Way too much info about the Slow Carb Diet (and my results)So it’s March. And at the beginning of March, I’m supposed to report on February’s 3. Tim Ferriss’s Slow Carb Diet and tell you what new and crazy trial I’m doing this month. But that’s not going to happen. Because, as I mentioned originally, I only want to do six 3. I want to be able to stop and catch my breath if needed, or prolong certain experiments, or just be normal for a while. And in this case, my experience with Slow Carb has been. Why: The apples provide fiber and the peanut butter adds fat, both of which slow digestion. Instead of: Veggie stir-fry with instant white rice Try: Chicken or tofu.
And so I’d like to give it another month, for reasons that you can read about in excruciatingly long- winded detail below. But to start, here’s the overall pros and cons of this way of eating as far as I see: The pros. The diet itself is pretty awesome. I like eating lots of beans (plenty of vegetarian refried beans, plenty of black and pinto beans. No lentils, though. Those things are fucking disgusting) and I like being forced into eating a lot of vegetables. I feel like I’m “eating well,” whatever that means. I also took a cue from the Four Hour Body book directly and have been eating at Chipotle once or twice a week: Steak burrito bowl, no rice, black and pinto beans, fajita onions and green peppers, tomato and corn salsas, guacamole, lettuce. That meal kicks some serious ass. Find a long glycemic index food list to know which healthy carbohydrate foods will keep your blood sugar levels stable for longer. I love the idea of a cheat day. It’s simple to eat in a regimented way if I know I’ll be eating whatever I want one day a week. Selective cheating is a huge psychological benefit as well as resetting your “starvation response” and pulling you out of ketosis for a while. It’s reducing my desire for certain foods. I find myself eating certain things on cheat days because I think I want them. Then I eat them and say, “That was gross. Why did I think I wanted it?” I think this is because I’m losing some of the sugar addiction that most of us have nowadays, seeing as everything has sugar added to it. I’ve also found that I don’t really want coffee anymore. I drink it on the weekends, but not on weekdays. That happened out of the blue. I didn’t try to quit; I just suddenly didn’t want it anymore. Blood sugars are OFF THE HOOK stable. I’m a type- 1 diabetic, meaning that the only insulin I get is the insulin I inject via my insulin pump. I monitor my blood sugar constantly. Before, I had good sugars on average, but now my graph looks like a flat- lining heart patient. It’s DEAD EVEN most of the time, hovering around 1. Which is an amazing benefit for someone like me, and also for nondiabetics. But especially for diabetics. Because of this, I’m using far less insulin (and saving money). There are two ways I deliver insulin: basal insulin, which is like a steady drip, and bolus insulin, which means that I give a bunch at once to compensate for the carbohydrates in a meal. I find myself rarely even giving boluses anymore. There are physiological benefits to using less insulin, but the more immediate advantage is that I’m also having to buy less of it. And it’s fucking EXPENSIVE. I estimate I’m using 3. My athletic performance is very good now that I’ve made some adjustments. Keep reading to see what I mean about adjustments. This diet was a clusterfuck for me before making the adjustments, but it’s great now, with them. The cons. There’s really only one. I’m not losing much fat. Kind of a big one, right? Seeing as the whole point of the diet is supposed to be to lose fat, the fact that I’m not seeing much of that is a problem. Now, I’m not the person this diet was really written for, I don’t think, so there’s that. I can maybe lose 1. After 4 weeks, I seem to have lost around 3 pounds. I seriously doubt that number is deceptive because I’m gaining muscle; I’m a highly- trained gym rat, and we’re not the kind of people who experience rapid “beginner’s gains” anymore. People like me are delighted if we can gain a pound of muscle in a month, and we have to eat a caloric surplus to do it. To explain a bit more, let me review the modifications I’ve had to make. If anyone is an exercise physiologist and can shed some light on this, let me know. The modifications. The problem with the diet as written is that I’m not an average case. I have too many variables: I’m training for a marathon in addition to my normal training. So in an average week, I run 3 times (a short run of 4- 6 miles, a medium run of 8- 1. Yoga workout once or twice. I’m an insulin- dependent diabetic. I’m still doing the biphasic sleep thing. So when you put all of those odd things together with a new, low- carb diet, it’s hard to figure out what’s what. When something isn’t working, it’s hard to know why. The problem I had right away was skyrocketing blood sugars that would take all day for me to bring back down. That’s not good. I could go on and on and on about this (and have, in emails to a few people), but here’s basically what was happening: I’d do a hard workout, like a hard or a long run. During that workout, my muscles want fuel. They quickly burn all of the glucose (sugar) available in the blood, and because I’m on a low- carb diet, there is no stored glucose available in my muscles (glycogen). So my body would burn fat. This feels like shit. I was slow and tired and unresponsive and beat, because fat is an inefficient fuel. After the workout, my muscles really NEEDED fuel to recoup and repair. Because there was REALLY nothing available and it needed fuel NOW, my body would turn to a process known as gluconeogenesis, which is nerd speak for “crank a fuckload of glucose into the blood by breaking down muscle and fat.”When this happens to a nondiabetic, your normal insulin response controls it and shuttles that glucose into the cells where it’s needed. When it happens to a diabetic, it’s nearly impossible to control. So I’d end up with stupidly high blood sugars all day long. Which is bad. I fixed it by adding carbohydrate immediately before, during, and immediately after my workouts. This solved the problem, but it’s no longer the same diet. So I don’t know if that’s what’s causing the slow fat loss or not. Ferris says it’s okay to have starches right after a weight training workout, but not after a run. But then, I don’t think this diet was written for runners anyway. The verdict. I have a bet going with Clay Collins that we’re jokingly calling The Internet Marketing Abs- Off 2. Clay is going to win it hands- down. I’m simply not losing fat fast enough, and I think that other than that modification, I’m doing everything right. But I decided to give it another month. Here’s why — I have three goals, and they are: Have stable blood sugar values. Maintain and increase athletic performance. Lose fat. Since I’m getting such great results on the first two goals as well as really enjoying this way of eating and living, I’ll accept a slower- than- desired fat loss for now. And after all. It’s just slow. And I really don’t have much to lose. So? Let me know. I’ve thought WAY more about this than I ever thought I’d have to, and I don’t have a degree in exercise physiology so it’s taken a lot of sleuthing. Even my doctor hadn’t thought of most of this until I pitched my thoughts to him. But if you’d like my bottom- line thoughts, they’re this: I really like the Slow Carb Diet. Glycemic Index Food List with Slow and Fast Carbs. The glycemic index food list is there for your benefit, and you’ll find that it will help you to learn more about which foods will be good for your blood sugar levels – as well as which ones can have a negative effect. There are many low glycemic foods that you can eat, and these foods will work wonders for your body by keeping your glucose levels low. High glycemic foods are the ones that will raise your blood sugar levels, and it’s these high glycemic index foods that you want to avoid. By following the glycemic index, weight loss is also a very real possibility. Understanding the Glycemic Index. Before we can look at the free glycemic index chart below, it’s important that you understand just what the glycemic index really is. The Glycemic Index (or GI) is a chart that lists the foods according to their effect on your blood sugar. Foods that have a greater effect on your blood glucose levels will be ranked with a higher GI, while those with a lower GI ranking will not affect your blood sugar as much. There are many diets that you can try to help you to keep your carb consumption low, and the Glycemic Index Diet and Atkins Diet are two of them. You’ll find that these diets can help you to keep your blood sugar under control, as they’ll ensure that you don’t get too much glucose in your system. How Fast Carbs and Slow Carbs Affect Your Body. High Glycemic Foods Pushes Your Insulin Production Through the Roof. When you eat high glycemic foods – foods that will affect your blood sugar levels in a noticeable way – you’ll find that your body has to produce a lot more insulin to keep up with the glucose that comes from all the food you eat. This is because too much glucose can cause problems in your body, so your body has to respond by creating insulin to prevent the various systems from responding to the glucose. However, all that insulin pushes your blood sugar too far down, thus making you feel tired and craving another rush to get back up there. And the evil circle has begun . Why Try a Low Glycemic Carb Diet. There are many reasons that you may want to consider a low glycemic carb diet: 1) You Have Diabetes. Diabetes is a serious disorder that can actually be fatal if it’s not treated, though a very small number of people with diabetes actually die as a result. For the most part, it can cause serious discomfort, fatigue, and other health problems, especially if it goes untreated. One good way to reduce the threat of diabetes is to follow a low glycemic carb diet, as the foods that are low in fast carbs won’t have as drastic an effect on your blood sugar levels. You Want to Improve Your Eating Habits. When you eat a lot of sugary foods, you’ll find that your body begins to crave more sugar. Sugar can be quite addicting, and many people around the world have to get their fix of sugar in order to be able to function. For those who want to change their eating habits, the low carb diet will help them to reset their body and reduce those cravings. By cutting