Mashed potatoes have a glycemic index near that of pure glucose, but combine the potatoes with a chicken breast and broccoli and the glycemic index of the entire meal islower than the potatoes by itself.Rice cakes have a very high glycemic index, but if you were to put a couple tablespoonsof peanut butter on them, the fat would slow the absorption of the carbs, thereby loweringthe glycemic index of the combination.A far more important and relevant criteria for selecting carbs for weight loss - as well asall your other foods, proteins and fats included - is whether they are natural or processed.To say that a healthy person with no metabolic disorders should completely avoid natural,unprocessed foods like carrots or potatoes simply because they are high on the glycemicindex is ridiculous.I know many bodybuilders (myself included) who eat high glycemic index foods such aswhite potatoes every day right up until the day of a competition and they reach singledigit body fat. How do they do it if high GI foods “make you fat?” It’s simple – high GIfoods DON’T necessarily make you fat – choosing natural foods and burning morecalories than you consume are far more important factors. Although it’s not correct to saythat all calories are created equal, a calorie deficit is the most important factor of all whenfat loss is your goal.The glycemic index is clearly not a "gimmick" and should not be completely disregarded,as it is a definitely a legitimate nutritional tool. Is it a good idea to eat low GI foods ingeneral? Sure. Is eating high GI foods after your workouts a good idea? Absolutely. Butdiet programs which hang their hats on glycemic index alone as the “miracle solution”are just another example of how one single aspect of nutrition can be used as a "hook" inmarketing and said to be the "end all be all" of fat loss, when it's really only one small piece of the puzzle.Eating Low glycemic index foods alone does NOT guarantee you will lose fat. You haveto take in the bigger picture, which includes calories/energy balance, meal timing andfrequency, macronutrient composition, choice of processed versus refined foods as wellas how all these nutritional factors interact with your exercise program.For more information on carbohydrates and the glycemic index, and for a balanced,gimmick-free look at all aspects of fat-burning nutrition, be sure to visit the Burn TheFat, Feed The Muscle website at:
Tom Venuto is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, an NSCA-certified personal trainer (CPT),certified strength & conditioning specialist (CSCS), and author of the #1 best-selling e- book, "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle.” Tom has written more than 200 articles and has been featured in print magazines such as IRONMAN, Australian IRONMAN, NaturalBodybuilding, Muscular Development, Exercise for Men and Men’s Exercise, as well as
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