What is Glycaemic Index (GI) and does it concern me?

The Glycaemic Index (GI) is an index of foods categorising the rankings of carbohydrates in relation to how the consumption can affect the glucose levels in your body. Does it concern you? Yes.

Foods such as All-Bran, Pumpernickel, Peppers and Spaghetti are low in GI content thus have a minimal effect on your blood glucose levels compared to high GI foods such as Rice Crispies, Mashed Potato, Pineapple and Ice Cream. So what does this mean for your diet? Does this mean that you can never eat high GI foods and constantly consume low GI foods to become fit and healthy? In short and sweet terms, No. A mixture of high GI and low GI foods is desirable in your diet from a nutritional perspective. It is important to note that high GI foods have been associated with the risk of more cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure but this is only when consumed readily in vast quantities.

With this in mind, when should you consume high GI foods?
You should not cut out the high GI foods but simply eat them in moderation. Combined with low GI foods in a meal you can strike a nice nutritional balance. If you are going to engage in physical activity then you are recommended to eat a low GI meal prior to engaging then a high GI food after engaging. Reasoning behind this is that the low GI foods will slowly release energy and last longer for exercise. Whereas the high GI foods will provide you with immediate repletion of energy stores in higher quantities.

If you aren't planning on engaging in physical activity/exercise then try and stick to a higher proportion of low GI foods compared to high GI foods for your meals. As low GI foods release the complex carbohydrates slower and give you a sense of 'fullness' for longer (satiety) thus meaning you will not snack as much.

I hope this has given you some insight into what the Glycaemic Index is about and how it concerns you. I will add a link to the bottom of this post to provide you with a database of Glycaemic Indexes for common foods. None of the information on the website is linked to me whatsoever, it is simply a commercially available source of information. If you have any questions then please get in touch and I will try to answer any questions possible.

http://www.glycemicindex.com/

What exactly are calories?

You will all have heard that the average male requires 2,500 calories (Kcal's) and that a female requires around 2,000 Kcal's as a daily requirement. This is evident on most food packagings and on all food packagings (by law) nutritional content is included. Some of you who have used Weight Watchers products or been part of their club will understand what a calorie is a little more and some of you won't. So here it is just to clarify any misinterpretations:

The human body requires energy to be able to do anything. A calorie is a measurement of energy in the form of food or drink and is the same as a mile is in distance in the way that it contributes to a greater picture. The build up of calories by the ingestion of various foods allows more energy available for the body.

As the guidelines previously mentioned state, the body requires between 2,000-2,500Kcal's per day to function. This set guideline refers to what the body requires for basic functioning such as respiration, movement or simply 'being'. This is known as your Basal Metabolic Rate or Resting Metabolic Rate. For example, if my body requires 2,300Kcal to perform its daily functions and in addition I do an activity equivalent to 500Kcal then my body has performed an extra 300Kcal than needed (2,300+500=2,800 but I only need 2,500 to function normally). This is great news and means that I have done extra work to burn more fuel. However, in contrast if I had consumed 3,000Kcal worth of food and drink throughout the day then I have gone 500Kcal more than what my body needs to function. Therefore these calories are still in the body. They don't just vanish through excretion though, they get stored inside the body as fatty deposits or adipose tissue (this is bad!).

Thats the short and sweet of it. Now comes the question of how to count calories. Try and keep a food diary, even if just for a day or two. If you record the calorific content of each food and drink item you consume then you can work out how much under/over you have gone according to the prescribed guidelines. Use this as a guideline to how much you really do eat and adjust it accordingly. This means that if you aren't exercising regularly then you should only be taking on board 2,000Kcal or 2,500Kcal dependent on gender per day. Remember, your body needs that to function properly so simply dropping your calorie intake is bad as your body will not like you for this! Supplement your life with more exercise. Read my other posts previously on this blog to find out what exercises and when.

Hope this clarifies things for people and remember to exercise whenever possible and get your five-a-day.

Survey

It would be great to see who is reading this blog and it would be good to get some figures from which to build. This survey is 4 questions long and just requires basic info about gender, age, types of activity and perceived activity levels. Really easy, yet really helpful for me. Please take 30seconds out of your day to complete this as it would really help me. Regards.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QDNFBLT

Is it OK to skip breakfast?

You've heard of the saying 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day' haven't you? Well, in fact, it is. Studies have shown time after time that people who skip breakfast perform worse in tasks within the working environment compared to those who have breakfast. If you do skip breakfast then your body will not have had food for roughly 15-16hrs. Bearing this in mind, what is your body functioning on? Pretty much nothing. It desperately needs a top up of those healthy sugars and vitamins.

When you skip breakfast you are more susceptible to snacking throughout the day. Snacking provides you with a spike (rise) in blood sugars but this spike can only be seen as a bad thing as it doesn't last for long. The instant hit of sugars allows your body to function a little more but leaves your body craving the sugar hit again in around an hour. The majority of people who skip breakfast think they will lose weight by doing so. This is most certainly not the case. A nutritious breakfast in the morning starts off your metabolism and provides you with fuel for the day and it has been proven you are more likely to lose weight this way as you have no need to snack throughout the day. Here is an example of a nice nutritious breakfast for you to try out:


1. Cereal: Something like fruit bran is perfect as it provides a good source of fibre and natural sugars with the fruit. If you have it with either semi or skimmed milk then you can avoid the fat content of whole milk.
OR
Toast: Wholemeal bread has less sugar than the white breads and provides more fibre. Spread a nice low fat margarine such as Flora Light or even Philadelphia Light.

2. Fruit: A piece of fruit such as an orange is high in natural sugars and chalks up one of your five-a-day within the first meal of your day. Perfect. Or you could have a banana instead. Bananas are classed as one of the most nutritious fruits as they contain a high level of potassium. If you plan to do exercise in your day (which I hope you do) then a banana will help your muscles to get the fuel essential for exercise and even aid in recovery.

