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William's Blog Food, Emotions and GI diets
William's Blog Food, Emotions and GI diets | Food, Emotions and GI diets |
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I was walking to the bank last Friday and to avoid the rain I popped through Marks and Spencer Straight in front of me was a book that I have been looking out for called Easy GI Diet by Helen Foster – also available at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Easy-GI-Diet-Glycaemic-Weight/dp/0600610020 Please don’t get the wrong idea about me needing to diet because I am one of those fortunate people, who is pretty much the same weight as when I left school some 40 years ago. I have a real interest in Glycaemic Index – GI – because my moods change dramatically within ten to twenty minutes and I see exactly the same thing happening at conferences, seminars and at my workshops. It is commonly called the graveyard shift after lunch and it does not have to happen if the food that people eat at lunch is low GI. First of all a short explanation… I have discovered that in simple terms GI is the rate at which carbohydrates found in food is converted into glucose by our livers. The glucose is carried by insulin to where it is needed. If glucose is released slowly from low GI foods then small amounts of insulin are released slowly. When lots of glucose is released into the bloodstream and the body does not need it for say exercise, it releases lots of insulin to carry it to fat reserves. I have always called this sudden rush of glucose as the “cliff” effect. For a few minutes I feel satiated by the taste of glucose in the form of pasta, bread, biscuits or chocolate in my mouth but I know that depending upon the amount of GI that I will within a short time begin to feel sleepy, feel irritable, go from positive to quite negative as I fight the drowsiness and the desire to close my eye lids. Waitrose has some very good graphs on this http://www.waitrose.com/food_drink/nutrition/healthyeating/glycaemicindex.asp
Going back to the workshops, I request a “brain food” menu of low GI content. By this I mean a selection of nuts, fruit, salad, beans, sweet potatoes, yogurt and granary bread, if any. I ask that pizza, pastry, anything with rice, chips, fried and baked potatoes and pasta are kept away. The result is that people are much lighter and can concentrate more.
The other effect of high GI intake is the effect that it automatically has on our emotional intelligence, the reduction of personal control and the ability to communicate and relate to others. Obviously if high GI food and alcohol slows down the body system then surely any company in their right mind would want to steer their staff away from it. In our very competitive world it is crucial for business people to keep alert, whether in meetings, driving or just working. Therefore in order to keep ahead of the competition or even if only to keep awake, it seems logical to keep only low GI foods on your plate and give your body a chance. BUPA has an excellent page on GI food http://www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/html/healthy_living/lifestyle/exercise/diet_exercise/gi_table.html
The thing about the book is that it is only £5 and it has got an excellent description of what GI is all about and what foods to avoid, plus four diet plans – Genius Weight-loss plan, Vegetarian Weight-loss plan, GI Galvaniser Plan and GI for Life Plan. The book by the way clearly lists high, medium and low GI foods, so it is easy to eat the right food.
So if you are involved with catering for others or if you are only going to look after number one be careful with what you eat or offer to others. It is not just about weight that is involved by eating the wrong thing but the whole mind, body and emotional experience that is involved. Keep in with porridge oats and keep away from the baguettes and you’ll be right on the ball. On the other hand if you want to reduce people’s effectiveness, obviously the route to adopt is to provide a high GI menu!
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