The glycemic index (GI) is a way to measure the impact that carbohydrate-containing foods have on blood sugar, or blood glucose.[1] People are interested in understanding the glycemic index (and the glycemic load) of food so they can construct a healthier diet. Blood sugar affects many aspects of health, including the risk of getting cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, so watching the GI of foods in your diet can improve your overall health prospects. (more…)
When it comes to maintaining a healthy weight, not all carbs are created equal. The low-glycemic diet is based on a simple premise: avoid "bad" carbohydrate foods, which are those with a high number on the glycemic index (GI) scale while enjoying good carbs, fats, and proteins.[1] High-GI foods are typically sugary, processed, or low-fiber carbohydrates that your body digests quickly, sending your blood sugar levels skyrocketing. You may have heard the glycemic index mentioned in popular diet books and plans, and for good reason; understanding the glycemic index and […]
If you've been diagnosed with high triglycerides, you're not alone. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 21.5 percent of all adults have above-normal triglyceride levels, also called hypertriglyceridemia or dyslipidemia.[1] High levels of triglycerides may not come with specific symptoms, but they may coincide with both high total blood cholesterol and low HDL ("good") cholesterol levels. Having too many triglycerides in the blood can raise your risk of heart disease and insulin resistance,[2] especially if you also have high blood pressure or high cholesterol.[3] (more…)
If you're looking for natural ways to lower your blood sugar, you're not alone. While diabetes affects some 30.3 million American adults, another 84.1 million have prediabetes. Prediabetes and its close cousin metabolic syndrome can lead to type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes when a person does not make dietary and lifestyle changes.[1] These numbers do not include women with gestational diabetes — glucose intolerance that comes on during pregnancy — or people who suffer from occasional blood-sugar swings. When you add all of those together, you have a huge number of […]
While some people jokingly refer to themselves as sugar addicts, the truth is no laughing matter. Refined sugar causes real, clinically verifiable addictive patterns in your brain and ruinous effects on your body. The average American consumes between 22 and 30 teaspoons of added sugar every day.[1] That’s sugar that you could easily cut from your diet entirely by making intelligent dietary decisions — or you could if sugar didn’t have you hooked. A sugar detox is a way to break the hold sugar has over you. (more…)
