Low GI Vs High GI

olaola

A topic for discussion! I'd like to hear what anyone has to say about it...

Regarding the low GI way of thinking (which to me equates to 'common sense' eating). What would the implications be of not replacing the processed foods in your diet? I'm talking about white bread, pasta etc etc, not ready meals.

Would one of the biggest reasons be - to keep you feeling sated for longer?

Personally, I'm good at eating my meals - I have brekkie, lunch, dinner + 2 snacks a day. I don't feel the need to snack outside of this. And if I do have a high GI food, I don't feel like I have to eat before my next meal/snack.

So I suppose I'm trying to discern, if I kept to the same set meals using higher GI foods (same calorie content, no extra snacks)
What are, if any, are the differences to me?

neuro-praxis

You must have quite stable blood sugar, because when I eat high GI foods I really suffer for it with huge hunger pangs and blood-sugar drops.

The main issue with high GI foods is that they cause your pancreas to work overtime trying to deal with all the extra insulin in your blood brought about by the sugar-spike caused by the high GI food. This extra insulin is stored as fat. As I understand it, high GI foods (which are usually high-sugar, high-fat foods) have a slowing effect on the metabolism. Also high GI foods are very low in fibre and a diet high in low-fibre foods can lead to bowel disorders etc.

But if you are not fat and do not suffer sugar drops I wouldn't worry too much. However I am not a dietician so I cannot say what other impact it would have on your body.

You might find as you get older that the high GI foods have a greater effect on your body than they do now.

g'em

olaola wrote: »

So I suppose I'm trying to discern, if I kept to the same set meals using higher GI foods (same calorie content, no extra snacks)
What are, if any, are the differences to me?

Maintaining satiety is the practical application of eating low-GI. The science behind it is a bit mroe complex.

- Low-GI foods tend to be high in fibre, which is vital for maintaining a healthy digestive system. It helps regulate digestive hormones and cholesterol levels.

- High-GI processed foods tend to be nutritionally void so you'll lose out on essential vitamins and minerals that come naturally to low-GI products.

- the biggest impact of high-GI foods is their impact on your insulin. Insulin is the hormone that regulates blood-sugar levels. When you eat high-GI foods, it causes your insulin to "spike" or rise very fast. "High blood glucose levels or repeated glycemic 'spikes' following a meal may promote these diseases by increasing oxidative damage to the vasculature and also by the direct increase in insulin levels*

- there's also increasing evidence to suggest that high-GI diets significantly contribute to obesity. That is, current thinking suggests that if you take two people of the same size/ height/ weight etc and put them on calorifically equivalent diets, the person who eats high-GI will eventually have a higher bodyweight, with more fat and less lean tissue than the person who eats low-GI.


* Temelkova-Kurktschiev et al (2000). "Postchallenge plasma glucose and glycemic spikes are more strongly associated with atherosclerosis than fasting glucose or HbA1c level." Diabetes Care 2000 Dec;23(12):1830-4

olaola

g'em wrote: »

- there's also increasing evidence to suggest that high-GI diets significantly contribute to obesity. That is, current thinking suggests that if you take two people of the same size/ height/ weight etc and put them on calorifically equivalent diets, the person who eats high-GI will eventually have a higher bodyweight, with more fat and less lean tissue than the person who eats low-GI.

Could that be attributed to other factors - for example, people who eat high GI generally have poorer diet quality?

I'm not advocating this or anything! I was just wondering!
I find the more you educate yourself on a subject, the more interesting it is and you will find it easier to make better lifestyle choices -esp if you know *why* you are making them.

g'em

olaola wrote: »

Could that be attributed to other factors - for example, people who eat high GI generally have poorer diet quality?

It could very well be - the research into this is still in its infancy. But the impact of high-GI foods on insulin is well-established so I'd imagine it's a a combination of many factors that ultimately leads to the same effect?

Minder

olaola wrote: »

Regarding the low GI way of thinking (which to me equates to 'common sense' eating). What would the implications be of not replacing the processed foods in your diet? I'm talking about white bread, pasta etc etc, not ready meals.

So I suppose I'm trying to discern, if I kept to the same set meals using higher GI foods (same calorie content, no extra snacks)
What are, if any, are the differences to me?

Are you really looking to eat more foods with a high Glycemic Index?

olaola

Minder wrote: »

Are you really looking to eat more foods with a high Glycemic Index?

Read my last post ^