Jab Zero Diya Mere Bharat Ne - Purab Pashchim

Making Of Sai Baba's Original Idol At Shirdi

Making Of Sai Baba's Original Idol At Shirdi

Most of you must have visited Shirdi at least once and must have had the darshan of Sri Saibaba. 

The lively marble statue of BABA must have captured your heart and mind. 

You will be thrilled to know, how the statue was made and when it was installed at Shirdi.

For those, who don't know the real facts, please go through the appended note. 

Incidentally, i have received this note from the Grand-son of the sculpture, who gave life to the marble stone, which is what we all are worshipping today and he happens to be my neighbour in Dubai. 

He is a pious and highly successful professional but has all along maintained a low profile.

He is a personification of humility and simplicity.

He shared this info with me, after reading one of the inspirational messages of BABA that was read by him yesterday. 

Thought of sharing this original piece of information with you.

~~ MAKING OF SAI BABA'S ORIGINAL IDOL AT SHIRDI ~~
Sai Baba's Statue in Shirdi, which has become the most mesmerizing divine image of Baba,
was installed on 7th October`1954, Vijayadashami Day - 36 years after Baba's Mahasamadhi.

In 1952, a piece of a White Italian Marble had arrived from Italy at the Bombay Docks
but for whom or why, nobody seemed to know anything about it.
Thus, in the absence of a claimant, the dockyard authorities auctioned it off
and the purchaser later offered it to the Shirdi Sai Sansthan.

Impressed by the quality of the Italian Marble, the Shirdi Sansthan planned to use it for an Idol of Sai Baba.
So they gave Shri.Balaji Vasantrao Talim - a sculptor from Bombay, the humungous task of sculpting Baba's Idol.
Meticulously, Shri.Balaji Talim got his tools 'made to order' from iron-smiths and carpenters.
and started off by first making a Model of Baba using Mud Clay.

But it was difficult for Shri.Balaji Talim to make the statue in its exact likeness
without the intricate details of the physical characteristic's of Baba's face,
to profile which he only had Baba's one black & white photograph.
Therefore, he prayed saying "If Sri Sai Baba gives me darshan while making His Statue,
the Statue will be worthy & the devotees also will have feelings of devotion".

And sure enough one early morning, around 07:00 am when Shri.Balaji entered his Studio, 

he saw a bright light even before he could switch on the Lights. 

Baba had appeared in the Light and given Darshan to him in the studio itself.
Baba remarked on Talim's difficulties and showed him his Face from various angles,
encouraging Talim to study it thoroughly and remember it well.

This gave Talim the fillip he needed and after that the work just flowed easily and the result exceeded all expectations.
Shri.Balaji Talim testified about this to Sri Sai Narayan Baba, as to how Baba himself had directed the Sculpting of the Statue
and how at every stage, he could very clearly hear the divine voice of Baba guiding him.

The Shirdi Sai Sansthan immediately approved this Mud Statue of Baba, on the basis of which the present
Italian Marble Statue of Sai Baba was carved and installed in the Samadhi Shrine.

- SHRI B.V.TALIM SCULPTING BABA'S IDOL - 

 

~ A MIRACLE ~ 
In 1954, while working with his workers at the finishing stages of Sculpting the almost ready Marble Statue of Sai Baba,
Shri.Balaji Talim found an Air Pocket in a small additional portion below the Left Knee of Baba's Statue, 

which had to be removed. It seemed dangerous, as in removing an Air Pocket from a Finished Statue, 

there was every risk of the entire portion coming down,
thus leaving the Statue Khandit (Broken), which therefore could not be worshiped at all.

So the work stopped and Shri.Balaji Talim hesitated to strike and chisel out the additional portion.
He feared that the entire Statue might get destroyed and all his labour & time would go waste.
He became nervous and prayed to Baba, "Baba have mercy on me. Your Murti is ready. Please Baba have mercy on me."
Just then he then heard a voice within saying "Balaji, Carry on".

