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The problem with the culture today is we all eat for convenience and there is little consideration for what we are putting into our bodies.  Sugar is a basic additive that provides NO NUTRITIONAL VALUE so why do we eat it?  Because it tastes good.  Even a diabetic has a hard time giving up the sweet stuff and the reason we all craves sweets is because eating sweets creates cravings for more sweets.  Here is a nice article I found somewhere that kind of outlines the glycemic index for sugar intake and the foods we should gravitate to so we can stay healthy and reduce the fat stores in our bodies.

Imagine a categorizing system in which numbers are assigned to foods, allowing you to choose the foods that curb appetite, help shed excess pounds, lower your risk for diabetes, and improve heart health. These in fact are the claims of popular diets that use the Glycemic Index—GI diet, for short. 

 The Glycemic Index ranks carbohydrate-containing foods (on a scale from 0 to 100) based on their effects on blood sugar levels in the body. Eating highly processed foods, such as bread made from refined white flour, raises blood sugar higher and faster than does eating whole foods, such as whole-wheat bread or an apple. Foods—like white bread—that cause the most rapid rise in blood sugar are given a higher number, while whole-wheat breads and apples have lower ratings. A rating of 55 or below is considered low, and 70 or above is considered high. 

 Additional information and values for the GI diet can be found at: www.GlycemicIndex.com, and www.Mendosa.com. The Glycemic Indexes of a few foods are listed here:  

 The Premise

Proponents of the GI diet believe that the lower the GI number of a carbohydrate food, the better.   High GI foods are digested and metabolized more quickly, causing a rapid rise in blood glucose levels. This creates a dramatic spike in levels of the hormone insulin, which works to remove sugar from the blood. These responses can lead to an overproduction of insulin, contributing to weight gain. Therefore, carbohydrate foods with low Glycemic Indexes cause less insulin secretion and slow the clearing of glucose from the blood stream—resulting in greater satiety, and fewer calories consumed throughout the day. 

 The Response

Using the Glycemic Index for meal planning is a very complicated process. Here are some of the limitations:
 

• Only about 5% foods in the national food database have been tested.
• There is usually a wide variation in the GI measurement. A potato can be as low as 56 or as high as 100. In fact, a food’s GI score can change based on the food’s ripeness level. 
• A food’s GI score can also change based on preparation techniques. Grinding and cooking can elevate the GI score of some foods, because they become quicker and easier to digest.
• GI testing is done on individual foods, but we consume most foods in combinations. Fiber, protein, and fat will usually reduce the Glycemic Index of a meal.
• The rate at which different people digest carbohydrates varies. And each person’s glycemic response may vary throughout the day.
• When certain high glycemic foods are eliminated from the diet, so are vital vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals. Watermelon has a GI of 72 but it is high in potassium, vitamin A, and lycopene, for example.
• Relying on the Glycemic Index can still lead to overeating and weight gain. Peanuts look like the perfect choice with a GI of 14, but with about 400 calories in ½ cup, they won’t help shed pounds when eaten in excess.

The Glycemic Index is a marvelous tool for ranking carbohydrates. However, it is currently only in its infancy regarding health benefits. More research is necessary to make it a truly valid, reliable, and applicable teaching tool. The simple facts still remain:

• 20% of Americans’ calories come from high carbohydrate foods, such as cakes, cookies, pies, pastries, ice cream, sugar, candy, soda pop, and chips. 
• Fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grain products (whole-wheat breads and pastas, brown rice, and wheat germ) are nutritionally superior to highly processed, refined products.
• Simply limiting the total number of carbohydrates you consume at a meal can more easily control your blood sugar levels.
• You probably don’t need a complicated rating system to confuse you about which carbohydrates to include in your diet.

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Every woman has had the thought, “if I could only get rid of my belly fat”. It’s a common antidote for women to do Pilates and additional crunches thinking that it will reduce the extra fat they’re carrying around their mid section. Unfortunately, there is no amount of crunches or core training that will eliminate that belly fat. The secret to losing unwanted fat around your mid section is reducing your sugar intake. Period.

