Sugars are considered to be one of your body’s worst enemies, so why then are even so-called healthy alternatives such as artificial sweeteners finding their way onto the bad list as well? The following is an in-depth look at artificial sweeteners and the overall affect they have on your body.

Artificial sweeteners are just that: artificial. Instead of occurring from a natural resource, artificial sweeteners are chemically made sweeteners that are designed to trick your body into thinking that it is eating something sweet when in actuality it is not.

Artificial sweeteners came about as a way to strengthen the sweetening power of drinks without the use of normal sugars. They were touted as a way to still enjoy your favorite drinks without the added risk of ingesting calories. In reality however, artificial sweeteners proved to be just as harmful to the human body as regular sugars even when used in moderation.

Typically artificial sweeteners consist of three different chemical sweeteners: Saccharin, Sucralose, Acesulfame K, Stevia, Tagatose and Aspartame. Of those, the most common sweeteners Saccharin, Sucralose, and Acesulfame K are among the worst to ingest due to the potential problems associated with their use.

Acesulfame K
Acesulfame K was approved for use in July 1988 by the FDS for safe use as an artificial sweetener; however, since then problems have risen over its harmful effects on the human body. In recent tests, the findings show that Acesulfame K stimulates insulin secretion in the body, prompting low blood sugar attacks.

Sucralose
Sucralose, also commonly known as Splenda, is a chlorinated sucrose derivative. Unfortunately, sucralose has been linked to medical problems such as shrunken thymus glands and even enlarged kidneys and liver. This is due in part to the fact that sucralose is unable to break down into small enough amounts of sugar. As a result, the body is incapable of digesting it properly.

Saccharin
Prior to 2001, before the FDA removed the warning that saccharin was connected to bladder cancer in human beings, saccharin was used as an artificial sweetener. To this day, saccharin is still used as an artificial sweetener, yet it is also present in many chewable aspirins and acetaminophen tablets.

Looking at the various chemical components that makeup artificial sweeteners, it is easy to see why they are no more beneficial to your body than regular sugar. While artificial sweeteners may have approval by the FDA, consuming chemically altered sugars provide no nutritional value to your body.

Research performed at Purdue University by Professor Terry Davidson found that the use of artificial sweeteners can actually increase your appetite as well as raise your blood sugar. Davidson showed that artificial sweeteners had a profound effect on disrupting the body’s ability to naturally count calories. As a result, the body was unable to regulate body weight vs. food intake.

While artificial sweeteners may seem like the perfect solution to cutting down on your sugar intake, if you are looking to decrease these numbers, a safer alternative would be to seek out low-sugar drinks and treats as opposed to those substituted with chemically-made artificial sweeteners. Remember, if it didn’t exist 3,000 years ago…skip it.

“It’s diet soda so it has to be good for you right?” Wrong.

To the surprise of many Americans, many of the diet sodas being touted as a healthy alternative to the more popular and unhealthy, high-fructose sodas such as Pepsi and Coca-Cola are in fact just as harmful to your body and your health.

Many of us are familiar with the infamous chicken bone test — the test in which a chicken bone was placed into a cup of Mountain Dew and disintegrated overnight into oblivion. Such decay was due in part to the phosphoric acid contained in soda which leaches calcium from your bones after every drink. Since that study, medical researchers have continuously broadcasted the harmful effects of daily soda consumption.

Overtime, drinking soda causes your body to become dehydrated due to its caffeine and sugar makeup. Instead of quenching your thirst, a can of soda actually makes you thirstier as the sugar you are ingesting acts as a diuretic of sorts. With so much bad news floating around about regular soda pop, there has been an increasing flock towards diet soda. Many Americans operate under the belief that because the can says “diet,” it must be good for the body. This is a misconception that needs to be nipped in the bud.

Contrary to popular belief, research has shown that consumption of diet soda is no more beneficial to your health than the removal of regular soda. In fact, in an 8 year study performed by the University of Texas, researchers found that those individuals who made the switch to diet soft drinks increased their risk for obesity by as much as 41 percent. In some cases, soda drinkers gained more weight after switching to diet soda than before they made the switch.

