Eating a balanced diet is essential during a weight loss program but in many cases it may not be enough. Choosing low glycemic foods may be equally as important. Insulin is released when we consume high GI foods or large quantities of carbohydrates. This insulin thus prevents us from using our stored fat as energy and may cause a drop in blood sugar leading to more cravings.
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The glycemic index is a measure of the effect of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates that break down quickly during digestion and release glucose rapidly into the bloodstream have a high GI (>70). Carbohydrates that break down more slowly, releasing glucose more gradually into the bloodstream, have a low GI (<55).______________________________________________________
The basic technique for eating the low GI way is simply a "this for that" approach - ie: swapping high GI carbs for low GI carbs. You don't need to count numbers or do any sort of mental arithmetic to make sure you are eating a healthy low GI diet. http://www.glycemicindex.com/
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Eating a lot of high GI foods can be detrimental to your health because it pushes your body to extremes. This is especially true if you are overweight and sedentary. Switching to eating mainly low GI carbs that slowly trickle glucose into your bloodstream keeps your energy levels balanced and means you will feel fuller for longer between meals. For more read "The Low GI Handbook" http://www.ginews.blogspot.com/
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