So Balaji instructed his workers to carry on and chisel out the additional portion,
but the workers refused to do so fearing that the entire knee portion would just drop out.

Eventually & quite nervously, 

Shri.Balaji Talim took the chisel & hammer himself and while praying "Baba, help me" gave a small stroke,
touching the additional portion of the marble below the Left Knee.
And to his great surprise, only the additional portion of the marble came down leaving the rest of Baba's Statue intact.
Seeing this, tears rolled down his eyes and he prostrated before Baba, started dancing and distributing sweets to all..
As, he experienced such a wonderful miracle of Sai Baba.

The 5' 5" finished Idol of Sai Baba was taken throughout the village with pomp & ceremony.
Baba's Idol was so Life like that devotees like Swami Sri Sai Saranananda & Laxmibai, 

who had personally been with Baba, felt as if Baba had come back alive in the form of his Idol.
- Laxmibai Shinde -

- Swami Sri Sai Saranananda -

On 7th October`1954, Vijayadasami Day, this lifelike Marble Statue of Sai Baba was installed on the platform of
the Samadhi Shrine's western side behind Baba's Samadhi and the due formalities of Prana Pratistha were done
by Swami Sri Sai Saranananda who had met Baba before His Mahasamadhi.

At the time of preparation of Baba's Statue, one day Baba gave Darshan to Shri.Balaji Talim and said,
"Finish the work and you will not do any other Idol in future."
So Talim did not prepare any other Idol since then 

and finally at the age of 82 on 25th December`1970 he breathed his last. 

- THE FIRST ORIGINAL IDOL OF SAI BABA -

 

- PLACE WHERE BABA GAVE DARSHAN TO TALIM - 

Rethink Your Drink

This picture compares the sugar contents of different drinks. The best and healthiest drink among all drinks is water. If you like to have some taste, why not add a tiny slice of lemon or other fruits to that?
 

 
How about this refreshing drink? It’s so easy-to-prepare and you only need fresh fruits, like peach, kiwi,lime and raspberries, and water. When you prepare it at home, you have always the option to skip the sugar.
 

F.E.A.R

Perceptions; everyone forms one on anyone they meet. Such is part of life. There are initial perceptions, otherwise known as first impressions, when you first meet someone. Often, it is these first impressions that form our beliefs about others, then, we begin to look for things, which will reinforce the initial impression.

Over time this can create a F.E.A.R.(False Evidence Appearing Real) picture of the other person. What's worse is that it is very difficult to overcome this picture if it has been built up over time This F.E.A.R. picture often comes from lack of information, and sometimes from lack of education.

For Habitat homeowners, the perception is that these families do not have a job and that our homes are given away. Nothing could be further from the truth. But people often look for things, which might reinforce their limiting beliefs. I've had people contact me after reading an article on public housing, asking me why we continually "give away" homes to "these" families, not knowing we're not public housing. This becomes an AHA! Moment, as it affords me the opportunity to educate them on what Habitat IS.

Sometimes these perceptions carryover to our worksites, as our families are required to put in "sweat" equity hours, working on the homes of others, as well as, their own. The expectation is that the homeowner will be there each day, on the worksite.

Ideally, that's what we like to see, but for some, in reality, it is more difficult. The reason could be their job will not let them off during the build days of their home. This doesn't happen often, but we must be cognizant of the current economy, how important it is to stay employed. Sometimes it is due to health issues, as some families cannot actually do the physical work on the home. This is why we offer a variety of ways for our families to earn their 400 "sweat" equity hours.

We have been working on our communications with our volunteers to keep them informed on the progress of our families, AND the limitations that prohibit their being on the worksite. This communication has helped a lot in changing perceptions.

These F.E.A.R pictures are formed sometimes when we work on houses in Guatemala, as well. I've been 15 times, and on one of those trips the family for our house was seen the first day for a few minutes, a few minutes the 3rd day, and at the end of our last day just before climbing on the truck to return to our hotel.

