Not all Carbs are created equally!

As we are starting to learn, certain foods trigger certain hormones.  Carbohydrates (sugars) trigger the release of insulin, which causes our body to store fat.

The glycemic index is a measurement of how quickly sugar is broken down and released into the blood stream.  Foods that release a high amount of sugar into the blood stream are the ones that trigger the huge insulin response.  These are the foods we want to stay away from or limit in our diet because insulin triggers your body to store fat

Foods that are considered low or moderately low on the glycemic index allow for the release of glucagon, which helps stabilize your blood sugar, promotes healthy weight loss and helps control fatigue, craving, irritability, concentration and mood. 

The name of the game is to select more of your foods from the chart below that are known to cause a low to moderate surge in your blood sugar level.  You may be surprised to find out many of the foods you have been eating are foods that may be working against your natural hormonal response

Glycemic Index

To better control our blood sugar levels, it is recommended to eat foods from the Low and Medium category and consume only on occasion the foods from the high and very high category.

Low glycemic foods

Apples, Asparagus, Broccoli, Celery, Cherries, Cucumbers, Fructose, Grapefruit, Green Pepper, Lettuce, Onion, Peach, Pear, Plum, Spinach, Strawberries, Tomato, Zucchini…NatraLEAN bars made with agave nectar are low glycemic!

Medium glycemic foods

Baked Beans, Cantaloupe, Grapes, Lactose, Oatmeal, Oranges, Pasta, Peaches, Pear, Pineapples, Pinto beans, Sweet Potato, Watermelons, Yam

High glycemic foods

Bagel, Banana, Bread, Cereals (whole grains), Carrots, Corn/Corn chips, Muffins, Granola, Porridge, White Potato, Pretzels, Raisins, Rice, Sucrose, Tortilla/Tortilla chips 

Very High glycemic foods

Cereals (Processed/Refined), Glucose, Honey, Maltose, Plain Crackers, Popcorn, Rice Cakes, White bread

There are other forms of sweeteners (carbohydrates) that are found in health bars, meal replacements, sports drinks, soft drinks and juices that you need to be careful with.  Here are some sweeteners that are rated HIGH in the glycemic index; high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, maltodextrin, dextrose, invert syrup, barley malt and modified starch, which need to be avoided as much as possible.  (Candy Bar vs Health Bar...)

Sugar alcohol or glycerin such as xylitol, maltitol, sorbitol, and lactitol can lower the carbohydrate count, but doesn’t reduce the calories.

Of course you want to stay away from artificial sweeteners.  They will lower the carb count, but you are ingesting chemical toxins, so stay away from them.

As you can see it is easy to throw the baby out with the bath water when it comes to eating certain carbs.  But now you are better informed and understand why it is not the carbs that you eat, but rather the effect certain carbs have on your ability to store or burn fat and keep you in your “fat-burning” mode.

Dr. Len Lopez