A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, adds to other prior studies have led much the same conclusions on the benefits to health and weight management, promoting a diet food low glycemic index or average.
This study compared a diet rich in carbohydrates, but low glycemic index, vis-à-vis a diet low in fat. The results of this study showed that people who follow the low GI diet had improved their blood pressure and their blood fat levels, more significant than those who followed the diet low in fat.
People in low-GI diet, sought 43% of their calories from carbohydrates, 27% protein and 30% in fat. In turn people in low-fat diet would seek 65% of calories from carbohydrates, 17% protein and 18% lipids. In both diets, total calorie intake was reduced for a drop of 10% by weight of participants.
At the end of the study participants in both groups had received the same weight loss, but those of low GI group had suffered less from hunger and had a better blood test. Their basal metabolism was also decreased to a much lesser extent.
The runway seems clear that the process is in control of carbohydrate. This does not however apply to a diet restricted in carbohydrates or carbohydrate, but rather to ensure the quality of these by giving preference to carbohydrates with low glycemic index.
Regimes “Montignac”, “South Beach” (Miami regime) and “In the Zone” are examples of popular diets are based more or less on this principle.
What is a food with low glycemic index?
More food causes a secretion of insulin quickly after its ingestion, the higher its glycemic index is called “high”. There are now tables providing the GI (Glycemic Index) of most foods. The base index is 100 (position of white bread). It considers that foods with an index above 70 should be eaten sparingly, and foods below 50 are conducive to achieving a healthy weight.
Foods with the highest glycemic index foods are naturally richer in glucose, but also poorer in fiber. There are several types of sugars: glucose, fructose, lactose, sorbitol, etc.. For example, among three carbohydrates, white sugar to a GI of 92, glucose 135 and fructose 30.
But pound for pound, these carbohydrates provide the same number of calories, except that fructose with a sweeter than white sugar (sucrose), you use less.
What about calories?
The nutrition experts always come back to the fact that only calories are important, and weight control through a simple balance sheet of what we eat in a day. At least that is the high total calorie of our meals, and better to focus our weight, and that ultimately the only way to lose weight is to control daily caloric intake.
Our nutritionists have certainly right at the base, but to speak only of calories has become a bit simplistic, but as we shall see there is some overlap between a diet based on foods with low glycemic index and regimes based on the calculation calories.
Many studies have shown that people consuming a low GI meal, satiated longer and consume less calorie meals. In a study on obese adolescents, we served three meals with the same number of calories, but with a different glycemic index for each meal. These meals were followed by another meal during which the teens could eat as much as they wanted.
After a medium-GI meals, they accounted for 53% less calories than after a high-GI meal. And reduced calorie intake at 81% when they had previously had a low GI meal.
We believe that the regime low glycemic index is the best solution to find an ideal weight and keep it above! There will be more effective and beneficial if it ensures eating qualities of fat, including essential fatty acids, including the famous Omega-3.
Fats should consist almost exclusively of fatty fish (salmon, sardines, tuna, herring, etc..) Olive oil, canola oil, flaxseed oil, borage oil. Eating a variety of nuts, especially almonds. In fruits, do not overlook the lawyers rich in essential fatty acids. In carbohydrates, encourage whole grains, beans, all foods rich in fiber. The presence of fiber helps lower the glycemic index of foods consumed.
It is easy enough to memorize quickly enough to what category of glycemic index foods belong key (low, medium, high) and to develop healthy dietary habits favoring foods with low or medium GI.
You can even afford to eat occasionally GI foods higher, especially if we take the habit of associating food with low GI. Indeed a high GI food will lower its benchmark when combined with a food low GI.
For example, a slice of white bread glycemic index which is 100 linked to peanut butter, which the GI is 40, will descend to the GI 70, and a high index at the start, finally becomes an average index.
There are other ways to control the glycemic index in a meal and we will return soon in other chronicles.
