Glycemic index and weight loss

Many studies looking into how the glycemic index effects various aspects of health through the years, including weight, cancer, and diabetes, just to name a few. The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly the food converts into sugar, or glucose, in the blood. In some countries, this is a commonly used measure for foods that supply carbohydrates. In the US, this is a very controversial subject and research continues to further the confusion, some showing benefits to various health conditions and some showing no benefits at all.

The most recent study was published in the October, 2006 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and concluded that a high glycemic index diet correlated with greater waist circumference, body weight, and percentage of body fat in women, and the effect was strongest among inactive women. But glycemic index had none of these effects on men. The researchers suggest that gender somehow affects the influence of glycemic index on weight gain.

Many things can influence the glycemic index of a food, including cooking methods and the other foods in the meal. Years ago I became intrigued as to how it could help my clients and spent a lot of time investigating all the current research. I found other RD’s who were using it in their practice to educate clients who wanted to lose weight or control their blood sugars and discussed the theory with them, learning how it was helping their clients. My focus was particular to weight loss. As I always do when I’m considering new information, I tested the theory of increasing low glycemic index foods on myself. Because I work with personal training clients early in the morning, I generally eat breakfast at 4:30am, which means I am hungry by about 9am in the morning, but am too busy to be able to stop and eat at that time. I changed my breakfast to include a few simple changes, such as slow-cook oatmeal and less juice and more whole fruits, to go along with the protein food I always include with breakfast. These simple changes helped me feel satisfied longer, where I didn’t need to eat again so early.

What did this show me? I actually would eat fewer calories because I was hungry less often. Many studies showed this very result, in fact. But how do you know what foods are low glycemic index foods? There is a simple rule to follow that can help: Choose foods or ingredients that are less processed and more whole and less cooked. For example, slow-cooked oatmeal is a better choice than instant, barley is a better choice than white bread or white rice, and breads or pancakes made with mostly intact whole grains or 100% stone ground whole wheat or flax seed is better than breads made with white flour.

Choosing foods lower in the glycemic index is a simple experiment you can practice on yourself. Because these include healthier, less processed foods, you really can’t go wrong! Even for people with diabetes, choosing less processed, more whole foods is a good choice.

To read the abstract from the AJCN study, click here.

To read more about the glycemic index, go to this link:

http://www.mendosa.com/gi.htm