5 Reasons the Glycemic Index is a Total Load…

Glycemic Index vs Glycemic Load

If you love to count and micromanage your food, the glycemic index (GI) or glycemic load (GL) might be perfect for you.

The GI measures how quickly a food converts to sugar in your body and raises your blood sugar. Higher-glycemic foods spike your blood sugar quickly, whereas lower-glycemic foods create a slower effect.

What the GI doesn’t measure is how much of that food you eat. That’s where the glycemic load (GL) comes in: It measures quality and quantity.

You can determine a food’s GL by multiplying the GI times the amount of carbohydrate grams and dividing the total by 100. So while carrots have a GI of 47, whole-wheat spaghetti clocks in at just 32. 

You’re better off eating the spaghetti, right?

Nope. Carrots carry far fewer carbs than pasta, and the GL accounts for both. So: 

Carrots – 47 x 6/ 100 = 2.82

Pasta – 32 x 48/ 100 = 15.36 

Wait: Is this nutrition or math class? Are you getting excited yet? (Me neither.) 

While the GI and GL become infuriatingly confusing, nutrition experts

Why Pot Smokers Really Get Fat & Out of Shape

"...just a hit or two to relax me..."

A new study found young adult pot smokers had a 40 percent increased risk for pre-diabetes (but not Type 2 diabetes) as middle-age adults compared to those who didn’t use the drug. 

Researchers weren’t entirely sure why, but they surmised pot could have a bigger impact on blood sugar in the pre-diabetes rather than diabetes range. Just speculating, but munchie-induced, sugar-fueled midnight fridge raids might also contribute here.

Whatever the culprits, chalk up another reason why even recreational pot – marijuana, cannabis, whatever you want to call it – smoking becomes a bad idea, and not just in that OMG-afterschool-special-you’ll-eventually-become-a-heroin-addict way.

Ever wondered why pot got classified as a gateway drug?

The #1 Secret How Lean, Healthy People Stay Successful

Fail to plan or....?

During my two decades as a personal trainer, I’ve become very curious about why some people succeed while others veer off course.

Initially, I took quitters personally. You know the insecurities, like, had I been too much of a drill sergeant during our training?

But I dove deeper, and over time something revealed itself. One significant thing separates winners and losers:

The winners plan ahead.

They leave nothing to chance. That might mean prioritizing an hour workout on a crazy day, or packing raw almonds with protein powder for a three-hour layover.

Mind you, these tasks require forethought. You can easily neglect them among juggling kids, demanding jobs, and unsupportive significant others: Perfectly valid reasons to neglect planning ahead.

At the same time, successful people – those who show up for 3 p.m. lifting workout but still get a healthy dinner on the table –

5 Secrets Gyms Don’t Want You to Know

Gym?: Optional

“What’s the dirtiest secret in the fitness industry?” I half-jokingly asked a coworker recently as we hibernated in my office, sipping a late-morning organic dark roast between clients.

The answer, ironically, resided within the very building we sat.

You don’t need a gym to get in great shape.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve been a personal trainer for two decades and love my gym, but you don’t need super-fancy equipment to get lean, toned, and healthy. You can transform your body at home without bells and whistles.

My favorite at-home workout includes squats, lunges, deadlifts, planks, chest press, push-ups, rowing exercises, and pull-ups.

Rather than focus on individual body parts, organize workouts into