The Glycemic Index

A unique tool for achieving a healthy weight in New Orleans

This is a Guest fitness Blog post by Laura Kalina, RD, MAdEd, a registered dietitian and author of Low GI Meals in Minutes Cookbook

The obesity epidemic is the greatest health care crisis to hit the modern western world.  Even more alarming, it is now predicted that over 30 per cent of the next generation will develop diabetes sometime in their lives.  We have become an overfed, undernourished nation because of poor lifestyle habits.  High glycemic index (GI) diets and lack of exercise are largely to blame.

What is the glycemic index?

Dr. David Jenkins, a Canadian nutritional sciences professor, developed this index in the early 1980s. It ranks carbohydrate-rich foods by how much they raise blood glucose levels in comparison with glucose or white bread.

When you eat food that contains carbohydrates, the sugar (glucose) breaks down during digestion and gives you energy.  After you eat, your blood glucose level rises.  The speed at which food increases your blood glucose level is called the glycemic response.

The glycemic index ranks carbohydrate-rich foods according to this response.  Those that raise blood glucose quickly have a higher GI rating.  Foods that do so more slowly have a lower one.  Generally, the lower the rating, the better the quality of carbohydrate and overall nutritional benefit.

Low GI foods are usually low in calories and fat, while high in fibre, nutrients and antioxidants.  Choosing low GI foods more often has many health benefits.

What are the benefits of eating low GI foods?

Prevent obesity – Low GI foods digest more slowly and stay in your stomach longer.  This makes you feel full longer.  As a result, you may eat less and consume fewer calories making it easier to control weight.  In addition, low GI foods do not spike your blood glucose.

Prevent type 2 diabetes – High GI foods may increase the body’s demand for insulin and raise the workload of the pancreas.  Some researchers think that eating a diet rich in high GI foods for many years may wear out the pancreas wear out, resulting in type 2 diabetes.  Eating low GI foods can ease the demand on the pancreas, so it does not work too as hard.

Manage diabetes better – Eating low-GI foods helps control blood glucose and improves the body’s sensitivity to insulin.  These foods do not break down into sugar as quickly and so may keep blood glucose from spiking.  Your body is more able to keep up with insulin demands.  Controlling blood glucose levels is particularly important for helping those with diabetes to avoid serious complications of the disease.

Avert heart disease – Elevated insulin levels may be one driving factor for heart disease.  High GI foods spike blood glucose levels and insulin demand.  This may raise cholesterol and triglyceride levels, contributing to heart disease.  In contrast, consuming low GI foods keeps blood glucose and insulin levels in check.  Some evidence suggests this reduces total blood cholesterol and bad LDL cholesterol, while increasing your heart-friendly, good HDL cholesterol.

What are some simple ways to include lower GI foods into my diet?

Start your day off with a Low Glycemic Shake such as Usana’s Nutrimeal.  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and  high glycemic choices can trigger you to eat 80 percent more calories all day!

-Choose breads that contain a high proportion of whole or cracked grains, stone-ground whole wheat flour, oats, bran and seeds.  The lowest GI (and recommended) bread is made from whole sprouted wheat.

-Select unrefined cereals like large-flake rolled oats, oat bran, wheat bran, muesli and cereals made with psyllium.

-Serve brown, wild, Basmati or converted (parboiled) rice.

-Try sweet potatoes or yams for dinner instead of regular white potatoes. (See recipe for Sweet Potato Fries.)

-Eat fresh fruit and vegetables.  They have a low GI and break down into sugar slowly.  Canada’s Food Guide recommends five to ten servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Enjoy a variety!

-When baking, choose recipes that call for whole grain flours, oat bran, wheat bran, rolled oats or ground flaxseeds instead of, or along with, all-purpose flour.

-Snack on fruit, vegetables, yogurt or a handful of nuts. (Almonds, preferably (non-salted) peanuts and walnuts are good choices because they also add healthy fats to your diet.)

-Choose fruit- and dairy-based desserts, such as berries with low-fat ice cream.

-Enjoy more whole grain pasta, legumes, vegetables and low-fat dairy products.

-Try tofu, barley, quinoa, and bulgur. (See recipes for Quinoa Corn and Black Bean Salad and Tofu Pizza.)

-Use vinaigrette instead of a creamy salad dressing.  It is lower in fat, plus the acidity of the vinegar slows digestion, lowering the meal’s GI.

-Try to include at least one low GI food at each meal.

Choose wisely

Select low and medium GI foods more often than high GI foods.  A GI of 55 or less ranks as low, a GI of 56 to 69 is medium, and a GI of 70 or more ranks as high.  Use the chart to help you make healthier choices.

