Tag: White Bread

How To Use The Glycemic Index

The glycemic index is a rating of carbohydrates that was developed in 1981 by Dr. David J. Jenkins of the University of Toronto. This concept was developed to help people who wanted to rank carbohydrates based upon how they affected the blood glucose levels. Different carbohydrates are absorbed into the system in different manners and all take different times to break down and digest. Carbohydrates that break down and cause rapid digestion tend to leave the most glucose in the blood stream and cause the most damage to a person who is a diabetic. These carbohydrates are given a high rating on the Glycemic Index.

The carbohydrates that are given a high rating on the Glycemic Index include those made with white sugar, white flour, baked potato, French fried pototoes, white break, pastas made with white flour. Even corn flakes are considered bad carbohydrates on the Glycemic Index. This can be valuable information for anyone who has just been diagnosed as a diabetic and wants to discover which foods are more beneficial. While most diabetics will be told to avoid carbs, avoiding carbohydrates all together is not often feasible. For someone who thinks a candy bar is way worse than white bread, the Glycemic Index can be a real eye opener and can be a great way how to use the Glycemic Index for someone who is trying to discover which carbohydrates are safer than others.

Another way on how to use the Glycemic Index is to learn which carbohydrates are better for those who are trying to either watch their carbohydrate intake or who are on a diabetic diet. Some foods, such as fruits and certain vegetables, are low on the glycemic index and take a longer time to absorb into the bloodstream, giving the body the benefit of the nutrients while allowing the body to expel the glucose in a more natural way. One caveat when it comes to fruits and vegetables is that baked potatoes are not considered in the low group in the Glycemic Index.

As a matter of fact, potatoes are one of the highest ranking foods in the Glycemic Index. People consume French fries throughout the world like they are going out of style. Not only are they high in fat and offer little protein, they are also very high in carbohydrates.

Intermediate carbohydrates in the Glycemic Index include foods with a rating from 56 to 69. These include candy bars, some brown rices and croissants. This an be invaluable news to someone who is learning to develop a diabetic diet but who is unaware of what foods rank high and rank low.

Most people may assume that a piece of white bread is way worse for a person with diabetes than a candy bar, but this is not true. By learning the different ratings and classifications on the Glycemic Index, a person who is watching their carbohydrates as well as their diabetic diet can learn some invaluable lessons and learn how to use the Glycemic Index to their advantage.

High Glycemic Foods

In 1981, Dr. David Jenkins of the University of Toronto came up with a ranking system for carbohydrates based upon how long it takes them to break down into the system. Some carbohydrates break down very slowly and those release glucose gradually into the bloodstream and have a low glycemic index. For people who are diabetes, particularly those who are insulin dependent, a low glycemic index is preferable. These foods allow the insulin or medication to respond better to the blood glucose and allows for the sugars to break down more naturally.

Other foods are rated high on the Glycemic Index. These foods currently have high ratings and raise the blood glucose level quickly. High glycemic foods can be beneficial for people who are recovering from high exertion or those suffering from hypoglycemia. People with Type I or Type II Diabetes should avoid high glycemic foods as they can play havoc with the insulin or medication they are taking.

Some examples of foods that considered high glycemic foods include corn flakes, white rices such as jasmine rice, white breads and baked potatoes. People who have diabetes, either Type I or Type II, should avoid these foods as much as possible.

Other foods that are high glycemic foods include those with large amounts of white refined sugar or white flour. One thing a doctor will tell a patient on how to avoid high glycemic foods is to avoid anything white. This includes white bread, pasta made with white flour and even cakes or sweets made with refined white sugar or white flour.

High glycemic foods tend to take a long time to digest in the system of a diabetic. The glucose, or sugar, stays in the blood because the system of a diabetic is unable to process the refine sugars and flours. The glucose stays in the blood and in the urine causing the diabetic to frequently urinate, experience thirst and hunger more than the average person and sweat profusely.

After a while, this takes its toll on the system of a diabetic. The kidneys begin to hurt because they are not functioning properly. This is one symptom that diabetics often present with when seeking a physician. They also get blood in their urine and, in the worst case scenario, they faint or enter into an episode of semi-consciousness, confusion which can even lead to a diabetic coma. In some instances, a diabetic coma can prove fatal.

People who have Type I and Type II diabetes should be very mindful of which foods have a high glycemic index and avoid these foods in their diet. With proper diet, medication or insulin and monitoring of blood sugars, diabetics can lead a normal lifespan.

Diabetes is not a death sentence at all. It is simply a condition that many people possess that does not allow their body to break down sugars and starches through their system so that they digest normally. Diabetes is harmful to an individual who does not follow the advice of their physician, does not consume a proper diet and does not monitor their blood glucose levels. People who adhere to the medical guidelines concerning diabetes have just as much of a chance of living a normal life as anyone else.

Can A Good Diet Keep Diabetes At Bay

Upon first being diagnosed with diabetes, many patients ask can a good diet keep diabetes at bay. Most doctors will agree that a good diet, low in carbohydrates and sugars can help a person with diabetes avoid many of the complications that often accompany the disease. While a good diet can not necessarily cure the illness, a good diet can keep diabetes at bay.

