Carbo complexity vs. Glycemic Index???

Hi all,

I was kinda happy at the stage when I thought that cutting sugars was fine and eating good compelx carbs was the way to go. And as we all know, if you doing something you THINK is right, you feel great :)

Now all of a sudden (well for a while now actually :) theres the GI shpeeel. I understand what they're saying in all the charts, but I am still confuzzled. :unsure:

They say have complex carbs - dont cause insulin spikes. Then they say have low GI carbs - dont cause insulin spikes. So you tell me what's better: having a 1/2 cup of rice which is very complex (or so we all thought :) or having a sugar-filled apple which actually has a GI of about a quarter that of rice!! AAARRRGGG.

Will someone please help me out here so I can feel good again and sleep well at night.

What type of balance should one look for? What type of foods is best and when etc. etc. I really dont know what is good and bad for me now :cry:

Thanks!

The rice is, but brown rice. Anything that is bleached or processed has its chemical structure changed and it breaks down to sugar quicker. Thus, a higher glycemic index.

Some people might not like this but it is true. Fruit, such as an apple, contains fructose. Fructose has a low GI reading because of the way it is processed. The liver uses fructose to replenish its own glycogen stores but it is rarely used for muscle glycogen. Most frucose that is not used by the liver, is turned to fat and released as fat in the bloodstream. Since there is little sugar released into the bloodstream, fructose doesn't cause an insulin spike.

Stick to wholegrain complex carbs!
Hope this helps.

so does this mean no more low-GI fruit :cry:

superbeast:

does this mean that actually that big white bagel is better for me in terms of gym-food than an apple or bunch of grapes??

That is kind of a tough question. That big white bagel is probably bleached and enriched. Thus, it GI rating is rather high, meaning an insulin spike. Neither is ideal for lean muscle mass. Both can contribute to fat, just in different manners.

any more views on this matter :) ?

Not to be cocky, but Xenithon, those aren't views, those are facts!
:D

okay.

i meant anymore facts about the topic? :D

Yes, please give som more facts about when to eat when it comest o hi and low gi carbs.

I did a search on this and came up with this post and one other one.

Not alot of info.

High GI carbs create a greater insulin spike whereas a low GI food will keep a steadier flow. This spike is needed post workout, the spike is large and occurs quickly. This is why you eat usually an hour after the post workout meal, so you can give our body that constant flow again.

Now another thing to consider is glycemic load, GL. An example:

An M&M is about 33 on the GI index and bread is somewhere like I think 50 or something like that. From that, you would conclude that the M%M is better for you. But you have to compare X amount of grams of bread to X amount of grams of M&Ms. Another thing to consider.

The steady flow of energy is needed because your body is using a steady of energy. Your body doesn't go on an energy spike throughout a period of a day then crash, then spike again. If you spike your insulin levels, your body won't need it, so guess where it goes? It gets shuttled off as fat.

So, if I get this corrcetly, then low gi carbs are good throughout the day in moderation, and always try to avoid hi gi carbs? Is this right?

Are there any exceptions? better times of day to eat the hi gi's?

Hi GI only post workout, and I'd say in morning too when u wake up, but that isn't totally necessary. A glass of OJ or something of that sort will do fine. But post workout, I would have to say the highest GI possible, for example, dextrose .

Ok, so ohter than that, the lower gi the better.

Post workout I drink creatine with transport and it has high sugar/carb content. THat is high GI and will suffice......correct?

try to go for 50-75g of high Gi carbs