Glycemic Diet Plan
A glycemic diet plan seems to be the answer for many women and men.
Glycemic diets is considered a sensible way to lose weight. I am sure you have heard of many celebrities boasting of their weight loss, thanks to this diet.
Since we are all looking for ‘that diet’ which will work, eating foods from the glycemic index chart could be the answer.
It is measured by the way certain foods affect blood sugar levels, and was discovered over 20 years ago by a professor of nutrition Dr David Jenkins.
His studies were originally conducted on people with diabetes; and along the way, it was found to help people lose weight.
We need glucose for energy, and this is found in everyday foods containing carbohydrates, such as; vegetables, fruits, grains and bread. Low GI foods take longer to digest and release glucose into the bloodstream slowly, so you have a feeling of being full for longer, and cravings for sweet things is reduced.
High GI foods digest quickly, release glucose into the bloodstream rapidly, leaving you feeling full for only a short amount of time, and lacking in energy and reaching for those sweets.
The Glycemic Index ranks carbohydrates by how much they increase your blood sugar levels 2 – 3 hours after you have eaten them. These are the foods you will find on the glycemic index chart, as these foods are most likely to increase blood sugar levels.
When there is an increase in blood sugar, this causes an increase in insulin levels. Insulin is a hormone, and regulates the conversion of glucose to energy, and helps keep blood glucose from going to high or to low.
If you are continually eating foods which have a high GI rating, you are more likely to have higher glucose and insulin levels, and this can contribute to various types of cancers and weight gain.
When a person eats foods in the higher end of the GI Index, the high amount of insulin produced encourages fat cells to store the extra sugars as fat. Check out the types of sugar and which ones you may want to avoid.
The fat can be found around our hips and tummies. This is the worst place for it to be, as it not only looks unattractive, it’s not good for our heart health.
Therefore, a high insulin level prevents the burning of fat, which leads to weight gain. Trying to keep the glucose levels stable is what is important, because when the levels are going widely up and down, this also causes the body to produce more fat.
By eating foods in the lower end of the GI Index, you are controlling the amount of insulin produced.
GI is a ranking from 1 to 100, and determines how different foods containing carbohydrates affect our blood sugar levels. Foods are divided into high, medium and low, and you want to include as many foods as you can from the medium to low.
By comparing what you already eat to the GI Index chart, and including more foods at the lower end, will give you a start in making informed decisions about what you eat.
Low Glycemic Diet Plan
- Control blood sugar
- Control blood cholesterol levels
- Prevent type 2 diabetes
Of course, it is not necessary to give up all food rated in the higher end of the Index, just try to include more from the lower end.
You do though, need to avoid some foods on the lower end of the index, for example, pasta and potato chips are two foods you would want to stay away from, as they are full of calories. Even though they rate low on the index scale, you would be mad to eat a lot of pasta and chips, as this would be a sure way of putting on weight.
It has also been discovered having a low glycemic diet plan can help ensure you have a good nights sleep.
If you have a habit of waking up in the middle of the night for a little snack, eating foods from this particular diet, should help curb this habit.
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