Saul Katz: Low Glycemic for Life!

GLOBESITY - A RUNAWAY EPIDEMIC

Obesity outranks malnutrition ahead of undernourishment as a global epidemic, threatening healthcare systems worldwide.

"Globesity" is a new term that marks our generation, and reflects a worldwide epidemic that is out of control.

Obesity now outranks malnutrition worldwide according to the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the WHO, of the world’s six billion people, one billion are overweight, compared to 800 million people who are undernourished. This epidemic is not restricted to developed countries as it is estimated that 33% of women and 25% percent men on the continent of Africa are overweight, and these percentages are predicted to rise to 41 % and 30 % respectively, over the next decade.

Diabetes is closely related to obesity, with 9 in 10 American diabetics being obese. Because these epidemics stem from the modern lifestyle, diet and food supply infrastructure, they are jeopardizing health care systems worldwide. Adoption of a low glycemic diet and lifestyle is recommended as a primary strategy by scientists and health policy experts to stem(?) these dual epidemics that comprise "Diabesity", another new term that evidences the interlinked relationship between obesity and diabetes.

According to Technology Watch, a publication sponsored by the National Research Council of Canada, "The World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Office (FAO) of the United Nations stated that globally, overweight populations are a bigger problem than undernourishment, and recommended people in industrialized countries base their diets on low glycemic (GI) foods to prevent most of the common diseases of affluence." [Technology Watch: The Glycemic Index (V2, Issue 3); Food and Agriculture Organization, 1997. The role of the glycemic index in food choice. IN: Carbohydrates in Human Nutrition: Report of joint FAO/WHO expert Consultation, Rome, April 1997. Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome FAO 1998 Commission.

Many countries are implementing Low GI initiatives in an effort to address the growing epidemics of obesity and diabetes head on. For example, the Government of Australia has developed The Glycemic Index (GI) Symbol Program as a joint public health initiative of the Government of Australia, Diabetes Australia and The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Australia. The program enables consumers to make low GI food choices with the use of a special low GI symbol that appears on food packaging of accredited products that have been Low GI tested by an accredited laboratory. In Canada, Glycemic Index Laboratories, is a laboratory that tests and clinically validates the GI of food products such as Solo GI™ Low Glycemic Nutrition Bars.

Don’t be a statistic! Take action today to learn more about the Glycemic Index (GI) so that you and your family can benefit from making low GI food choices and live a healthier low glycemic lifestyle.

Visit my Low Glycemic Blog every day as I am dedicated to provide you with information to help you make small changes over time that will have a dramatic impact on your energy level, with your weight management and overall health and well being.

Low Glycemic Index (GI) and Low Glycemic Load (GL) foods have been proven in studies to be beneficial: dieting; weight loss; obesity; diabetes; balancing blood sugar; sustained energy; sport nutrition; mental performance; acne; eye health; macular degeneration; heart disease and forms of cancer. See also Low GI Diet, Low GI Recipes, Low GI Food, Low GI Eating.

Copyright 2008, Saul Katz

MINDFUL EATING - IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE FOR WEIGHT LOSS

My blog on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2008 outlined the important Principles and Guidelines required for adopting a low GI lifestyle. The last principle, "Eat mindfully all day long", may be the most important principle for successful (and long term) weight loss. I say this because losing weight shouldn’t focus only on what you eat, but also how you eat.

Mindful eating strives to combine what you eat (the actual food) with how you consume it. By paying attention to elements such as the time of day that you eat, where you eat, the pace at which you eat, how the food makes you feel, and most importantly, how the food tastes - you can learn your body’s natural hunger (and thirst) cues and will be well on your way to successful weight loss.

This may sound like a lot to pay attention to while you are eating; the point here is to be aware of what you are eating and mindful of how it makes you feel. Mindfulness is described as being fully present in the moment; being fully engaged and present in the task that you are doing. It consists of paying attention to an experience from moment to moment — without drifting into thoughts of the past or concerns about the future. This is your chance to sit down and really enjoy your food!

Food is meant to be enjoyed and savored and mindfulness will bring back the pleasure of eating, and finally help to end the "food fight" many of us are constantly battling with. You can learn your body’s natural rhythms by consuming low GI meals and snacks spaced properly throughout the day. Often thirst, tiredness or fatigue are mistaken for hunger and can lead to cravings, overeating and weight gain. A low GI diet will help you avoid hunger and keep the cravings at bay by keeping your blood sugar balanced and your hormone levels in check. See below for tips on how to bring mindfulness back to your life and your eating.

