Benefits of the Glycemic Index
The Glycemic Index (GI) measures the effect of foods on your blood sugar levels. Eating foods with a high glycemic index value will raise the blood sugar level a great deal more than foods with a low glycemic index value. This makes them much healthier for the body than foods with a high glycemic value.
It has been thought that complex carbohydrates like rice and potatoes were absorbed slowly, and simple and refined carbohydrates, like candies and other high-sugar foods, resulted in a sharp rise in blood sugar. However, that is not necessarily true. There are more aspects involved than relying on simple vs complex or refined vs natural.
The GI values are a measure of 1 to 100 where pure glucose has a value of 100. Many carbohydrate-rich foods have been tested and applied against the index. A value of 50 (for example) indicates that the food has an effect on blood sugar equal to half that of glucose.
The glycemic index method classifies carbohydrates according to their effect on blood-glucose instead of according to their chemical structure of either simple (Simple carbohydrates are sugars, like glucose, fructose and lactose.) carbohydrates or complex (Complex carbohydrates are starches and fiber; wholegrain breads, pasta, rice, beans, fruits, and vegetables.) carbohydrates.
ADVANTAGES OF A LOW GI DIET
All carbohydrate foods are not created the same and can behave very differently in our bodies. The glycemic index (GI) illustrates this difference by categorizing them according to their effect on our blood glucose levels.
Choosing low GI carbohydrates, the ones that produce the smallest variation in our blood glucose and insulin levels, provide many benefits for your body. Some of those benefits are:
*helps maintain weight loss
*reduces risk of diabetes and heart disease
*reduces hunger and keeps energy level balanced
*reduces blood cholesterol levels
*maintains carbohydrate levels after exercise
*increases the body's responsiveness to insulin
TIPS ON HOW TO USE A LOW GI DIET
It is simple to switch from a high GI diet to a low GI diet. There are no difficult calculations to make or paying constant attention to counting calories. You simply need to substitute your high GI food with low GI foods. For instance:
*Instead of sugar-laden breakfast cereals, eat cereals made with whole grains like oats, barley and bran. Unrefined cereals such as muesli are lower in GI that processed cereals.
*Instead of white bread, eat whole wheat and whole grain breads. Breads with lots of grains and seeds are lower in GI.
*Instead of baked beans laden with sugar and fat, eat legumes (beans like kidney, garbanzo, pinto, black beans, etc.) and legume products (hummus, lentil soup, etc.)
*Instead of white potatoes, eat new potatoes, sweet potatoes and yams.
*Instead of white rice and highly refined flour pasta, eat brown rice and whole grain or stone-ground pastas.
*Instead of using sugar or artificial sweeteners, use honey, pure maple syrup or stevia to sweeten things up.
*Instead of ice cream, whole milk, and high fat cheese, use unsweetened yogurt, unsweetened milk, and soy beverages.
*Avoid snacks and desserts made with refined flour products.
*Avoid cakes, pies, candies, and soft drinks, including sweetened fruit drinks.
*Eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables every day. (Eat foods in their natural form whenever possible. Stone fruit like peaches, nectarines, apples, and citrus are lower in GI than tropical fruits such as bananas, melons, pineapple, etc.)
*Drink lots of water to keep your organs well hydrated.
Remember, it is not necessary to completely avoid high GI foods. However, they should be reduced as much as possible.
A GI diet and eating plan provides an excellent nutritional choice for people who want to lose weight. By eating a diet composed of carbohydrate-rich foods with a low GI-value and avoiding refined carbohydrates, a GI diet provides the best possible combination of better blood-glucose control and a highly nutritious eating plan. Because of the health advantages of a low GI diet plan, it has surpassed the low-carb diet as the most popular weight loss plan.
If you are trying to lose weight, do not rush things. Make your changes slowly over a period of months. In this way, the changes will seem more natural and your body will be better able to deal with them. The more comfortable the changes in your diet are, the more likely you will be to follow them permanently.
Make sure you add a moderate amount of daily exercise to your routine, if possible. The combination of a nutritious diet and some form of physical activity every day will help your body burn fat faster and promote weight loss.
If you would like additional information on healthy ways to lose weight, learn how to burn fat with one of the most effective and healthy fat-burning systems available, the BURN THE FAT program.
The Best Weight Loss Programs
There are many weight loss programs all promising wonderful results. How do you know which ones, if any, are going to work for you? The main things you should consider are whether or not the diet places too many restrictions on the number of different foods you can eat and/or too many restrictions on the types of food you can eat.
If it does neither, it is probably worth a second look. There are several weight loss programs that are very popular because they do work. They are listed below:
SONOMA DIET
The Sonoma Diet is one of the most balanced diets available. There are no dramatic restrictions on foods and no calorie counting.
The Sonoma Diet celebrates eating, not deprivation. You rarely lose weight and keep it off by severely restricting your foods; therefore, the best way to lose weight is by being able to enjoy your food without feeling deprived.
The Sonoma Diet is broken up into three waves or phases:
*WAVE 1: The first wave lasts ten days and its goal is to teach your body to curb certain food cravings. Unlike some diets, this phase does not restrict carbohydrates, but instead includes whole grains.
Your meals will consist of full, tasty meals of meats, fish, vegetables and whole grains. Many of your favorites foods are allowed.
*WAVE 2: This is the primary or major weight loss phase. This is the phase you will use until you reach your target weight. During this phase you will learn how to enjoy fresh foods and eat a large variety of foods. You can even drink wine!
*WAVE 3: Once you have reached your ideal weight, this will be your maintenance phase. By the time you reach this phase, you will have changed your attitude about eating and achieved the body you have worked for.
