If you have tried in vain to lose weight, either by cutting your fat intake, counting calories or using meal replacements, the glycemic load may be the tool that helps you drop your unwanted pounds. The glycemic load is a concept that can help you improve the quality of the carbohydrates in your diet in addition to controlling your carb intake at the same time, which can lead to easier and more effective weight loss.
Glycemic Load Definition
The glycemic load, or GL, is a concept combining the glycemic index principles and the carbohydrate content. You can use the GL to evaluate to what extent a food will make your blood sugar levels rise after eating it. Foods with a GL value of 10 and below have a low GL and only have a small influence over your blood sugar levels. Foods with a GL value between 11 and 19 have a medium GL and result in a significant increase in your blood sugar levels. Foods with a GL value of 20 and higher have a high GL and lead to a quick and sharp rise in your blood sugar levels.
Low Glycemic Diets and Satiety
One of the reasons why losing weight can be so challenging is that most diets leave you feeling hungry and fatigued. To lose a pound of body weight, you need to reduce your calorie intake by 3,500 calories. While a calorie deficit can be achieved with almost any diets, a low glycemic load diet can make it easier for you by increasing your feelings of satiety after and between meals. If you feel fuller, you are more likely to take in fewer calories and less likely to succumb to the cravings you may experience a few hours after your meal.
Low Glycemic Diets and Insulin Levels
Another way low glycemic load diets can help you drop unwanted weight is by lowering the levels of insulin in your blood. The higher the GL, the larger the increase in your blood sugar levels and the larger the release of insulin by the pancreas. Insulin is a hormone that helps make the sugar in your blood enter your cells so it can be used for energy. However, when your blood sugar levels are increased to higher levels, as is the case with higher GL foods, insulin acts as a fat storage hormone, taking the extra sugar in your blood to your body fat cells where it is converted to fat and stored for later use. Therefore, by reducing your GL, you will have less circulating insulin, your body will stop storing fat and you will better be able to burn your own body fat for energy.
Lowering Your Glycemic Load
Because the GL combines the glycemic index and the carbohydrate content of a food, you can use different strategies to lower your dietary GL. You can either replace high glycemic foods with lower glycemic options, or replace high glycemic foods with either protein or fat, or use a little of both strategies. For example, at breakfast, you can reduce your GL by replacing your high glycemic breakfast cereals, white bread or bagels with a lower glycemic alternatives, such as steel cut oats or sourdough bread or replace these carbohydrate foods with eggs, sausages or cheese. The same goes at lunch and dinner. Simply focus on low glycemic carbohydrate-containing foods such as stone-ground whole grain bread, Basmati rice, whole grain pasta or fruits. Avoid refined grains, potatoes and sweets. You can also reduce your GL by lowering your carb intake and simply serving larger portions of meat, fish or poultry or adding a bit more healthy fats from avocado, olive oil or nuts.
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