Dear Member,
If you’re a regular reader, you’ve heard me talk about the glycemic index. But every week someone writes to me a question that tells me many are confused – even doctors.
Last month, I gave a lecture on diet at an anti-aging conference. After my talk, a member of the audience approached me. “Dr. Sears, I wasn’t surprised to hear that cereals can be fattening. But specifically, which ones should I stay away from?”
You have to recognize foods that cause weight gain to choose healthier alternatives. But that’s not as easy as you might think because the fattening high-glycemic foods are also the most profitable. Many producers of these products go to extremes to convince you that eating more of this man-made junk will actually make you lose weight. Here are a couple of the most successful deceivers.
Breakfast cereal: This one is very deceptive. Their marketing as Mother’s wholesome goodness itself is ubiquitous. But no matter which one you choose, breakfast cereals are high on the glycemic index. For most of us, a dose of high glycemic carbs in the morning is the prescription for building excess body fat.
It might be a fast fix when you’re rushing in the morning, but when the buzz wears off, you’ll be left feeling tired and sluggish. As contrarian to the constant drumbeat for these creations as it may sound, a diet of breakfast cereals can make fat loss extremely difficult.
Bagels and Breads: Don’t believe the advertisements that tell you whole grain is better. When it comes to glycemic index, it matters very little whether breads are made from whole grain or not. Grains spike your blood sugar and increase calories converted to fat. Period.
If you’re dieting to lose weight, you should avoid grains at least until you get as lean as you want to be. You’ll be better of without them.
It not hard to do as I do in the morning. Take a few extra moments and scramble some eggs. Before you throw the eggs in, sauté some sliced tomatoes and spinach. Maybe some onion too. In less than ten minutes, you can have a breakfast that will make you feel pumped and energetic for the whole morning.
And if you really need a hand-held lunch, try a wrap instead of a sandwich. More and more restaurants offer wraps these days. They come in all styles – spinach is my favorite. (Try and avoid the heavy flour tortillas.)
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD