Eating Your Way Back To a Slimmer You - Simply and Easily! by Andrew Mason

Have you heard the saying -- slow but steady wins the race? This is an appropriate way of assessing our approach to weight control. We need to eat foods that we can ingest and process slowly, therefore bypassing those spikes in blood sugar, a condition often associated with simple carbs. While carbohydrates are vital as a source of energy, we need to concern ourselves with the type of carb that we eat. If we are trying to avoid certain illnesses and to balance our weight effectively, we must focus on how we prepare and eat these carbs quite carefully.

If we have a diet that is high in simple carbohydrates, we strain our bodies unnecessarily. Of all the organs to be effected, the pancreas is most at risk. It has to struggle to create large levels of insulin to try and deal with the processing of this type of carbohydrate. When this happens, blood sugar levels are elevated and insulin is prevalent, contributing to the creation of fat reserves, needlessly. The body finds it very difficult to produce high levels of insulin to deal with elevated glucose levels in the bloodstream and this situation can lead to the development of what we know only too well as diabetes.

The glycemic index has been developed to help us understand how to regulate the glucose levels, as they are linked to certain food types. We can see that certain carbohydrates contribute to spikes in the glucose level and that unnecessary insulin. By avoiding such foods, it follows that we can control our weight and help to look after our health, moving forward.

The secret is to be sure that the food we eat is ingested slowly. If not, the glycemic response will be elevated, which is a condition that we want to avoid. Consequently, we should look at foods that are found toward the bottom of the index, which also tend to be naturally high in fiber. Fiber is difficult, if not impossible for the body to digest quickly and therefore we will feel as if we are "satisfied" for a longer period of time after we eat. As such, we will avoid the food cravings that can lead to all kinds of issues when trying to diet.

The foods at the bottom of the glycemic index are known to result in a more controllable glycemic response. They are processed more slowly, remain in our systems longer and help us to avoid those hunger pangs. If we can maintain a constant supply of blood sugar, without the ups and downs, we can also help to avoid that unnecessary run to the sweet counter, a condition that we are all too familiar with during midmorning, midafternoon or at bedtime.

Don't confuse the two. "Simple" might sound more preferable to "complex," but in truth complex carbohydrates are your friends. These are found in natural foods, vegetables and fruit and are processed steadily within the body. As they take time to break down, we don't go through the roller coaster that we could otherwise experience if we eat foods within the higher echelons of the glycemic index. Always check your cholesterol and see if your triglyceride levels are normal, as part of your healthy lifestyle.