Low glycemic index foods (55 or less) – choose most often

Usana’s Nutrimeal
Usana’s Nutrition Bars
Skim milkPlain yogurtSoy beverageApple, plum and orangeSweet potatoSprouted wheat bread or tortillaPumpernickel bread
Oatmeal (slow cook oats)All-Bran™
Barley
Bulgar
Quinoa
Lentils, kidney and baked beans
Chick peas
Vegetables

Medium glycemic index foods (56 to 69) – choose more often

Banana
Pineapple
Raisins
New potatoes
Split pea or green pea soup
Brown and Basmati rice
Couscous
Shredded wheat cereal
Whole grain bread (coarse)
Rye bread
Pasta and noodles, cooked to al dente (firm)

High glycemic index foods (greater than 70) – choose less often

White and whole wheat breads and bagels
Instant mashed potatoes
Baked white potato
Instant rice and noodles
Corn Flakes™
Rice Krispies™
Cheerios™
Soda crackers
Jellybeans
French fries
Rice cakes
Pretzels
Popcorn
Cookies
Cakes
Table sugar (sucrose)
Fruit juice
Dried fruit

WRITTEN BY:  Laura Kalina, RD, MAdEd, a registered dietitian and author of Low GI Meals in Minutes Cookbook which can help you put healthy eating into action.
More than a cookbook, this healthy lifestyle guide teaches a quick prep method, and also contains a menu plan, shopping lists, fridge and pantry makeovers and success stories.

To find out more about Laura and how to order her cook book visit –> www.lowgimeals.com.

BONUS: Awesome Tofu Pizza Recipe!

Makes 3 servings   Calories 200 – CARBS 8g • PROTEIN 16g • FAT 11g • FIBER 2g
12 oz (350 g) extra firm tofu
2/3 cups (150 mL) chunky black bean salsa
¼ cup (60 mL) black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped (optional)
½ cup (125 mL) grated cheddar
¼ cup (60 mL) feta, crumbled
2 green onions, thinly sliced
¼ tsp (1 mL) dried oregano

1. 1. Place oven rack in top third of oven.  Preheat to 400 F.
2. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
3. Turn tofu block on edge and slice into six thin slices.  Place tofu slices on cookie sheet.
4. In a bowl, stir salsa with olives and green onion, then spoon over tofu and spread to edges.  Sprinkle with cheddar, feta and oregano.
5. Turn oven to broil and cook until cheese melts, 6 to 8 minutes.
   

   Make Sure you leave a comment Below! I love to hear your thoughts!

   
   

REAL  New Orleans Slimming Secrets from the Supermarket:
“The Top 4”

This “negative” can be very positive.

Most of us don’t just want to lose “weight”. We want to lose body fat. This is what really concerns us, cosmetically speaking, at least.

Body fat, referred to by scientists as adipose tissue, is the stuff that can hide shapely, defined muscles from view, make your bikini fit awkwardly (or not at all), put rolls on your belly, and so on. To lose body fat and prevent it from finding you again, you must burn more of it than you store. When you achieve this scientists say you are in negative fat balance, and it can be a very positive thing.
Indeed, if you stay in negative fat balance long enough, then you will unquestionably lose body fat.

The supermarket is a great place to go for things that can increase body fat. But it’s also home to some of nature’s most powerful tools for helping you lose it. In this exclusive report we reveal 4 natural “slimming secrets” that can immediately increase your calorie-burning rate, the first and most critical step toward achieving a negative fat balance and fitting into your swimsuit properly again.

1.   Coffee (caffeine)
While the proportions may shift from moment to moment, your body always burns a mixture of three fuels: carbohydrate, fat and protein. Thus, if you increase your overall calorie-burning rate (a.k.a. metabolic rate), it’s pretty much guaranteed that your fat-burning rate will go up, bringing you that much closer to the negative fat balance territory where real slimming occurs.

About 75% of the caffeine consumed in the United States comes from coffee, a product that no supermarket can be considered complete without.
Caffeine is recognized worldwide for its ability to enhance alertness and performance. However, it also displays fast-acting calorie-burning properties.

For instance, a study involving lean and overweight (obese) subjects reported that a single 100-mg dose of caffeine (equivalent to a little over 1 cup of coffee) was enough to raise their calorie-burning rate by up to 4% for 2.5 hours.
While a 4% increase may not seem like a big deal, it can turn into one. The scientists who conducted the study explain, “…if it is assumed that there is no compensatory increase in food intake, the increase [in calorie-burning rate] after caffeine would represent an energy deficit of 75-110 kcal/day. These changes may be small but over several months could accumulate and lead to substantial changes in body weight.”

