WEEK 1
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LOW-GLYCEMIC-IMPACT EATING 101
THIS WILL BE THE LAST PROGRAM
YOU WILL EVER NEED
Low Glycemic Impact Eating 101
We understand: Sometimes life gets in the way, It's easier to pull into a drive-thru or order a delivery pizza than prepare a full meal when you're
short on time.
But what is timely, convenient and cheap isn't always what's best.
The quality of food you put into your body is going to determine how
successful you are in achieving your weight loss goals and good health for
a lifetime. That's why TLS® Weight Management Solution abides by the
principles of low-glycemic eating. A low-glycemic diet consists of fruits,
vegetables, beans and legumes, along with lean proteins from both meat
and dairy sources. A low-glycemic diet also consists of healthy fats from
foods such as oils and nuts.
HEALTH TIP
BENEFITS OF LOW-GLYCEMIC-IMPACT EATING
Switching to low-glycemic-impact eating has many benefits, including:
• Low-glycemic diets may support the body's sensitivity to insulin
• Low-glycemic carbohydrates support normal blood sugar levels
• Low-glycemic carbohydrates may support a healthy heart
• Low- glycemic diets have been shown to help people lose,and control weight
• Low-glycemic carbohydrates may help maintain normal blood
cholesterol levels
• Low-glycemic diets may help minimize carbohydrate cravings
• Low-glycemic carbohydrates could help manage hunger and keep you
fuller for longer
• Low-glycemic diets may help minimize energy crashes
• Low-glycemic carbohydrates might help prolong physical endurance
While changing your eating habits isn't easy at first, all it takes are some
simple changes to start living the low-glycemic lifestyle and reaping its many
benefits, Eating low glycemic is not only helpful in weight loss, but also in
reducing a number of health risks that are elevated when we don't take
care of our bodies.
Whether you're a professional on the go, a stay-at-home parent or a uni-
versity student, low-glycemic-impact eating is designed to fit into and ben-
efit any lifestyle, In this section, you'll learn more about the combination of
glycemic index and glycemic load, and how low-glycemic-impact eating can
help you achieve and maintain your weight loss goals.
WHAT DOES LOW GLYCEMIC MEAN?
Let's start with explaining how the glycemic index evolved. In 1981, Dn David
J.Jenkins and a team of researchers at the University ofToronto created the
glycemic index to help diabetes patients manage their blood sugar levels.The
glycemic index (Gl) is a ranking system for foods containing carbohydrates,
which measures how quickly these foods will cause your blood sugar to rise.
Glycemic index is measured on a scale of I to 100 (I being low and 100
being high).While the glycemic index was originally developed for diabetics,
you do not have to be diabetic to reap the benefits of low-glycemic eating.
GLYCEMIC INDEX RATINGS
LOW MEDIUM HIGH
0-55 56-69 70 AND ABOVE
Low-GI foods produce little to no fluctuations in blood sugar and insulin
levels. Foods with a high Gl (including things like white rice, potatoes, most
breads, cake, candy, popcorn and cookies) rapidly raise blood sugar levels.
Why is this important?
WHEN YOUR BLOOD SUGAR
RISES QUICKLY, YOUR BODY
INCREASES INSULIN PRODUCTION ,
TELLING THE BODY TO STORE FAT
Have you ever eaten a food thinking it is healthy because it is low fat,
"whole grain" or low calorie?This can be misleading because it may be all
those things but it still BREAKS DOWN TO SUGAR quickly. If this is true,
this food is considered HIGH Gl and will raise the body's blood sugar rap-
idly, signaling it to store fat.
Controlling the Gl of your foods promotes normal blood sugar levels and
enables the body to stay in fat-burning mode. By changing your diet and
eating low glycemic impact, you will feel energized, alert, and productive.
WHAT IS GLYCEMIC LOAD?
While the glycemic index tells you how a food affects your blood sugar
levels, it doesn't tell you how much of that particular food is in a serving.
It is important to take both the glycemic index and glycemic load into
consideration to understand the full effect a food has on your blood sugar.
Glycemic load (GL) reflects not only the Gl of a food, but also the amount
ingested. Each number of the GL is equivalent to I gram of carbohydrates
from pure glucose. The lower the GL, the smaller the amount of glucose,
which is best.
GLYCEMIC LOAD
LOW MEDIUM HIGH
0-10 11-19 2 0 AND ABOVE
GL is very important because it helps explain some Gl ratings that
would otherwise be misleading. Let's look at carrots, for example. Raw
carrots are considered a high-GI food even though they are relatively
low in carbohydrate and have health benefits. However, carrots have
a low GL because it would take almost 750 ml (3 cups) of carrots to
equal 50 grams of carbohydrates. Since most people do not eat 3 cups
of carrots, enjoying them on yourTLS journey is permitted,
Glycemic load paints a more realistic picture of how a food can affect
blood sugar/glucose levels by taking into account the glycemic index of
foods and their serving size.
When you put both the Gl and GL together to come up with a meal
plan, you're on your way to following low-glycemic-impact eating,
which helps you choose foods in appropriate amounts and in the cor-
rect combinations to support normal blood sugar levels for longer
periods of time.
MAINTAIN NORMAL BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS
Dietitians and weight-management experts now use the glycemic in-
dex as a tool to reduce cravings and appetite, and improve
habits. Research shows that following a diet designed to keep blood
sugar from rising after meals helps keep food from being stored as fat.
HYPOGLYCEMIA
Hypoglycemia relates to low blood glucose levels. When the level of
glucose — the body's primary source of energy and fuel — falls too
low, your body has insufficient amounts of fuel to function normally.
Hypoglycemia or low blood glucose may occur when a person is not
eating frequently enough, exercised without the proper nutrient sup-
port, or when a diabetic has injected too much insulin. This can lead
to extreme fatigue, sluggishness and sometimes damaging symptoms.
Hypoglycemia is most commonly treated with diet modification.
CAN I FOLLOW TLS IF I AM
A VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN? YES!
VEGETARIANS
Being a vegetarian is an excellent way to stay healthy There is a wealth
of scientific evidence that shows being a vegetarian has a profound
impact on promoting cardiovascular health, cellular health and healthy
blood sugar levels. Eating a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes,
nuts and whole grains is a great way to ensure that your body is getting
what it needs to stay energized and healthy.
TLS Weight Management Solution fits perfectly into a vegetarian life-
style. Many vegetarians and vegans eat a diet that is high in carbo-
hydrates, so eating the right carbohydrates, in the right quantities, is
essential to ensuring your body is getting adequate levels of protein,
fiber and essential vitamins and minerals. Low-GI foods help to keep
you full and satisfied longer than high-GI foods, and they help to main-
tain normal blood sugar levels, which burns more body fat to help keep
your metabolic rate at an optimal level.
Because of their dietary restrictions, vegetarians need to be mindful of
nutrient intake when planning meals. Certain nutrients frequently found
in meat products, such as protein, B vitamins (especially BI2), iron, zinc
and calcium must be incorporated into meals through other sources.TLS
Weight Management Solution will help you make smarter food choices
that are rich in these nutrients and assist you in your weight loss goals.
Living a low-GI lifestyle is easy for vegetarians to follow since most vege-
tarians are already eating a diet rich in low-GI foods. Legumes like chick-
peas, black beans, and kidney beans should be a regular part of a vegetar-
ian diet Vegetarians will naturally eat a diet higher in carbohydrates and
lower in protein, so it is important for vegetarians to choose low-GI carbs
like whole grains, which are also good sources of protein.
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