Glycemic Index (GI) – A ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar (glucose) levels after eating. Foods with a high GI are those which are rapidly digested, absorbed, and metabolized and result in marked fluctuations in glucose levels. A diet including low GI carbohydrates – the ones that produce smaller fluctuations in your blood glucose and insulin levels — is one of the secrets to long-term health, reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. It is also one of the keys to maintaining weight loss. The glycemicindex.com site at the University of Sydney also presents evidence of this statements, and is worth checking out.
So this is important to us, whether you have diabetes or not. We already know that an increase in fiber has a dramatic effect on mortality rates due to heart disease.
Oatmeal is known as an excellent low-GI food, but what about the different types of oatmeal? Steel Cut oats are cut, not rolled. They look like rice, take the longest to cook, and have a chewy consistency. Old-Fashioned or Rolled Oats, are steamed, then rolled flat, to look like little ovals. They cook quicker than Steel Cut Oats. Quick or Instant Oats, are precooked, dried, then rolled, they cook in a minute and have a mushy texture.
Why do people like Dan “Blue Zone” Buettner recommend steel-cut oats? Turns out that the 3 basic types have different GI numbers:
Quick Oats have the highest, 66
Steel Cut Oats have the lowest, 42
Rolled Oats are in the middle with 59
It takes more time to prepare steel-cut oats, but you can mitigate that by preparing several meals in advance, as I like to do with a lot of things. Freeze them, thaw the night before, and nuke ’em for a minute when you’re ready to eat.
References:
Mayo Clinic article:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/glycemic-index-diet/art-20048478
Sydney University GI database:
http://www.glycemicindex.com/
https://www.diabeteshealth.com/whats-the-deal-with-steel-cut-oats/
https://www.harraways.co.nz/healthy-living/hf-glycemic-index.html
Recorded December 19, 2018.
Weight (change since Jan 2018): 201 (-73)
Workout time: 0 Minutes
Total Distance (total since Nov 2017): 0 Miles (275.95)
Steps: 2,653
Muscle Mass (change since Aug 2018): 149.09 (+6)
Body Fat: 25.9%
2018 Goals:
ACHIEVED (1) Run 10.5 miles in one day by 11/18/18
(2) Lose 100lbs by 12/25/18
2019 Goal: 15% Body Fat