So what makes diet soda so fattening and why aren’t more Americans aware of this alarming fact? The answer is two-fold. One reason why Americans are not privy to the harmful effects of diet soda is due in part to the fact that diet sodas are touted as the low to no calorie alternative for your caffeine fixation. Because regular soda is high in calories, and Americans equate calories as the enemy, diet soda has reigned supreme as the alternative.

In actuality however, while diet soda may contain less calories, the artificial sweeteners in diet sodas that help give it taste also create negative hormonal responses in the your body. Such responses cause your body to crave more of sweets and even increases fat storing hormone production. As a result, instead of craving more food, your body craves more soda. Overtime, diet soda drinkers find themselves packing on more calories that they believe are due to the various foods they are eating, yet the culprit is staring them right in the face.

In the end, if you wish to decrease your intake of sugars, whether high fructose or in the form of artificial sweeteners, it is best that all soda consumption be removed from your diet and in its place should be healthy fruit drinks, or nature’s best friend: water.

Tired of Looking at the Inside of Gym Walls? I know I am.

Let’s face it, gyms aren’t pretty and they aren’t really designed to be. They are filled with rows and rows of exercise equipment and any wall space that doesn’t feature a full length mirror is usually covered by a poster of a muscled up bodybuilder or an advertisement for one of the personal trainers that reside there. The floor, while functional with its thick padded surface, doesn’t exactly provide the same ambience as a finely woven Berber carpet.

Well, at least you have the music to help you feel more comfortable. That is if you like whatever type of music happens to be blaring out of the speakers at the time. There is always the TV though. If you are lucky enough to get a machine that has a TV you can control, you’ll have the ability to watch whatever you want as long as you place the bacteria infested earphones into your ears. Perhaps I sound a bit disgruntled and I apologize as that is not my point. The fact is, sometimes I just have to take my work out outside as the confining walls of the gym can drive just about anybody crazy after a while.

So, what is so great about working out outside? What is so great is that the possibilities are endless. The only thing that determines what you’ll see and what you’ll experience when working out outside is the areas in which you’re willing to go to perform your workout.

If you’re looking for a more calm and serene atmosphere, simply take a jog around the past they can be found at your local lake. Benches found along the pathway will provide you additional structures for you to use if you want to perform incline push-ups or plyometrics.

If you’re looking for a more varied and intense surrounding, simply make your way into the city to complete your fitness regimen. Running up and down stairs amidst the hustle and bustle of a downtown environment will not only provide you with a great cardiovascular workout but it will ensure that the scenery you encounter is ever-changing. Cityscapes, with their varied concrete jungle type structures provide a plethora of workout opportunities to anyone who has a good imagination and a sense of adventure.

Whether or not you have kids, going to the local playground can be one of the most satisfying work out alternatives to the local gym scene. Fair you can perform an incredible variety of exercises using the jungle gym just as the kids do including pull-ups on the monkey bars, plyometric jumps on the landing platforms, and even dips between the bars of the equipment itself.

So if you are tired of looking at the inside walls of your gym, simply step outside and take a look around. Workout opportunities are everywhere and stepping out into the fresh air can reinvigorate your excitement for working out and training our regular basis.

What does the ketogenic diet and GI index have to do with each other?

With the different rates at which we all consume food, it is not surprising that many people are indeed overweight and obese. Obesity has even become somewhat celebrated as seen in the case of the fattest man alive In the Guinness Book of Records and in the movie “Phat Girls”. However, this does not make being fat a good thing. One way fat is stored up in the body is from excess consumption of carbohydrates or sugars in the body. If you don’t burn the calories you eat, they convert and become stored energy (fat) for later use.

Thus, an individual gains weight from eating too many calories many times in the form of carbohydrates. But in spite of the fact that fat seems harmful, there are some diets that are based on fats and don’t contain many if any starchy type carbohydrates at all. One such diet is the Ketogenic diet. The Ketogenic diet is a low starchy carb, high fat, and moderate protein diet initially invented to help cure kids of their epilepsy. Some people now follow the diet and use it to lose weight and get rid of excess fat.

