So my husband got me this book for my birthday I have really enjoyed – called Get the Sugar Out, Revised: 501 Simple Ways to Cut the Sugar Out of Any Diet
and I have really started to consider a couple of things that have NEVER ocurred to me before.
First of all, I did not realize that “OATS” that you buy in the store really differ from one another. Its true – ROLLED OATS and OAT BRAN are both in the whopping “80 – 89” category of the Glycemic Index, with pure GLUCOSE (SUGAR) being 100.
NOW, to keep the LOVE HANDLES OFF, you should stay below 55 ish on the glycemic index to keep lowered insulin levels. Otherwise that lovely SPARE TIRE keeps on gaining momentum. I always tell my clients to avoid the five WICKED WHITES: white flour, white potateos, white rice, white pasta, and WHITE SUGAR – the biggest devil!
Back to Oats – how THIS can be, I don’t know….but Oatmeal cookies are between 70 and 79…LOWER than rolled oats!! SO, what OATS ARE GOOD? STEEL CUT OATMEAL!! Thats right! Its only between 40 and 49 on the Glycemic Index. So I look in my pantry and what have I been buying thinking I am SOOO healthy? ROLLED OATS!!! I have SEEN steel cut oats, and always wondered why I would buy those as opposed to other oats. They are harder to find, but you can find the at (OF COURSE) Trader Joes, and Jewel- Osco/Albertsons in the “healthy” section.
So what is GREATER THAN 100 on the Glycemic Index – meaning spare tire city around the hips? The things that SHOCKED ME ARE: Millet (a grain people eat…we actual feed it to our cockatiel), puffed rice, WHITE RICE (a wicked white) French baguette (another wicked white) CORN FLAKES (that one caught me off guard), Maltose (look at those labels – you’ll find this ALOT!), and Rice Crispies (Darn, I just bought 3 boxes today for my kids!)
Things that stand at 100 – the basic CEILING of the glycemic index: PURE GLUCOSE, of course, but also White bread (wicked white) and THIS ONE IS THE SHOCKER: WHOLE WHEAT BREAD! That is all we buy in our house. I truly have been thinking it should be around 50 or so since its WHOLE WHEAT – not so!! Its still triggering tons of the FAT STORING HORMONE called insulin! YIKES!!
THINGS I THOUGHT WHERE PRETTY SAFE, but are between 90 and 99 on the G.I. – fasten your seat belt….Grape Nuts, Carrots (I have heard lots of differentiation on this one though…)Parsnips – very starchy, WHOLE GRAIN Barley, Muesli (think KASHI – they do a lot with Muesli)Shredded Wheat, Apricots, and dum dum dum – CORN CHIPS! Corn chips seem pretty darn innocent to me…as do most of these items.
So at the very least – I will just say my eyes have been opened..very wide…to things that can contribute to the SPARE TIRE. The 5 whites at least are easy to remember…not as easy to follow – but they work. The lowest things on the GI Index ? 20 and below: Lentils, Fructose, Plums, Peaches, Grapefruit, Raspberries, Cherries, Soybeans, Peanuts.
WHAT HAS NO Glycemic Index besides meat and cheese? MOST veggies, avocados – a TOTAL staple at our house, and fish.
What shocked you the most? To check on your favorite foods, go to the Glycemic Index Website and plug it in.
I love steel cut oats…they do have them at walmart, the brand is Red Mill although it is more expensive than some other brands.
Besides cooking them for the usual 30 mins, I found some people like to let them soak overnight in the fridge with milk? Haven’t tried it yet, but definitely cuts down on the time factor in the morning. Also I’ve seen quick steel cut oats…I suppose these aren’t as healthy..do you know?
Yes, I do watch that index. I try to stick to brown rice for my carbs, or whole wheat pasta–still up there, but if you do a lot of cardio, you need SOME!
Oh Bonnie, that’s why I know I’ll never be my dream weight! I could never live if I had to cut out all those things. Especially white rice, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! I guess I’ll settle and be happy with myself how I am because I think I pretty much ate all those things listed this past week! LOL!