1. Enjoy the food you eat – taste every bite by eating slowly, notice how it feels in your mouth and how it makes you feel afterwards

2. Avoid skipping meals – this will lead to blood sugar swings, cravings and overeating

3. Stay hydrated – drink adequate fluids (preferably water) throughout the day to avoid confusing thirst with hunger

4. Be aware of the time of day that you are "hungry" – do you truly need to eat or is something else triggering a craving (thirst, tiredness, fatigue)

5. Be prepared and be selective – when on the go, pack healthy low GI snacks such as fruit, nuts, trail mix, vegetables, or SoLo Gi® Low Glycemic Nutrition Bars to avoid easy-to-grab processed high GI snacks

Tip of the Day:

To practice mindful eating, try a simple exercise with one of your favorite foods, perhaps a small piece of really good quality chocolate. In a quiet, peaceful setting (no distractions), take the chocolate and look closely at its shape, texture and color. Notice how it makes you feel (your salivary glands are probably activated) and describe how you think it will taste. Next, close your eyes and take a small bite and notice the texture, flavor, and how it feels in your mouth. Can you taste the bitterness along with the sweetness? How does it feel in your throat when you swallow it? Lastly, take another bite, eating normally, to see how the experience impacted your impression of chocolate. Contributed by: Carla Poirier, Manager Research & Development, Solo GI Nutrition.

LOW GI - CHILDHOOD OBESITY IS SHORTENING LIFE EXPECTANCY

America needs a wake up call. The modern sedentary lifestyle and diet has produced a childhood obesity epidemic that is reducing life span and quality of life. Experts say life expectancy in the U.S. could drop an average of two to five years because of childhood obesity; the first drop since the civil war. Increasing numbers of obese children are being diagnosed with 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, bad cholesterol and other obesity complications that were seldom seen in children before. And it gets worse, obesity is projected to cause more deaths by mid-century, than all cancers combined.

"For the first time in history, life expectancy may be shorter for our children than their parents" according to Dr. Sarah Barlow, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and author of new recommendations from an expert committee on the prevention, assessment and treatment of childhood obesity. "Childhood obesity in this country has skyrocketed to 1 in 4 children being overweight or obese. As a result, weight related type 2 diabetes and other conditions, previously considered to be adult problems, are now emerging in children."

This prediction was reinforced by a recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, which linked obese children ages 7 to 13 to the development of heart disease in adulthood. According to Dr. David Ludwig (see below), "It's one thing for an obese 45 year old to develop type 2 diabetes at age 55 and then have a heart attack at the age of 65. It's a very different thing for the clock to start ticking at age 10." Dr. Ludwig is currently using SoLo Gi® Low Glycemic Nutrition Bars in a Low GI study at the Children’s Hospital Boston with a focus on gestational diabetes and preventing a predisposition to obesity and diabetes early in life.

The good news is that parents can prevent their children from becoming a statistic. Dr. Barlow continued, "We need to look for new ways to reach out to parents and healthcare professionals to teach lifestyle changes and counseling techniques." Insulin resistance which is a primary culprit can be reversed with simple lifestyle changes and better dietary choices.

Bottom line is that not only children but all generations can live optimally and enjoy a long healthy life expectancy if we work with the body’s design and give it what it needs to work optimally; more physical activity and low GI foods that don’t spike blood sugar, is a really good start!

David Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D. Endocrinologist at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Optimal Weight for Life Program, Children’s Hospital Boston. Author of Ending the Food Fight, Guide Your Child to a Healthy Weight in a Fast Food / Fake Food World (2007) "Dr. Ludwig pioneered the use of a Low Glycemic Diet in Combating Obesity."

GUIDELINES FOR ADOPTING A LOW GI LIFESTYLE

A low GI diet can help you lose weight and keep it off, but there are a number of principles and guidelines that should be adopted to ensure long-term success. They are designed to enhance the quality of your new low GI lifestyle by improving and maintaining your health and well-being for your lifetime. The goal is to equip you with the tools you need to design your own low GI lifestyle by providing healthy eating strategies and lifestyle principles. Please embrace each one with care, and with time you will be equipped to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, and fight illness and disease at the same time. You should live fully and enjoy all that life has to offer; including good food and physical activity.

1. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits every day

2. Eat low GI breads and grains

3. Eat more legumes such as beans, chickpeas and lentils

4. Choose healthy proteins

5. Choose healthy fat sources

6. Choose packaged and prepared foods carefully

7. Stay hydrated

8. Get active

9. Eat mindfully all day long

Tip of the Day:

Water is quickly becoming the forgotten "nutrient" in the American diet. More than half of the human body is composed of water and we could not live without it for more than a few days. Interestingly, the consumption of sodas far exceeds the consumption of water in our society. I challenge you to try increasing your consumption of water by one glass every few days until you reach approximately 8 cups (more for increased activity), to see how different if makes you feel. You might even find that you naturally reduce your food intake, as sometimes a signal for "hunger" is actually one of thirst when you are not properly hydrated. When you feel hungry between meals, it may actually be dehydration that is causing you to feel this way. To "spice" it up, try adding a splash lemon or lime juice, or treat yourself to a bottle of sparking water. Supplied by: Carla Poirier, Manager, Research & Development, Solo GI Nutrition

LOW GI MEALS MADE EASY WITH SIMPLE CHANGES

Today I would like to provide you with some helpful information and tips on how to reduce the GI of your meals, while paying careful attention to the nutritional balance and health impact at the same time.

As you are now aware, the Glycemic Index is based on the manner in which carbohydrate-containing foods are digested in the body and how quickly or slowly the energy is released. Most foods do not contain carbohydrates exclusively; often they will also have fiber, protein, fat and various types of micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Foods such as whole grains, legumes, nuts, many fruits and vegetables, and clinically-validated packaged products such as SoLo Gi® Low Glycemic Nutrition Bars contain carbohydrate, fiber, protein and fat and are therefore more likely to be nutritionally balanced. Not only are these foods low GI, but the balanced nutrition contributes additional benefits such as increased satiety (feeling of fullness), less cravings, promote regularity, and add diversity to your meals.

It is also helpful to note that because protein and fat do not contain carbohydrates, they do not contribute to the GI and will not immediately impact your blood glucose levels. The case with fiber is a little different because although it doesn’t raise your blood sugar, it affects how fast glucose from other foods enters your blood stream. Fiber-containing foods help to slow the digestion process, promoting blood sugar balance, while also keeping you full for longer. Therefore, adding some fiber, protein or fat (within reason) to your meals and snacks will help to reduce the GI, keep blood glucose levels stable, provide additional nutrients, and keep you satisfied for longer thereby promoting weight loss.

To help with your meal preparation, I have provided some suggestions for changes you can make in your meals to help you learn the principles of adopting a low GI lifestyle. Please click here to see the list. Stay tuned tomorrow to learn more about the guidelines and principles of the low GI diet.

Tip of the Day:

To add some "food for thought" to your dinner plate this evening, consider how you would feel about consuming food products from cloned animals. The FDA recently ruled that foods from healthy cloned animals and their offspring are as safe as those from ordinary animals. The 968-page "final risk assessment" not yet released, finds no evidence to support opponents’ concerns that food from clones may harbor hidden risks. Read the full story as published in the Washinton Post Jan 14, 2008, then you decide. There will certainly be more to come on this topic!

"STIMULANTS" - TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING?

Most of you are aware of the ever-increasing problem with obesity and diabetes in our society today. Many believe the problem stems from the fast pace lifestyles we live, where each family member is involved in several different activities; long work hours, full or part-time studies, group activities, physical aspirations, not to mention the daily fixation with the internet, computer, video gaming and television. As a result, people are tired and stressed out, which causes them to continually reach for something sugary and high GI to pick them up and keep them going. The consequence is a severe decline in the quality of the American diet due to the availability of convenient, high GI, highly refined and processed food.

Refined foods and high GI carbs are not the only culprits acting as "stimulants" in the American diet. Caffeine-loaded beverages such as coffee, tea and colas are quickly becoming the "drug" of choice as they promote the brain’s feel-good chemicals and make you feel better, with more energy and alertness. Who wouldn’t want to feel this way, right? Well, the problem with this is what happens in your body afterwards. Stimulants have the same effect as when you are experiencing extreme stress, where your body releases hormones, including dopamine and adrenaline. These hormones breakdown stores of glucose and raise your blood sugar levels, tapping into your energy reserves to provide instant fuel to the "apparent danger". As stimulants are addictive, consumption of these substances will likely increase, causing blood sugar imbalances as a result. Continued over a long period of time, the problem can lead to decreased insulin sensitivity, leading to weight gain and a host of other problems such as obesity, insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, and eventually type 2 diabetes.

