All posts tagged: glycemic index

Common myths about food.

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I’m going to do a post on diet, food and myths that absolutely need to be de-bunked. Cheese is bad for you. Low Fat Foods are Better for You.  This is the WORST misconception of them all. Don’t use Butter, use margarine. Juice is healthy and good for you. Don’t eat eggs, they will make your cholesterol too high. Brown rice is better than white rice Don’t eat avocados, they have too much fat Agave is better than sugar.  Agave is a natural sweetner. If you test negative for celiac, it is ok to eat wheat. When it comes to nutrition, sometimes it’s hard to tell the fact from the fiction. Certain foods get a reputation as “bad for you,” whereas others get promoted as “natural” or “good for you” when they are really not. Sometimes myths about foods are based on urban legends that just get perpetuated for years until we actually believe they are research-based. Other myths are based on old research that was not done in a scientific manner. Whatever the reason, …

Choosing a snack that won’t sabotage you

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This is such an important lesson I’m splitting it into the recipe and a post on WHY you should look at certain numbers differently when you choose snacks. And don’t dismiss this post if you are a normal weight.  This information is important for everyone, heavy, thin, and in-between. I sometimes eat granola (NOT every day, but a few times a week).  Why?  Granola is healthy and has a lot of FAT.  Why is that good?  SATIETY.  That is the feeling you’re full.  The feeling that you don’t need to go raid the oreo package taunting you in the kitchen.  The feeling that you’ve had ENOUGH.  And when any of us are trying to eat healthier and/or lose weight, satiety is paramount.  You cannot go months and months feeling like you’re starving.  And I’m going to tell you that it is REALLY important to eat good fats.  REALLY IMPORTANT, as in ESSENTIAL.  Let’s take a look at how I make Granola — and I make it so I can control what is in it and …

A calorie is not just a calorie…

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Scientific research concludes there are real health benefits to low Glycemic Index/Load (GI/GL) diets.  After reviewing all the latest research on glycemic index, glycemic load and glycemic response, an international committee of leading nutrition scientists have released a Scientific Consensus Statement that concludes that carbohydrate quality (Glycemic Index = GI) matters and that the carbohydrates present in different foods affect post-meal blood glucose (sugar) differently, with important health implications.  A calorie isn’t just a calorie.  They also confirmed that there is convincing evidence from a large body of research that low GI/GL diets reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease, help control blood glucose in people with diabetes, and may also help with weight management. They recommend including GI and GL in national dietary guidelines and food composition tables, and that packaging labels and symbols on low-GI foods should be considered. They also confirmed low GI measurements complement other ways of characterising carbohydrate foods (such as fiber and whole grain content), and should be considered in the context of an overall …

Glycemic what?

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Unless you live in a cave, I’m sure by now you’ve heard the words glycemic load and glycemic index.  But, what do they mean?  I’ll try and explain.  These are REALLY IMPORTANT numbers if you are someone who has trouble losing weight, loses it but it comes right back, or your doctor has told you that your triglycerides, cholesterol and blood sugar are high.  This combination of lab abnormalities is known as metabolic syndrome.  It is the precursor to Type 2 Diabetes, and our diet is why most of us have this syndrome.  So, let’s talk about how EATING DIFFERENTLY CAN REVERSE THIS PROCESS. Why should you pay attention to Glycemic Index and Load? The higher the rise in glucose in the blood stream, the more insulin your body cranks out to store it. Over time this can lead to higher circulating insulin levels that can result in inflammation, weight gain and resistance to insulin’s ability to store sugar. The end result can be the progression to type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and other …