Use low glycemic index foods to lose belly fat and control insulin resistance

Glycemic index is now generally used to refer to a ranking of different foods according to how fast they increase the levels of blood glucose. It is also frequently referred to as GI and we will use these terminologies interchangeably.

The principles of GI are now popular for individual food management in the control of body weight and to enhance belly fat loss by those who are concerned about maintaining good health. You can also use GI to manage blood sugar if you have diabetes.

Glucose has been assigned a Glycemic index of 100 because it is the standard against which other foods are assessed. Foods with a GI value higher than 70 are called high GI foods because they cause a rapid increase in the blood glucose. If you take such foods regularly it will be very difficult to lose weight or belly fat.Foods that have a Glycemic index value of 56 to 69 are usually considered to be medium GI foods. Foods with a GI value of less than 55 are considered to be low GI foods. These are desirable if you want to lose fat.Foods with low GI value are better at controlling the blood sugar levels than foods with high GI value. Foods that have low GI value release glucose into the blood very slowly. The body responds with release of insulin but not to the extent that is observed with foods that have high GI.As you already know the release of glucose into the bloodstream is closely linked to insulin production. Insulin is an important hormone that helps your body to use blood glucose for energy or store as fat or glycogen. If your body releases too much insulin very rapidly this is not good for the body. Why?After a meal there is a rapid increase in blood glucose. Eventually there will also be a decline in blood glucose which tends to manifest as a feeling of hunger. High-glycemic-index foods tend to initiate a powerful response of insulin release by the pancreas into the bloodstream.

Too much insulin in the blood continuously or on regular basis is harmful as it has been linked to diabetes type 2, hypertension, and excess cholesterol synthesis among other effects.

On the other hand foods of low-glycemic value do not cause such reaction. In fact it has been shown that diets of lower glycemic index can assist lessen the impacts of insulin resistance in people with type two diabetes.

It is important to note that it is not the caloric value of food that causes weight gain. It is the rate at which excess glucose is released that causes the problem.

Taking a diet based on glycemic index value will not on its own eliminate your weight loss or belly fat issues. Remember that calories are important. Any foods that you take in excess will result in weight gain.

The best diet that may help you to regulate your body weight and reduce belly fat is a diet that has more of the foods with low GI value than with high GI.The calories must not be more than you need.To lose weight you need to eat foods with less calories than you need but of low glycemic index.

In fact we could even say that knowledge of GI value helps us develop a healthier way of choosing or designing a healthy meal. Most of the low GI foods are generally unprocessed natural foods.

If you examine GI tables you will notice that many carbohydrates foods that are broken down slowly tend to be natural foods. You will find that foods that have been processed for your convenience have added sugars and therefore a high G.I value.

How does one control body fat with GI diet? To be effective you should use the GI diet along with exercise. Because you eat a variety of foods each day it is not practical to strictly follow the principle discussed above regarding foods that have low GI.

What may be realistic is to balance the foods you eat. You may want to ensure that you have low GI foods to be at least 75% of your meal. At most 25 % of the food could be high or medium GI foods.

If you eat high GI foods you always do so in combination with low GI meal at the same sitting and not separately. You should not forget that the number of calories still counts. You will still add weight if you take a lot of calories than you need.