Fuel Your Energy and Success with the Glycemic Index!

Since starting Educogym-Belize in July 2024, I’ve been amazed at how much my energy and health improved by choosing foods based on the glycemic index.

What is the Glycemic Index?

This is a score that measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar.

High-glycemic foods, like white rice, bread, potatoes, sugary snacks, and processed treats, cause blood sugar spikes, followed by crashes that lead to fatigue, hunger, and irritability.

Why does it matter?

These spikes trigger the hormonal release of insulin, which helps to lower blood sugar but unfortunately, also promotes fat storage.

This can lead to weight gain and insulin resistance, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

How to Choose the Right Foods?

Seek low-glycemic foods like whole grains, leafy veggies, and non-sweet fruits.

Avoid high-glycemic options such as corn, white flour products, white rice, ground foods (carrots, potatoes, yams, cassava, sweet potatoes, etc; Easy Reminder: "Things that grow below the ground make you round!") and overly ripe fruits (the more sweet it is, the higher the glycemic index!).

Processed foods also often contain hidden sugars, so check labels carefully!

For a more comprehensive list, you can review this chart by VeryWellHealth.

Can You Reduce the Impact?

Yes! Pairing high-glycemic foods with grapefruit or lime (whether in juice or directly eaten) can lessen their blood sugar impact.

These citrus fruits can help reduce blood sugar spikes due to their natural acidity. The acids in these fruits slow down the digestion and absorption of sugars from high-glycemic foods, preventing rapid increases in blood sugar. This helps maintain steadier energy levels.

However, it's still best to limit high-glycemic foods to avoid long-term health issues like fat gain and insulin resistance.

Additional Resources:

For another approach to understanding the glycemic index and its impact on the types of food that we consume, you can check out Jamie Myerscough's videos about Low Glycemic Nutrition:

• ​Nutrition and Diets​
• ​Benefits of Low-Glycemic Nutrition​

A Simple Step to Try Today:

Replace one high-glycemic food that you are typically eating right now with a low-glycemic option for two weeks, then observe the difference in your energy and well-being.

Reply to let me know how it goes!

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