3. Coffee: Caffeine has negatives and positives and it seems that personal preference takes over scientific evidence on most levels. Drinking a decaffeinated coffee can help you avoid headaches if you aren't used to taking on caffeine but simply leaving the milk out of a normal coffee cuts out fats.

There is compelling evidence leading to a breakfast improving performance throughout the day in the workspace or even at school. Waking up 5minutes earlier can provide you with your most important meal of the day and help you achieve better performance throughout the day. It may also save you money as you have less need to snack. Please eat breakfast as part of a healthy diet and you will reap the rewards.

If I don't exercise what can happen?

*The views on here are personal and never meant to offend anyone*

I believe it to be shocking that people consider exercise to be 'too much effort' or they would rather be doing better things. Frankly I cannot see how you could consider to have better things to do than to save your own life. I appreciate the whole ethos of leading an exciting life and living to the full, but this should not come at the expense of your own health.

So what can really happen if you don't exercise or worse, don't exercise properly?
There are numerous diseases that can result from not exercising regularly. Namely that of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). CHD is caused by the build up of cholesterol and fat deposits in the blood vessels. These fatty deposits line the wall of your blood vessels and largely stop the flow of blood through the vessels, resulting in a lack of oxygen rich blood being available leading to Heart Attacks. You may have heard the term Atherosclerosis in relation to CHD and this is because CHD is caused by Atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the term used for the depositing of the fatty tissue within the arteries walls and the stiffening of the arteries. When the arteries become stiff they are not able to provide vital functions such as the contraction to pump the blood around to organs. This lack of vital function can also lead to an Aneurysm which is a rupture of a vessel such as the artery. This rupture is usually caused by too much pressure being developed due to the high density of fatty deposits. CHD is the number one Cardiovascular Disease killer in the United States and we certainly do not want it to figure into our lives in such a heavy way.

However, it doesn't stop there. Hypertension, Osteoarthritis and Osteoporosis are all major factors that result from a lack of Physical Activity. Hypertension is the scientific term for high blood pressure and this can be eradicated by getting your five-a-day and exercising regularly. A recent study stated that Kiwi fruit is a great contributor to lower blood pressure (http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00948363) as well as apples. You know that old saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away? Maybe it wasn't such a myth after all!

Osteoarthritis is the term used for swelling of joints. People who live a sedentary lifestyle where sitting around is a daily activity will find themselves 'seizing up'. As the joints inflame it puts pressure on the bones and the joints in particular. This can lead to the breaking down of cartilage between bones. Cartilage is vital as it allows for a smooth cushion in between bones and allows for ease of movement. Whereas Osteoporosis is the term used for the degeneration of bones. Whilst this is more prevalent in the older generations this is only because the symptoms are difficult to identify until such an age. So how can you avoid Osteoporosis? Well bones are strengthened by calcium which can be found in milk, yoghurt and cheeses.

If you read my previous post entitled 'Is Obesity a myth?' I have outlined ways in which you can exercise to alleviate such diseases being prevalent. But in reality, five-a-day fruit and vegetables and some moderate to intense exercise 5 days a week is all you need to avoid the aforementioned diseases.

*If you have symptoms such as stabbing pains in your chest, a tight chest or excessively stiff joints then it is important to see your doctor as soon as possible *

Is obesity a myth?

*The views on here are all of my own personal opinions backed up with articles and journals*

No. Obesity is not a myth by any stretch of the imagination. Figures for obesity have grown dramatically over the past 20 years and it really is time to start addressing this problem. Did you know that over 70% of adults are physically inactive within the UK, with only 37% of males and 25% of females undertaking the guideline activity requirements set out by the ACSM in 2004? I'm guessing that less than 50% of you didn't know this fact and I am also willing to bet that you are shocked with the figures. If this is so, then why stand back and let people do it to themselves? We need to start educating people on the potential risks this can have to their health and well-being. Only 0.05% of people who are classed as obese have a genetic problem as the underlying issue. This means that we can make a difference to the other 99.95% of the population.

How can we do this? We can start by publicising the guidelines and making people aware of the figures I have previously outlined. If you do not know the guidelines, they are as followed:

According to the ACSM (2004) we should be undertaking 30minutes of physical activity 5 times a week. Now this might seem a lot, but it does not have to be undertaken in one block. Nobody is saying that you can't do 15minutes before work in the morning and then 15minutes before bed at night. In fact, I would strongly suggest this! Those 15minutes in the morning could be something like a light jog of 2-3km at a nice steady pace with which you can maintain. Or more physical exercise such as press ups/sit ups/stomach crunches. The great thing about exercise such as this is that it is hugely rewarding. After just 3 weeks you will start to feel better about yourself. However, it is not all about exercise.

Food is the main problem with society today. I am a student, therefore you expect me to have a dirty room, half functioning liver and a shocking nutritional intake based on pizza and pasta. Whilst 2/3 of them maybe true, my nutritional intake is largely good and most notably financially possible. I can go to certain supermarkets and get some really important fruits and veg for a great price, or I can go to the local market just outside of the town centre and get organically grown beautiful produce. Either way, I can make it happen so there is no stopping you!

Have a cheat day, this is extremely important. If you are being conscious of your intake throughout the week then you must have a day to yourself where you can eat the 'cheat foods'. I find Sunday to be the best day for this, after all who wants to be eating half a Sunday roast?!
Keep a food diary. Make sure that you are getting your five-a-day by writing it down. You're more conscious of it this way. Please make an effort with this guys, we really need to change the way we are living and the lifestyle with which we are used to as it is not helping our bodies! Think of the consequences this could have on your children.