My Health

When you eat a food such as white bread which has a high glycaemic index, it raises the blood sugar level in your body faster than if you sat and ate spoonfuls of sugar. Because blood sugar levels have to be kept in a narrow range, your body responds immediately by sending out insulin to get it down. The blood sugar level then drops well below normal, creates cravings for more food and so the vicious cycle continues. Nasty carb & sugar addictions. I've noticed for myself i can see wild mood swings while this whole process is going on.

If i were to eat a low glycaemic index food then my blood sugar levels wouldn't go up as much, my body wouldn't react so strongly and the insulin and glucagon levels in my system would be evenly balanced.

I knew parts of this stuff before, like that carbs turn into sugar in your body, i was just operating under the old school thinking that all carbs are equal and that wheat is good. Actually wheat is good, but most of the bread people eat has been stripped of all nutrients to create a lightweight feel good substitute for the real thing.

In the glycaemic index anything under 30 is good, 40-60 is moderate and over that is bad. Raw fruits and vegetables, nuts, greens are all good. Fat and fibre are good because they slow digestion of food in the gut so the blood sugar isn't spiked. Meat and dairy products don't spike the blood as much, but they come with their own set of pros and cons. Lentils and beans are ok. Junk food, potatoes, white rice, white bread, pasta, chocolate and sugar all spike the blood. Those are the ones i have to watch out for.

In the end i was disappointed with Dr Strands book because the first 2 wks of his releasing fat program involves living entirely on Usana meal replacement formula and nutrition bars as well as their supplement program. All of which is unbelievably and prohibitively expensive, quite frankly i'd rather spend my money on fruit and veges which react synergistically in the body, all the chemicals, mineral and elements working together to provide greater benefits than one thing alone. Unfortunately, man will take one element, eg vit c or bromelain (found naturally in pineapple) throw it into a pill and sell it for 200x more than its worth. I have a very low opinion of supplements. One day i might change my mind but i doubt it. Herbs in pill form are another thing entirely though, i quite like them.