This homeowner's name was Mercedes, 26 years old with one child. By the third day on site without seeing her, I was looking forward to telling a Habitat Guatemala representative that she had not been there with us much. But then, as we were about to leave the site that last day, two things happened: She asked us to wait while she ran into her mother's house and came back with a Bible, her mother, daughter and her sister.

She prayed for each of us, placing her hands on our arms, for what seemed like 5 minutes each. By the time she finished praying with us, we were ALL in tears. The second thing was we found out why we hadn't seen her much. Every morning she arose at 5 am, and visited each home on the mountain where she lived. She collected the dirty clothing from each family, carried it down to the bottom of the mountain to a large stream, washed each stack of clothes, then, dried them on bushes. When all the stacks of clothes were ready, she would carry each stack back, one at a time, to the respective family. This was how she earned the money to pay for her house.

Our perception was a MISPERCEPTION. This F.E.A.R. perception happens in everyday life, both at home, and at work, whether it is for profit or nonprofit, and all caused by lack of information or lack of education. The hard part for us as human beings, is taking time to gather the information and education, as well as, imparting the information and education.It is a two way street when it comes to communication.

If you treat an individual ... as if he were what he ought to be, and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.
~ Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

HOW MUCH SUGAR ARE YOU CONSUMING?

This image shows the sugar content of different foods. Although it doesn’t differentiate the type of sugar (i.e. refined vs. natural), it is useful to have a general picture on the sugar contents of these foods.

You should note that even some fruits have moderate sugar content, but this sugar is less harmful than the white “refined” sugar in pastries and sweetened drinks.

महानता के लक्षण...

महानता के लक्षण:

एक बालक नित्य विद्यालय पढ़ने जाता था। घर में उसकी माता थी। माँ अपने बेटे पर प्राण न्योछावर किए रहती थी, उसकी हर माँग पूरी करने में आनंद का अनुभव करती। पुत्र भी पढ़ने-लिखने में बड़ा तेज़ और परिश्रमी था। खेल के समय खेलता, लेकिन पढ़ने के समय का ध्यान रखता।
एक दिन दरवाज़े पर किसी ने - 'माई! ओ माई!' पुकारते हुए आवाज़ लगाई तो बालक हाथ में पुस्तक पकड़े हुए द्वार पर गया, देखा कि एक फटेहाल बुढ़िया काँपते हाथ फैलाए खड़ी थी।

उसने कहा, 'बेटा! कुछ भीख दे दे।'
बुढ़िया के मुँह से बेटा सुनकर वह भावुक हो गया और माँ से आकर कहने लगा, 'माँ! एक बेचारी गरीब माँ मुझे बेटा कहकर कुछ माँग रही है।'
उस समय घर में कुछ खाने की चीज़ थी नहीं, इसलिए माँ ने कहा, 'बेटा! रोटी-भात तो कुछ बचा नहीं है, चाहे तो चावल दे दो।'
पर बालक ने हठ करते हुए कहा - 'माँ! चावल से क्या होगा? तुम जो अपने हाथ में सोने का कंगन पहने हो, वही दे दो न उस बेचारी को। मैं जब बड़ा होकर कमाऊँगा तो तुम्हें दो कंगन बनवा दूँगा।'
माँ ने बालक का मन रखने के लिए सच में ही सोने का अपना वह कंगन कलाई से उतारा और कहा, 'लो, दे दो।'

बालक खुशी-खुशी वह कंगन उस भिखारिन को दे आया। भिखारिन को तो मानो एक ख़ज़ाना ही मिल गया। कंगन बेचकर उसने परिवार के बच्चों के लिए अनाज, कपड़े आदि जुटा लिए। उसका पति अंधा था। उधर वह बालक पढ़-लिखकर बड़ा विद्वान हुआ, काफ़ी नाम कमाया।

