[solguy]

My trainer told me to avoid rice and potatoes - he said both cause an insulin spike. I was under the impression that both were relatively low GI - isn't that what an insulin spike is related to?

What is the general consensus on rice and potatoes? Currently, I'm eating Ezekiel bread and pasta instead.

[Steveoph]

It's importnat to realize that there are different types of each of the foods you listed. There is white rice and brown rice , and sweetpotatoes vs. white potatoes.

I believe your trainer was cautioning you against white potatoes and white rice which have a higher GI index, whereas the brown rice and sweet potatoes are low GI and are rich in vitamins and nutrients. The latter are a very good choice of complex carbs that you would do well to incorporate into your diet, which should be eaten preferentially to the first two. That being said , you can blunt the insulin spike of white potatoes with fat (i.e. the butter and sour cream inside them) but the latter are still better options nutrient wise.

[solguy]

That's what I figured too. Thanks for the reply.

[EasyEJL]

really the problem with those stated GI numbers is that (as steveoph mentioned) is that it is for that item eaten completely solo. so having a chicken breast with the potato or rice completely changes the GI. I think that the difference between white or brown rice, or regular vs sweet potato is minimal so long as you are taking in significant protein and/or fat with it. if you are eating it by itself, then theres much more of a difference

[Nitrox]

Originally Posted by solguy

My trainer told me to avoid rice and potatoes - he said both cause an insulin spike. I was under the impression that both were relatively low GI - isn't that what an insulin spike is related to?

What your trainer is telling you is the common BB nutrition ideology. Although not necessarily false, it is next to useless.

Insulin response is proportional to what you eat (effective GI) and how much of it (e.g. grams or calories). If you eat a couple hundred calories of rice, with a couple hundred calories of protein, and say a hundred calories of fat. Any difference in GI of most whole foods carbs is not going to amount to much.

If you eat 1500 calories of even a low GI carb, you are going to get a large insulin response (assuming you arent active at the time)

Originally Posted by solguy

What is the general consensus on rice and potatoes? Currently, I'm eating Ezekiel bread and pasta instead.

Good whole food starchy carb sources. Fine in proper portion. IMO superior to bread and pasta (more highly processed).

[boxmeman]

Originally Posted by Nitrox

What your trainer is telling you is the common BB nutrition ideology. Although not necessarily false, it is next to useless.

Insulin response is proportional to what you eat (effective GI) and how much of it (e.g. grams or calories). If you eat a couple hundred calories of rice, with a couple hundred calories of protein, and say a hundred calories of fat. Any difference in GI of most whole foods carbs is not going to amount to much.

If you eat 1500 calories of even a low GI carb, you are going to get a large insulin response (assuming you arent active at the time)



Good whole food starchy carb sources. Fine in proper portion. IMO superior to bread and pasta (more highly processed).

Sounds about right!

[EasyEJL]

the ezekiel cereals rock

[Nitrox]

Originally Posted by Steveoph

That being said , you can blunt the insulin spike of white potatoes with fat (i.e. the butter and sour cream inside them).

What this popular ideology fails to clarify is that by doing this you are blunting the spike not so much by lowering the peak but by widening the duration (base). If we are being critical of insulin 'spikes' because of the implication of fat gain then blunting a spike/lowering effective GI by ADDING calories from another macro is counter productive.

In short, manage your calories/portions with as much whole food as is possible. Worrying about GI and insulin is akin to micromanagement - takes a lot of effort and distracts you from what really matters.