Hello There!
Tyler (author of this post) and Martin (humble editor) earnestly desire to help YOU sort through the’ loads’ of ambiguous information found online and offline – and then present this info in an easy to read, no BS way.
We do this because 1) we care 2) we want you to be able to make intelligent and well informed decisions when it comes to your health and ‘fitness’ (an ambiguous term in itself) – and –
Reason d’etre (3) – to provide those in our sphere of influence the ability to create change in the areas that matter to them/you MOST.
> this is why we encourage questions > this post is a response to one of our clients – if this individual is pondering this topic, so are 20 others…. So here it goes – Hope it helps!
The Glycemic Load,
“…. of our meals affects our hormones and not just the hormones that regulate blood sugar like insulin but also those that help regulate our overall stress tolerance like adrenaline and cortisol. The endocrine system, which is 0ur hormonal system, resides in a delicate balance, so even a few months of abuse will easily tip the scales out of balance.”
Now imagine what years of sugar binges, many moons of late nights and early mornings and a couple double double coffees a week are going to do to you…
Not only to our insulin levels, but also to our adrenal glands.The short answer is =
STRESS
Stress on the body is equal to stress on the mind (and vice versa). High glycemic diets stress both the mind and body by abusing insulin, adrenalin and cortisol. These guys are very powerful chemicals.
The worst part is, you can actually get addicted to the way they make us feel.
For the most part, foods that are highly refined and/or high in sugar and lacking in fibre, fats and proteins – will be higher on the glycemic index.
These foods cause blood sugar levels to spike, insulin levels to spike, as well as adrenaline and cortisol to be over-used. All of this will cause strain to the entire endocrine system.
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HOWEVER,
when we eat lower glycemic foods – those that are rich in deliciously healthy fats, fibre, protein (and are in their most complete form) – then we are getting out of the way of nature. That is to say, you will begin to let nature run its coarse; things repair themselves and the body is able to recover.
Eating lower glycemic foods will put less strain and abuse on the various organs and hormones of the endocrine system, as well as support balanced and more regular hormonal cycles.
That is why diet and lifestyle are so imperative in maintaining hormonal health.
If weight loss or change in body composition is one of your main goals, stay away from high GI foods.
Although,
there is a point when the body needs them I.E. after hard physical work…..This is because post-exercise there is a flood of cortisol and adrenaline. As we know now these are our body’s stress hormones and they cannot differentiate between types of stress > I.E. > If we are experiencing stress (physical or mental) they get released into our bloodstream.
A hard workout is no exception. In order to grow and repair efficiently we need to stem the tide of these stress hormones with a strong insulin response. The higher GI foods (along with a good protein source) will do this for us. The absorption is way faster but it needs to be specifically at this point – as our tissues are depleted of energy – in order for proper metabolic recovery.
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In general: avoid high GI foods, but also know that these same foods (as long as they have good, naturally occurring protein and fibre) are BENEFICIAL depending on the TIMING of their consumption.
p.s. things like donuts do not count…. eat unrefined, and unprocessed naturally occurring foods whenever possible. Full Stop.
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Once again, I hope this helps. If you have any questions – do not hesitate to contact us or leave a comment.
If you did find this valuable, please share it with your friends or on your social media of choice 🙂
Thanks,
Stay strong all!
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