Avoid High Glycemic Index Foods? You Should Know This Now.

If you have ever tried to lose weight, then you have probably run into the glycemic index. It is a list that ranks foods from 0 to 100 based on how fast they raise your blood sugar. For years, the rule has been quite simple. High glycemic index foods are bad for weight loss and low glycemic index foods are good for you. The reasoning here is that the high glycemic index foods create an insulin dump that locks your fat cells and thus keeps you from losing weight.

Given this simplicity, women have found that eating has become a tad mathematical. They have quit eating the foods considered to be high on the index, such as carrots, jasmine rice, and the likes just because they do not want to spike their blood sugar levels. As a result, they have turned to foods lower on the scale, including options that they may not even like.

But does the impact of food on your blood sugar levels actually determine whether or not you will lose weight? This guide answers this question in detail so as to make your weight loss journey more manageable.

If you would like to watch the video I made on high glycemic index foods, which also included interesting takes from creators who are for the idea, you can use the link below.

Why Do People Avoid High Glycemic Index Foods?

To understand why people generally avoid high glycemic index foods, we have to go back to how the glycemic index works. We know that this index measures how fast blood sugar raises and spikes insulin. Now, given that insulin is linked to fat storage, high glycemic index foods are seen as terrible for weight loss as they can encourage weight gain. Low glycemic index foods, on the other hand, are positioned as being better because they barely spike insulin and would thus not result in weight gain.

But that is not all. High glycemic index foods also tend to be carb-heavy, like:

Potatoes

White bread

Cookies

Fruits

Since people already fear these foods because they are high in sugar, fats, and carbs, seeing them high on the glycemic just adds fuel to the fire. After all, people already think that these foods cause weight gain. And if they are high on the list, then that means that any food that is high on the list is definitely bad for weight loss. Thus, people base their decisions on these associations without looking at foods individually.

To make matters worse, recent years have seen the rise of low glycemic index diets which promise weight loss, leading everyone to correlate high glycemic index foods with weight gain without looking into the nuances that exist within these diets.

Is the Glycemic Index Misleading for Weight Loss?

Some people swear by the glycemic index when it comes to what they eat. I have even come across people who will not eat anything that ranks above 25 out of 100 on that list. But is this necessary? Is the glycemic index as accurate as some people deem it to be? Well, not quite.

You see, the glycemic index has a very big flaw in that it tests foods in isolation. For example, when scientists determine the glycemic index of white bread, they have people eat just plain bread on an empty stomach. But this type of measurement does not consider nuances such as:

Portion sizes

Food combinations

Nutrient density

Let us put this into perspective. Assume that you eat a portion of plain boiled white rice. Your glycemic index would be 89, which is quite high. But what if you had the white rice with baked beans and steamed carrots? The carrots would have a glycemic index of 33 while the baked beans would come in at 40. Therefore, your blood sugar response would be very different.

Research on high glycemic index foods shows that combining foods at all glycemic indices works quite well for both weight loss and health because your body responds to the food combinations and not just each ingredient on its own.

High Glycemic Index Foods Vs High Glycemic Load Foods.

The glycemic index tells you how fast a food causes your blood sugar to rise but it does not tell you how much sugar is actually in a serving. If you want information on the latter, then your focus should be on the glycemic load of the food. The glycemic load and glycemic index are actually related such that the glycemic load measures how much a serving of food will raise your blood sugar level. It finds this measure by multiplying the glycemic index of the food by the grams of carbohydrates in a standard serving then dividing this result by 100.

Foods are considered to be low on the glycemic index if their value comes to 10 or less. They are said to have a medium glycemic load if they rank from 11 to 19 and are said to have a high glycemic load if their value is 20 or higher.

Now, this is where it gets interesting. A food may have a high glycemic index but a low glycemic load because it is absorbed fast in the body but has such few total carbohydrates per serving that it barely impacts your blood sugar level. Here are some examples:

Watermelon: On the glycemic index, a 120-gram serving of watermelon comes in at about 70 to 80 but on the glycemic load, it averages 4 to 8. This huge variation is due to its high water content.

