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Glycemic Index vs. Glycemic Load

FitSugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 12:00:00 PDT

Just when you started to get a handle on the glycemic index (GI) of foods, there's another value to grasp - glycemic load (GL). The GI ranks specific carbohydrates from zero to 100, based on the rate in which they affect your blood sugar levels. A GI of 1 to 55 is low, 56 to 69 is medium, and 70 to 100 is high - these high-ranking foods should be limited.

Glycemic load measures the blood-sugar-raising power per serving of food. Here's the lowdown on the equations used to figure the load. First you multiply the GI of a food by the amount of grams of carbohydrate in a specific serving, and then that number is divided by 100. A glycemic load of 10 or less is low, 11 to 19 is medium, 20 or more is high. If you add up the glycemic load amounts for your entire day, a total GL amount of 80 or less is considered low. Your daily GL shouldn't exceed 120.

Both measurements are useful. Glycemic load helps you select appropriate portion sizes, while glycemic index helps you differentiate between good and bad carbohydrate choices. The lower each number, the less it affects blood sugar levels.

Looking at some food's values may help you understand the two better. So

You Asked: Why Do Hangovers Make Me Hungry?

FitSugar — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:30:00 PDT

You're asking, and I'm answering.

Dear Fit,

I've noticed that on a day after a night of heavy drinking, whether I'm hungover or not, I tend to be ravenously hungry. I know that people joke about "hangover foods," but for me, it's not just craving greasy treats. I actually just feel insatiably hungry. Why is this?

- Hungry and Hungover

To see the answer,

read more. Ah, yes. As if the headache weren't bad enough, you also have to worry about a hangover interfering with your healthy eating habits. Before I started researching this answer, I assumed it had something to do with blood sugar, and indeed, blood sugar takes the blame for postparty hunger pangs. Alcohol, as we know, is high in carbohydrates, and drinking heavily can temporarily decrease your blood-sugar levels. Basically, alcohol throws your blood sugar out of whack, and your body spends the next day trying to readjust, leading to increased hunger. Here's what else I've been able to figure out from my research. When you drink, your liver is so busy metabolizing the alcohol that it neglects to produce glucose like it usually does. It's especially bad if you're drinking on an empty stomach, because then the drop in blood sugar is even more dramatic, resulting in ravenous hunger. In addition, drinking inhibits the production of a stimulant called glutamine, so the next day, when you've dropped drinking, your body churns out more glutamine than it needs. The resultant overstimulation may also contribute to increased hunger. I'm no doctor, so that's about as much as I've been able to figure out, and it makes sense to me. Got your own knowledge of the subject? Share it below. Source

Yummy Link: Pumpkin Pasta Salad

YumSugar — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 14:30:58 PDT

Pumpkins and other kinds of Fall produce are popping up everywhere, but in many parts of the country, it still doesn't feel like Fall. This recipe for Pumpkin Pasta Salad is a great way to make the transition from Summer salads to Autumn produce. - Blood Sugar via Tastespotting

Spice It Up: Cinnamon Helps Keep Blood Sugar Down

FitSugar — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 03:00:00 PDT

Cinnamon may seem like the perfect spice for fall or winter, but new research once again demonstrated the spice's healthful effects on blood sugar. Recent findings indicate adding some cinnamon to your dessert may temper the blood sugar surge that follows a sweet treat. This new evidence, supports earlier findings that cinnamon contributes to controlling blood sugar levels in healthy adults.

Here's how the study worked:

14 healthy volunteers who had their blood sugar measured before and after eating a bowl of rice pudding; each volunteer was tested after eating plain rice pudding and after having a cinnamon-spiced version.

Post-pudding blood tests, which were taken repeatedly over 2 hours, showed that volunteers' blood sugar rose to a lesser degree when they had the cinnamon dessert.

One reason for this effect is that cinnamon slows the rate at which food passes from the stomach to the intestines, thereby decreasing the rate sugar enters the bloodstream. Cinnamon has been studied recently as a possible means of managing blood sugar for people with Type 2 diabetes, but further studies are required to learn more about the relationship of cinnamon and diabetes.

Fit's Tip: Add some cinnamon into your meals. Flavor your fresh fruit salads and yogurt with cinnamon, or try YumSugar's refreshing cucumber salad that is surprisingly spiced with cinnamon.

Source

How Do I Maintain Healthy Blood Sugar Levels?

FitSugar — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 03:00:00 PDT

High levels of blood sugar have been linked to cancer in women. Knowing the importance of keeping blood sugars in target range, The World Cancer Research Fund has come up with a few simple, but important, tips on maintaining a healthy blood sugar:

The most important thing is not to become overweight. If you are overweight, then you should lose weight. This can be done through having a general healthy diet and be regularly physically active.
Always go for the wholegrain option. Replace white rice with brown rice, and make sure your pasta is whole wheat.
Cut down or completely stop having sugary snacks like sugary fizzy drinks and cakes. Temptation can be hard to resist, but cutting these out of your diet is a great step towards maintaining healthy blood sugars.
Make sure you get as many vegetables into your diet as you can. It's particularly easy to get your vegetable quota by chopping vegetables up and putting them into sauces.
Be as physically active as possible - it doesn't have to be exercise at the gym, but even walking instead of driving, or taking the stairs instead of the ~~lift~~ elevator, can really help.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Arrive in Bosnia Holding Hands

Lauren Turner — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:17:05 PST

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie continued their travels today with a stop in Sarajevo, where Angelina is attending a press conference and a screening of In the Land of Blood and Honey. Angelina has received plenty of recognition for her directorial debut, and she was honored with a Cinema for Peace award just last night. Brad was by her side at the show after he attended Sunday's BAFTAs solo. Blood and Honey is also currently in competition at the Berlin Film Festival, where Angelina and Brad posed for the cameras together over the weekend. The red carpet fun will continue at the Oscars later this month since Brad is nominated for best actor and Angelina will be presenting. Be sure to fill out BuzzSugar's Oscars ballot before the big show for a chance to win an iPad 2 and a Prada case!