The Ketogenic diet works through the process of inducing a state of semi starvation in an individual. During this process, the body tries to resuscitate itself or add the necessary nutrients and energy by burning up the stored excess fat. The liver mostly carries out this function by converting the stored fat into ketones and fatty acids. The ketones, or fat molecules, are then transferred to the brain where they take the place of glucose as the source of energy. The Ketogenic diet discourages the accumulation of bodily fat by providing adequate fibrous carbs, essential fats protein for the repairing and growth of the body. The amount of necessary calories supplied is just enough to keep the weight stable and normal.

On the other hand, the Glycemic index diet is aimed at reducing the amount of high GI value carbs taken in. High GI value carbs are known to contain a lot of sugar which gets stored as fat when absorbed by the body. These carbohydrates give fast energy after which there is a lull. This triggers a response in the brain causing the individual to eat more as a result of the hunger pangs and the fast action of the glucose. Since the body doesn’t necessarily use up all the carbohydrates, the rest are stored as fat in the body.

But with low glycemic index carbs, an individual can still eat his meals while losing weight and if the goal is to stay lean, he can maintain a lean body. Low GI value carbohydrates often contain a lot of fiber which also have a more satisfying feel and can make you feel fuller faster. The fiber in the carbs makes the rate of metabolism slower. It is this slow absorption of the fibers and nutrients that makes an individual less hungry and results in reduced food consumption.

Glycemic index diets are very effective in losing weight, reducing blood sugar level, preventing ailments such as heart disease and diabetes, and finally maintaining a lean body. Unlike the Ketogenic diet, it does not involve the use of fatty acids as energy sources, but it’s still a healthy way to lose weight and stay fit.

Do you eat a lot of sugar? Have you increasingly gained weight and become fat? Have you recently been to the doctor only to have him tell you that your blood sugar level is high? Have you been unwittingly storing up fat and calories without even knowing it? Are you consistently in the habit of eating foods with high sugar content?

If you have been doing any of these, know that your appointment with the doctor isn’t far off. Research has proven that foods with a high Glycemic Index value (71+) often tend to increase the blood sugar levels, build up calories and increase the amount of fat stored in the body. This is not only limited to carbs and fats. Even some fruits such as watermelon have been proven to have a high GI index.

Anyhow, excessive sugar intake can do a lot of harm to your body, not just in terms of the fat or weight gain, but also in the tendency to fall ill with diabetes. Of course, out of the 2 types of diabetes, one is genetically induced while the other is caused by downing too much sugar. So, if you are the sugar-grabbing type, you may just want to go easy on those a little. Apart from diabetes, nutritional and fitness experts have proven that the increase in blood sugar triggered by over-indulging in high GI value carbs which inadvertently increase the insulin level is also responsible for the rates of reported incidences of cardiac arrest, heart disease, and insulin resistance.

Does this mean you should keep away from all foods with some form of sugar? No! Please note that it is good to take carbohydrates and fruits in the required amounts; as sugar is necessary if an individual must have the necessary and required energy to go through his necessary daily activities. Sugars both in complex and simple forms are found in fruits, breads, pastas, potatoes, and of course sweets such as candies, cakes, pies and ice cream.

Research has shown that carbs are the best sources of energy available and the less synthesized or processed, the better it is for the body. This is because natural carbs contain lesser complex sugars and have lower GI value. These types of carbohydrates do not dump sugar in the blood. Their rate of metabolism is slower ensures that glucose is slowly released into the blood stream.

If you want to stay lean without necessarily letting go of carbs, then you will need the following:

Vegetables and Fruit: These not only have minimal amounts of calories, they are also rich in minerals, fiber, and vitamins. This basically ensures that your diet is healthy particularly if you want to get rid of the extra fat. Research results have shown that individuals who take a lot fruits and vegetables are less likely to suffer heart diseases. To get the best results, take a minimum of five fruit and vegetable helpings every day.

Grains: Some of these are rice, and pasta. Go for the unrefined whole grains as they are far better in terms of nutrition and have medium GI value. This means they are safe for daily consumption and often contain a large amount of fiber.