एक दिन वह माँ से बोला, 'माँ! तुम अपने हाथ का नाप दे दो, मैं कंगन बनवा दूँ।' उसे बचपन का अपना वचन याद था।
पर माता ने कहा, 'उसकी चिंता छोड़। मैं इतनी बूढ़ी हो गई हूँ कि अब मुझे कंगन शोभा नहीं देंगे। हाँ, कलकत्ते के तमाम ग़रीब बालक विद्यालय और चिकित्सा के लिए मारे-मारे फिरते हैं, उनके लिए तू एक विद्यालय और एक चिकित्सालय खुलवा दे जहाँ निशुल्क पढ़ाई और चिकित्सा की व्यवस्था हो।' माँ के उस पुत्र का नाम ईश्वरचंद्र विद्यासागर

DON'T BE A SPIRITUAL DONKEY !

HOW TO BE FREE FROM EGO (DON'T BE A SPIRITUAL DONKEY !)

Idol of a goddess

Once a sculptor in a village made a beautiful idol of a goddess and thought of selling it at a good price in the city. So he loaded the idol on his donkey and started towards the city. When he was going through the village, the villagers bowed in front of the idol as it looked like a real goddess. Whichever street he crossed, a crowd would bow in front of the idol.

  Thrilled with the newfound respect

But a strange thing happened. TheDonkey, which was carrying the idol, thought that he was special and that was the reason why people were bowing to him. He was thrilled with his newfound respect.

Angry people

Soon the sculptor returned after selling the idol. While he was crossing the village, the donkey stopped in the middle of the road, expecting a warm welcome. But nobody paid attention to him. The donkey felt insulted and started braying, so much so, that the villagers drove him away.

Realized the truth

The same mistake, what the donkey did, is what most of us do. When we are on the divine path of self - realization, with God's grace, a glow enters our demeanor and we stand out in the crowd. People respect such persons and often bow in respect. But we should realize that people are bowing not to us but to that glimpse of God whom they realize resides within us. So the credit of this respect goes, solely to God, not to us. If we start taking the credit, we cross the thin line of demarcation and enter into an area of false ego, which God dislikes most.

The basic difference between material and devotional lifestyle is that, in material life the more we progress, the more ego we develop. In a devotional lifestyle, the more we progress, the more ego we shed.

3 Keys for Making Your Dreams a Reality

May 1, 2012 Will Edwards

It is said that everyone has a dream but relatively few people believe that they can actually achieve it. Nevertheless, some people do achieve their dreams while others live lives of regret. Some are inspired and follow through with transformative action, whilst others delay or even give up entirely; settling, in exchange, for whatever comes along.

So, what are the factors that make that difference between the person who achieves and the one who ends up with nothing but regrets?

Here are three simple keys that can help you on the way to getting to live the life of your dreams:

1. Get Yourself Motivated

Everyone has their own motivators so consider what benefits await you when you finally do achieve your goal. It might be financial freedom, more free time or a second home in the Caribbean. Whatever it is, remind yourself of those things on a daily basis.

• Having pictures of your dream Caribbean home hung on the fridge or in your work space will remind you of your dream and fire your mind with motivation.
• When you suffer inevitable setbacks or frustration, a visible reminder of your dream will help motivate you to do what is necessary to get back on track toward your goal.

It is also important to give yourself rewards along the way. Rewarding yourself after making a breakthrough such as acquiring a new client or learning a new computer skill is absolutely necessary to keeping your spirits high along the route to your goal.

• Treat yourself to a nice dinner, take the day off for a game of golf or reward yourself with something else you like. Your reward will give you a refreshing break from the trials and tribulations on your path to success and bring you new energy to continue working toward your goal.

Giving yourself a reward as you reach important milestones along the way will reinvigorate your determination to succeed.

2. Remember the Peas

As they they particularly poor planning produces particularly poorperformance! You might have heard a variant of this expression 

Although developing a proper plan may seem a rather obvious step if you want to achieve your goals, many people overlook or downplay the importance of the planning process and then wonder why they aren’t moving forward. So be sure to take the time to plan your path toward greater success.

