Welcome back to the F5 blog! So glad you’ve decided to join us for a second week of food knowledge. This week’s topic: carbs and the glycemic index!
As our very first blog post mentioned, there are two types of carbohydrates: simple and complex. I didn’t (and I still won’t) go into the chemistry behind them, but the basic understanding is that simple carbs are easier for your body to break down, and complex carbs are harder to break down (pretty simple stuff, right?). Your simple carbs will give you that quick boost of energy (think that mid-day snack craving for something sweet) and your complex carbs are going to work for you throughout your day and keep your energy more regulated (think the bowl of steel cut oats you have in the morning). Each of these carbs contributes to your ultimate success and energy level throughout the day.
Every carb, whether considered complex or simple, has a glycemic index. What is a glycemic index? Such a good question. It ’s time for a quick knowledge drop:
According to Harvard Health Publications, the glycemic index (GI) is a number assigned to a carbohydrate based on how quickly it makes your blood sugar rise. These numbers range from lowest to highest, 0-100, with 100 being pure glucose. The higher the number on the scale, the faster the release of glucose into your blood stream. This quick release will give you a more immediate spike of energy and often results in a crash if you overdo it. (Remember that time you split cotton candy, a corn dog, and a deep-fried snickers bar at the state fair and you wanted to leave 40 minutes later because you felt like you needed a nap? You can thank the glycemic index, glucose, and food processing for that!) Generally, the higher on the index you climb, the more processed the foods listed are. If it comes in a package and has ingredients you’ve never heard of before, it’s probably best that you steer clear!
Choosing to eat mostly foods that have a high glycemic index has been proven to contribute to illnesses like Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, increased inflammation, decreased energy levels and productivity, and so much more. When thinking about meal prep, opt for foods that fall lower on the GI chart. Foods with a lower GI will help to sustain you throughout your day, minimizing energy crashes and stabilizing your blood sugar, ultimately helping you maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Listed here are just SOME foods that have a lower GI that you can try to incorporate into your meals:
- Beans (all types, including edamame)
- Barley
- Plain oatmeal (NOT the prepackaged, flavored kind!)
- 100% whole wheat pasta
- 100% whole wheat bread, pumpernickel bread, sourdough bread
- Sweet potatoes & yams (not all potatoes are created equal!)
- Brown rice or wild rice
- Quinoa
- Apples, oranges, berries, cherries, most fruit
- Hummus
- Egg noodles
- Plain yogurt, all milk
- Lentils
- Nuts
- Vegetables as a whole (including corn)
In contrast, here are some foods that have a high GI that you should try and limit your intake (notice how almost all these foods come from the middle aisles of the grocery store and are created by their manufacturer):
- White rice
- Enriched white pasta
- White bread/bagels
- Any kind of soda/pop (including the sugar free/zero versions)
- White potatoes (russet, baking potatoes)
- Instant oatmeal
- Breakfast cereals, breakfast waffles and pancakes
- Ice cream
- Gatorade
- Pizza bagels
- Donuts, muffins, and most baked goods
- Watermelon
- Most granola
- Pretzels
- Popcorn and rice cakes
Remember when we talked about simple carbs? Those simple carbs give you energy and help you recover after a workout, and we find that those simple carbs have a higher glycemic index. As a part of the F5 program, you are allotted a certain amount of carbohydrates after your workout to help you recover. These carbs are best distributed among REAL, simple carbs with a higher GI-like a piece of fruit-to optimize your recovery.
Ultimately, use your best judgment when choosing carbohydrates. A few, good, general rules of thumb:
- Stay away from processed, manmade foods.
- Substitute white bread, buns, pastas and grains for their whole-wheat counterparts or nix them all together.
- Fill your plates with tons of veggies and foods that come from the earth, not the conveyer belt!
- Choose foods that have lots of fiber and are low in sugar (fiber takes longer for your body to breakdown).
- Opt for higher GI foods when you are looking for a post-workout snack.
Keep an eye out for some carb swapping recipe ideas, and happy eating!