Medical publications support the thesis of high glycemic diets, which were established back in the1980’s increases the risk for various types of cancer. So is it important to monitor your diet for low glycemic index foods. Myself I think it’s nearly impossible for anybody to sit over the long haul and try figuring out the complexity of a glycemic index diet.
First thing is a low glycemic “good carb” low fat diet combines optimal amounts of protein…. fiber and is generally considered healthy. Therefore we must always remember the difference between “Fast Acting” refined carbohydrates, and the “slower performing” complex carbohydrates. Also an important point to make here…. is some people confuse “carbs” with “sugar” and categorize all carbohydrates the same.
This is a “BIG MISTAKE,” although, “sugar is simple carbohydrates” better known as refined carbohydrates…. NOT all carbs are created equal. However, complex carbohydrates, such as, legumes, vegetables, fruit and whole grain. Are generally “LOW glycemic foods,” that is rich in nutrients that are extremely important in nutritional support.
That said, what the glycemic index does tell you is HOW quickly 50 grams of carbohydrates from a specific food, will turn into blood sugar compared to 50 grams of table sugar or white bread. While using bread as a barometer because when it’s fully digested in your stomach it turns completely into sugar.
Therefore…. let’s look at the fallacy of the glycemic index briefly…. e.g. 50 grams of carrot carbohydrate has a glycemic index of 131 compared to white pasta having a 71 in the glycemic index. This might be a misleading account that carrots are an unhealthy food and that it raises blood sugar faster than white pasta. However, one whole carrot (a serving) contains only 4 grams of carbohydrates; while one cup of white pasta (a serving) has 40 grams of carbohydrates.
This means the glycemic load which adjust glycemic index for serving size, is much lower for carrots. A serving of carrots has a glycemic load of 5.2, where as a serving of white pasta (1 cup) is very high at 28. Therefore, in order to have the same glycemic load from carrots…. one would have to eat nearly TWO pounds of carrots.
What the above stated example shows is HOW the glycemic index can be misleading (just because a food has a high glycemic index does NOT mean it will raise blood sugar quickly when eaten in normal size portions.) Glycemic Index and Load are important because research states eating higher glycemic diets; while eating more simple sugars increases your risk of several types of cancer.
Also think of this as being similiar to “bad fats” and “good fats” because everyone needs some “good fats” to maintain normal physiology and also similarly “good carbs” are critical as well. Remember: that glycemic index helps determine HOW quickly food is digested and absorb… while glycemic load measures HOW intake of a carbohydrate affects blood sugar levels.
Therefore, the notion that high GI foods leads to obesity ultimately rest on assumption Glycemic Index equals Satiety Index (SI) and what the satiety index provides is a “BUZZWORD” for the state of fullness factor. However, what the satiety index does is tell you which foods turn off appetite the quickest…. what the satiety index does is take a food that makes you full and satisfied and compares it to food that makes you feel empty and wanting.
Susanna Holt whom developed the satiety index…. super imposed taking 240 – calorie portions of popular foods and by ranking them accordingly to how they compare with a slice of white bread. Which she gave a ranking of 100 just like in the glycemic index which is WHY both scale are so often confused. However, some what differently her guage will tell you that by eating each food HOW quickly it will take you to fill up.
Thereby, Oatmeal has a high satiety index level at 209 and a doughnut ranks at 68, interestingly, 240 – calories of boiled potatoes rank highest at 323 yet french fries score just a 116. Therefore…. when you consumed either examples – you tell me which makes you feel fuller quicker after eating either oatmeal versus a doughnut and boiled potatoes versus french fries. Lead by this example and you will soon get the jest of this story and what I’m trying to explain in a very difficult topic to write about.
Research, also discovers, that when you develope the habit of eating salty, sour or sweet, it activates a center of your brain that’s habit forming. This is why some people don’t feel full after a savory meal until after they have desert or end up saying, “I gotta save room for desert.” Therefore, once you turn on an appetite center you must always eat until it registers fullness and when you turn on many centers all at once you must eat until they’re all full.
HOT TIP #16 for July: I realize nobody will stand before a meal with a calculator and count “carbs” each day. I’m sure NOT going to, however, just a reminder here of the “good carb” and “bad carb” theory. While straying more toward the good side of the carbohydrate measuring stick and stick to it for good health.
An Informative Four – Part Video Series + One.
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