Avoid high GI foods

High glycemic index (GI) foods are inflammatory and toxic to your body. They damage cholesterol balance and shut off natural defenses against disease and aging.

Complete this habit daily by avoiding the following foods with high GI: sugar and sugary foods, sugary soft drinks and fruit juice, white bread, potatoes, white rice.

What is the glycemic index?

The glycemic index (GI) is a value that indicates how soon digested carbohydrate is broken down into glucose and enters the blood, i.e., it shows to what extent the blood sugar rises. 

Pure glucose GI is 100. All the other food can have values from 0 to 100. Carbohydrates can be fast (GI > 70), slow (GI < 55), and medium-acting (GI 56 - 70). 

Consumption of easily absorbed foods causes rapid insulin and sugar spikes in the blood. A sharp increase in sugar levels causes the pancreas to release more insulin to ensure fast sugar transportation to the cells, thus preventing it from unnecessary accumulation in the system. Once the cell is congested with glucose and cannot accept more of it, resilience to insulin increases and thus increases the risk of diabetes. Excess sugar is converted into fat, causing “bad” cholesterol to increase and “good” cholesterol to decrease. 

Consuming slowly-digested foods results in glucose being absorbed slower and in smaller quantities, letting the system release the usual amount of insulin. Thus, the feeling of hunger weakens, becoming less sudden. 

What should you eat?

Choose foods that have a low impact on your blood sugar. Low glycemic foods are high in fiber and low in sugar. The fiber slows digestion and absorption of any sugar, avoiding spikes in blood sugar. Some examples of foods low in GI:

• whole grain foods (e.g., porridge oats);
• fruits and vegetables;
• pulses.

Check out Vital Habits recipes. Most of them are low GI and guilt-free.

Adaptive period

Transitioning to a healthier diet might initially prove difficult if you're accustomed to a high intake of fast-acting carbohydrates. However, as your body adjusts to this new dietary routine, sugar cravings diminish and eventually fade. Over time, your taste receptors regain their sensitivity, enabling you to discern the natural flavors of your food more keenly and appreciate the inherent sweetness in fruits and vegetables.

Giving in to temptation

The most significant damage to the body is when high glycemic foods are consumed in large amounts for an extended period. Thus nothing terrible will happen if, from time to time, you treat yourself to a pretzel, especially if you combine it with something having a low GI and rich in fiber. Speed of glucose absorption will be determined by the overall GI index.

Toxicity

Due to an increase in blood sugar and insulin resilience, more sugar stays in the blood. This excess sugar is converted into fat (triglycerides). Simultaneously, the liver produces more LDL cholesterol that transports triglycerides to the cells. During this transportation, LDL is damaged by glycation and oxidation. Damaged LDL can no longer be recycled by the liver and therefore keeps circulating in the bloodstream. Consequently, it damages the blood vessel lining and accumulates under it, creating plaque. It results in inflammation (a natural immune system response) that lowers HDL cholesterol. This process leads to disbalance among different types of cholesterol, causing liver disease, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, dementia, and of course, aging. 

Mood swings

Due to fast-acting carbs, a large amount of insulin is released into the system, resulting in fast sugar delivery from the blood to the cells. This process leads to glucose deficiency called hypoglycemia. The elevated mood suddenly crashes since hypoglycemia causes brain fog (reduced energy levels and alertness). Thus, we are urged to consume more fast-acting carbs that only reinforce hypoglycemia, thus creating a vicious circle that may even become a factor in depression.

Reduced protection

High glucose levels downregulate the protective activity of AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) and the sirtuins. Therefore, eating foods high in GI will set defense systems against diseases and aging.

DNA methylation damage

Blood sugar is measured via a hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) blood test. Research suggests that the impact of high HbA1c, even after one single high-glucose event, can influence DNA methylation patterns in a negative way. These negative changes last for a long time after blood sugar drops back to normal. High HbA1c is no better for your epigenome: high HbA1c levels correlate with epigenetic dysfunction, suggesting that high blood sugar directly damages DNA methylation.

Studies on soft drinks

Drinks rich in sugar may shorten your lifespan and increase risk of death due to circulatory and digestive diseases. In one study with over 451,743 people from 10 different countries, the risk of death was 17% lower in people who drank less than 1 soft drink a month. Consuming soft drinks is also associated with shorter telomeres, a marker of cellular aging.

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