The truth is, not all carbohydrate foods are created equally. Your body reacts differently from carb to carb.
The glycemic index or GI describes this difference by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels.
Here is the the glycemic index range:
Low GI = 55 or less
Medium GI = 56 - 69
High GI = 70 or more
You may have heard of insulin. However, there is another important hormone called Glucagon that you may not have heard of. When you eat high sugary foods (High GI), your blood sugar rises. Insulin is released in your blood stream to store glucose to glycogen but at the same time suppresses the production of Glucagon.
Glucagon is a hormone responsible for releasing fat from fat cells into the bloodstream to be used as energy. That is what you want. You cannot maximize fat burning without releasing glucagon.
So the real key is to keep your blood sugar low to constantly produce glucagon. Let's put it together:
Low GI foods = High production of Glucagon = Fat Burning
The next natural question is what foods are low in GI?
Here is just a small list of low GI foods (below 55) that should be staples of your diet:
Fruits:
-Plums
-Grapefruit
-Cherries
-Peaches
-Apples
-Prunes
-Dried apricots
Vegetables
-Frozen green peas
-Raw carrots
-Egg plant
-Broccoli
-Cauliflower
-Cabbage
-Mushrooms
-Tomatoes
-Green beans
Others
-Brown rice
-Yams
-Sweet potato
-Quinoa
-Lentils (Red/Green)
-Navy beans
-Butter beans
Snacks
-Hummus
-Peanuts
-Walnuts
-Cashew nuts
-Corn chips
-Nutella
That is just a small list of foods that are low in Glycemic Index.
Remember, control your blood sugar and your body will burn fat all day long. Don't be surprised when you also have more energy too, when you start eliminating foods that are high in Glycemic index.
Talk to you soon,
Arnel RIcafranca
P.S. If you want to see more fat burning foods, check out this cool video presentation at http://www.EatThisBurnFat.com
