I had another one of those epiphany moments today. I had a “Jumbo Jammy Dodger” which was 2 massive pieces of shortbread biscuit with oodles jam in the middle. Now I know this isn’t what I usually eat, but I fancied something sweet and it looked really nice. So I demolished said baked items with a large, sweet cup of tea.
What followed is the body’s typical response to a refined, high GI food. I had a massive sugar rush for approximately 10-15 minutes where I was completely hyperactive and felt great. I was on top of the world, talking at 1,000mph and giggling like a teenage girl. However, what followed was a massive low, where I felt tired, lethargic, and thoroughly miserable.
Why?
When you eat a high GI food, typically your blood-sugar levels go through the roof, and in order to send the sugar to your muscles, your insulin levels surge. What follows next is sometimes referred to as a “sugar crash”, as your insulin and blood sugar levels plummet back to their original levels. It can leave you feeling like you have a bad hangover.
Whilst this can be a little inconvenient every once in a while (like today - I have been like a bear with a sore head ever since), if your diet consists of a lot of high GI foods where your body regularly experiences these insulin spikes, not only will you regularly feel lethargic a lot of the time, you could put putting your health at serious risk - including obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
This puts a serious question mark over one particular school of thought for dieters, which is to have a little of what you fancy every once in a while. If like me your diet is based on a good range of low GI foods with complex carbohydrates, proteins and good fats, then a refined, high in sugar treat like the one I had today might not be such a good idea - especially if it’s going to make you feel how I did!
I’m now at the point where I feel like a good sleep, but I am looking forward to chicken and brown rice with Nando’s sauce for dinner, so that should gently massage my sugar levels and fuel me for tomorrow’s Sunday Club Ride - which will no doubt be painful!