complete health with judi samuels
  • Welcome
  • Who is Judi?
  • It's Easy!
  • Nutrition and Complete Health
  • Personal Training and Complete Health
  • Body Renewal by Judi
  • RECIPES
    • Baked Asparagus With...
    • Balsamic Chicken
    • Cashew Creme
    • Chicken, Squash and Chickpea Stew
    • Chocolate Chia Pudding
    • Coconut Cauliflower Mash
    • Detox Smoothie
    • Everyday Smoothie
    • Flourless Chocolate Cake
    • Glazed Salmon
    • Homemade Ketchup
    • Lemon Chicken
    • Mango Tilapia
    • Medjool Date Apple Salad
    • Minimalist Black Bean Burger
    • Quinoa with Pomegranate and Pistachio
    • Tangy Salad Dressing
    • Turkey Meatloaf with Homemade Ketchup
  • ASK THE NUTRITIONIST!
    • HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT SMOOTHIE
    • DO I NEED SUPPLEMENTS?
    • WHY NOT PEANUTS?
    • WHY BE GLUTEN-FREE?
    • WHAT ABOUT COW'S MILK? PART 1
    • WHAT ABOUT COW'S MILK PART 2
    • WHY ARE CARBONATED BEVERAGES HARMFUL?
    • HOW CAN I BOOST MY METABOLISM?
    • LEARN >
      • The Myth of Willpower - NEW!
      • Alcoholic Beverages and Weight Loss
      • Glycemic Index
      • Probiotics
      • Protein and Your Body
      • Omega 3's, Omega 6's and Flaxseed
  • Testimonials
    • About "It's Easy Eating!"tm
    • About Mary
    • About Teens
  • Are You Ready to Change?
  • Blog
  • Contact Judi
THE GLYCEMIC INDEX

The glycemic index can be an effective tool for weight loss. The glycemic index (GI) ranks foods on the basis of how quickly they raise your blood sugar, and the newer concept of glycemic load (GL) assesses the impact of specific amounts of carbohydrate foods on blood sugar.

On the GI, glucose is assigned an arbitrary rank of 100.  Foods ranking higher than 60 are considered high GI foods.  Foods ranked between 45 and 60 are moderate, and those under 45, such as cruciferous vegetables and many fruits, are considered low

The GI doesn’t tell you how much carbohydrates are in an actual serving.  The ratings are based on a serving of 50 grams of carbs.  Often, you’re not going to eat that much.  Carrots have a relatively high GI but you’d have to eat several pounds of them at once to get 50 grams.  This is why we need the GL which takes into account the actual amount you eat.  Carrots are intermediate on this scale.  

The original goal of the GI was to help diabetics control their blood sugar levels.  For non-diabetics, there are times when a rapid increase in blood sugar, and the corresponding increase in insulin, is desirable.  For example, after strenuous exercise, insulin helps move glucose into muscle cells where it aids tissue repair.  

At other times, chronic elevations in blood sugar signaling your pancreas to increase secretions of insulin can lead to a cycle of increased fat storage, lethargy and more hunger.  


So although recent animal research provides compelling evidence that high-GI foods are associated with increased risk of obesity, human trials show that glycemic responses vary widely from person-to-person according to insulin response, type of food, its ripeness, processing, length of storage, cooking methods, amount of food in the body and even time of day!

A much better way to control weight is by eating a variety of foods that provide bulk and volume but are relatively low in calories.  They provide satiety and fullness so that you eat less but aren’t hungry.  Combining all three macronutrients- carbs, protein and fat- at all meals ensures that additional fiber, protein and fat will slow digestion of the glucose and generally lower the GI and the GL of the meal.



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  • Welcome
  • Who is Judi?
  • It's Easy!
  • Nutrition and Complete Health
  • Personal Training and Complete Health
  • Body Renewal by Judi
  • RECIPES
    • Baked Asparagus With...
    • Balsamic Chicken
    • Cashew Creme
    • Chicken, Squash and Chickpea Stew
    • Chocolate Chia Pudding
    • Coconut Cauliflower Mash
    • Detox Smoothie
    • Everyday Smoothie
    • Flourless Chocolate Cake
    • Glazed Salmon
    • Homemade Ketchup
    • Lemon Chicken
    • Mango Tilapia
    • Medjool Date Apple Salad
    • Minimalist Black Bean Burger
    • Quinoa with Pomegranate and Pistachio
    • Tangy Salad Dressing
    • Turkey Meatloaf with Homemade Ketchup
  • ASK THE NUTRITIONIST!
    • HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT SMOOTHIE
    • DO I NEED SUPPLEMENTS?
    • WHY NOT PEANUTS?
    • WHY BE GLUTEN-FREE?
    • WHAT ABOUT COW'S MILK? PART 1
    • WHAT ABOUT COW'S MILK PART 2
    • WHY ARE CARBONATED BEVERAGES HARMFUL?
    • HOW CAN I BOOST MY METABOLISM?
    • LEARN >
      • The Myth of Willpower - NEW!
      • Alcoholic Beverages and Weight Loss
      • Glycemic Index
      • Probiotics
      • Protein and Your Body
      • Omega 3's, Omega 6's and Flaxseed
  • Testimonials
    • About "It's Easy Eating!"tm
    • About Mary
    • About Teens
  • Are You Ready to Change?
  • Blog
  • Contact Judi