Brentano-Murphy's Adventures

We have all heard adopting a low GI lifestyle can result in weight-loss, but do we really know what GI means or how it compares to GL foods? What is GI? Glycaemic Index measures the effect carbohydrates have on blood glucose levels . Foods with a GI of 0-54 are safe to eat, while foods over 70 should be avoided.  Eating foods high in GI will cause your blood glucose levels to peak and drop quickly, whereas foods with a low GI give you a steady rate of energy.  What is GL? Glycaemic Load  takes into account the amount of Carbohydrates in a given food. It studies the glycaemic response, while considering the carbohydrate content in a specific serving size of a food item.  Foods with a low GL encourage the body to burn fat. The GL is calculated by taking the percentage carbohydrate content per portion of a specific food and multiplying it by its Glycaemic Index value. The best foods to eat have a GL of under 10. GL = Carbohydrate content per portion x GI 100

So after having lost 1.5kg I thought I was in for an easy victory... that is until the weekend happened and nerves for my upcoming race hit me HARD. I am unfortunately one of those people that have to stay disciplined. One chocolate will lead to two and one bad day is leading into a whole week. It is important for me to understand why I crave certain foods... is it boredom or is it a lack of a certain mineral? Below is a list that I will start working on, to correct my cravings and get myself back on track: If you crave this... What you really need is... And here are healthy foods that have it: Chocolate Magnesium Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits Sweets Chromium Broccoli, grapes, cheese, dried beans, calves liver, organic free-range chicken   Carbon Fresh fruits   Phosphorus Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes, whole grains   Sulfur Cranberries, horseradish, cruciferous vegetables, kale, cabbage   Tryptophan Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sw

This week brings about the second week of my October weight-loss challenge. The first week was met with one day of unexpected indulgence. On Tuesday, it was my colleagues birthday, which meant cake. It was also my orienteering committee meeting, which meant Pizza. This resulted in me not eating my lunch. I decided to stick to the same lunch then on Thursday, which actually worked out as I had too much anyway for the allocated day. Now I know for next week it will be chicken and butternut Monday to Friday - this is actually so much easier for prep. Now onto this week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday the plan is to have Quinoa Taco Salad. Tuesday and Thursday will be fish. To make the Quinoa Taco Salad, you will need: 1 Avocado 1 can Black beans 1 cup Salsa 1 cup Quinoa 2 handful Tortilla chips, organic Optional - 1 packet of taco seasoning for flavor Per cup of cooked Quinoa, you will get: Protein: 8 grams Fibre: 5 grams Carbs: 39 grams Fat: 4 grams Calo

Out with the old and in with the new... So my office has decided to kick off a little October weight loss challenge. The goal is to lose 5% of your current weight. This morning I weighed in at 58.4kg, which will put my goal weight in at 55.48kg come end of October. I have gained a few kg over the weeks as my cross country season has come to an end, I have not been paying too much attention to what I have been eating and also I have been focusing a lot more on strength in the gym (I am hoping my gain has been from muscle). So my plan of action is to keep my food simple and planned out, particularly on weekends when the diet tends to wander. So next weeks meal plan will look something like this: Breakfast: 1 Boiled Egg and half a grapefruit Lunch: Grilled Chicken or steamed fish (alternating) with veggies Afternoon Snack: Banana and nuts or 3 x provita with low fat cottage cheese Grapefruits:  Low in calories but are full of nutrients and an excellent source of vitam