The Glucose Revolution

[claraluz 2]

The Glucose Revolution is the name of a book I just finished about high glycemic index vs. low glycemic index foods. Although I just finished the book, I had been reading a little bit about the glycemic index and had been on a low glycemic index diet (as well as the Omega-3 diet, they are not incompatible) for several weeks. Briefly, the glycemic index is a rating of foods according to how quickly and how high they boost blood glucose after consumption, but the main component is how quickly they raise it. Eating low glycemic index foods cause a lower, more gradual rise in blood sugar (glucose) and assist in managing blood glucose levels. I became interested because I have insulin resistance, a pre-diabetic condition in which the body produces so much insulin in order to maintain a normal blood glucose, that eventually the body can't compensate anymore and diabetes results. I am doing everything I possibly can (exercise, low glycemic index foods, weight loss) to try to manage this condition. Anyway, there is a lot of evidence that eating a low glycemic index diet lowers the blood insulin, which in turn makes it easier to lose weight and staves off the development of diabetes. All I can say is that since I've been on this diet I have not seen a dramatic change in my blood glucose (my fasting blood glucose is usually 105-110), but I have been losing weight much more quickly than I was previously. And it's not because I'm eating less.

So for those of you who feel your weight loss is stalled, you might want to take a look at this. You may have insulin resistance or even full-blown diabetes without knowing it. Even if you don't, eating a low glycemic index diet will help improve insulin sensitivity and will help prevent heart disease.

The book itself is not that well-written in my opinion and is confusing and contradictory in parts, but it is an easy and quick read and will give you the basic information you need to experiment with making this change.

And if you try it, or if you are using it already, I would be interested in hearing about your experience.

Nancy

[New Hope 37]

Nancy, that's the only thing Dr. Spivak had me do before the banding - go on a low glycemic foods list. It wasn't hard to follow at all, really healthy good foods that we should be eating anyway. I just thought it was to "shrink the liver". Thanks for the useful information!

[New Hope 37]

Kelly, I'm not sure where my list is right now. But I'll look for it after the holidays. Have you tried searching the internet? Nancy, do you have a list from that book you could post here?

[claraluz 2]

The list that is in the book is very comprehensive and too long to print. You can get good, but limited information at Mendosa.com or by googling "glycemic index."

In general, the good news is that you don't have to give up carbs. You just have to be careful about which ones you eat. Surprisingly, Pasta is low-glycemic, so if your band allows, it's fine in small portions. Most (but not all) veggies and fruits are OK. meats and nuts have a glycemic index of 0. But be careful of the fat. Lowfat, no sugar milks and yogurts are OK. Beans and lentils are great. Most fruits are OK, but bananas, mangoes, and dried dates (darn it!) can be high. Apple juice is low, but orange juice is high. Oranges themselves are low. Rice is very high except for basmati rice (which is still kind of high) or Uncle Ben's converted. Breads, crackers, and cereals are the worst. White bread is worse than pure sugar! So are potatoes. But sourdough bread, oat bran breads (not just with oat bran sprinkled on top), and pumpernickel bread is OK. For cereals, oatmeal, All-bran are OK and just about everything else is horrible. popcorn is very high.

If you eat according to the band rules: Protein first, then veggies, and then fruits, and starches only if you have room, you'll be on a very low glycemic index diet.

Hope this helps.

Nancy

[Iluvharleys 15]

It is mostly stay away from white stuff, bread, rice, potatoes and stuff like beets, watermelon, pineapple. Eat wheat stuff. It use to be bananas too, but now they say they are fine. I do good except for the potatoes, I still do those sometimes. Sweet potatoes are better for you.

[claraluz 2]

I'll get it right eventually.

The whole band experience is a learning process as far as I'm concerned. I'm 16 months out from surgery and I'm still working on changing my diet and my habits.

Nancy

[claraluz 2]

Speaking of which, I have to say that I have had periods of feeling weak and even slightly short of breath over the last few weeks. I don't think I am really sick. At first I thought it might be hypoglycemia, but I test my blood glucose and that was not the cause. Now I think it may be that I've gone overboard with the low-glycemic index thing and my body needs more carbs (which are converted into energy more quickly). I had cut out all starches - even the ones that only have a moderately high glycemic index. So I'm going to be experimenting with eating foods that have a slightly higher glycemic index with each meal. If that doesn't do the trick, I'll probably go to the doctor. So I just wanted to post this caution: everything in moderation. That is not one of my strong suits.

On the up-side, I just had my hgb A1C ( an indication of average blood glucose over the last three months), blood pressure, and cholesterol tested. I had had problems with all three before going on this diet. They were all perfect.

Nancy

[New Hope 37]

Nancy, glad your blood work is so good! But I hope you get to feeling better. Boy, it seems like there's always something to finetune, isn't there?

[NancySmiles 2]

http://www.lowglycemicdiet.com/gifoodlist.html

[New Hope 37]

We also have a thread, Low Glycemic food Lists, posted under the Foods section. Claraluz is concerned that she might have been doing too good on these foods.