To compound the stimulant problem, coffee baristas and retailers are looking to cash in on the exploding demand for caffeine-containing specialty beverages, where they are expanding their product lines and offerings. What seemed improbable 10 years ago is coming to fruition with McDonald’s taking on Starbucks by offering specialty coffee drinks and bottled beverages. Reported in the Wall Street Journal Jan 8, 2008 the story describes that, starting this year, the company’s nearly 14,000 U.S. locations will install coffee bars with "baristas" serving cappuccinos, lattes, mochas and the Frappe, similar to Starbucks’ ice-blended Frappuccino. The jury is still out on whether McDonald’s venture will be successful, but we have to ask the question: "Is this too much of a good thing for consumers?"

You may feel that you cannot live without your morning cup of "Joe" or the mid-afternoon sweet treat to get you through the rest of the day. I am here to tell you that reducing the "stimulants" in your diet will allow you to get your blood sugar back into balance. It may be difficult at first, but you will find that with time you will experience more energy and increased weight loss as a result. What do you have to lose, literally? Start today by making small (but important) changes contributing to your new low GI lifestyle!

Tip of the Day: To avoid having withdrawal symptoms, reduce refined carbs and caffeine-containing beverages slowly. At the same time, remember that this is not a recommendation for total elimination, but for reasonable consumption. A low GI lifestyle is about balance and sustainability (something to be adopted for life), so small amounts of caffeine and sweet treats are acceptable within reason.

Low Glycemic Index (GI), low Glycemic Load (GL) foods have been proven in studies to be beneficial for: diet, weight loss, obesity/diabetic, blood sugar management, sports/sport nutrition, energy foods, mental performance, concentration, acne, eye health, macular degeneration, disease prevention: diabetes, heart disease and forms of cancer.

LOW GI DIET - MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICES

According to recent research looking at consumer buying habits, American consumers make their food choices based on taste, price, convenience, appearance and shelf life. Notice that none of these have anything to do with health! Justifiably so, as most people have good intentions for sticking to a weight loss plan, but often it is too difficult to understand or cumbersome to plan and organize your food choices. Because the GI diet is not a plan but more a way of life, with proper guidance on food choice and selection, you will see how easy it can be to change your way of thinking.

One of the problems with many popular diet plans is the reduction or elimination of entire food groups. The GI diet is about balance and should contain adequate amounts from all of the food groups. When combining meals, you should not only choose low GI carbohydrates but also healthy choices of protein and fat. This will not only reduce the GI of your meal but also enhance the satiety value by keeping you full for longer. It is also very important to watch your portion sizes because we all know calories count for weight loss! To help get you going, please see the following attachment adapted from the SoLo Gi® Low Glycemic Nutrition website, which contains great ideas and tips on how to switch from a high GI to a low GI diet.

Also, because one of the biggest problems with weight loss is the between-meal period, I have created a list of "convenient" low GI choices below. This should help take some of the guesswork out of making low GI choices and adopting the low GI lifestyle.

1. Trail mix with nuts and dried fruit

2. Fruit (i.e. apple, orange, peach, pear)

3. Cheese sticks

4. Low fat milk or soy milk latte (watch the sugar)

5. Smoothies (i.e. blend with low fat milk, scoop of peanut butter and fruit)

6. Low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit

7. Hummus with whole grain crackers or pita bread

8. SoLo Gi™ Low Glycemic Nutrition Bars

Tip of the Day: When making food choices, I encourage you to think not only about the GI of the food, but also how much "nutritional" bang you are getting for your "calorie buck".

Low Glycemic Index (GI) and Low Glycemic Load (GL) foods have been proven in studies to be beneficial: dieting; weight loss; obesity; diabetes; balancing blood sugar; sustained energy; sport nutrition; mental performance; acne; eye health; macular degeneration; heart disease and forms of cancer. See also Low GI Diet, Low GI Recipes, Low GI Food, Low GI Eating.