But wait. Regular coffee drinkers know all too well that you can become tolerant to its energizing effects over time. Won’t the same thing happen here? Fortunately, evidence suggests that caffeine’s calorie-burning effects persist with repeated exposure. Case in point: The subjects in the above study were all mild to moderate consumers of caffeine, consuming anywhere from 250-500 mg per day, equivalent to ~3-6 cups of coffee. Yet they all enjoyed a calorie-burning boost from the relatively small dose given to them.

2.   Hot Pepper (capsaicin)
The waiter places a delicious meal in front of you that includes a spicy curry sauce. You devour it. For the next 30 minutes your calorie-burning rate is cruises at 10% above baseline, equivalent to burning an additional 129 Calories per day, or 27% of the caloric value of the entire meal. Sounds too good to be true? This fictitious scenario became a reality at Kyoto University in Japan when scientists gave young women a 481-Calorie meal consisting of a yellow curry sauce containing 3 mg of capsaicin.

Capsaicin is the compound responsible for the sharp, and for some of us, intolerably painful, sensation produced by eating hot red peppers. It’s also to blame for the beads of sweat that appear on your forehead as you do so. Thus, it may come as no surprise to learn that deep inside the body capsaicin can increase your calorie-burning rate by stimulating a process known as thermogenesis.
Thermogenesis essentially involves the release of calories in the form of heat. Once released, they can no longer be stored as body fat. In addition to increasing thermogenesis, capsaicin has been found to improve meal satiety (i.e. how full you feel after eating), thereby reducing your risk of overeating. In animal studies it has been reported to increase calorie-burning rate and reduce body fat.

Of course, the single most powerful way to increase your calorie-burning rate and get into negative fat balance is to exercise. Here, too, capsaicin may boost your slimming efforts. When scientists gave healthy subjects capsaicin an hour before performing low-intensity exercise (stationary cycling), they burned more fat. The increase was impressive enough that the scientists suggested capsaicin be used as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of elevated blood lipid levels and/or obesity.

3.   Cinnamon
Cinnamon often serves as a flavorful addition to carbohydrate-rich meals. How great is it, then, to learn that it may help “push” more of those carbohydrates into lean muscle and away from fat cells (adipose tissue)?

Most of the carbohydrate calories you eat are eventually converted into glucose (a.k.a. blood sugar). The hormone insulin helps direct glucose into your body’s cells, including muscle cells. The more sensitive your muscle cells are to insulin, the more efficiently they can scoop up glucose and store it for later use, such as providing your muscles with energy during exercise. All other things held constant, this leaves less glucose available for your fat cells, which might otherwise use it to make body fat.

Of the many plants studied to date, cinnamon has been reported to be among the most powerful in terms of its ability to enhance insulin sensitivity and keep blood glucose levels in check. When added to a carbohydrate-rich meal, it reduces the rise in blood glucose normally experienced afterwards. While the effects on insulin sensitivity may take a couple of weeks to manifest, the improvements in blood glucose control appear virtually immediately.

So cinnamon increases insulin sensitivity and improves blood glucose regulation. Great. However, does this mean it can help you lose body fat more quickly? In fact, this ancient spice might help you do more than that. Dr Richard Anderson (Ph.D.) at the US Department of Agriculture has conducted numerous studies on cinnamon.
He says that if cinnamon is consumed long-term, it can enhance lean body mass (this includes muscle) and reduce body fat, something he and his scientific colleagues demonstrated in a study performed in 2006.

4.   Green Tea
White, green and black varieties of tea all contain caffeine (anywhere from ~14-61 mg per 6-8 oz serving). But it’s green tea that seems to get the most attention from scientists when it comes to burning fat. And its fat-burning effects are due to more than its caffeine content.

In one frequently cited study, healthy young men were given a green tea extract three times per day. Their 24-hour calorie-burning rate was 3.5% higher than that of subjects taking a placebo. This was equivalent to burning an additional 200 Calories per day -more than enough to eventually produce substantial weight loss and reductions in body fat.

Not only did green tea cause the subjects to burn more calories, but a larger proportion of the calories burned were determined by the scientists to have come from fat. That is, green tea was pushing them closer towards negative fat balance territory, if not pushing them right into it. Based on the scientists’ comments (they used the term “remarkable” to describe green tea’s effects), they seemed to be quite impressed.

Indeed, green tea’s thermogenic effects in this study were as powerful as much larger doses of caffeine.

