eating low on the glycemic index

[mochamama]

I've been reading about the glycemic index (which rates food for how quickly it breaks down into your body, and how it can affect blood sugar) and finding it very interesting.

I admit I passed by those books for a long time, because I thought they were more low carb, anti-carb baloney. Many low carb books have, in fact, bastardized the glycemic index.

The New Glucose Revolution, which is written by bonafide nutritionists (a Ph.D and an MD, both professors of nutrition) actually explains why we must have carbohydrates to be healthy. Its not an anti-carb book at all. Rather, it argues for better quality carbohydrates.

Better quality usually means complex carbs, whole grains, etc, as we've known for a long time. But there are some surprising foods that rate high glycemic--popcorn, potatoes, and watermelon, for instance.

This book doesn't say you can't eat those foods anymore, but you should try to eat them with a low glycemic food, so it will balance out as a mid glycemic load on your blood sugar.

I've been experimenting with eating low-glycemic lately, and have found some pleasant results. For one, I'm not as hungry. I used to feel hungry all the time. and always anticipate my next snack or meal. I lost a little weight (though it came back over Yule).

But the nicest result is that it seems to have really helped balancing out my moods. I used to frequently feel "jagged" but since I started concentrating on low glycemic foods, I usually feel pretty calm and my moods even.

I haven't seen much info about eating low on the glycemic index (like me, many vegs probably don't look into it because they think its Atkins). Has anyone here looked into it? Gotten any interesting results?

[VOW]

As a diabetic, I have heard about the Glycemic Index, and I do what I can to pay attention to it!

Not only are processed foods very high on the GI, but you'll also find that glycemic values of individual foods vary from one person to the next. I have trouble with rice, even basmati, or even BROWN basmati rice. I found a seven-grain mix that I use instead when I fix Jambalaya, and it's a wonderful compromise.

By paying close attention to the GI values of foods, you can even combine high value foods with low value foods to create an "average."

I predict the Glycemic Index will become more and more important as more people become aware of it. Right now, we need Nutritionists and Diabetes Educators who understand it! For most of them, a carbohydrate is a carbohydrate!


~VOW

[alexis]

Mochamama,

Do you have the name of the book? Sounds really interesting to me.