By Nigel Le Monnier

A large part of our efforts to stay healthy and slim are related to our ability to control our blood sugar levels. It is easy to presume that you have a balanced diet. You might be stocking your cupboards with fruit and vegetables and tell yourself you are doing all you can to eat healthily.

There are many reasons why unfortunately the foods you are consuming may not be making you healthier. Dare I tell you they may even be causing health problems little by little.

If you are the type of person who wants all the facts, read on. You are about to be enlightened.

The big consideration to what you eat should be regarding the foods you eat and how it affects your blood sugar levels. If you want to be healthier you will already know not to consume sugars. It is logical that eating them will raise your blood sugar levels. But did you know that there are plenty of other foods that can have the same affect. Constant increases in your blood sugar levels will tire your body’s ability to produce the insulin needed to keep return it to normal. When this effect becomes chronic diabetes can set in. Type 2, or age relate diabetes can be reversed by simply choosing low gi foods, or combinations of foods which have an overall low glycemic index.

The G.I. is a comparison between any food and the result which 50 grams of glucose has on the blood sugar level of the average person, which has been standardised as 100. So if I tell you that your breads, even gluten free, rice, fruit spreads, parsnips and dates all have indexes of over 90, you should realise very quickly there are many foods you would be better off avoiding.

Please don’t be fooled by those TV advertisements telling you about how much energy those glucose drinks will give you. If you are drinking them before running the 100 meters you may be fine but for everyone else, they will not give you long term energy. In fact they will actually take energy out of your muscle. They will cause you to feel drained and in need of another “fix”, and so the drain on your insulin goes on. At this point eating low glycemic snacks is the only answer to balancing your blood sugar levels, otherwise your health is going to suffer very quickly.

Any starchy foods such as pastries, bread, biscuits, breakfast cereals, rice, pasta, parsnips etc. will all cause a high level of glucose in the blood stream. This will cause inflammation and free radical damage brought about by glycation, which is a process started by high glucose levels combining with proteins circulating in the blood stream. The result is up to 40 times more free radical damage.

• Medical studies have shown that consuming a diet high in starchy carbohydrates can cause any of the following.
• Gluten proteins cause damage to cells.
• Probiotics (good bacteria) are killed in the intestine which will compromise the immune system.
• Bad bacteria in the intestines will flourish as they feed on carbohydrates.
• The body will become more acidic, which will cause osteoporosis and help provide the perfect environment for diseases to manifest. Read the rest of this entry »