Glycemic Index Diets - How Does the Glycemic Index Work to Help You Lose Weight?
What is the Glycemic Index?
In this world of “low fat” this, “diet” that, and “light” everything, it’s hard to know what will work and what will not work to aid in weight loss and gain health in the process. Who can you believe? Many diets promise to help you lose weight, and even one uses what is called the “glycemic index” to assist people in losing weight and getting healthy. So, what is this and how can it help you? The glycemic index is a measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood glucose levels. Basically, this means that the faster carbohydrates breaks down into sugar, the faster it goes into your bloodstream. Why is this important? The theory is that when carbohydrates take longer to digest, the healthier it is for your body, because it does not store as fat as much as carbohydrates that take less time to digest.
This theory was originally developed by Dr. David Jenkins and colleagues in 1980-81 as an approach to discover which foods were best for people who suffered from diabetes. It used to be thought that if people who had diabetes stayed away from sugar related products, they would be okay. This theory proved that idea wrong, as it was discovered that even a plain potato is disastrous to anyone who has diabetes and/or wants to lose weight.
So how does this help you lose weight?
Natural Weight Management System
The glycemic index (GI) is like a natural weight management system. The simple explanation: the lower the GI rating of the foods you choose, the more you will control your weight. You say you want the more complicated version? Well, settle in and I will tell you how it works. You will be glad to know that you need no pills or gimmicks with this system. All you need to do is choose foods with a low GI rating for the bulk of your meals. Examples of these are: most fruits and vegetables, with the exception of the potato, whole grains (with the exception of wheat products), milk, meat, and some nuts and/or oils. These are the foods that do not break down as fast in your system like other carbohydrates, and they will help you to not only lose weight, but get healthy in the process. Mom was right when she said, “Eat your vegetables! It will make you strong and healthy.” Better advice can not be found elsewhere!
The other reason is that the above mentioned foods will help you lose weight is that they do not break down into glucose as quickly, so that your body will be forced to burn fat instead of glucose. However, when you do eat the higher GI foods, the extra glucose that is broken down will be stored as fat. If you continually store glucose, then you will continually gain weight. The less glucose producing foods you eat, the more fat you will be able to burn.
Remember, no one diet plan or eating system will work for all people. Consult your physician before you get started to determine any allergies or health issues. Then, create a plan, choose foods with a low GI score, and exercise. Good luck!