The Habit That Will Help You Lose Weight This Holiday Season http://ift.tt/12oPUOw

Not sure just how you're going to navigate the holiday party spread without gaining a lot of Winter padding? The health experts at Harvard have an answer for you: keep your glycemic index (GI) chart handy.

In the December issue of Harvard Health Review, researchers note that it's not fat that you should be worried about while you fill your party plate - it's refined carbs. Recent studies have shown that refined carbs and simple sugars may be worse for your heart than saturated fats and that sticking to a low-carb, high-protein diet is the key to weight-loss success. But since we can't live off holiday ham alone, here's a simple solution: when faced with carb choices, go with low-GI foods, which slow down the rate that glucose (sugar) gets introduced into your body. High-GI foods, in contrast, cause a spike in your blood sugar as well as insulin, causing you to crave more sugary foods when your glucose levels drop.

The GI index ranks foods on a zero to 100 scale; in general, a GI of 1 to 55 is low, 56 to 69 is medium, and 70 to 100 is high - you should limit these high-ranking foods in your diet. If you know your GI values, you'll know that you need to avoid white rice, white flour, and packaged cereals, and choose whole grains, whole fruits, and other complex carbs instead. You can also choose foods that are low on the glycemic load scale, which measures the blood-sugar-raising power of that food. A glycemic load of 10 or less is low, 11 to 19 is medium, and 20 or more is high.

Following the glycemic index isn't a new concept, but it's a useful way to keep your eating habits in check when on the go. Knowing your numbers is a quick way to help ensure that you're making smarter choices at the buffet spread. Check out a handy GI chart of a few seasonally appropriate foods below, and check out a list of GI and glycemic load values of 100 common foods here.

Food	Glycemic index	Glycemic load per serving
Apple	39	6
Baguette, white, plain	95	15
Banana, ripe	62	16
Brown rice	50	16
Carrots	35	2
Dates, dried	42	18
Cranberry juice cocktail	68	24
Graham crackers	74	14
Grapefruit	25	3
Green peas	51	4
Ice cream	57	6
Instant oatmeal	83	30
Milk, full fat	41	5
Milk, skim	32	4
Orange	40	4
Orange juice, unsweetened	50	12
Parsnips	52	4
Potato, russet, baked	111	33
Potato, white, boiled	82	21
Quinoa	53	13
Spaghetti, white, boiled	46	22
Spaghetti, wholemeal, boiled	42	17
Sponge cake, plain	46	17
Shortbread	64	10
Sweet potato, average	70	22
White rice	89	43
White basmati rice, quick-cooking	67	28
Whole-wheat bread	71	9
Yam	54	20

from POPSUGAR Fitness http://ift.tt/1zpURmP