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/

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.