Fat is eliminated by diet and exercise as a general rule of thumb. Aerobic activity burns fat, strength training builds muscle and increases metabolism that aides in burning extra calories, but diet controls the increase/decrease of fat stores. Specifically SUGAR is a woman’s worst enemy. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 25 grams or 100 calories of added sugar per day. That’s it! Start reading labels and just see how much sugar you’re consuming in a day. The average person consumes around 100 grams of added sugar a day. That’s around 23 teaspoons of sugar. The extra sugar we consume goes directly to fat stores and all the wonderful exercise you do will never burn the stores of fat you already have if you’ve over indulged the sugar intake. It becomes an endless cycle of exercise with no results if the sugar is not put into check.

Bottom line, exercise will improve your health, physical condition, and appearance but unless the diet and specifically the sugar consumption are checked, visible progress toward losing the spare tire will be limited. Read labels, control your sugar intake, exercise and see results in short order. It’s that simple!

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Orders for farm fresh eggs are being taken at the gym.  For those looking for great protein alternatives, there’s nothing like organic farm fresh eggs.  You’ll never go back to store bought!  And the best part is you can pick them up at the gym and only pay $2.00 for a dozen.  Sign up sheet is at the gym counter for those who’d like to give them a try.  Thanks to Nicki for bringing in the eggs and coordinating the deliveries!

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All the talk on health care reform makes my stomach ache.  The medical industry is all wrapped up in the “what-if’s” and repairing whats already broken…your health.  It isn’t about health care…It’s about PREVENTION!  Think of your health and fitness prevension program and an investment in your future.  Reducing health care costs start at home and how you take care of yourself.  Stop kidding yourself that you are doing enough to prevent disease, illness, and general aches and pains.  Get off your butt and stop saying you can’t afford a gym or a wellness program. 

Prevention is the key to wellness and a happy, healthy life.  The dollars you spend on a fitness program, equipment, gym, personal trainer, and health counseling is money saved in the long run.  Health care insurance by nature is built to take care of the “just in case this happens to me”.    Just like any insurance, it is built to step in when all else fails or the unexpected happens.  You wouldn’t consider not performing maintenace on your car would you?  Just drive it until the wheels fall off.  Well, why does the general population believe we must care for our cars and not our own human bodies?  It’s a tragedy and the insanity must stop!  Take charge of your life and do a little preventative maintenance today.  Invest in your future and health care reform won’t be necessary if we reverse the poor state of health of the american population one person at a time!

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What’s the nutrient density of your food? Get the ANDI score

As described in his book, Eat for Health, Dr. Joel Fuhrman explains that the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI) assigns a score to a variety of foods based on how many nutrients they deliver to your body in each calorie consumed. Each of the food scores is out of a possible 1,000 based on the nutrients per calorie equation (H=N/C). Since nutritional labels don’t give you the information necessary to understand exactly what you are eating, these rankings do the equation for you and give you a sense of what foods yield the highest outcome. Fuhrman believes that getting the most nutrients in the fewest calories possible is the recipe for disease prevention and reversal and for permanent weight loss.

ANDI Scale – Aggregate Nutrient Density Index

*Dr.Fuhrman’s  Nutrient
Top 30 Super Foods Score 

1. Collard, mustard, & turnip greens 1000
2. Kale 1000
3. Watercress 1000
4. Bok choy 824
5. Spinach 739
6. Brussels sprouts 672
7. Swiss chard 670
8. Arugula 559
9. Radish 554
10. Cabbage 481
11. Bean sprouts 444
12. Red peppers 420
13. Romaine lettuce 389
14. Broccoli 376
15. Carrot juice 344
16. Tomatoes & tomato products 190-300
17. Cauliflower 295
18. Strawberries 212
19. Pomegranate juice 193
20. Blackberries 178
21. Plums 157
22. Raspberries 145
23. Blueberries 130
24. Papaya 118
25. Brazil nuts 116
26. Oranges 109
27. Tofu 86
28. Beans (all varieties) 55-70
29. Seeds: flaxseed, sunflower, sesame 45
30. Walnuts 29