Unfortunately … losing weight is not easy. Being
overweight puts us at risk of heart disease … stroke … diabetes … and many
other dangerous conditions. For most people who fail at losing weight … their
diet is the culprit. As we have said before … you need to focus on calories to
lose weight … but also knowing the composition of your food may be helpful at
shedding a few pounds. This is especially true if you have diabetes … in which
blood sugars can fluctuate wildly depending on your diet.
Many of us have heard of good and bad
carbohydrates … but aren’t exactly sure what this means. Bad carbohydrates have
what is called a “high glycemic index”. Some examples of these naughty foods
are breads … pasta … rice … cereals … and most baked goods.
People who have diets high in these types of food
have been shown to have higher percentages of body fat … higher body mass index
… and higher rates of heart disease and diabetes.
On the other hand … there are foods with lower
glycemic indices. Some examples of these foods include fruits ... vegetables …
whole grains … and legumes like peanuts and soybeans.
There are many great resources on the Internet or
your local bookstore that can tell you a particular foods glycemic index. Registered
dieticians are also another excellent source for information of food
composition. As a rule of thumb … a glycemic index less than 55 is good and
higher than 70 is bad.
As you might expect … there are some scientists that believe
when you eat a meal that also contains other types of food … such as proteins and
fats … it really doesn’t matter which type of carbohydrates you have … they all
seem to raise blood sugar equally fast.
This takes us back to calories … and the simple rule that if
you burn more calories than you eat … you lose weight. It is indeed simple …
but not always as easy to put into practice.