Summary: The “Top 4” REAL New Orleans Slimming Secrets

Nothing worthwhile comes without  hard work, and that includes building a swimsuit-ready body.
That’s why it’s important to make use of whatever tools nature has available to help you safely and effectively lose body fat and avoid regaining it.

There may be more “slimming secrets” out there waiting to be discovered, but the top 4 revealed here –coffee (caffeine), hot red pepper (capsaicin), cinnamon and green tea are among the most powerful studied to date.

Individually, their calorie-burning effects are virtually immediate. Combined, they may greatly simplify even the most formidable of New Orleans Fat Loss Challenges.

Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think!

SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE
Dulloo et al. (1989). Am J Clin Nutr 49:44.

Matsumoto et al. (2000). J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 46(6): 309.

Shin and Moritani (2007). J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 53(2): 124.

Hlebowicz et al. (2007). Am J Clin Nutr 85: 1552.

Solomon and Blannin (2009). Eur J Appl Physiol 105(6): 969.

Ziegenfuss et al. (2006). J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 3:45. Dr. Anderson’s comments were provided during personal communications conducted in March 2010.

Chim et al. (2008). J Anal Toxicol, 32(8): 702.

Dulloo et al. (1999). Am J Clin Nutr 70: 1040.

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Simple ways to Minimize Your Swine Flu Risk in New Orleans

I’m not an alarmist kinda person.  However – Seasonal flu annually sickens 5-20% of the population. and statistics Don’t lie.

Actually, a friend of mine in New Orleans called me yesterday to tell me that her child contracted the swine flew..It kind of freaked me out because I have a beautiful 5y/o daughter (see pic below) in Kindergarten this year…..I can’t help to be concerned ….which prompted me to write this blog today.

But there’s no need for gloom and doom. These 7 simple techniques reduce your Swine Flu risk and you’ll start feeling much better.

1.    Vitamin D through sun exposure or a good multi-vitamin that contains Vitamin D3

2.    Avoid sugar and processed foods

3.    Get on a consistent New Orleans exercise program <————–click here

4.    Daily Omega 3 fats from krill oil to boost your immune system

5.    Get enough rest.  Some believe getting less than 6 hours of sleep a night dramatically increases you chances

of contracting the flu

6.    Wash your hands thoroughly throughout the day

7.    Consume anti-oxidants to help fight off free radicals that can weaken your immune system

If you’re looking for the way to stay healthy this year then that means following all 7 seven steps above.

In the comment section below I’d love to hear about any other tips that you know of  or swine flu stories

Yours in Health and Swine Flue Prevention!

Jonas Deffes

Make sure to forward this info to your family and friends to help us prevent the spread of Swine!

Why Food With Protein Is So Good For Your New Orleans Diet

Naturally you can’t eat a diet of pure protein, although protein can be considered the one indispensable food since fractions of it can be converted into fat and carbohydrate, but not vice versa.

You can see why the new slimming diets emphasize protein, because liberal allowances can be expected to cause greater loss of weight than would the same number of fat or carbohydrate calories.

When you eat proteins you really hire a Simon Legree to crack the whip on lazy calories, making them buckle down to honest toil instead of picking daisies as they drift to your fat depots.

Nor is the slimming aspect of proteins their sole claim to your respect. They stimulate the general efficiency of your body, replace worn out tissues, furnish materials for zippy gland hormones and build vigor and stamina.

Many people still have a vague impression that a high-protein diet is unhealthy. Doctors used to think so too, but the newer knowledge of nutrition has pretty generally knocked the props from under this idea. One supposedly dangerous effect of protein was its action on the kidneys.

Various ailments of these vital organs were laid to heavy eating of protein. In recent months, doctors have discarded this superstition so completely that today high-protein diets are prescribed for some-not all-kidney ailments.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson, the Arctic explorer, spent several years living with Eskimos on an exclusive meat diet.

According to theories then current, he should have been struck down by all manner of ailments, from Bright’s disease to scurvy. He was so uncooperative with theory, however, as to thrive on his all-meat, high-protein diet.

His “unbalanced” eating habits failed even to raise his blood pressure, and he was downright stubborn in his insistence that he never felt better in his life. Later he lived on the same diet in New York, where physicians could clap stethoscopes on him.

They couldn’t find a thing wrong with him. Since then there has been abundant evidence that high-protein diets can be continued indefinitely without ill effect, except in certain cases of disease.

Experiments leading to the belief that protein was dangerous to kidneys were performed, in large part, before the all-important effects of vitamins and minerals were well understood. Another supposed danger of proteins is, that they putrefy in the intestines and produce poisons absorbed by the body-is much more theoretical than real, on the basis of present conservative opinion.

