Eating the right or wrong carbs can have a huge impact on our body and our mind. To help us understand the “good” and the “bad” there is something known as the Glycemic Index.
Why do you need to know that?
Because if we eat the right type of carbs:
We can eat more of them
Control our weight A LOT more
Fuel our body for higher energy
Make our body LOOK leaner
Here at CR Performance, we are big advocates of eating with flexibility and freedom. Understanding this list helps us apply that. Rigid diet plans have a place but are not for everyone.
Foods low on the glycemic index (GI) scale tend to release glucose slowly and steadily. Which is exactly what we want.
If you have seen our video “The Truth About Carbs” we spoke about carbs entering the body either quick or slow. We really want to focus on having carbs released slowly into the body so they can be used as energy rather than stored as fat. That’s not to say we don’t need fast-acting carbs though, stick with me.
Foods that are high on the glycemic index release glucose rapidly. Low GI foods tend to foster weight loss, while foods high on the GI scale help with energy recovery after exercise.
Long-distance runners would tend to favour foods high on the glycemic index, while people with pre or full-blown diabetes would need to concentrate on low GI foods. Why? People with type 1 diabetes can’t produce sufficient quantities of insulin and those with type 2 diabetes are resistant to insulin.
Without getting too technical, insulin is the transport hormone for carbs. As they enter the blood, insulin arrives like a bus, the carbs jump on and they are transported to their destination (the muscle and the liver). The slower this process is, the easier your body can deal with it and use them to form energy.
This is a snapshot of the GI list but there are far more detailed ones around.
The basic rule is if you stay low on the Index you will be able to:
Eat more of them
Control our weight A LOT more
Fuel your body for higher energy
Make your body LOOK leaner
Learn the right way to get the result you want. Train and eat smart. Need help doing that? Use the button below to get in touch for a free consultation.
Speak soon.