out all the sugar, you will detox your body and stop it from lusting after all those sugary foods. You Want to Lose Weight. Low glycemic carb diets have been linked to weight loss, and many people that have tried these diets are able to lose weight. This is because sugar is one of the things that prevents you from losing weight, but cutting it out will force your body to burn fat. The longer you go without sugar, the more fat your body is forced to burn. You Want to Improve Your Health. Reducing your high glycemic carb intake can be a very good way to improve your health, as the carbs you eat will cause serious fluctuations in your blood sugar levels. You’ll find that eating fewer fast carbs will be excellent for your health, as you’ll reduce the amount of glucose in your body. These are just a few of the reasons to try a low glycemic carb diet, and there are many more! Your Free Glycemic Index Chart. Here is a glycemic index food list with some of the more popular foods, as well as their GI value: Chart courtesy of the University of Sydney. Understanding the GI Values. So, you can see that ice cream has a GI value of 6. Foods that have a GI ranking of 7. GI foods. Foods with a GI ranking of 6. GI foods. Foods with a GI ranking of 5. GI Foods. That means that the foods that have a very low ranking will be the ones that are safest for you to eat, while the foods that have a higher number will be the ones to avoid. For example: In breakfast cereals, All- Bran (US) has a GI ranking of 5. Cornflakes – which have a ranking of 8. In fruits, cherries have a GI ranking of 2. You should study the free glycemic index chart carefully, and try to eat the foods that have a lower GI ranking in order to keep your blood sugar under control. Tips to Help You with Your Low Carb Diet. If you’re going to try and follow a low glycemic diet, it’s going to be a challenge to avoid all of your favorite high glycemic index foods. Here are some tips to help you get through: 1) Do It Right. Make sure that you’re following the right low carb diet plan, and keep track of the food you’re eating. You want to make sure that you’re keeping your fast carb consumption low, but you don’t want to cut out carbs altogether. Make sure that you’re getting the low glycemic foods, and use the free glycemic index chart above to help you find out as much as you can about the best foods for your diet. Don’t get into the diet unprepared, but plan it carefully. Balance It Out. You have to make sure to get plenty of fruits and veggies while on the diet, as that’s the only way to be sure that you’re going to stay healthy. Just because they may be higher in carbs than you’d like, that doesn’t mean that you should cut them out altogether. It’s best to cut sugars and starches rather than fruits and veggies, as the natural foods contain nutrients that your body needs in order to survive. Count Calories. Many people follow low glycemic carb diets to the letter, but they end up eating more calories than they should. When this happens, they end up gaining weight, which can lead to other health problems aside from diabetes. If you’re going to be following a low carb diet, it’s important that you count calories as well as carbs. You want to avoid eating too much food, and the best way to do so is to track the food you’re eating. Get Lots of Fiber. When you eat lots of protein and low carb foods, you’ll find that there isn’t too much fiber in the food you’re eating. You’ll find that fiber can actually help to fight the fast carbs, as it will bond with the carbs and prevent them from being absorbed into your body. The more fiber you get, the healthier you’ll be. Try and add fiber supplements to your diet, and eat as many high fiber foods as possible. Add Variety. One key element to following any diet faithfully is to have variety, as eating the same foods over and over will cause you to get sick and tired of the same thing every day. If you want to ensure that you’re faithful with the diet, you’ll need to switch things up in order to give yourself enough variety. Following a low glycemic carb diet will help you to keep your blood sugar levels under control, and you’ll find that doing so will improve your health greatly. Use the glycemic index food list to help you know which foods are the ones that you should eat, and which are the ones that you should avoid. Other Pages on This Site, You Might Want to Visit. Guide to a Low Glycemic Diet: Identifying Foods Low in the Glycemic Index & Ruling out the Sugary High GI Traitors. Find the Values of Different Low Glycemic Index Foods and Learn How to Healthily Follow a Low Carb Diet. A Low Glycemic Food List: Identifying the Good Slow Carbs and the Bad Fast Carbs. Glycemic Index Diet Guidelines: Low Glycemic Recipes and Foods. Exercise Glycemic Control by Following the Low Glycemic Index Diet. A Comprensive Glycemic Index Chart along with a Low Glycemic Food List. Glycemic Index Food Chart Model: Showing You Carbohydrates High and Low in GI Low Glycemic Index Diet Tips: Simple Guidelines to Avoid the Trickery Pitfalls. The Healthy Low Glycemic Foods Diet: How to Eat According to the Glycemic Index. Go to the top of this page about The glycemic index food list.
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