As individuals, energy is crucial in our daily activities and their sources are very important. For many people, just about any sort of food will do. Therefore, it is not uncommon to see a lot of people eating junk foods at some point in time. However, for someone who wants to live well and healthily, this cannot be a permanent part of your lifestyle. The foods we take in are largely responsible for our total well being. For someone who eats anything without any concern for his health, it is likely that while he looks good on the outside, his “insides” are suffering from the gradual poisoning caused by the kinds of foods he’s been eating.

People with unhealthy eating habits often look fat, have a ton of calories in their bodies, have high sugar levels in the blood stream and lastly, often development ailments such as heart disease. Some of the foods frequently eaten by these people often include high GI value carbohydrates. Carbs with high glycemic index often have lesser fibers, more sugar, and finally causes an unhealthy increase in weight. But, if you do not belong to the group of people who eat just about anything or are thinking about stopping that kind of habit, then you need to fill your body with low to medium GI value carbs.

Carbohydrates with lower GI values –often less than 70- are healthier, have more fiber, gradually supply the needed glucose to the blood stream thus reducing the amount of sugar in the blood stream, do not easily convert to fat because of the slow rate of metabolism, reduce the incidence of constipation and finally, decreases the chances of heart diseases, diabetes and related ailments happening. People who adhere to this diet often live long and stay lean.

Most healthy starchy carbohydrates are found in whole grains and potatoes. Some of the whole grain foods include noodles, rice and pasta. These are the body’s major energy source and are often originally in the forms of barley, rye, wheat and corn. These are not only very good sources of carbohydrates, they are also rich in fiber.

Therefore, when they are taken, they fill up gradually, filling the stomach with fibers. The fibers are responsible for drastically reducing the frequency of hunger pangs in an individual which is in the first place responsible for excess food intake and consequently, increase in weight. For optimum results, unrefined carbohydrates are the very best. This is because they contain not just fibers but also the germ and bran. The processed and refined grains often have a lot of their fibers removed during the process of refinement.

Potatoes are also another healthy group of starchy carbohydrates. They rich in fibers, have little or no fats and contain both vitamins and minerals. The best results however, are gotten from the sweet and white potatoes.

These foods are some of the best starchy carbohydrates available for those who want to keep the fat off or stay healthy without necessarily compromising their carbohydrate intake.

What are the Best Recipes using the GI index?

The GI, fully pronounced as the glycemic index, is a popular term and has been defined as “a measure of the impact of food on an individual’s blood sugar”. Thus, foods that are low in glycemic index will surely reduce the amount of calories acquired and the amount of body fat gained. The recent calls and demands for GI recipes is an indication of the fact that people are becoming increasingly aware of the health benefits of low calorie foods and the dangers of consuming lots of high calorie foods. Quite a few health experts, nutritionists, and fitness gurus are beginning to recommend the diet.

Apart from the health and weight loss benefits, the GI index diets are useful and effective for people with health conditions such as diabetes. The low calorie and low sugar contents of such diets ensures that diabetics get the best nutrition available without necessarily jeopardizing the status of their health. Thus, it is not uncommon to find a lot of people looking for recipes that will give them both the benefits of a good tasty meal and the added advantage of a balanced nutritional content. Therefore, if you are looking for GI index recipes that work, here are a few low GI ideas that also provide a variety of much needed nutrients:

1. Tuna Steak with Apricot Compote: Since fish have an abundance of Omega-3, which is very good at keeping the mind very focused, improves mental health and the heart, it makes a good ingredient in preparing low GI index foods. This delectable treat is a perfect combination of tuna fish and a combination of tomatoes and apricots mixed to tasty compote. The necessary ingredients include a medium sized tomato, half small onion and teaspoon of dried thyme, one steak of tuna, one tablespoonful of brandy, one tablespoonful of balsamic vinegar, eight apricots (dried is better), crisp lettuce, and ground pepper. This recipe is not only tasty, it is healthy and has a low GI number of course.

