Glycemic ... WHAT?!!

How many of us have dreaded carbohydrates? How many times have we heard the typical phrase "eating bread makes you fat" or "As soon as I cut out bread, I lost 5 Kg"?

Bread, tortillas, rice, pasta, dairy, fruits and vegetables are foods that contain carbohydrates to a greater or lesser extent. The brain and many vital organs need glucose to function, so completely cutting out carbs will never be a healthy way to lose weight.

There are 2 types of carbohydrates:

Simple, as refined sugar, white flour, polished rice and white bread. These carbohydrates can be easily absorbed, so that they rapidly rise our blood glucose.

Complex, which are contained in vegetables, dairy, whole grains/flours and fruits. These carbohydrates contain starch and fiber that are absorbed more slowly, keeping our blood sugar levels more stable.

Carbohydrates and proteins provide the same amount of energy per gram (4kcal), however, carbohydrates have the quality to become fat in our body, so they have become infamous for "fattening".

Not all carbohydrates have the same effect in our health.  Choosing those that are the most beneficial can help us lose weight, recover from a workout, reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and even some cancers.

A simple way to "grade" carbohydrates we eat is called the Glycemic Index (GI) method:

This index measures how much 50g of food increases our glucose (sugar) level. Foods with high GI increase our glucose very quickly, so we will need a lot of insulin to absorb them. By contrast, a low GI food will raise glucose to a lesser extent, which will keep us from being hungry longer and save insulin.

This index is starting to be included on food labels, but you will probably not find it in most of the products you buy in the supermarket.

I'll give you some tips to choose low GI foods:

• Choose foods with fiber or starches (unpeeled fruit, vegetables and whole grains)
• Choose foods that are prepared with vegetable fats such as olive oil or canola oil. Foods containing fat have a lower GI, since fat takes more time to be digested.
• The next time you go to the supermarket remember this: The more fat and /or fiber the lower GI.
• It is important to remember that the final preparation of food will define the final GI, so I recommend that when you get home, try to combine high GI foods with a little fat.  For example: if you prepare pasta, add a little olive oil or protein (meat or cheese) to the recipe.  If you eat cereal with milk, add some nuts to it.

I hope that with this information you feel more confident when choosing your foods and recipes.

If you are interested in the GI of foods, click HERE

And for a list f GI in food click HERE