The Nitty-Gritty

The hormone were trying to counter is insulin. This hormone is essential in keeping the body healthy by eliminating excess sugar in the blood. Normally, as food is digested, sugar is released into the blood stream where it is consumed by the muscles and organs for energy. Insulin comes into play when there is an excessive amount of sugar in the blood stream. It takes the excess sugar and stores it as fat. 

So, we want to try to limit the amount of insulin released by limiting the amount of excess sugar in the blood. This is where the normal diet of todays society is a problem. More and more people are eating food that is processed and less of our diet is coming from nature. Processed foods often have a High Glycemic Index, meaning they are easily broken down into massive loads of sugar in the bloodstream. High amounts of sugar in your blood ultimately hurts your vessels and can lead to many medical problems such as diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and more. To prevent this insulin is released to get the sugar out of the blood, but it comes with a price. The sugar is stored in your adipose tissue as fat. 

Conversely, natural foods from plants and animals have a Low Glycemic Index and are broken down slower. This means you feel full quicker and for a longer amount of time. It also means that sugar is distributed slowly to your system, leaving insulin with little involvement. Therefore, they help you eat less and store less of your food as fat.

So... Here it is!

Food w/ High Glycemic Index ----> Excess Sugar ---->Excess Insulin ---->More Fat Storage

So... Here it is!!!!! Lets eliminate this problem from its source. Eliminate foods with a high glycemic index from your diet and watch the excess fat melt away.

But this is not easy and we don't expect everyone to jump aboard full throttle, so here are some basic rules of thumb:

1) Eat as many natural foods (foods from plants or animals) as possible! All these have a low glycemic index and also contain nutrients and vitamins essential for a healthy life.

...and

2) Stay away from sugary drinks! This includes fruit drinks, energy drinks, and sodas. Water is always the easiest and best way to go.

The Glycemic Index

The GI Index is a numeric value that symbolizes how much sugar will be released into your system from the food being eaten. There are two variables to consideration when calculating the GI Index: 1) the amount of sugar released and 2) the amount of time is takes for the sugar the sugar to be released. Together, these variables show the rate of which sugar is digested into the system, and are responsible for the GI value.

These are foods that digest slowly, releasing low amounts of sugar into the system over a long period of time. As a result, your organs and muscles can consume the sugars readily and it is unnecessary for insulin to get overly involved. Because of the time it takes to digest these foods, it also means you feel full for longer periods of time. Foods in this category include plants and animals. 

These are foods that digest moderately, releasing medium amounts of sugar into the system over a little period of time. As a result, your organs and muscles consume as much sugar as possible and leave the rest for insulin to store as fat. Fortunately, insulin should only be minimally involved. Foods in this category include brown rice, wheat bread, and sugary fruits.

These are foods that digest quickly, releasing high amounts of sugar into the system almost instantly. As a result, your organs and muscles are unable to consume all the sugar and insulin is highly involved in storing the sugar as fat. Because these foods digest so fast, you also feel hungry a lot sooner. Foods in this category include white rice, white bread, and sugary snacks.