Laura Kalina has been teaching nutrition education for years and on March 11 she’ll be teaching how a low glycemic index (GI) diet can improve athletic performance.
“The glycemic index is a tool used to measure how quickly the carbohydrates in the food you eat raise your blood sugar,” explains Kalina, a registered dietitian. “When you eat foods with a high GI they increase your blood sugars and they spike your insulin levels.”
This peak and valley rollercoaster is a significant contributor to weight gain and lethargic athletic performance.
Foods lower on the GI scale are digested more slowly, helping to make you feel full longer, controlling your appetite and stabilizing your blood sugars, a key factor for optimum athletic performance.
Kalina cautions that a low GI diet is not the same as a low carbohydrate diet.
“It’s not the same at all,” she says. “A low glycemic diet means you’re choosing healthier carbohydrates.”
So what exactly qualifies as a low GI food? According to Kalina, most processed foods have higher quantities of white flour and white sugars, categorizing them as high glycemic foods.
“Look at the ingredient listing. If the first ingredient listed is white flour or bleached flour, you know it’s generally high.”
Kalina’s seminar and luncheon starts at 12 p.m. at the Delta Sun Peaks Resort, on March 11, 2012.
For more information on low glycemic eating visit: www.lowgimeals.com.
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