Do you suffer from any of the following ...

• Excess weight
• General tiredness particularly mid afternoon
• Flagging energy levels that can be picked up by eating something
• Lack of concentration
• Feeling tired or groggy even after a good night's sleep
• Mood swings
• Food cravings especially for sweet, fatty foods again mid afternoon or after eating a meal
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Craving for alcohol early in the evening
• Diabetes
• Heart disease

The chances are that you do. In fact, many of us could put a tick against a number of the symptoms listed above and much of it can be put down to fluctuating blood sugar levels caused by eating far too many foods that score highly on the glycaemic index.

What is the Glycaemic Index?
The glycaemic index (GI) is a scientific ranking of foods based on their immediate effect on blood sugar levels. Almost every carbohydrate food you can think of has been tested and given a ranking between 1 and 100 depending on the speed at which it releases its sugars into the blood. Carbohydrate foods that breakdown quickly during digestion have the highest glycaemic indexes (GI's of 70 or above). Their blood sugar response is fast and high. Carbohydrates that breakdown slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream, have low glycaemic indexes (GI's of less than 55).

For more information on the GI ranking of foods visit www.glycemicindex.com

What's the Problem with Eating Foods That Score Highly on The Glycaemic Index?

Food Cravings
Meals consisting of high GI foods cause our blood sugar levels to rise rapidly. The body has to respond to this by making large quantities of the blood sugar lowering hormone, insulin and releasing it into our blood. Unfortunately however, insulin is often too good at it's job and instead of just reducing blood sugar levels to a desirable level it sends them plummeting to levels lower than they were originally. This sets up a yo-yo effect as the body then responds by making us crave fatty, sugary foods in an attempt to make our blood sugar levels rise once more.

Many of us experience this as the ‛mid afternoon lull'. We eat a meal consisting of high GI foods for lunch such as sandwiches or a jacket potato and by 3.30pm we are not only feeling tired, lethargic and lacking in concentration but we are positively craving something sweet to give us that much needed boost. This often happens again after the evening meal when we find ourselves heading back to the kitchen for a dessert, some chocolate biscuits or a glass of wine just a short while after having eaten.

Weight Gain
A diet rich in high GI foods can cause you to eat more calories because:-

High GI foods break down more quickly. The quicker a food breaks down the sooner you will begin to feel hungry and the more likely you will be to want to eat again

Hi GI foods can cause your blood sugar levels to rapidly rise and then fall which in turn will result in strong urges to eat fatty, sugary foods shortly after eating.
Both a and b are then compounded by the fact that another of insulin's main roles within the body is to promote fat storage. In other words, the more insulin you have floating around in your blood the more likely you are to store any excess calories that you eat as fat.

Lethargy
High GI foods do not supply a sustained source of energy. They release their sugars quickly and disappear leaving you feeling tired and drained especially after insulin has played it's part in bringing your rising blood sugar levels back down to earth with a bump.

Lack of Concentration and Mood Swings
The brain is entirely fuelled by blood sugar therefore when levels drop as a result of the excessive production of insulin the brain finds it more difficult to concentrate. Research has also found that low blood sugar levels are often linked to mood swings and depression.

Diabetes
Diabetes is one of the most common health problems in the world and it is most prevalent in parts of the world that eat high GI diets. It is thought that the constant stress that high GI foods place on the body to keep blood sugar levels normal can result in the pancreas, the manufacturing site of insulin, giving up which in turn can lead to diabetes.

Heart Disease
High levels of insulin that are brought about as a result of eating high GI meals are strongly related to increased cholesterol and blood pressure both of which are major contributing factors to heart disease.

10 steps to switching to a lower GI diet ......

• Eat seven or more servings of fruits and vegetables everyday.

  Make fruit or vegetables the basis of each meal and then think about adding in small amount of carbohydrate based foods such as bread, pasta, beans, pulses, potatoes, rice and cereals.

• Eat wholegrain breads and cereals with a low GI
• Eat more Pulses
• Eat More Nuts and Seeds
• Eat Oily Fish or Seafood Two to Three Times A Week
• Eat Lean Meats At Least Two to Three Times a Week
• Choose Low fat Dairy Products
• Swap Sugary Drinks for Fresh Fruit Juices, Skimmed Milk and Water
• Eat Small, Regular Meals
  Research shows that even low GI foods, when eaten in large quantities can cause blood sugar levels to soar so it is better to graze throughout the day on small meals and healthy, low fat, low GI snacks than to eat three large meals a day
• Keep cooking times to a minimum.
  The longer food is cooked the higher it's GI tends to be so avoid over cooking vegetables and keep pasta aldente.

GI Swaps ...

Swap baguettes (GI 95) for wheat tortillas (GI 30)

Swap rice cakes and crackers (GI 74) and bagels (GI 72) for a slice of wholemeal rye bread (GI 58) or wholemeal stoneground, heavy grain breads (GI 47)

Swap jacket potatoes (GI 101) for sweet potatoes (GI 46)

Swap white rice (GI 87) for barley (25)

Swap mashed potatoes (GI 101) for lentils gently simmered in a little chicken or vegetable stock(GI 26) or butter beans mashed with a little olive oil or butter.

Swap high GI cereals such as cornflakes, Rice Krispies and Special K for lower GI options such as Shredded Wheat, All Bran, muesli and porridge.

Swap most breads for stoneground wholemeal breads.

Swap chips for 2 - 3 small new potatoes

Swap cakes and biscuits for fresh fruit, low fat yogurt, vegetable crudités and fruit breads.

For more diet ideas, click here