What exactly is the Glycemic Index? In 1981, professor of nutrition, Dr. David Jerkins was looking at how different carbohydrate-rich foods affected blood sugar levels in people with diabetes and discovered that, contrary to popular belief, many starchy foods affected blood sugar levels quite dramatically, while some sugary foods had little effect. From his research, he developed a scale called the Glycemic Index (GI), which simply ranked foods based on the effect they had on blood sugar levels.

Foods that have only a slow, small effect on blood sugar have a low GI value, while those causing a rapid and massive rise in blood sugar have a high GI value.

Low GI value slowly release sugar into the blood, providing you with a steady supply of energy, leaving you feeling satisfied longer so that you’re less likely to snack. In contrast, foods with a high GI value cause a rapid - but short-lived - rise in blood sugar. This leaves you lacking in energy and feeling hungry within a short time.

In general, most nutritionists and dietitians are supportive of the basic principles of the GI diet, which emphasizes low GI foods. They do, however, believe that you shouldn’t get too hung up about avoiding all high GI foods because when foods are eaten together in a meal, they can have a very different GI value to the individual foods it contains.

The best time to choose high GI foods is after extended periods of exercise lasting more than 30 minutes. At this point, the body needs the extra kick in blood sugar.

I believe information about choosing foods based on the Glycemic Index will become common house hold knowledge in the future. Try it out for a few days and see how you feel. See the Glycemic Index list below to get started:

LOW GI (>55)
Beans
Legumes & Lentils
Barley
Berries
Dairy
Fruit (most - see high GI for exceptions)
Lentils
Nuts
Oatmeal (slow cook)
Vegetables (above ground)
Wild Rice
Yogurt
Quinoa***
Hemp hearts***
Goji berries***

MODERATE GI (56-69)
Bran Cereals
Bananas (under-ripe)
Beans (canned)
Buckwheat
Cantaloupe
Grapes
Oatmeal (regular)
Peas
Pineapple (mod to high)
Popcorn
Rice (brown)
Rye
Sweet Potatoes
Whole Grain Bread
Whole Wheat Pasta
Yams

HIGH GI (70-100)
Bagels
Bananas (ripe)
Baked Goods
Breakfast Cereals
Corn
Crackers
Dates
Pop
Raisins
Rice Cakes
Steamed white rice
Root Vegetables (ie: potatoes, carrots and beets)
Sugar
Sport Drinks
Water melon
White Flour

Reading ingredient labels doesn’t have to be difficult. It is pretty simple in fact. Basically, if you don’t know what the ingredient is, or if you have never heard of it, there is a good chance that it is a chemical or processed ingredient that you don’t want to ingest. In general, each ingredient should be a whole food that isn’t processed. That said it can still be a bit daunting.

Below, I’ve listed five typical ingredients that you should avoid at all costs. And if they are listed first, second or third on the ingredient list of a packaged product, you definitely want to take a pass and opt for something else.

1. Sugar: Refined sugars should be avoided for several reasons:
* They raise your insulin levels and as a result, can depress the immune system, weakening your ability to fight disease.
* Further, they cause weight gain and promote storage of fat.
* Lastly, refined sugars provide you with no vitamins or minerals, so in order for them to be metabolized, they draw on the body’s reserves of vitamins and minerals, depleting your body’s nutrients.

Solution: Look for foods that are naturally sweetened (fruit or honey). If you must have sugar, opt for pure cane sugar that has not been refined.
2. Bleached White Flour: Unbleached flour is a perfectly fine ingredient. However, if the product has bleached flour, stay away. The bleaching process takes a lot of the nutrients and fiber out of the flour. As a result, the product ends up having mostly empty calories, providing little to no nutritional value to your diet.

Solution: If choosing a wheat or grain based product, consume those that have whole grains or unbleached flour.
3. Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil / Hydrogenated Soybean Oil: Hydrogenated soybean oils are created because they have a higher melting point, which makes them attractive for baking and extends their shelf-life. Unfortunately, they aren’t attractive to you or your waistline. These fats can cause coronary disease and may be linked to cancer.

Solution: Don’t consume products with these ingredients. Opt for those that have monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats instead.
4. High Fructose Corn Syrup: In short, high-fructose corn syrup is an unnatural product that is a very, very sweet, highly processed and refined cornstarch. This manufactured substance is sweeter than and digested differently than sugar.
* The body processes it directly through the liver and is then stored as fat.
* Further, there is once again, no nutritional value, giving you only empty calories to digest.
* Lastly, this sweetener may be linked to several diseases including type 2 Diabetes.

