Weight Loss - Glycemic Index

Back in May 05, 2006 I talked about how my daughter eats. That she uses her natural instincs in finding the correct food and eat correctly as far as not stuffing herself. I talked to my mother today and she is ona diet that is called the Glycemic Index. The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating. Foods with a high GI are those which are rapidly digested and absorbed and result in marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Low-GI foods, by virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels, and have proven benefits for health. Low GI diets have been shown to improve both glucose and lipid levels in people with diabetes (type 1 and type 2). They have benefits for weight control because they help control appetite and delay hunger. Low GI diets also reduce insulin levels and insulin resistance.

Recent studies from Harvard School of Public Health indicate that the risks of diseases such as type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease are strongly related to the GI of the overall diet. In 1999, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) recommended that people in industrialised countries base their diets on low-GI foods in order to prevent the most common diseases of affluence, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

You can check what the glycemic index is in certain foods by going to this site and typing in the food of your choice, Glycemic Index Database.

The point to this posting is that the glycemic index tells people that if they try to keep the foods as clean and natural as possible, then they have a better chance in losing weight because they are probably eating foods that our bodies have evolved to. our bodies were never intended to eat and digest artificial flavors and sugars. There are chemicals within most foods that I have a hard time pernouncing and that were never indended for our digestion. Keep it simple and your body will love you for it.