An inflamed, diseased colon can conceivably absorb toxins through its walls. That a normal colon will do is extremely doubtful. The theory of poison absorption is the popularly horrifying one of “autointoxication.” Curiously, no one has ever satisfactorily demonstrated the presence in the blood, or the. specific identity of, the postulated poisons that stage these Borgian Blitzkriegs.

One famous experiment by Dr. Walter Alvarez of the Mayo Clinic has demonstrated that every symptom attributed to “autointoxication” can be produced by stuffing the rectum with cotton.

Don’t you feel sorry for this little Cottontail bunny now?

Actually, the symptoms are real, but the causes are more mechanical than chemical.

Meat is by no means the ONLY excellent source of protein in your New Orleans Diet.
Other animal products- eggs, cheese-are outstanding.

A protein is considered biologically complete if it furnishes liberal amounts of the amino acids needed by the body.

Many people use Protein supplements to supplement the extra protein in their diet. Protein powders are very popular because of the ease, convenience and ready availableness in many stores these days.

Especially, if you are Working out and trying to Lose weight in New Orleans Boot Camp , it’s very important you get the vital amino acids that are  found in protein to increase the body ’s ability for faster muscle tone and fat loss.

I see way too many women in New Orleans ignore the fact that they need to increase their protein intake to Lose fat and increase Muscle Tone.

Using a Whey Protein shake is the easiest and most affordable way to do this.

What is your favorite source of Protein or Protein shake?

Hope you enjoyed this post, be sure to leave a comment in the comment section below

New Orleans Chiropractor, Dr. Nick Thompson has to be one the  Best Chiropractors in New Orleans

He has a really cool vibe about him and he is really into Nutritional care for his clients as well.

In the interview some of the topics we talk about are…

• How New Orleans Chiropractic care deals with Muscular skeletal disorders with the Body
• Traditional Chiropractic care vs. Traditional Western Doctor’s treatment.
• Typical Inflammatory Diet vs. Organic Diet.<—-Learn how your diet could be Hurting your Joints!
• Recommended Supplements that can help you.
• Recognizing what things cause wear and tear on the body
• Why Soda’s cause damage in your body!
• What a New Orleans Chiropractor treatment from Dr. Thompson includes! Watch This Video

So, If you are Having some problems with your body and can’t quite seem to figure out what it is then….

Take Advantage of this no Obligation offer by Dr. Nick Thompson to help you get out of Pain!

Call 504-861-7167 and tell them you just saw the video on NolaTrainer.com and want to make a appointment for the Free Consultation, Evaluation and Adjustment!

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For More information about Dr. Nick Thompson  and his  New Orleans Chiropractic Practice located on
7605 Maple Street
New Orleans, LA 70118

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Protect yourself from the Swine Flu in New Orleans

Ok, I wake up today with all this crazy stuff going on in the news.

Swine Flu? What the heck!

Don’t freak out ok?

I personally think it’s something that will fade away in a week or

it could turn out to be pandemic. …who knows? Could it be a deploy to get our minds off the economy???

Regardless, here are some tips to prevent

* Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

* Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze.
Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

* Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

* Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

* If you get sick with influenza, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and
limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Ok, most of those things are a no brainer…but what about taking extra pre cautions?
I called my good friend Walter, A vitamin expert here in New Orleans.

He told me that the best supplements to take to prevent and Fight the Flu

is Antioxidants, they help by building up your immune system.

I found a really good Swine flu prevention package online that pretty much covers all areas

You can find out more about these supplements by Clicking here

You can even save $5 off shipping and handling

Enter the code five at checkout!

Let me know what you think?

Jonas Deffes

I’ll keep todays blog post short and sweet.

Four easy tips that I feel everyone should be doing.

1. Always Drink more water then any other fluid.

2. Take a multi vitamin and fish oil/ omega EFA supplement for general health need

3. Eat atleast 3 Health Solid Meals a day, starting with Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

If you want to make it even better, eat small healthy snacks inbetween your HSM’

4. I wrote this a billion times, be consistant with your exercise and healthy eating.

Bonus Tip.

If you read this, I don’t care where you are… Home, Office or Library.

RIGHT NOW… do 20 squats, 20 push ups and 20 crunches RIGHT NOW!

I gaurantee you will feel totally differnt then when you read tip #1 a few seconds ago.

P.S. For those of you who are interested in feeling fantastic for the month of May

and haven’t already signed up for one of my boot camp programs.

You can register for New Orleans boot camp Metairie and Mandeville boot camp

starting May 18th ! www.NolabootCamp.com