Solution: Opt for only natural sweeteners, foods that are naturally sweet (fruit or honey) or natural herbs, such as stevia.
5. Aspartame/Saccharin/Sucralose/Phenylalkaline: Any artificial sweetener is bad for you. They are unnatural and are processed derivatives of food and/or chemicals that aren’t natural for us to digest. They can cause havoc on your metabolism and your energy levels. Further, there is strong evidence that these are toxic and may cause cancer, as well as other diseases.

Solution: Opt for only natural sweeteners or stevia, a natural sweet herb.

Notice, these five ingredients are all either fat or sugar related. In general, the more you can avoid bad fats and refines sugars, the better off you are. When possible, always look for natural and whole foods. If a food is packaged, there is a good chance that there might be unwanted added preservatives or ingredients that you want to avoid.

If you want to avoid getting the flu this winter, follow these 7 proven techniques for boosting your immune system, fighting off germs, and keeping your body healthy…

1. Get enough sleep. Your immune system functions much better when you get enough sleep. Most people really need about 8 hours per night for optimal health. If you’re body is fatigued, it simply won’t be able to fight off the flu virus (or any other infection) very well.

2. Exercise regularly. Exercise helps keep your immune system strong. In fact, a recent study showed that mice who performed mild exercise as soon as they were exposed to the flu virus had much lower death rates. Read about the study here.

3. Avoid sugar. Even small amounts of sugar can significantly impair your immune function, making you more susceptible to a flu infection. A large amount of sugar, such as the amount found in a normal can of soda, hurts your immune function for hours.

4. Drink lots of pure water. Keeping your mucous membranes well-hydrated is a key to helping them fight off viruses. Shoot for about eight 8-ounce glasses per day.

5. Reduce stress. Too much stress has a highly negative impact on your overall health and, over time, it will make you much more susceptible to a flu infection. Studies show that prolonged stress is at least partially responsible for 90% of all illness and disease. Regular exercise and sufficient sleep both help reduce stress levels. Also, meditation is a proven stress-buster that is easy, enjoyable and can be used on a daily basis.

6. Wash your hands often. Also, carry a bottle of alcohol-based hand sanitizer with you and use it frequently, especially after you touch anything that others have touched recently (like doorknobs).

7. Eat immune-boosting foods on a daily basis. A healthy diet, including a few proven immune-boosting foods, is one of the best ways to avoid catching the flu. The best flu-fighting foods are:

* Fresh, organically grown fruits and vegetables - Brightly colored fruits and vegetables are packed with healthy phytonutrients that can strengthen your immune system, lowering your susceptibility to the flu virus.
* Fresh raw or lightly-cooked garlic - Garlic has strong natural antiviral properties that can help to fight off a flu virus. Also, garlic provides a strong boost to your immune system, especially when eaten on a regular basis.
* Green Tea - Like garlic, green tea has shown the ability to both kill viruses and to stimulate the immune system to fight off flu infections, especially when used daily. Try to drink 3-6 cups of strong green tea per day during the flu season.
* Cayenne Pepper - Cayenne has a long list of health benefits and is believed to be a mild immune-booster. Also, cayenne contains large amounts of natural vitamin A, considered to be an important “anti-infection” nutrient.

So is chocolate healthy? Only high quality organic dark chocolate may indeed have solid physiological benefits. The polyphenols, procyanidins and catrechins appear to have antioxidant properties that may reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and cancer. UC Davis scientists report, “Regular intake of cocoa components may contribute to a lower thrombotic (blood clot) risk.”

In addition chocolate may reduce oxidation of dangerous LDL cholesterol. In moderation it has been shown in a study to increase longevity and we all know the active mood-altering effects of this favorite treat. It acts as a mild aphrodisiac as well as helps fight depression. Scientists at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego discovered that biologically active ingredients of chocolate also target a substance in the brain known to produce “internal bliss,” one of the most common reasons for eating chocolate.

And good news for woman, the high magnesium content in cocoa has been shown to help with premenstrual symptoms justifying the natural craving for chocolate at that time.

But not all chocolate is created equal. In today’s chocolate market only 2 tenths of 1% of the chocolates out there are organic. Most mass processed chocolates combine refined sugars, artificial flavors and cheap high cholesterol polyunsaturated fats and hydrogenated oils. Their final product is 10 - 20% authentic and mostly a “chocolate filled” product which is much higher in fat, calories and unnatural, unhealthy additives.

In comparison, pure organic premium chocolate is typically 50 -70 % cocoa solids and contains natural sugar, and no vegetable oil. Therefore it has fewer calories and more health benefits.

The answer is zero. None. Nada. There is no recommended daily allowance of sugar. Sugar is a refined product made by humans and put into many items we eat every day, so that our food will taste sweet and cause cravings for more of the same. More of the same equals more stored fat, more risk of diabetes, more risk of heart disease and more obesity in our society. Is that really what we want?