The Sonoma Diet is a full-featured online program featuring live support, shopping lists, and customized meal plans. A subscription fee is required.
WEIGHT WATCHERS
Weight Watchers is the longest-running, most familiar weight loss program available. The endurance of Weight Watchers is evidence of its success as a balanced weight loss program.
The Weight Watchers method is to consider dieting as one part of permanent weight management. Weight Watchers does not tell you what to eat, but they provide the tools and information to help you make healthy choices.
*FLEX PLAN: This plan offers a full range of food choices using a points system. You can choose any food as long as you control how much of it you eat. There are online tools that provide points values and a daily tracker.
*CORE PLAN: This plan allows you to eat from a list of certain foods from each of the food groups. You can also have occasional treats (in measured amounts).
Weight Watchers has extensive online resources to help you follow your plan step-by-step. There are chat rooms and message boards all designed to help you in your journey.
The strength of the Weigh Watchers program is the encouragement and support you receive from other members in the program when you attend the monthly meetings. This can provide powerful motivation to stick with the program. Weight Watchers online has information that includes where the meetings take place worldwide.
Weight Watchers works and has been working for over forty years. Many people try various other programs only to return to Weight Watchers because it is so successful. The Weight Watchers Flex plan costs about five dollars per week.
SOUTH BEACH DIET
The South Beach Diet was originally developed for overweight heart patients. The patients experienced not only weight loss but better overall health, as well. The South Beach Diet is now one of the most popular diets available.
*PHASE 1: The South Beach Diet starts with a partially restricted two-week phase that results in quick weight loss. Most carbohydrates must be avoided. You can eat three meals a day, consisting of meat, fish, vegetables, eggs and nuts.
*PHASE 2: This phase remains in effect until you reach your desired weight. It consists of specific meals and includes some of the foods that were forbidden in the first phase. The average weight loss during this period will be one to two pounds per week.
*PHASE 3: The third phase is the maintenance phase. Once you have learned to eat in a healthy way, it will be easier to maintain your ideal weight.
NOTE: This is NOT the Atkins Diet. The carbohydrate limitations are based on eating good carbohydrates and avoiding bad carbohydrates. The first phase IS very low-carbohydrate but the diet is based on the glycemic index.
NUTRI-SYSTEM
Nutri-System is a portion-controlled on-line program. The program provides an analysis that calculates your calories needs. Once the program gleans this information, meal plans are then calculated and shipped to you.
The advantages to this type of program are:
*It provides a healthy and comprehensive weight loss program for a short time period to get you back on track.
*A consistent weight loss of two pounds per week and there are programs available for diabetics and vegetarians.
*It is based on the glycemic index.
*You do not have to count calories, go shopping, cook meals, or worry about whether or not you are getting the right mix of nutrients (good carbohydrates, low fat, and protein). It is all provided and delivered to your door.
*On-line support with membership (including phone support with a weight loss counselor).
*FREE meal planner, exercise program and all features of the program. You only pay for the food.
There are hundreds of meals to choose from and you can choose any foods you like. Go to the Nutri-System website and click on the Men’s or Women’s Program to get started.
The weight loss programs listed above are considered to be the most effective ones available. Research each one before you decide which one will work best for you.
If you would like additional information on healthy ways to lose weight, learn how to burn fat with one of the most effective and healthy fat-burning systems available, the BURN THE FAT program.
ECG Screening Can Really Reduce Sudden Cardiac Deaths!
It was reported that patients with chest pain may end up with deadly heart attack because the ECG (electrocardiogram) could not supply diagnostic result for the doctor in time to save the patients.
Nonetheless, a screening program using 12-lead ECG for young athletes in Italy has reduced the sudden cardiac deaths by almost 90 percent, according to a report from Heartwise. The study was conducted by researchers from the University Of Padua Medical School and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Launched in 1983, a nationwide screening program using 12-lead ECG was employed to track the athletes in Veneto region of the country. The researchers analyzed the changes in incidence rates and causes of sudden cardiovascular death among 42,386 young athletes (aged 12 to 35 years) undergoing pre-participation screening between 1979 and 2004.
During the study period, the annual incidence rate of sudden cardiovascular death in athletes dropped by 89 percent, from 3.6 per 100,000 person-years in 1979 to 1980 to 0.4 per 100,000 person-years in 2003 to 2004. In comparison, the incidence of sudden death among the unscreened non-athletic population did not change significantly during the same period of time.
The beneficial data collected from the study is very encouraging, and the chief researcher, felt that the screening strategies should be picked up by other countries for the prevention of sudden death in athletes.
This suggestion was not widely agreeable by other doctors or experts in other countries to establish the importance of routine ECG in the screening process. Firstly, this is the first assessment of the long-term impact of a screening program on mortality from sudden cardiovascular death. Secondly, most of the reduced death rate was due to fewer cases of sudden death from cardiomyopathy.
Cardiomyopathy is a serious heart disease in which thickening of the heart’s walls can lead to abnormal heart rhythm. This can cause sudden and unexpected death in athletes. It can be difficult to detect and many athletes train for years before the problem arises.
The problem can, however, be picked up by an ECG, according to the researchers of the study. Those with cardiomyopathy are restricted from competitive sports and receive regular clinical follow-up, beta-block therapy and an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). ICD is a device that can monitor and correct abnormal heart rhythms It is, however, not affordable by everyone with its cost of around US$35,000 a piece.
The researchers hope that the study can help in the design of more focused screening strategies and want to refine the management of young competitive athletes with cardiovascular disease.
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