Pumpkin: 80 grams of boiled pumpkin come in at about 75 on the glycemic index. But the glycemic load is about 3. This difference has been attributed to its water and fiber density that result in minimal net carbs.

These are just two examples of high glycemic index foods that can easily be misjudged based on their glycemic indices while in fact, they are nutrient-dense foods that will barely impact your blood sugar.

The Insulin Effect of High Glycemic Index Foods.

Insulin is at the forefront of the messaging behind why people should not eat high glycemic index foods. The idea is that high glycemic index foods spike your insulin levels and contribute to more fat storage.

However, scientific studies have proven time and again that as long as you are in a calorie deficit, then you will lose weight regardless of whether you are eating high glycemic index foods. In fact, these foods can be great for a quick energy boost before a workout or for recovery afterward, provided you take your overall calorie balance into account. Weight gain comes from eating in a calorie surplus, which can happen even when eating foods that are low on the glycemic index.

But weight aside, not all high glycemic index foods will cause a spike in your blood sugar. Instead, their effect on your levels will depend on several factors, such as how much of the food you eat, whether you combine it with other foods, the glycemic load of the food, and so on.

So, instead of generalizing high glycemic index foods, there is a need to add context to these conversations so as to avoid causing undue panic.

How To Enjoy High Glycemic Index Foods And Lose Weight.

Putting all the high glycemic index foods in one basket can result in a situation where you eliminate nutritious foods for fear of blood sugar spikes. But avoiding these foods is not only restrictive but also unnecessary because they can easily be part of a balanced diet. At the end of the day, you do not lose weight by avoiding blood sugar spikes but rather, by managing your total energy.

So, how do you do this? Here are strategies that I use as part of my Better in 90 program:

Pair Your Carbs.

The glycemic index shows you how much a food can raise your blood sugar levels when consumed in isolation. That means that by pairing foods at different levels on the rankings, you can lower your blood sugar response. As such, as much as you can, avoid eating high glycemic index foods on their own.

Instead, add a food that is high in fats or protein to the meal as this can lessen your blood sugar response by delaying digestion. For example, if you are having toast, how about adding an egg to it? In the same way, if you are enjoying boiled potatoes, you can add some lean beef to them or have them with yogurt.

These small additions help you blunt the blood sugar response while still enjoying meals that you love.

Time Your High GI Foods.

There are no rules when it comes to when you can eat foods. However, there is something to be said about when meals are most appropriate for your energy needs. That is why my advice to you would be to save your high glycemic index foods for when you are active. This way, your body will use that quick energy to fuel your movement rather than storing it.

A good example of this is when you are about to hit the gym. Pre-workout meals work wonders in improving your endurance and by choosing high glycemic index foods, you may find that your energy levels are much higher than usual. I, for one, have a liking for quick carbs like bread or fruits right before my runs.

Avoid the Need for Perfection.

Weight loss circles are full of rules on what you can and cannot eat, and if you were to follow all of them, you would likely not enjoy your journey. What’s more, you would probably find it hard to stick to your diet in the long term. So, if eating foods low on the glycemic index does not work for you, the better option is to eat the foods you enjoy in the right portions while ensuring that you get a balance in your macros. This way of eating is much more manageable and in weight loss, consistency will always beat being perfect.

Become Better in 90.

You do not need to know where foods rank on the glycemic index so as to lose weight. While it is always good to be informed about what you are eating and how it could affect your body, it is more important to eat foods that you enjoy and which are good for your health and will support your weight loss journey.

If you would like to learn more about how you can eat in a calorie deficit while incorporating a wide variety of foods, I invite you to check out the Better in 90 program which was designed to help women lose weight and keep it off using sustainable approaches. You can also use the form below to book a virtual consultation with me.