We all have been fooled by the word “sugar.” We automatically think our bodies need sugar for survival. Our bodies actually need glucose for survival; it usually is found in our bloodstream, and liver and also is sent to the muscles as glycogen (muscular energy).

Many of the foods in our Ultra Fit diet, such as oatmeal, potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegetables and rice are converted into glucose. Our body uses glucose to restore glycogen (the fuel that the muscle uses for energy and strength) and also for overall energy. It also is metabolized to produce warmth.

Unfortunately, many food manufacturers have combined all carbohydrates on food labels into one category — whether they’re refined or not. Just recently many products are now separating out the sugar grams on the label. Beware, for example, a product that has 40 grams of carbohydrates and 32 grams of that are sugar. That product is mostly all sugar and is not a very healthy food.

Here are words used to describe sugar in the ingredients of a food label:

Lactose: Sugar from milk (lactose intolerance is caused by the sugar in milk)

Maltose: Sugar from malt

Fructose: Sugar from fruit

Dextrose: Sugar from starch (“corn sugar”)

Sucrose: Refined sugar from sugar cane or beets

The refined product of sugar cane, “sucrose,” can be very addictive. The more our body consumes, the more it wants. If you limit your children’s sugar intake, you will be surprised how they don’t crave sugar as much as other kids do. As a matter of fact, they will taste the sugar in certain products and say the food is too sweet.

The bottom line is that sugar can be detrimental to your health. Many people have developed diabetes, cancer and skin problems because of a sugar overdose. When you go many hours between meals and your insulin level drops, your body begins to crave nourishment. The usual outcome is sugar or sucrose. So, the next time you get a craving and your first thought is sugar … resist!

Instead, make yourself a delicious, sugar-free meal, rich in quality protein and clean carbohydrates. By doing so, you can be confident that you will be lowering your body fat, increasing lean muscle, sustaining blood sugar levels and improving your health by the minute. Your future depends on the decisions that you make … and staying completely away from sugar is a great decision!

I found a really great article in my files and wanted to share this today with our readers from the great folks at Natural Health News. My friends and I last night had a discussion revolving around food and diet choices and thought this would be of interest to you…

The top five cancer-causing foods

Ever wonder which foods should be strongly avoided by those at high risk for cancer? We can begin identifying cancer-causing foods once we know which ingredients in our food cause cancer. Some of those ingredients are food additives and chemicals used to enhance taste, while others are used strictly for appearance or to increase product shelf life. The key to avoiding cancer-causing foods is knowing which ingredients are carcinogens — or cancer promoters — and then reading food labels to permanently avoid consuming those ingredients.

Cancer tumors develop, in part, by feeding on sugar in the bloodstream. If you eat lots of sugary snacks loaded with simple carbs, you’re loading your bloodstream with the chemical energy needed for cancer cells (and tumors) to proliferate. No biological system can live without fuel for its chemical processes, including cancer cells. Thus, one of the strategies to pursue for any anti-cancer diet is to eat low-glycemic diet. That means no refined sugars.. ever! No refined grains (white flour, for example), no heavy use of sweeteners and the lifetime avoidance of sugary soda pop. Aside from starving tumors, eating foods low in sugar and avoiding simple carbs will also keep your weight in check while helping prevent blood sugar disorders such as type-2 diabetes.

What to avoid on the labels: high-fructose corn syrup, sugar, sucrose, enriched bleached flour, white rice, white pastas, white breads and other “white” foods.

The dangers of hydrogenated oils
Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils — another danger — are developed from otherwise harmless, natural elements. To make them hydrogenated, oils are heated in the presence of hydrogen and metal catalysts. This process helps prolong shelf life but simultaneously creates trans fats, which only have to be disclosed on the label if the food contains more than 0.5 grams per serving. To avoid listing trans fats, or to claim “trans fat free” on their label, food manufactuers simply adjust the serving size until the trans fat content falls under 0.5 grams per serving. This is how you get modern food labels with serving sizes that essentially equate to a single bite of food. Not exactly a “serving” of food, is it?

Besides being a cancer factor, trans fats promote heart disease, interrupt metabolic processes, and cause belly fat that crowd the organs and strain the heart. The essential fatty acids that the hydrogenation process removes are responsible for a number of processes in your body. When trans fats replace these essential fatty acids, they occupy the same space without doing the same job. The “anchor” portion of the fatty acid is in place (which is how the body recognizes the fatty acid and puts it to work) but the chemically active part of the fatty acid is twisted, distorted, and missing vital parts.

After the hydrogenation process, the fatty acid can’t biochemically function in the same way. Things like brain cell function, hormones, gland function, oxygen transport, cell wall function (keeping things in or out of your cells) and digestive tract operation (putting together nutrients and blocking allergens) are adversely affected.