Once you have a broad plan to reaching your goal, you must fine-tune all the details. Get it down on paper and determine the steps necessary to make that goal a reality.

• Put a time frame on it.
• Put all excuses aside and set a deadline for each step.
• Be realistic with regard to your own competencies.

Creating a realistic step-by-step plan with a deadline will bring your dream to life. Setting definable, measurable little steps will energise you and enable you to follow your plan to success.

3. Stay in Motion

Lastly, no dream or goal can be achieved without action. When you’ve developed your plan, you need to commit to following those little action steps on a daily basis.

• Your little steps are the route to your treasure.
• Stay in motion and follow your plan.
• Each step you complete brings you closer to your goal.
• Evaluate your actions and revise your plan as necessary.
• If a particular step fails, then be adaptable and change it until you find a method that works for you.

Motivation, planning and action are three keys that can enable you to create and live the life you’ve always wanted. It may take you some time, but so what? Better to be on the right path than to be a victim of circumstance. Remember, as one wise person once said, “a person going nowhere … usually gets there!”

3 types of Student who want to attain Perfection

There are 3 types of Student who want to attain Perfection

as we study as a Student we have different levels in Institute

one who study in school is a student

one who study in College is also a student

one who study in Univ is also a student

but all have different Levels & understanding on subject

in Spirituality Subject matter is to attain our lost relationship with Absolute Truth (Param Satya)

Transcedentalist have 4 level according to Vedic Sastra

0) Kermi = eat sleep sex defending

1) Gyani = Knowledgeable person 

Concept : Understand God as Light , or Brham jyoti 

Goal : want to merge in Light

2) Yogi = Penance & Austries of Yogic Siddhi

Concept : Understand God as Super Soul, or Parmatma

Goal : Attain Higher Planet

3) Bhakt / Devotee = Surrender with Love & Devotion

Concept : Absolute Truth is Bhagwan God with Personal Features

Gaol : to attain Love of Godhead by taking shelter of bonafide spiritual master of Disciplic Succession

Glycemic Load

Taking Glycemic Load Index Knowledge To The Next Level

Scientists that were studying the GI soon found that the Glycemic load index was even more important than the Glycemic index. You can review the history of the GI here. The GL index is another way of ranking carbohydrate foods, but this time, it’s based on portion size. Let me explain.

You can get the GI of foods by referring back to article 2 and 3.

Why Should Cantaloupe, Popcorn and Watermelon Be Penalized?

Here’s the bottom line on this concept: Some foods are full of water, like watermelon; yet there are very few carbohydrates in this fruit. Some foods like chocolate frosted white cake are full of carbohydrates with very little water.

Watermelon shouldn’t be penalized because it has a lot of water in it. It’s not a bad food, compared to that piece of cake. So the Glycemic Load Index corrects the Glycemic index so that you can still eat the good foods with a lot of water in them and high GI.

Here are a few examples to show you how this works:

See the difference? It’s actually a lot because the Glycemic Load Chart range of values for foods is rated right here:

• 0 to 10 - Low
• 11 to 19 - Medium
• 20 or more - High

Aim for the 0 to 10 category for the individual carbohydrate foods in your diet. Here are a few examples:

Glycemic Load Chart for Various Foods

• 2 cups popcorn 7
• 1 tablespoon honey 9
• 1 cup orange juice 12
• 1 cup brown rice 23
• 1 baked potato 28
• 1 cup white rice 33
• 1 apple 6
• ½ grapefruit 3
• 1 cup corn flakes 21
• 1 bagel 25

Do you see how this is all coming together now? There’s one more thing to know: You have to total the GL Indexes for all foods eaten for the day. The goal is to be below 80. This number includes all snacks.

So when you create your diet, as shown here, add a new little column for the foods' Glycemic Load.

By adding the Glycemic Load index concept into your plans for your low Glycemic diets, you can now be better assured of good control of your blood sugar levels. 

