Words from a Self-Proclaimed Fitness Junkie

For the next few weeks, I will have Dr. Andersen, whose bio appears below, writing a few guest posts for me about health and fitness. I will also be reviewing his new book, Habits of Health, in a few weeks. Enjoy!

Why is it important to eat low glycemic foods to lose weight?

The glycemic index is a way of looking at how glucose is released into the
bloodstream as the carbohydrates you eat are broken down.  A professor at
the University of Toronto in Canada was studying diabetes and found that the
body breaks down sugars that come from the carbohydrates and releases them
into your bloodstream.  Therefore, it is important to eat low glycemic foods
because meals high in sugar raise your insulin, and then that food turns
into fat storage.

The higher the glycemic index in a food, the more likely it is to create
this fat storage. Low glycemic foods on the other hand, don¹t stimulate fat
storage, but they keep your blood sugar stable.  Most fruits and vegetables
are considered to be low glycemic foods. These are the foods that should
make up a majority of your meals.  Some examples of high glycemic foods
include: corn flakes, baked potatoes, white rices, white breads, candies,
etc.

Stick with the low glycemic foods because they actually turn off fat storage
and turn on fat burning.  Eating low glycemic foods is just one of the steps
in my ³Habits of Health² program to keeping weight off.  My recipe or
acronym for success is ³B.E.S.L.I.M.²  The L portion of this saying stands
for low-fat, low-glycemic, lower-calorie eating every three hours.   Eating
low-glycemic foods keeps your body from storing fat, and therefore helps you
keep the weight off.

Dr. Andersen is a a board certified critical care physician, and he is currently Medical Director of Medifast, Inc., an innovative leader in the production, distribution and sale of weight management and health management products. He is also the chief architect of Take Shape for Life. His book, Habits of Health, does not advocate fad dieting or a miracle wonder cure; rather, it provides the knowledge and support to help people achieve optimal health. The book seeks to offer an easy guide to establish long-lasting, improved health. Habits of Health seeks to help people to be the healthiest they can be with what they have. Through his book and the accompanying workbook, Dr. Andersen provides a roadmap and an opportunity for people to choose a better life.

Click here for his website.