People who have diabetes have a difficult time processing foods such as sugars and starches. Instead of processing normally through their system, they stay in the system and turn end up increasing the glucose in the bloodstream. When this occurs, it is called glycemia – which is too much sugar in the blood. People with Type I and Type II diabetes both suffer from having too much glucose in the blood. As the glucose does not digest normally, it causes problems with the kidneys, liver, eyesight, heart and blood circulation in general.

Depending upon the stage of their diabetes, a physician will normally prescribe either medication or insulin. Both help the body process the sugars in the blood, to break them down and allow the patient to expel them. However, insulin and medication are no substitute for a healthy diet. Just because a person is taking medication or insulin does not give them carte blanche to consume all of the sugar and carbohydrates they can get their hands on. It is absolutely essential that a person with diabetes not only take medication or insulin as directed, but also adhere to a diabetic diet. This means getting familiar with which foods should be avoided and which foods can be eaten sparingly.

The Glycemic Index was established in 1981 to rate which carbohydrates are the worst for those with diabetes. The carbohydrates that are high on the list, such as white bread, take longer to digest and should be avoided. Carbohydrates that have low scores, such as brown rice, can be eaten in moderation. It is very difficult for anyone to avoid carbohydrates completely, which is why familiarizing oneself with the Glycemic Index is so important in the treatment of diabetes.

In addition to carbohydrates that rate high on the Glycemic Index as well as low, there is also an intermediate group. It may surprise people to know that a chocolate bar is rated in the intermediate group on the Glycemic Index. This does not mean, however, that one should feel free to consume all the chocolate they want. The purpose of the Glycemic Index is to help individuals establish which foods should definitely be avoided and which foods are okay in moderation.

So, can a good diet keep diabetes at bay. The answer is yes. While it cannot cure a patient of diabetes, a good diet low in foods that have high ratings in the Glycemic Index and high in proteins can help an individual with this condition live a longer, healthier life. Until there is a cure for this potentially life threatening condition, it is important for all people who suffer from diabetes to familiarize themselves with the Glycemic Index so they can better understand how to control their disease.

Better Your Brain Performance: Stop IQ Deficiency

You may have personally experienced, or just heard from other people, of the mental boost that they get from smoking. Perhaps, for a short period of time such boost may be true, however in the long run, the effect of the tobacco consumption may be more dangerous to your brain than what you have expected. If you want to better your brains well-being, you have to worry about what affects your IQ.

An Addiction Research Center conducted a research regarding the long-term effects of alcohol on an alcoholics brain functioning. As expected, alcohol was found to be associated with mental problems and lower IQ scores. And as an addition to their findings, they also found out that long-term smoking has an effect on decreased brain power.

The results showed that alcohol has more severe effects on the thinking skills of alcoholic men who have been smoking for quite some time already. It has an adverse effect on memory, problem-solving skills and even the IQ of these men.

Among these alcoholic subjects, cigarette smoking was seen to be related to reduced mental functioning. However, even though the cause and effect relationship between smoking and the decreased mental performance was not clearly established, there are still some things which point out to the fact that cigarettes are the cause to such effect. In order to prove this point, more studies will have to be conducted.

Aside from these bad vices, there are still other things which may cause the reduction of your brain power.

Other Short-term Causes for Poor Thinking Performance

According to some more studies, foods which include artificial food coloring and sweeteners may be bad for the brain, more especially if they are consumed in large quantities. Usually, the children are the ones more affected negatively by these artificial flavorings and colorings. Examples of these kinds of foods are colas, white bread and hydrogenated oils.

The hydrogenated oils may cause the clogging of the arteries, and thus may result to heart diseases. Because of the clogs, it would be harder for the blood to flow to the brain. Artificially sweetened foods are unhealthy as well because they can cause fluctuations in blood sugar levels. These fluctuations may cause short-term brain fogging and even diabetes. Thus, it would be wiser for you to stay away from excessive sugar products.

Aside from these foods, other intangible things are believed to cause decrease of brain power. Personal problems such as egotism may be a factor. Because of egotism, a person may limit his ideas into just one view, which is his own. Because of egotism, he becomes settled with just his original thought and he would think that since his thoughts are more important than others then there is no more need to look at the ideas that come from others.

As you may have noticed, the effects of the bad eating habits as well as the personal problems may just be temporary. Thus, if you stop eating all those junk foods and start eating healthy; and likewise stop being so egocentric, then your brain functioning may just return to its normal performance. Fortunately, these factors affect the brain efficiency temporarily; unlike with alcoholism and smoking wherein the effects really do affect the IQ.

However, despite the effects permanence, the fact still remains that you should take care of your brain. You should keep it healthy all the time by doing things beneficial to your mental health. Whether or not the efficiency of your brain is affected temporarily or permanently, the truth is that it is still harmed for a certain period of time. You should know better, your brain performance should always be at its prime.