Create Glycemic Control with These 6 Tips

It’s time for you to have Glycemic control in your life. That’s control of your blood sugar levels whenever you want. The word Glycemic means blood sugar.

The benefits of Glycemic control are vast:

• Better weight control
• Lose fat weight faster
• Fewer headaches, irritability, anger outbursts, and mood swings
• Better focus and concentration
• Better sleep at night
• Less hunger
• Better workouts because of better endurance
• Less risk of endometrial cancer and heart attacks
• Healthier babies
• Healthier when pregnant
• Enhanced learning and memory

To gain Glycemic control, you may want to re-read the general guidelines in Getting Started with Low Glycemic Diets. Also, review the charts here .

Then you’ll start by creating low Glycemic diets for your weekly meal plans. You already know this, so here are 6 specific guidelines:

1. First write out your meal plan for the Glycemic diets.

• On a plain sheet of paper, write Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner up at the top in a horizontal line. Write Snacks to the right of Dinner.

2. Add in your protein source

• Eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, bison, pork, fish or lamb. For example, if you like eggs for breakfast, add eggs under the breakfast category. If you like spicy chicken wings for lunch, add them under the lunch category. And if you are a steak lover, add steak under dinner.

3. Now add your carbohydrate foods.

• The ones that are primarily low GI. Again, review the charts and here. For example, if you like grapefruit with eggs in the morning, add a grapefruit. If you like a big salad for lunch with chicken wings, add salad ingredients. And if you like potato with your steak, well…substitute Uncle Ben’s converted rice.

4. Add another serving of carbohydrate foods.

• From the Low GI category to the meals and fill in your snacks with nuts that have a GI of 0 or are low GI.

5. Add fat to the meals

• To increase the calories a little, or only for one meal a day if you are trying to lose weight. For example, if you ate eggs for breakfast, fry them in butter. Add a salad dressing for lunch. Cook the steak with mushrooms marinated in olive oil.

6. Add a beverage to your meals and you’re finished.

• Avoid soda, coffee and drinks loaded with sugar. Try fresh fruit juices, teas or just plain water.

When you want Glycemic control, there’s no doubt about it that you will have to compromise. The first week is the most difficult because some of the foods you are used to eating aren’t anywhere in sight. But keep your eye on the goal: monthly Glycemic diets that lead you to all the benefits.

The benefits are felt as early as Day 1! And that alone is a lot to look forward to. 

Glycemic Index list

Post a Glycemic Index Food Chart on your refrigerator to regulate blood sugar.

It’s time to take a closer look at a Glycemic Index food chart for breads, fruits and vegetables now that you are over the initial shock of the GI of some of your favorite foods. Once you become familiar with these charts, it’s relatively easy to start using low GI foods to create low Glycemic recipes.

And by learning these low GI foods, you will be focusing on the foods that lower blood sugar. You may want to review the history of the GI, the principles.

We won’t be able to give you a comprehensive list here, but these lists will continue adding to your knowledge. You may want to cut out and paste the Low GI food chart on your refrigerator since these foods are foods that lower blood sugar more readily than others. 

Glycemic Index Food Chart: Breads & Cereals

Low GI (0-55)	Med GI (56-69)	High GI 70-100+)
Oat Bran 55	Rye Bread 58	White Bread 70
Buckwheat 54	Life Cereal 66	Instant White Rice 87
Museli, Toasted	Special K	Bagel 72
Barley	Brown Rice 50	GrapeNuts Flakes 80
Instant Noodles 47	Croissant 67	Whole Wheat Bread 77
Bean Thread Noodles 33	Pumpernickel 60	Rice Chex 89
Uncle Ben's Converted Rice 39	Basmati Rice 58	Crispix 87
Bulgur 48	Pita Bread 57	Waffles 76
Spaghetti Noodles 38	Cream of Wheat 66	Corn Flakes 92
Old Fashioned Oatmeal 38	Non-Toasted Muesli 56	Kellogg's Cocoa Puffs 77
Kellogg's All Bran 30	Kellogg's Nutri Grain 66	Rice Krispies 82

