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It is so, so important to understand why “diets” based around deprivation, fads and too many choices don’t work. One is that in constantly “thinking” about food we are more likely to become hungry; the second is in feeling hungry through abstaining, we set ourselves up to fail as ultimately no one can win out against the mechanism of hunger; and thirdly, too many choices and treats stops us really understanding what our basic needs are.
At its most basic level when glucose levels in the blood drop below a certain point a little alarm bell rings suggesting that you need to eat. The body’s main concern here is that its principle computer, the brain, doesn’t have the energy required to run it. The signals indicating to the main switchboard that food, energy, is running low are not always accurate. Why? Because, if you eat the wrong foods you set up a chain reaction which triggers the bell to ring, regardless of whether you have recently filled yourself up or not.
The trigger the body is sensitive to is sugar levels in the blood. If we eat food which makes these levels too high (and we can do this quite unwittingly) then something called insulin is released by the body to bring the levels back to a normal range.
Unfortunately this is not an exact science on the body’s part and it tends to deliver a really hearty amount of insulin to do the job, so much so that the previously elevated levels are now quite suddenly pushed the other way, too low. Of course, when low blood sugar levels are registered by the main computer, then the bell rings which requests more food.
Now if the blood sugar levels are kept stable and don’t encourage the release of insulin then you are eating clever, as you will stop triggering the hunger bell ringing at inappropriate times. This is called stabilising your blood sugar levels. It is not so much a diet, as a sensible bit of knowledge, which once understood makes you want to avoid high GI foods.
The way food sugar levels are measured is through a metric called the glycaemic index. Foods were tested to find out how quickly they were absorbed from digestion into the bloodstream. The GI scale was the first Index created and subsequently they discovered a "flaw" which was that the measures for this scale often involved quantities of food that one would never consume in one sitting.
It was based around a set measure of carbohydrate which meant that in some cases that carbohydrate amount was reached with a small portion of food and at the other extreme that the measure of carbohydrate was reached with a ridiculously huge portion of food. Once this was realised, then the index was re done allowing for how much carbohydrate was actually in a portion of food.
This changed the results of some foods which had been thought of as High GI to Low GI and vice versa. This index (GL) is therefore more accurate and worth understanding.
To re cap, the Glycaemic Index told us if a food contained sugars how quickly these would be absorbed into the blood stream but it did not tell us how much carbohydrate (sugar) each food contained. So, water melon, which was High GI was rated as a food to eat at say the end of a meal when it would be digested with other foods, but on the GL scale the concept is that actually pound for pound water melon contains only a small amount of carbohydrate, therefore, its effect on the blood stream will be lower than something which is high in carbohydrate.This changed the rating of water melon from High GI to Low GL.
So, some natural foods may be low GI but pack an awful lot of carbs into one thing; like a date for example. This also can negatively impact blood sugar as too much carbohydrate turns into too much sugar and again swamps the system. So, the Low GI date becomes a High GL food.
The point here is really to introduce you to the idea of food affecting the blood stream and in knowing this, it almost further pushes one away from consuming sugary foods which are so prone to create havoc with blood sugar. In a way, a healthy diet including fresh or natural foods would be likely to be medium to low on the GL scale anyway.
This is a useful tool in your toolbox to understanding exactly why you would now favour to choose foods which represent a good digestion time value. Why eat a 250 calorie snack which will leave you hungry again in half an hour when a low GL 250 calorie meal will let you stay full for 2-3 hours?
Low GL is eating clever because this satiates the body and allows you to actually forget about food, which is how it should be. All you need to do is prepare in advance and know what to eat. The foods we recommend you eat are just real food, either fruit, veg, nuts, grains, animal or seeds and the less processed the better. By consuming these you will be less hungry, you will consume more nutrients over a period of time (as you vary the colour and types of these fruits, nuts, grains etc) and you will become leaner.
Most natural food is Medium or Low GL; it is the processed foods and drinks containing white flour and high sugar which cause major problems to the blood sugar levels and need to be avoided. But some natural foods may be Low GL but pack an awfull lot of carbs into one thing; like a date for example. This also can negatively impact blood sugar as to much carbohydrate turns into too much sugar and again swamps the system.
When looking to lose weight it makes sense to fill up on foods that are Low GL as this means you not only will be full but you will have lovely stable blood sugar levels which reduces an awful lot of stress and potential complications for your poor old body.
To buy one of Lucy`s food boxes, please go to www.bodyfitco.com.
Lucy Case
Fitness Director ThinQ Fitness
Director of The Body Fitness Company
Specialising in Bridal Fitness and High BMI
