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1. The Glycemic Index – What foods should you eat the most of?
a) foods with a high glycemic number
b) foods with a low glycemic number
a) don’t know
2. What are the lowest glycemic foods?
a) green leafy vegetables
b) root vegetables
c) fresh fruits
3. What helps slow the absorption of sugar in our bodies?
a) calories
b) fiber
c) fat
4. What happens to sugar as it’s digested in our bodies?
a) It get eliminated
b) It turns to fat
c) It turns into fuel
5. Sweet drinks can lead to obesity?
a) Yes
b) No
c) Maybe
6. Does color matter?
a) Yes
b) No
c) Sometimes
7. Does keeping a journal can help me make better food choices?
a) Yes
b) No
c) Don’t know
ANSWERS:
1. a) The foods with the lower numbers will cause your blood sugar to rise
then fall more slowly than the foods with higher numbers. Low glycemic
foods tend to satisfy your hunger longer and minimize food cravings
2. a) Green leafy vegetable are the most nutritious low-glycemic foods,
followed by fresh fruits – berries the best, pineapple and bananas and all
canned and dried fruits have a much higher glycemic number as do root
vegetable.
3. b) Fiber is our friend – keep repeating that! Fiber is an obstacle to
digestion in a good way. I helps slow down the digestion of carbs and the
absorption of sugar. This is the sequence:
- Slower digestion of carbs – less insulin
- Less insulin – less dramatic drop in blood sugar
- Less of a sugar rise and fall – less hunger
4. b) As sugar is digested it turns to fuel. Digestion is the way our bodies
extract sugar from carbs and turn them into fuel. We need to burn that
fuel. Too much fuel storage is not a good thing-it turns to fat.
5. a) No if’s and’s or but’s sweet drinks are bad.
A study of 810 adults between 25 and 79 years old showed that after 18
months, those who cut out sugary drinks had greater weight loss than
those who cut down on food calories. One possible reason: While your
body lets you know when it is full of food, there is no way for your body
to tell you when you’ve maxed out on liquid calories.
6. a) Color me a rainbow—think about it every time you select foods.
Multi-grain breads are better than white, whole wheat pasta is better
than white, dark green leafy vegetables are full of nutrients and berries
are loaded with antioxidants and dark chocolate is so much healthier
than milk. Fill your plates with color!
7. a) Keeping a journal can be very enlightening. You will be surprised at
what you consume during a day—every little M&M counts! Counting
calories is easier if you write down. What you eat and drink, including
serving sizes and details such as condiments you may have added.
Research has shown that exercise and journaling really make a
difference in long-term weight management and healthier for-you-food
choices. It’s OK to have a treat, just make sure you have a record of
how often you treat yourself.