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Glycemic Index Food Chart: Fruits

Low GI (0-55)	Med GI (56-69)	High GI 70-100+)
Apple 38	Papaya 59	Dates 39-109
Apricot 31	Dried Figs 61	Watermelon 72
Banana 51	Pineapple 59
Kiwi Fruit 53	Cantaloupe 65
Grapes 46	Raisins 64
Orange 48
Plum 39
Peach 42
Cherries 22
Strawberries 40
Grapefruit 25
Pear 38
Mango 51

By the way, you’ll notice that there really aren’t too many high GI foods in the fruit category.You’ll also notice that these charts are Glycemic Index charts, not Glycemic Load charts. There is a big difference and you’ll find out more about the Glycemic Load here. 

---

Glycemic Index Food Chart: Vegetables & Legumes

Low GI (0-55)	Med GI (56-69)	High GI 70-100+)
Black Beans 28	New Potato 57	Boiled Potato 88
Carrots 41	Canned Beets 64	Microwaved Potato 82
Soybeans 18	Sweet Corn 60	French Fries 75
Peas 48	Sweet Potato 61	Pumpkin 75
Lima Beans 32	Split Pea Soup 60
Lentils 29		Baked Potato 85-99
Butter Beans 31
Kidney Beans 28
Yam 37
Mung Beans 44
Baked Beans 48

There’s so much good news on this list! Here are a few pointers:

1. Almost all salad vegetables such as lettuce, onions, garlic, leeks, peppers, leafy greens, spinach, artichokes and other vegetables that have few calories have a GI of 0.



2. mixing two fruits together, you can create Low Glycemic recipes. For example, how about apple apricot sauce instead of just applesauce? Or how about apple cherry sauce? These fruits are foods that lower blood sugar.



3. Low Glycemic recipes could be made by mixing Uncle Ben’s converted white rice with onions, garlic, peas, a few tablespoons corn, French dressing, and toasted almonds – or use other low GI veggies. The vegetables with the exception of corn (that’s why you only use a few tablespoons in the entire recipe) are foods that lower blood sugar.



4. The high GI foods really aren’t that difficult to eliminate from your diet. Look at all the other good foods you can eat instead!

The Glycemic Index Chart

The glycemic index chart was originally designed as a guide for people with diabetes to help indicate how quickly a food triggers a rise in blood sugar. Today this chart is a great tool for EVERYONE!

Healthy Eating Produces Desirable Results!

For diabetics and dieters alike, the purpose of the glycemic index chart is to help you choose carbohydrate-rich foods which rank low on the glycemic index to keep blood levels steady and to enable your body to stay in a fat burning mode.

The glycemic index is measured on a scale of 1-100. Foods with a low GI (GI=0-55) are complex carbs--low in sugar and high in fiber. They are also known as “slow release” foods since your body breaks down complex carbs more slowly, providing a slow, steady release of energy.

This results in a feeling of fullness which controls blood sugar fluctuations, food cravings and the mid-day energy crash and burn.

The chart on the right shows the effects high blood sugar has on your body. Foods with high GI like potatoes, most breads, candy and white rice cause blood sugar levels to rise sharply.

This causes the body to produce more insulin and that in turn causes the body to store fat.

Too much insulin then brings your blood sugar down too low resulting in a sudden crash! A rollercoaster pattern emerges because you feel just as hungry and tired as you were before you ate.

Following a low GI diet promotes normal blood sugar levels and helps your body stay in the fat burning zone. This will keep you feeling more energized and alert.

Getting Started

Below are some common basic selections I like to use. It’s also a great starting point for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. 

Follow A Glycemic Impact Diet
For Real Results

Weight loss plans come and go, but certain programs like the glycemic impact diet actually stand up to the test of time. This is generally because they have proven results and don’t impact healthy negatively.