Copyright 2008, Saul Katz

LOW GI LIFESTYLE WARDS OFF DIABETES

It has been shown that a high GI diet, obesity, and physical inactivity trigger a cluster of problems that lead to insulin resistance and diabetes.  Currently one in three American children born in 2000 will develop type II diabetes and half will be overweight in their lifetime.  Shockingly, this is the first time in history that parents are predicted to outlive their children!

These diseases are preventable with the adoption of a low GI lifestyle involving a low GI diet and regular physical activity. Recent research this week out of the University of Missouri has strengthened the argument showing that exercise fights the onset of type II diabetes.  Exercise can curb early impairments of insulin resistance and help manage blood sugar in type II diabetics.  When exercise is combined with a low GI diet, energy levels rise giving people an ability to have more activity throughout their day.

In detail, exercise has been found to have a dramatic effect of lowering blood sugar levels at all stages of insulin resistance and type II diabetes.  Since 80-90% of our blood sugar goes into the muscles after a meal, it only makes sense that if our muscles are active we can improve insulin sensitivity. 

It’s becoming a desperate time and the message needs to get across that instead of Americans spending millions on pharmaceutical care all they need to do is GET ACTIVE and adopt a low GI lifestyle.  A perfect on-the-go snack is the clinically validated SoLo Bar that gives sustained energy, satiety, and doesn’t trigger high blood sugar. 

Get active and fight disease! 

Tip of the Day:

To get active at work, park further away from the entrance and take the stairs not the elevator.  Being Active at work improves productivity and morale, improves job satisfaction and team spirit, reduces stress and back injuries, Reduces absenteeism and turnover, reduces workplace injuries, and reduces workers’ compensation claims and costs.

ARE YOUR HORMONES MAKING YOU FAT?

Good morning America!

Welcome to my blog on the Glycemic Index. I have committed myself to write a blog because Americans need a Low GI wake up call, every morning. Each day more of us are joining the ranks of the obese and diabetic.

The statistics are frightening with 66% of adults being overweight or obese, 60 million Americans being diabetic or pre-diabetic, 9 out of 10 Type 2 diabetics being obese and one in three children born in the year 2000 projected to develop diabetes in their lifetime. These interlinked epidemics are out of control, and the phenomenon is being called "Diabesity". To see the full story on why I am writing this blog, click on the ABOUT icon at the top left corner of the screen.

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Blood sugar balance is intricately controlled by your body’s hormonal systems; most importantly being insulin. This important hormone evolved as the "survival" hormone for our prehistoric ancestors to help them survive during times of famine, allowing fat to be stored, and utilized later when needed. Jumping forward 40,000 years, the situation is drastically different, where modernization has literally created the "land of plenty".

Insulin was designed to create blood sugar homeostasis in the body, but cannot cope with the overabundance and onslaught of highly refined, sugary and high GI foods being consumed on a daily basis. When food is eaten, the end product of carbohydrate digestion is glucose, our body’s preferred source of energy. The role of insulin is to facilitate the entry of glucose from the blood into the tissues of the body for energy, or convert and store any excess as fat, for later use. Our modern diet contains exceptionally abundant levels of high GI foods (refined grains such as white bread and crackers, super-sized sodas, and many highly processed convenient foods) which are digested quickly, causing rapid spikes in blood sugar, subsequently taxing our insulin-producing mechanism.

Over time, the cells of the body do not work as efficiently, and can become "insulin resistant", resulting in increased circulating levels of insulin and/or sugar in the blood. Not only does this lead to the appearance of the symptoms of diabetes, but the high level of glucose in the blood decreases the sensitivity of the target cell receptors for insulin and so makes the situation worse. Being that insulin is also involved in fat storage and inhibiting the release of fat from fat cells, the increased levels will inevitably promote weight gain. At the same time, efforts to lose the excess weight will likely be unsuccessful and a vicious cycle results with increased levels of weight gain, often leading to obesity and other associated conditions such as heart disease and type II diabetes.

