Glycemic Index

Macronutrients consist of fats, carbs and proteins.  And we need all of them!! Fad diets are unsustainable and not a good choice.  Eating healthy is a lifestyle and you shouldn't get rid of a group of macronutrients to lose weight.  You will definitely gain the weight back when you introduce that group back in.  I aim to eat about 1-1.5 grams of protein a day per pound of body weight, and then I try to split the rest between carbs and fats.  Good carbs and good fats. Unless I'm training for a running race, then I up the carbs - the complex one such as sweet potatoes, quinoa, brown rice, and lots of veggies.  One way to help determine the better carbs to eat (mostly complex carbs) is by looking at a glycemic index.  The glycemic index indicates how quickly your blood sugar or blood glucose will rise after you consume a food.  Glucose has a glycemic index of 100 and this is what all foods are compared to. A carb that has a low glycemic index will absorb slowly and is better for you and will sustain your energy for a long time; a carb that has a high glycemic index will absorb rapidly, cause a spike in blood sugar and a spike in insulin  and then a crash in them also crashing your energy, and is bad.  Foods below 55 are considered low glycemic index foods, between 55 and 70 are mid glycemic foods, and over 70 are high glycemic foods.

Glycemic Index List of Foods