5 Strange Ways Chocolate Keeps You Healthy

Prevention — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:02:26 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

This sweet treat may also boost brainpower, help you relax, and more!
By Mara Betsch, Prevention

Show your heart some love this Valentine’s Day by nibbling a few chocolates - and making them a regular treat throughout the year. A recent study found that those consuming the highest levels of chocolate had a 37 percent reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29 percent reduction in stroke compared to those with lower chocolate intakes.

Though experts are quick to clarify that we should stick to moderate consumption of high-calorie chocolates, it’s hard to deny the cold, hard facts that chocolate can be a healthy addition to our diets.

Seven Surprising Ways to Sharpen Your Mind

Hundreds of studies have shown that dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants that promote heart health and may prevent many cardiovascular-related conditions, but we’ve dug up five more surprising health benefits. Read on for five new ways to justify your chocolate craving.

1. Chocolate May Help You With Math
Flavonols, compounds in chocolate with antioxidantlike properties, are thought to improve circulation, including blood flow to the brain. A 2009 study asked participants to count backward in groups of three from a number between 800 and 999. After drinking hot cocoa filled with flavonols, the participants were able to do calculations more quickly and accurately and were less likely to feel tired or mentally drained.

Learn a four more things chocolate can do for you after the break.

Angelina Jolie Glows in Gold Next to Brad Pitt at the Berlin Film Festival

Lauren Turner — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:37:44 PST

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt shared a laugh while walking the carpet at the Berlin Film Festival premiere of In the Land of Blood and Honey today. Angelina wore a glamorous gold Jenny Packham wrap gown while Brad stuck with a simple black suit and tie. Angelina's been busy since the couple and their six kids arrived in Germany earlier this week. She took Maddox, Pax, and Shiloh to Legoland, had tea with Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, and chatted during a press conference earlier today, when she revealed that her next project will be Disney's Maleficent.

Brad and Angelina have even more red carpets in their future since they'll be attending the Oscars, where Angelina is a presenter and Brad is nominated for best actor. Make sure to fill out BuzzSugar's Oscars ballot before the big show on Feb. 26 for a chance to win an iPad in a Prada case!

3 Ways Snacks Can Help You Lose Weight

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:09:19 PST

You might think snack time is just for preschoolers, but everyone can benefit from eating a few bites between meals. Aside from filling nutritional holes in your diet, snacking can also help you on your road to weight loss. If the numbers on the scale are on your mind, here are three ways snacking can help you lose weight.

Snacks Keep Blood Sugar Levels Steady
If you've ever gone too long between meals and have gotten a headache, the shakes, and a loss of concentration, then you've felt firsthand what it's like to have low blood sugar. Snacking between meals keeps blood sugar levels steady, which can help prevent you from grabbing the first (unhealthy) thing you can get your hands on and overindulging.

Fiber Fills You Up
Choosing snacks that are full of water and belly-filling fiber will help keep you full longer, so you actually eat less in the long run. Fruits, veggies, and whole-grain breads are great options, and if you need more ideas, here are 10 high-fiber snacks under 150 calories.

No More Overeating
You eat lunch around noon and dinner isn't until 6 p.m. or later. No wonder you hit the dinner table feeling so ravenous that you stuff yourself silly. Now if you enjoyed a pear with some almonds around 3 p.m., you'd avoid that famished feeling and have the patience to prepare a healthy, sensibly sized meal. It works the other way, too. If you're eating a meal and you know you'll be enjoying a snack in two hours or so, you won't feel the need to overeat at mealtime.

A Reader Recipe: Chunky Cherry-Chocolate Granola Bites

Fit Community — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:28:09 PST

FitSugar reader JuicyNoelle came up with this special cookie for Valentine's Day; she posted the recipe in our Healthy Recipe group.

Tied with a festive pink ribbon and a little love, I’m hoping these cookies will be perfect for Valentine's Day. The whole-grain oats, nuts, and cherries in these cookies add heartiness, while the melted dark-chocolate chunks deliver bursts of richness. The chia seeds pack a nutty punch, and they are rich in fiber and omega-3s, too - perfect for supporting vibrant hair and skin during these cold weeks of February.

Learn more about the recipe after the break!

Food	GI	GL
1 medium apple	38	6
1 small banana	47	8
10 baby carrots	35	2
1 medium baked potato with skin	76	23
1 medium orange	42	5
1 medium pear	38	4
1 cup white rice	64	23
1 cup brown rice	55	18
1 cup regular pasta	44	18
1 cup whole wheat pasta	37	14
1 cup skim milk	32	4
1 oz. cashews	22	2
1 oz. peanuts	14	1
1 oz. jelly beans	78	22
2 tsp sugar	68	7
1 cup lentils	29	5
1 cup kidney beans	28	7
1 cup barley	25	11