The good news is that it doesn’t take long to turn insulin resistance around, lose the weight you want, and prevent further metabolic disease. With a low glycemic diet and physical activity, you can recover your fat burning ability and achieve optimal health. Consuming low GI foods more often, ones that do not spike your blood sugar, but deliver energy in a steady sustained manner will reduce the demand on your body to produce insulin. It’s not a matter of will power; we need to get your body back to the way it is supposed to function through the proper regulation of your hormones. This can be achieved with the adoption of a low glycemic diet. Tomorrow I will talk about the importance of physical activity for improved blood sugar control and enhanced weight loss. Stay tuned…

Tip of the day:

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) showed that dieters lost 5 times more weight on a low glycemic diet vs. a traditional low fat diet. Click on the links below for more on this story.

Low Glycemic Diet better for weight loss than low fat diet

JAMA article

TO SPEED UP FAT LOSS, YOU NEED TO SLOW DOWN BLOOD SUGAR!

To lose weight and keep it off you need to adopt a sensible and healthy approach to weight loss that is sustainable for life.  Highly restrictive diets (i.e. low fat, low carb, low calorie) are largely ineffective in the long term as they work against the body’s survival program, and often result in rebound weight gain and yo-yo dieting, notwithstanding the best intentions. In fact, for many people it is about one failed diet after another.  Let’s have a look at how the Glycemic Index (GI) works with the body to achieve effortless weight loss by regulating blood sugar levels. The Glycemic Index (GI) is a scientific measurement that ranks how fast a particular carbohydrate containing food elevates blood sugar, on a scale where a reference food (glucose) is fixed at 100.

The key to sustainable weight loss is proper carb selection, NOT reduction or elimination as promoted by popular low-carb diets. The key is in learning which carbohydrates are low GI, what makes them so, and how they impact your ability to lose weight.  Carbs should optimally comprise 45-65% of the calories in your diet. They are your body’s preferred source of energy and provide ingredients vital to health such as fiber, antioxidants and other nutrients.

Just as modern science showed us that not all fats are evil, we are now learning that not all carbs are created equal.  The fat promoting carbs (high GI carbs) are digested rapidly, elevating blood sugar and insulin levels.  Insulin is a powerful hormone that shuttles sugar into the cells of the body for energy, and helps convert and store surplus sugar as fat, as an energy storehouse, for later use.  High GI diets are primarily responsible for that mid-afternoon blood sugar (energy) crash which sends you reaching for more high GI carbs to lift you back up, taxing your body’s insulin-regulating response and sending you into a blood sugar roller coaster. To avoid this from happening, you need to choose low GI carbs that are digested and metabolized more slowly, allowing for a gradual “time-release” of sugar and insulin into the blood stream – so your body is more likely to use the sugar for energy at that time, instead of converting it into fat.

In addition to preventing fat storage, low GI snacks such as SoLo Gi™ Low Glycemic Nutrition Bars, are ideal for weight loss because they also prevent the spike, crash and crave cycle, provide sustained energy, and keep you feeling satisfied so you can get to your next meal on fewer calories.

It is my goal is to educate you on the key elements of the Glycemic Index in relation to weight loss and how low GI carbs can help to facilitate this process. As the GI is something to be adopted for long term health, let’s first focus on making some simple yet important modifications in your diet so you can get started today. Even these small changes will result in improved energy levels, better concentration and the shedding of pounds.

Try, in general to cut back on products made from refined grains – white bread, bagels, crackers, as well as baked potatoes and white rice. These foods raise blood sugar faster table sugar. Instead, replace them with beans, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and when on-the-go clinically-validated snacks such as SoLo Gi™ Low Glycemic Nutrition Bars.

To speed up fat loss, you need to slow down your blood sugar! Tomorrow, you will learn more about how blood sugar balance is intricately regulated by the hormones in your body and how this relates to the magic behind weight loss using the GI.

Tip of the day: Remember that fiber is your friend. Fiber-containing foods (those recommended above) help to slow the digestion process (and the GI), promoting blood sugar balance. Additionally, fiber can help you to feel full for longer, so you’re less likely to get hunger pangs and reach for the cookie tin. Other benefits of fiber consumption include keeping your bowels healthy, helping to lower cholesterol levels, and promoting healthy gut bacteria. Contributed by: Carla Poirier, Food Scientist, Solo GI Nutrition.

Low Glycemic Index (GI), low Glycemic Load (GL) foods have been proven in studies to be beneficial for: diet, weight loss, obesity/diabetic, blood sugar management, sports/sport nutrition, energy foods, mental performance, concentration, acne, eye health, macular degeneration, disease prevention: diabetes, heart disease and forms of cancer.