GI Find It Hard to Concentrate Lately

The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking given to a carbohydrate food on a scale of 0 to 100 to represent how quickly it is broken down to its simplest form, sugar, and absorbed into your blood stream.

The longer it takes for the body to break down the carbohydrate, the slower the sugar is released into the blood stream, and the longer your energy levels can be sustained.

Foods that are high GI are those which are rapidly digested and absorbed into the blood stream and result in marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Low GI foods, by virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels, and have proven benefits for health.

Low GI diets have been shown to improve both glucose and lipid levels in people with diabetes (type 1 and type 2). They also have benefits for weight control because they help control appetite and delay hunger.

The glycemic effect of foods depends on a number of factors:

• The type of starch, physical entrapment of the starch molecules within the food
• Fat and protein content of the food and organic acids or their salts in the meal.
• Presence of fat or soluble dietary fibre can slow the gastric emptying rate, thus lowering the GI.

Large amounts of fat in foods tends to slow the rate of stomach emptying and therefore the rate at which foods are digested. The GI value of potato chips or french fries for example is lower than that of baked potatoes, yet the saturated fat in these foods will contribute to a much increased risk of heart disease. So it is therefore important to look at the type of fat in foods as well as GI values.

The glycemic index is important for weight maintenance due to the impact is has on your hunger levels through blood sugar control. As low GI foods maintain low blood sugar levels, you can easily control your hunger levels.

Low GI carbohydrate foods are often more nutritious as they can be higher in fibre, vitamins and minerals.

Healthy And Happy New Year

Christmas is over...

...So where to from here?

Research from the United States has found that the average end of year holiday weight gain is 0.5kgs and this weight increase is not reversed over the following year. Regardless of whether your festive season went to plan or could have been better, the silly season for 2011 has passed and we are faced with a new year ahead.

The New Year presents a good opportunity to re-evaluate where we are at with our health plans to set those New Year’s Resolutions. Ask yourself - what would I like to achieve in 2012? Remember, a few parties don’t make you overweight; it’s what you do the other 350 odd days of the year that matters.

Here are a couple of recommendations for getting started:

• Make sure you have a healthy environment around you - This means throw away any of those Christmas leftovers – weight loss is hard enough without having fruit mince pies, rum balls, peanuts and boxes of chocolates laying in the house. If possible, give these away to guests, neighbours or even colleagues at work.
• Set goals for what you want to achieve in 2012 - what are the greatest advantages with being healthier in 2012? It could be more energy, feeling better, looking better or improved health. Think of your resolutions as new goals for the year. Set short term goals to accompany your longer term goals.

A good way to approach this is to include goals that encompass a variety of aspects of your life:

• External goals e.g. Eating habits, food choices, exercise, shopping, reading food labels, health outcomes, etc.
• Internal goals e.g. Managing comfort eating, stress management, self-esteem, negative thought patterns, assertiveness, etc.

Write down your goals and put them somewhere noticeable (eg. office, study, fridge, back of toilet door, etc) so that you are continuously aware of your target.

Guidelines for setting goals include:

• Keep it real - Make your plans realistic and achievable. Consider your lifestyle and how reasonable your resolutions are. This may also involve starting small, for example, if you are doing less physical activity, maybe set a goal to increase this by one extra session per week and build on it weekly.
• Be specific – Set specific goals so that you know exactly what you are aiming to achieve and so you are able to measure your progress. For example, if you want to drink alcohol, how many standard drinks will you have?
• Plan – Think ahead and be prepared. This definitely applies to food and exercise – know what events or activities are coming up and re-arrange your original plan accordingly. This could be returning to work or ensuring the kids are all prepared for school.
• Anticipate setbacks - Let’s say the Christmas / New Year break didn’t go exactly to plan. Don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world! We have a new year ahead of us remember! The important thing is to remain focused. Return to your normal routine with meals and exercise as quickly as possible and keep in mind that one meal or one day is not going to make a significant difference in the overall scheme of things.
• Dealing with setbacks is part of the behaviour change process. Don't get downhearted if you experience them; see them as an opportunity to learn about yourself instead. Avoid 'all or nothing' thinking and learn to accept your mistakes and then move on. Does a musician cease playing when an incorrect note is played? Does a tennis player pack up after they serve a fault? They learn from the mistake and grow in experience so that they improve for next time.
• Reward yourself - Develop a system of non-food related rewards for behaviours that support your goals. Don't wait until the very end - set milestones and reward yourself as you go. For example, get a massage, buy a new CD or book.

Overall remember your goals and resolutions are an ongoing process, not an overnight transformation.