Twix and pizza — are these really diet foods?
Don’t judge a food by its glycemic index. A guide to good and bad carbs
Here’s a riddle: What do a Twix candy bar, a Pizza Hut supreme pizza, and a Betty Crocker chocolate cake have in common?
Answer: They’re all “low glycemic” foods. And according to many nutrition experts, that qualifies them not only as healthy but also as great diet fare. For example, NutriSystem has pegged its marketing campaign on the science of the “glycemic advantage,” which the company claims is the key to losing weight while allowing you to eat the foods you love.
What is all this glycemic science?
A bit of background: The glycemic index (GI) ranks foods based on the impact they have on your blood sugar. So the higher a food’s glycemic index, the higher it elevates the amount of glucose coursing through your veins. The idea is that this overload of glucose leads to wild swings in blood sugar (it goes up, then comes crashing down), which ultimately causes you to crave more carbs.
The fitness factor
Another surprise: The glycemic index of a food isn’t a set number. University of Toronto scientists found that the value can vary by 23 percent to 54 percent from person to person. What’s more, it can also differ within the same person. Scientists at Syracuse University discovered that a single weight-training session reduces the effect of a high-sugar drink on blood glucose by 15 percent for 12 hours after an intense workout.
Exercise uses the glucose stored in your muscles. And to replenish those stores after a workout, your body starts shuttling more of the glucose from your bloodstream to your muscles where it’s packed away for future use. This helps reduce blood-glucose levels quickly, even after a high-sugar meal. Consider it another reason to lift weights: That extra muscle gives you a larger storage area for glucose.
Complex carbohydrates
The definition for these is simple: Any carbohydrate that’s composed of more than two sugar molecules.
Starch: This is a bundle of glucose molecules held together by a weak chemical bond. As a result, it’s broken down easily into pure glucose and absorbed quickly.
Fiber: Like starch, fiber is a bundle of sugar molecules. However, human digestive enzymes can’t break the bonds that hold them together, preventing absorption.
Glycemic load: A better number?
Even experts who promote the glycemic index realize it’s not perfect. But is their solution really an improvement?
To address the flaws in the glycemic index (GI), Harvard University scientists came up with another number to base food choices on. It’s called the glycemic load, and it takes into account a food’s portion size as well as its GI. You can calculate a food’s glycemic load by dividing its GI by 100 and then multiplying that by its grams of digestible carbohydrates (total carbs minus fiber).
November 30th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
[...] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptAnd according to many nutrition experts, that qualifies them not only as healthy but also as great diet fare. For example, NutriSystem has pegged its marketing campaign on the science of the “glycemic advantage,” which the company … [...]
November 30th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
[...] Twix and pizza — are these really diet foods? And to replenish those stores after a workout, your body starts shuttling more of the glucose from your bloodstream to your muscles where it’s packed away for future use. This helps reduce blood-glucose levels quickly, … [...]
November 30th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
[...] Another fellow blogger added an interesting post on Nutrition Frenzy » Blog Archive » Twix and pizza â are these …Here’s a small excerptThis blog will bring you the information in a clear, logical and concise way for you to mentally ‘digest’ and take from it what you will. It is my hope that you will bring your experience, knowledge and expertise to the table as well. … [...]
December 1st, 2008 at 2:49 am
[...] Vote Twix and pizza — are these really diet foods? [...]
December 1st, 2008 at 10:13 am
[...] Vote Twix and pizza — are these really diet foods? [...]
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:18 am
I have been traveling in Thailand for the last few months. The people here woulden’t know a Glycemic Index if it hit them in the head. But you rearly see anyone with a weight problem. So they have no use for the great Glycemic Index. When you see them eat it is clear to see why; they eat a lot of raw produce with every meal.
Sincerely
Paul
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:22 am
Hi Paul, thank you for commenting here on Nutrition Frenzy. While I personally do not follow the Glycemic Index, many people do and find it helps them with their dieting, diabetes or general health. Personally, I follow the old adage of subtracting fiber from carb count. Asian countries have been known to have fewer incidences of high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes and the like. Maybe the West can learn something from their example.
March 2nd, 2009 at 11:55 pm
This is the best post I ever read, I will bookmark this, thx!
March 25th, 2009 at 10:21 am
We learned two very important things: eat your fruits and veggies and watch portion sizes. It worked for us.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
AMEN! That’s the only proven, safe way to lose weight.
March 31st, 2009 at 10:01 am
Great to see a site aimed at those of us who are not in the first full flush of youth. I have just started to build a lens on Diet Information.
April 1st, 2009 at 11:09 am
Welcome to Nutrition Frenzy, Steven.