Food manufacturers don’t tell you this on the product label, of course. Your body needs essential fatty acids and you are programmed to keep eating until you get them. If you’re only eating trans fats, you’ll never feel fully satiated, because your body will never get the fatty acids it needs for essential function. Since cancer needs high blood sugar and low oxygen levels, a person with lots of belly fat who just can’t seem to put down those trans fat cookies or crackers (also loaded with flour and simple sugars) presents the ideal environment for the development of cancer.

The acrylamide factor
Since trans fats are often formed during the frying process, we should also talk about acrylamides. Acrylamides are not added into food; they are created during the frying process. When starchy foods are subjected to high heat, acrylamides form. A Swedish study found that acrylamides cause cancer in rats, and more studies are under way to confirm the understanding that acrylamides also cause cancer in humans.

Sodium nitrite (and nitrates)
Food companies add sodium nitrate into certain foods on purpose. This carcinogen is added to processed meats , hot dogs, bacon, and any other meat that needs a reddish color to look “fresh.” Decades ago when meats were preserved, it was done with salt. But in the mid 20th century, food manufacturers started using sodium nitrite in commercial preservation. This chemical is responsible for the pinkish color in meat to which consumers have grown accustomed. Although today the use of refrigeration is largely what protects consumers from botulism and bacteria, manufacturers still add sodium nitrite to make the meat look pinkish and fresh.

The nitrites themselves are not the problem. People get more nitrites from vegetables than they do from meat, according to research by the University of Minnesota. During the digestion process, however, sodium nitrite is converted to nitrosamine, and that’s where the cancer problems begin. Nitrosamine is a carcinogen, but since it is not technically an ingredient, its presence can be easily overlooked on the packaging. Nitrosamines are also found in food items that are pickled, fried, or smoked; in things such as beer, cheese, fish byproducts, and tobacco smoke.

Knowing about all these ingredients doesn’t mean there is simply a “short list” of foods that should be avoided. You have to vigilant and read labels constantly. Here are the five worst offenders:

1. Hot dogs: The Cancer Prevention Coalition recommends that children should not eat more than 12 hot dogs per month because of the risk of cancer. If you must have your hot dog fix, look for those without sodium nitrite listed among the ingredients.

2. Processed meats and bacon: These meats almost always contain the same sodium nitrite found in hot dogs. You can find some without nitrites, but you’ll have to look for them in natural grocers or health food stores. Bacon is also high in saturated fat, which contributes to the risk of cancers, including breast cancer. Limiting your consumption of processed meats and saturated fats also benefits the heart.

3. Doughnuts: Doughnuts contain hydrogenated oils, white flour, sugar, and acrylamides. Essentially, they’re one of the worst cancer foods you can possibly eat. Reader’s Digest calls doughnuts “disastrous” as a breakfast food, and many experts agree it’s probably one of the worst ways to start the day.

4. French fries: Fries are made with hydrogenated oil and fried at high temperatures. Some chains even add sugar to their fry recipe to make them even more irresistible. Not only do they clog your arteries with saturated fat and trans fat, they also contain acrylamides. They should be called “cancer fries,” not French fries.

5. Chips / crackers / cookies: These generally contain white flour and sugar as well as trans fats, but it’s not enough to simply look for these ingredients on the label; you have to actually “decode” the ingredients list that food manufacturers use to deceive consumers. They do this by hiding ingredients (such as hiding MSG in yeast extract, or by fiddling with serving sizes so they can claim the food is trans fat free, even when it contains trans fats (the new Girl Scout cookies use this trick).

Besides avoiding these foods, what else can consumers do to reduce their risk of cancer? The main things are simple: Eat unprocessed foods and base your diet largely on plants. Consume foods that have omega-3 fats and other essential fatty acids. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables; many common ones have known cancer-fighting properties. Get regular vigorous exercise, since tumors cannot thrive in highly oxygenated environments. Keep your blood sugar stable to avoid being an all-you-can-eat buffet for cancer cells.

Eat foods high in natural vitamin C, a nutrient that deters the conversion of nitrite into nitrosamine and promotes healthy immune function. Make sure you get adequate amounts of cancer-fighting vitamin D through exposure to sunlight — about 10 to 15 minutes each day if you have fair skin, or ten times as long if you have dark skin pigmentation. Stay well hydrated to ensure that your body rids itself of toxins. Avoid smoking and don’t use conventional fragrance, cosmetics and personal care products — virtually all of them contain cancer-causing chemicals.

Preventing cancer is actually quite straightforward. Even the World Health Organization says that 70 percent of all cancers can be prevented with simple changes in diet and lifestyle. The truth is that most people give themselves cancer through the foods, drinks and products they choose to consume. In my opinion, over 90 percent of cancers are easily preventable.