?

So now I’m gonna get all sciencey on ya. Our pancreas creates insulin that carries blood sugar  from our body’s cells where it is used for energy. When you eat processed carbs or sugar (like a whole sleeve of Oreos), the pancreas goes into overdrive to produce the insulin necessary for all this blood sugar to be used for energy.

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That insulin surge causes too much blood sugar to be transported out of your blood and this results in our blood sugar and insulin levels dropping below normal. When this happens, your stomach says “feed me” and your head says “I’m sleepy.”

This leaves us feeling tired, hungry and cranky. So, what do we think we need at that point? You guessed it – more food with high-sugar content. And this crazy cycle starts all over again.

Which foods have low GIs and which have high GIs?

Good question! To keep your blood sugar levels stable and feel full longer, you want to eat foods with a low GI, under 54. Eat moderately foods with mid-range GIs, 55-69. And try to avoid foods with a high GI, 70+.

These foods have a GI of  70+ and are in the eat-sparingly category: white rice, potatoes, most breakfast cereals (especially all those with a cute mascot), rice cakes (these are not a good diet food!), jelly beans.

These foods have GIs in the mid-range, 55-69 – eat some, but not a lot:  raisins, pineapple, corn, quick oats, couscous, pineapple, beets, corn and brown rice

These foods have low GIs, under 54 and you should eat a ton of them: broccoli, carrots, peas, apples, oranges, chickpeas, sourdough bread, peanuts and All Bran.

There are some great GI list on the web. My favorites is from the University of Sydney and it’s here.

A few more eating tips in relation to the glycemic index:

Load up on veggies but don’t overdo it on the starchy ones like corn and white potatoes.

Eat less bread and if you’re going to eat it, make sure it’s made from whole grains. Ezekiel brand is what’s in my house.

Fish and meat are 100% protein and fat, so they don’t have a rating on the GI scale. Same for eggs and avocados.

Don’t let this GI thing run your life. Just use it as a guide to make some healthier decisions. But use your noggin! Sure, Peanut M&M’s have a low GI, but this DOES NOT mean you can hit up Costco for the bulk pack!

Still there? It wasn’t so bad, was it? I promised you a joke, so here goes: Average gumbo is only medi-okra. 

Thanks, folks…I’m here all week.


Sara Christensen is a private weight loss coach based in San Diego. She works with women to create bodies and lives that they love.
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