2. Lentil cakes with Roasted Mushroom: Proteins are certainly a valuable aspect of your diet especially when aiming for a low GI number. A good source of this is a combination of both the lentil cakes and roasted mushroom. This particular recipe is a perfect low GI choice for vegetarians. This one requires one onion (medium sized), sliced crimini or chestnut mushrooms (two cups), two-thirds of chopped walnuts, an egg, a teaspoonful each of Italian seasoning or mixed herbs, Worchester sauce and half cup of dried red lentils. To get the desired food, begin with allowing the lentils boil for about ten minutes. Then remove all scum after which you then allow it to boil again for another quarter of an hour. Remove all the water from the lentils and allow it to cool. On cooling, mix it with the chopped walnuts, mushrooms, and onion. You should be able to get 4 cakes from the mix. After this, cook with a small amount butter for nearly half an hour and it’s ready to be served.

Obviously, your diet should include more than just the two dishes listed above, but this simply gives you the opportunity to see that if you are aiming for a low GI diet, you are not giving up the ability to have tasty and highly nutritious meals. Simply choose foods from the Glycemic Index and mix and match as you see fit to create the perfect taste and HEALTH combinations for you!

Eating foods that have a low glycemic index is not only better for your health, but it can be pretty tasty too. For those uninitiated, the glycemic index is a chart the rates foods based on how much they affect your blood glucose level after consuming them. Those with a high GI number have a dramatic effect on your blood glucose while those with a low GI don’t. The point being of course is to include as many low GI foods in your diet as possible because dramatic increases in your blood glucose level can lead to harmful effects such as weight gain, diabetes, and even heart disease.

The glycemic index has three ratings:

• High-70 or more
• Medium-56-69
• Low-Below 55

when working to plan your meals, aim for a variety of foods and an over all low glycemic index number. Aiming for foods from different food groups will help to ensure you get the proper nutrients you need while focusing on a low GI number will help to ensure that the meal won’t make your blood glucose level fluctuate too dramatically.

Below is a list of some common food categories and the foods listed in them as well as their GI rating to help you effectively plan your meals.

Cereal
All Bran-50
Special K-54
Mini Wheats-58
Shredded Wheat-67
Cornflakes-80
Puffed Wheat-80
Total-76
Cheerios-74
Rice Krispies-82

Bread

Pumpernickel-46
Whole Wheat-49
Sourdough Rye-48
Sourdough Wheat-54
Croissant-67
Hamburger Bun-61
Pita-57
White-71
Bagel-72

Vegetables

Raw Carrots-16
Boiled Carrots-41
Broccoli-10
Cauliflower-15
Cabbage-10
Mushrooms-10
Tomatoes-15
Lettuce-10
Green Beans-15
Onions-10

Fruits

Cherries-22
Plums-24
Grapefruit-25
Peaches-28
Apples-34
Pears-41
Grapes-43
Coconut-45
Kiwi-47
Oranges-40
Strawberries-40
Prunes-29
Bananas-58
Raisins-64
Figs-61
Pineapple-66
Watermelon-80

MISC

Meat ravioli-39
Spaghetti-32
Brown Rice-50
Wheat Tortilla-30
Taco Shells-68
Baked potatoes-60
Wild Rice-57
White Rice-87
Mashed Potatoes-73
French Fries-75

Obviously, this is by no means a complete list, but it will hopefully give you a good head start in developing a diet that includes foods that are low on the Glycemic Index. Perhaps one of the easiest approaches to creating a diet to maintain health as well as a healthy weight and even encourage weight loss is by using the glycemic index to create your meals. Never again will you have to worry about specific portion sizes or overall calorie counting. Simply choose a varied selection of nutrient dense foods and aim for as low a GI number as you can. Controlling your blood glucose level is something that most of us have never paid attention to, but if become more cognizant of its importance in our overall health, perhaps we can decrease our risk of diabetes and heart disease by simply adhering to the numbers given to us by the Glycemic Index.

Losing weight can be one hectic task. No wonder many aspiring to lose weight and reduce their blood sugar have refused to go on a steady diet, pill or exercise routine. It’s n ot as if these will never work, they do. The unfortunate thing is many people do not find out what works for them before dabbling into any proposed remedies or fat loss solutions. For many people, losing all that fat is a tedious and “impossible”. The mere thought of having to run for about 20 minutes a day, walk for 5 miles or even maintain a regular routine exercise schedule is daunting for many.

