How to Lose Weight Using the Glycemic Index by Andrew Mason

We must take a slow, but steady approach to the way that we regulate our weight. This will require us to really analyze the speed at which our food is digested, ensuring that a slow process avoids those unwanted spikes in blood sugar levels. Often, we eat a diet too high in simple carbohydrates, which directly contribute to the spikes. While carbohydrates are vital for us, it's the type of carb that we need to think about. If you are trying to balance your weight and avoid the onset of other illnesses, consider how you prepare and eat carbs.

If you focus on a diet that is loaded in terms of simple carbs, you can unnecessarily strain your body. The pancreas is in the frontline of this assault and is forced to produce a much greater insulin level than is healthy as it tries to process these types of food. Blood sugar levels are elevated and insulin does nothing for the problem by triggering the creation of fat reserves. The body will find it difficult to regulate this insulin as glucose levels flood the bloodstream and this is a prime breeding ground for the development of what we know only too well as diabetes.

In response to this condition, the glycemic index was developed. This helps us understand the way that blood glucose is affected by all the different food types. We now know that certain foods spike those levels and create unwanted insulin and this situation is to be avoided if we are to be healthy and control our weight.

Every food that we eat should be digested slowly in an ideal world, if we are to sidestep an elevated glycemic response. Look for foods that are found toward the bottom of the index, as most of these are naturally high in fiber, as well. As fiber is basically indigestible, it will make us feel satisfied for a longer period of time. We can help to avoid food cravings that are most often associated with a failure to follow a dietary plan this way.

Foods found toward the bottom of the glycemic index result in a moderate glycemic response. These foods are digested at a slower rate and we won't feel hungry all the time. Regulating a constant supply of blood sugar avoids hills and valleys. All of us have experienced this scenario, when a sugar crash causes us to look for those mid-morning, afternoon or bedtime snacks.

Remember that complex carbohydrates are your friends in the battlefield. You will find them contained within vegetables, fruits and natural foods, all of which are slowly but steadily processed by the body. Due to their complexity, they take time to be broken down to manageable levels and we don't experience those ups and downs suffered when the body is battling to cope with other, simple carbs. Regularly check your levels, including your triglycerides, your cholesterol and aim for a much healthier life without worrying about diabetes, heart disease or cancers too much.