Does the following scenario seem familiar?-It's about five thirty in the afternoon and you have just started your daily ritual of running one loop (or even two) of the Queen's Park Savannah. After your workout, you head home looking forward to that tasty sandwich, or big plate of pelau your wife or mother has prepared for her super athlete. This dish is flushed down by a glass of cold orange juice or a red soft drink, and then you settle in to watch TV with a nice, sugary snack. You have been engaging in this act for the past couple of months; the only problem is that you are not losing that hideous layer of fat around your waist. In fact, your waistline seems to be expanding.
The science of the Glycemic Index
Seventy per cent of looking good is about proper nutrition, 30 per cent is about exercise. Most of you know by now that carbohydrates seem to be the major culprit in producing an ever-expanding waistline. But there are bad carbs and good carbs. The Glycemic Index, though it is not an exact science, is a great tool in helping you to identify good carbs from bad carbs. In fact, most foods we eat are given a GI rating. The index was invented by Dr David Jenkins, a professor of nutrition. Dr Jenkins was researching various groups of foods for diabetics and how fast they spike blood sugar.
However, he discovered it was not only diabetics who could benefit from such a GI listing. If a normally healthy person eats a food with a high GI rating, it will spike his blood sugar. This act could trigger an insulin rush. Remember, insulin is secreted by the pancreas to aid in the absorption of sugar from the blood and into the cells. However, when a lot of insulin is circulating, you are more prone to store body fat.
You can also experience a pendulum swing, where you go from hyperglycemic to hypoglycemic, and you begin to feel very hungry.
It will seem logical that to avoid blood sugar spikes, you should choose foods with a low to medium GI rating. On the odd occasion when you are having a high GI rated food, try to simultaneously eat it with a low GI rated food in order to help slow the digestive process, and thereby possibly avoid a blood sugar spike. It is impossible for me to list all foods, but if you have a favourite, you can e-mail me for further info.
If you learn to select your carbs carefully and time your meals with your exercise programme, you will see amazing results. Keep Training.
GI ratings
The Glycemic Index range for foods is as follows:
Low GI = 55 or less
Medium GI = 56 – 69
High GI = 70 or more.
You should note that white flour and white sugar carry scary ratings of 100.
Some breakfast cereals with low GI ratings are-Oat bran, rolled oats and natural muesli. High GI ratings would be Cornflakes, Rice Krispies etc.
Watch your lunch meals-instant white rice, mashed potatoes and french fries are all high, and so are bagels. You are fairly safe with brown rice, sweet potatoes and yam.