Whatever the case may be, it is obvious that for most people, one thing is responsible for the unnecessary weight gain and undue high sugar levels in the blood: The kinds of food they take. There are lots of diet programs. They range from anything from a complete elimination of carbs from the diet to an all-protein diet. While some of these may work, the truth is the body needs ALL the necessary forms of nutrients it can get. The only drawback to this is in the amounts of food groups taken. An individual who consumes a lot of high glycemic index foods, will store up calories and fat resulting in an increase in weight.

However, when the foods are taken in the necessary quantity or have low glycemic index, they can help cut down fat, reduce abnormally high blood sugar, and maintain a lean, fat-free body. An example of a low glycemic index food is fruits. Fruits are a dime a dozen these days but most people would rather settle for a sandwich as a snack than fruits. Nevertheless, fruits with all its attendant benefits can help an individual lose weight faster, improve on the abnormal high blood sugar, reduce calories, and live longer and have a more healthy life.

Most fruits will have a low glycemic index. This means that they keep your blood sugar low, and leave little or no calories in your body as your body can easily use them for energy. Many diet programs have recommended the absence of fruits in them because of the sugar they contain not knowing that not all of these natural sugars are harmful. In fact, some fruits such as the apple have a low GI index of 35. Fruits with low GI –and many fruits have a low glycemic index- help reduce blood glucose. Thus, making it a necessity for those people aspiring towards weight and fat loss using the GI index, this will include fruit as large part of your healthy diet.

While it is common for people to settle strictly for low GI index fruits or foods, health practitioners have proven that it is better to maintain a moderate GI rather than just a low one. The reason for this is that people can get hypoglycemic –have low blood sugar levels resulting in general weakness, dehydration- and without an adequate amount of high GI foods such as the potatoes and watermelon, they could die. But a mix of both a low and high GI fruits and foods as seen in Asia is the best step towards maintaining your health

How the ultra lean achieve the body fat with the GI index

Are you one of those who have tried any and every weight loss supplement and pill without any results? Have you been on several diets such as Atkins and South beach without any results? Have you been told time and again that you may never be able to lose weight and keep it off? Have you even been successful with shedding some of the weight only to add some later? Are you currently finding it hard to maintain the lean sexy shape and weight? Are you thinking of going on another diet?

Truth is, for many people, getting rid of the excess fat and staying that way is only a dream. But it does not have to stay that way. Getting rid of the fat and staying that way is possible if you would only discipline your body and the uncontrollable urge to eat brought on in the first place by the amounts of food you eat. This is exactly what the glycemic index diet tries to do.

The diet is fashioned in a manner that helps you get rid of the excess fat by eating more carbs that are low on the glycemic index and lesser amounts of the high carbs; and in some cases, teaches you how to combine the two forms of carbohydrates to get the best results. The glycemic index diet not only helps get rid of the weight, it also helps keep you in top shape physically. People who follow the diet judiciously have been known to have little or no heart problems.
Examples of foods continuously recommended in the diet are fruits and whole grains. The whole grains which are often in the forms of rice and grain pasta have better benefits when they are eaten in the unrefined form. This is because during the processing, the bulk of the bran and fiber are often wasted away leaving just a tiny amount of it.

For people who have already lost the unnecessary weight and are lean, the glycemic index diet can be a good diet to help maintain that state. In fact, many lean people have been able to keep their body shapes and sizes by making just slight adjustments to the diets. These slight adjustments have resulted in them being able to stay lean. Some of these adjustments include getting some more high GI value carbs in their diet. While this might be confusing, it is important to note that the beginning of the diet often entails keeping off from the high calorie content carbohydrates.

The focus at the time is to burn off as much fat as necessary. This early process often involves the use low GI value foods that will help reduce the hunger pangs. These carbohydrates are often loaded with fiber which can be filling and metabolize at slower rates. Hence, supplying the necessary sugar or glucose needed by the blood gradually instead of suddenly like the high GI value carbohydrates is the key to success. While the GI index diet seems a bit like a no carb diet, it is not. The carbs are extremely important as they supply the needed energy while keeping the individual lean and devoid of unnecessary fat.