A while ago, we wrote two posts about carb cycling (Part 1 and Part 2), which is the key to fat loss and muscle preservation while cutting. . .
Now, with carb cycling, there are some important things that you need to know about the “Glycemic Index.” In part 1 of our carb cycling posts, we discuss how you’re trying to achieve ketosis, but how do we do this? We eat foods with a low glycemic index / low glycemic load. What is this?
Well, let’s take banana and eggs as an example: Honey has a glycemic index (GI) of 87, whereas eggs have a GI of 0. That means that honey will quickly breakdown into blood sugar after you eat it, which will cause your body to release insulin, thus preventing fat loss. Eggs, the super food that is a staple of my diet, have no effect on blood sugar.
Simply put, the Glycemic Index of a food is a measurement of how quickly the food breaks down into sugar. The quicker it breaks down, the higher likelihood of an insulin spike. The Glycemic Load (GL) of a food measures the same thing, but the GL takes into account the amount of carbohydrates per serving.
So, if you’re carb cycling, you can’t have an insulin spike, and if you’re trying to lose weight, you should limit your insulin spikes– Ideally, you want as few insulin spiking meals as possible, as this will maximize fat loss and increase muscle preservation.
With all of that in mind, how do you plan your day around this? Well, we’ll tell you about how to use both scales, but the Glycemic Load is much more effective in planning your day. The Glycemic Index is a little vague when it comes to how high is too high. Obviously you want a low GI food, but the Index is better used to find alternatives. Instead of a potato, with a GI of 104, pick the sweet potato with a GI of 54. Instead of Cashews, with a GI of 22, go with Almonds, with no GI. (Although, with a GI of 22, you have nothing to worry about, really.)
The Glycemic Load is better to use for a few reasons: One, there’s a definite scale on what defines the effect on your blood sugar– Less than 10 has little to no effect on blood sugar; 10 – 20 has a moderate effect on blood sugar, and above 20 triggers an insulin response.
Another thing that makes GL ideal, is that one of the best nutrition databases has the information readily available: http://nutritiondata.self.com/
On top of that, many nutritionists have agreed on a set GL that you should limit yourself to– While it’s at a staggering 100 and considered by us too high, it’s a place to start.
With the GL of your food in mind, try and keep any meal that has carbohydrates to a GL of below 10– And if you’re getting above ten, add something fatty, as your body can’t process fat quickly, which will slow the overall process of breaking the whole meal down. (An example is adding a scoop of peanut butter, with a GL of 0, to your fruit smoothie to keep it from affecting blood sugar so quickly.)
Now, GI and GL are not without their detractors. There are plenty of people that will tell you that there are issues with the entire “Glycemic Event,” and to a certain degree, they’re correct. The GI of foods is measured in a fasted state, which makes the numbers seem slightly exaggerated as you are rarely in a fasted state. The carbs you have in your previous meal help dictate how the carbs in your next meal will behave– Though, the effect is not as drastic as many will tell you. Also, carbs aren’t always bad! If you’re bulking up, or are training for something (e.g. Marathon), then you need quickly digestible, higher GI carbs.
In the end, though, limiting the amount of insulin spikes you have is not only great for burning fat, but also for being healthy. Pick lower GI / GL foods if you want to be lighter, leaner, and healthier.