Glycemic Index and Weight Loss 

Weight loss can have an impact on the body just by the foods that are eaten. There is a food index called the glycemic Index of which all carbohydrates or starches are given a rating on the glycemic Index.

If a carbohydrate food is rated high on the glycemic index then it will cause the blood sugar and insulin levels to fluctuate rapidly which may in the short term give an instant release of energy to the body but when the energy slump arrives that can cause chaos in the body and bring on an even bigger sugar craving.

So what can someone do to help their weight loss by using the glycemic index? Try not to choose carbohydrates with a high index rating such as white bread, white rice, white pasta, biscuits, chocolate. These cause the blood sugar levels to go haywire and you may end up craving more carbohydrates with a higher GI rating.  

It is best to eat foods that have a low glycemic index rating such as brown rice, legumes, wholemeal foods which satisfy the appetite. When a lower glycemic index food is eaten the blood sugar levels are satisfied and they stay even and the person stays fuller for longer.

Eating foods with a low GI rating is one of the successful ways to achieve long term weight loss. Foods with a high GI rating have no benefits whatsoever but to leave the body dissatisfied, but foods with a low GI rating have a wide range of health benefits other than weight loss.

They help to keep you fuller between meals, help to prevent  the risk of cardiovascular disease, helps to stabilise Polycystic Overy Syndrome sufferers plus many other benefits. 

For a person who has never heard of the glycemic index it can be quite difficult to know exactly which food rates high on the index and which rate low. Any foods that are low in sugar will rate low on the glycemic index.

Even fruits can rate high, such as bananas but they contain a different amount of energy than say for example a piece of chocolate. Fruits contain natural fibre and they rate naturally higher on the GI index because of the natural sugar content but do not let that put you off eating them, they are highly nutritious and extremely filling.

It can be easy though to change from high GI foods to low GI foods just by making a few simple switches. If you're used to eating white refined bread which rates high on the GI index try moving to a wholegrain bread which rates lower on the index.

If you love potatoes which rate high on the GI index maybe change to sweet potatoes which have a lower GI. There are so many ways to help your blood sugar levels by making a few changes to your diet and learning the tricks of the glycemic index. Eating lower GI rated foods help to maintain long term weight loss.