What Is The Glycemic Index and will it help me get healthy?

So what is the glycemic index and why do I need to care?

It actually is a list of the foods that are arranged according to how quick the sugar from that food releases into our system. So if the food resides high on the list, the sugar is dumped fast! Then our pancreas is overloaded with insulin so it stores FAT into our body! Make sense?

Experts say to eat legumes. Well, I couldn't tell you what a legume is if it bit me in the nose! So I of course had to go researching and found that legumes are silly old beans. I think! Then there are plant legumes and if you go to Wikipedia and look up legumes prepare to be so confused that you won't ever touch one as long as you live!

So what do we do now? Experts say to eat a healthy diet that includes five to six small meals daily which will get your metabolism running at top speed. That sounds like something I need! I know when the kids were little, they sure kept me running at top speed and I could eat anything at all and it never affected my weight.

Now, twenty years later, if I look at food it attaches itself to my hips, butt and belly! The experts tell me to eat these small meals and include protein, legumes and plenty of low glycemic vegetables at each meal. Ok, that sounds great, now where do I find glycemic veggies? Experts also tell me if I do this for two weeks or so, I'll start fitting into clothes I hid in my closet without doing exercizes! Okay, I'm all for that!

Here we go with a list of foods that are low on the glycemic list:

• Apples, Oranges, Pears, Peaches, Grapes,
• Strawberries, Rasberries, Blueberries
• Cherries, Bananas, Lemons, Limes
• Ginger, Garlic, Lettuce, New Potatoes
• Broccoli, Cauliflower, Mushrooms, Spinich
• Carrots, Celery, Onions, Tomatoes
• Zucchini, Cucumber, Asparagus, Green Beans
• Bell Peppers, Carrots,
• 100% whole wheat bread, High Fiber Crispbreads
• Whole Wheat Pitas and Tortillas
• Old Fashiond Steel Cut Oats (have you ever eaten this, yum but time consuming to cook)
• Grape Nuts, Fiber One
• Skim Milk, whole eggs, low/non fat yogurt
• non-hydronated soft margarine, low fat cheese
• Almonds, Walnuts, Salsa, hot sauce, regular mustard, Dijon Mustard, fat free mayo
• low fat-low cal salad dressing, EVOO, flax seed, Canola Oil
• Salmon, Shrimp, Tuna, Crab Meat, Cod
• Boneless Skinless Turkey and Chicken breast, Lean Deli Ham, Pork Tenderloin
• Extra Lean Ground Beef, Beef Top sirloin

I think by now you probably get the idea that anything on the glycemic index is probably good for you. If we just change our eating habits slightly, they said we will get into those 1970's Jeans. Well,that's what I heard :)

In conclusion I did learn what the glycemic index is and I'm sure it is a good thing, although there is some research that says it really isn't all that good! Now that they have confused me even more, I think I better just watch my carbs and eat lots of healthy veggies and take a walk now and then. Good old fashioned walking is on my agenda. I don't think I need no glycemic index for now!