Why brown is best

Firstly apologies to anyone on the e-mail subscription receiving two blogs this morning - it appears I missed the cut off for the e-mail last night! For anyone on the blog feed ignore this - you get them as I write them!

I find it quite common for people to associate being slim with being healthy - not a bad assumption. However in naturally slim people who can eat whatever they fancy and never gain weight (sadly I don't fall into this group) they can take this as a license to eat unhealthily, assuming that because they don't gain weight it is not doing them harm. This is a dangerous and incorrect assumption.

As evidence of this a study of 200,000 individuals by the Harvard School of Public Health found that if you eat five or more servings of white rice per week your risk of diabetes is 17 per cent higher than compared to a control diet and if you eat two or more servings of brown rice a week your chances are 11 percent lower when compared to the control. Having read this I went straight to Leon for lunch (all their hot dishes come served with brown rice)!

The reason for this increased risk in diabetes is that refined carbohydrates such as white rice, white bread, white pasta and foods with added sugar are quickly broken down into simple sugars by the gut and then absorbed quickly into the blood stream. This rapid increase in blood sugar stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin to reduce blood sugar levels to a safe range (storing the excess sugar in the muscles as glycogen or in the tissues as fat). A diet high in refined carbohydrates therefore means a greater production of insulin which over time can lead to the cells in the body becoming desensitized to insulin, causing insulin resistance and putting a strain on the pancreas. All of which can ultimately lead to Type II Diabetes.

Unrefined brown rice contains the fibre, removed in processing, which slows digestion resulting in a slower release of sugars into the blood stream and is also rich in vitamins and mineral. However brown rice is often perceived as a food for dieters or the health obsessed.

Eating low GI (glycemic foods) is not just good for keeping weight off but also important for your health in general. So even if you're super slim always choose wholemeal or unrefined carbohydrates such as wholegrain or rye bread, brown rice and oats over the white refined options.

For a readable explanation on the glycemic index and how to eat low GI I recommend 'the Montignac diet' by Michel Montignac. I don't agree 100 per cent with all the recommendations but it explains this subject very well and is the most social-life friendly 'diet' I've ever come across!
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