- Come join our amazing steps challenge this month! Everyone is welcome and it's a great way to find out what other Newtopians are doing to stay active. For the second mini challenge we are going to focus on beating our own personal best kilometers.It’s one thing to be in competition with the people around you but another to be in competition with yourself. This next week and a half is... read more
- Each month we host a “steps challenge” aimed at helping those of you who are using the NewtopiaPED to stay active!This month we have decided to spice up the community challenge and focus on going the distance! This challenge will require everyone to work as a team and keep each other motivated in order to reach the team’s ultimate goal, while still maintaining that competitive edge to try... read more
- I would like to congratulate 6 amazing women Tina, Tede, Kari, Marianne, Valerie and Gloria, all fellow Newtopians who took it upon themselves to challenge each other in a friendly but fierce steps competition. Using their Newtopiapeds they embarked on a 30 day challenge to see who could get the most steps. Each day they would accumulate steps on their own using their... read more
- Many of us need a boost whether it is increasing our energy levels throughout the day, increasing our metabolism or even just help with decreasing our weight circumference or controlling our appetite, to help keep us on plan.For this reason our Naturopath Jean-Jacques Dugoua has created a helpful natural health product specifically targeted towards increasing or boosting your metabolism. The body... read more
- The system has taught me portion control and that fitness are the key to my future good health. Also I discovered that 1800 calories can be a lot of food. With my DNA results I discovered that being active will always keep me slimmer. My coach has helped my progress by challenging me and guiding me to making better food choices. Thank You to my Newtopia Coach for all your help, and I look... read more
- Natasha Vani our Exercise physiologist came up with a great way to promote a healthy posture, reduce tension headaches and improve back health, while in the workplace!Routine: Take a 5 minute break once every hour and complete the following warm up and stretching exercises. (once every hour is ideal however even a few times a day is better than none at all).Review the office... read more
- One of the biggest issues most of us face on our way to healthy living and weight loss is lack of MOTIVATION! For most people the same cycle repeats itself whether you are just starting your journey or whether you are trying to maintain your healthy habits. Most of us are motivated in the beginning and then somewhere along the line we need a boost. While doing a little bit of research... read more
- Mary Bamford the Director of Nutrition here at Newtopia feels that it is really important that we all understand what the glycemic index is and how it can help you to lose weight. First things first, the glycemic index (GI) is a measure of how much a carbohydrate-containing food is likely to raise a person’s blood sugar.For example, carbohydrate foods (fruits, dairy, whole grains,... read more
- Try these 6 abdominal exercises to help give your core an amazing workout. Just like any other strength exercise you need to make sure that you do not work the same muscle groups 2 days in a row. Try doing these exercises 2-3 days during the week to give your body time to recover!Standing Twists with a medicine ball: Stand with your feet spread shoulder width apart.Hold a medicine ball in your... read more
- In order to help improve and control over eating we all must take a step back and slow down the eating process. This will help to improve the mind-body connection when eating say's our Director of phychology Karyn Hood.Her rationale for this is because when you eat quickly you can end up feeling dissatisfied and you can very easily finish your entire meal before your body recognizes you are full... read more
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Posted March 01 2012
Mary Bamford the Director of Nutrition here at Newtopia feels that it is really important that we all understand what the glycemic index is and how it can help you to lose weight.
First things first, the glycemic index (GI) is a measure of how much a carbohydrate-containing food is likely to raise a person’s blood sugar.
For example, carbohydrate foods (fruits, dairy, whole grains, vegetables of sweets and pastries) can be divided into high, medium, and low GI foods. A food with a high GI will raise your blood sugar more than a food with a low GI, with medium GI foods falling somewhere in-between. Studies have found that a low GI diet has many health benefits, including:
- Lower your risk of type 2 diabetes
- Control your blood sugar
- Control your blood cholesterol
- Reduce your feelings of hunger and appetite
Foods that have a high GI include
- Sugar, jams, jellies, and other sweets along with several other foods from the grain products food group. These include foods made with white flour such as white bread, bagels, crackers, pancakes, waffles, and many processed breakfast cereals. Instant rice, short-grain white rice, French fries, and baking potatoes (russet) also have a high GI.
Low GI foods include:
- Most fruits and vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, cucumbers, lettuce, peppers, apples, oranges, plums and berries
- Milk products
- Legumes such as chickpeas, beans and lentils
- Some high-fibre breads like heavy mixed grains or stone-ground whole wheat
- Some high-fibre grains like rolled and steel cut oatmeal, pot barley, whole grain couscous
- Whole grain cereal enhancers such as a teaspoon of psyllium, oat bran, salba and chia
- Sweet potatoes
- Whole grain pasta
Can the glycemic index help me lose weight?
There is alot of good evidence to support the use of the glycemic index in weight management. Studies show that low GI diets can help overweight or obese adults lose more weight than a high GI diet. Low GI diets can also help reduce blood fats. More studies are needed to see if weight lost on a low GI diet can be kept off over the long term.
Foods that are high in protein (eg meat, fish, poultry, cheese) and fat (eg butter, oil, margarine) will not affect your blood sugar much, but they still contain calories, so eating too much of these foods can also affect your weight.
Where can I get more information about glycemic index?
The Glucose Revolution: by Brand-Miller, Wolever, Colaguiri and Foster-Powell. A well-written and reliable book on GI.
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