This diet relies on good old fashion common sense coupled with scientific facts to make it work. Calling for eating a low carbohydrate along with other healthy foods in modest portions, this diet produces results.

Similar in scope to a gestational diabetes diet and other similar medically advised plans, this program monitors glycemic load numbers to ensure a steadier maintenance of blood glucose levels. This can promote weight loss and result in better overall health. 

Understanding Load And Index Numbers

What is glycemic load is a question anyone who is considering this weight loss plan needs to understand the answer to. The load number of a food relates to the carbohydrate contents and the impact they have on blood sugar levels. The higher the number happens to be the greater the impact a food will have on glucose levels.

Why Controlling Levels Matters

Keeping sugar levels under control isn’t just an issue for diabetics. When sugar levels spike from eating the wrong foods, an overload of insulin can be released. This, in turn, can cause the body to go into its fat-storing mode. The end result is a propensity to gain weight rather than lose it.

For diabetics keeping the numbers under control is even more important. When sugar levels rise too high, internal organs can suffer long-term damage.

How The Diet Works

When glycemic index weight loss plans are followed the basic premise is simple. The idea is to keep sugar levels under fairly tight control to promote weight loss rather than gain. This is achieved by eating items off the low glycemic food list. When foods low in carbohydrates or complex carbohydrates are consumed they have a minor impact on sugar levels. This promotes energy consumption and even fat burning.

Foods that fit into a low glycemic index eating plan include most fruits and vegetables. Low-carbohydrate dairy, lean meats, legumes and other healthful choices can also come into play. Watching portion control is also an important facet. Overeating of even healthy foods can still have an impact on weight loss or gain.

A glycemic impact diet tends to work for people because it takes the science of digestion into account. When a carbohydrate overload is avoided weight loss is promoted. This type of diet doesn’t call for cutting out carbohydrates entirely either. It follows basic common sense eating recommendations for a healthy, well-rounded meal plan.

Why Eating Off The Low Glycemic Food List Is Smart

As the old saying goes, you are what you eat. Eating items off the low glycemic food list is important when your health matters, you're controlling diabetes or you're trying to lose weight.

Foods that fall into the low glycemic category can assist with weight loss while promoting better overall health. When they are coupled with other smart food choices and portion control the body benefits significantly.

Paying attention to glycemic load in everyday consumption is much easier than many people realize. While a glycemic index diet might call for extreme discipline in monitoring intake and the numbers represented, common sense can serve as an overall guide.

What Is Glycemic Load And How Does It Affect The Body?

Glycemic load is simply a number assigned to a particular food based on its carbohydrate content and how it affects blood glucose levels in the body. The higher the number, the greater the negative impact on the body.

Generally, simple carbohydrates, such as processed snacks and white bread, tend to have a greater influence in raising blood sugar levels. This can cause problems for diabetics that need to keep sugar levels under control to maintain better health.

It also impacts those who are trying to lose weight by triggering the release of insulin. When glucose levels are too high and too much insulin is released,the body will go into fat storing mode.

But not all snacking is bad. With a low GI plan, snacking is actually encouraged. Here are 5 low glycemic snacks that promote weight loss.

How Glycemic Index Weight Loss Works

When glycemic index is taken into account during a diet, the basic premise is to maintain sugar levels to promote fat burning or immediate energy use rather than storage. This is a healthier option for people who want to lose weight, control diabetes or just maintain their current weight.

Eating with glycemic numbers in mind essentially mirrors what a gestational diabetes diet looks like. In regard to carbohydrates, people who want to follow this path will need to keep consumption low, but not eliminate carb-containing foods entirely. Instead of white bread, a sandwich might be made on whole grain bread instead.

Some of the foods that fit well with the low glycemic food list include:

• Whole grains
  
• Fresh fruits with the exception of watermelons
  
• Fresh vegetables with the exception of potatoes

Common Sense Considerations

When trying to follow a low glycemic plan, make sure to include other healthy choices. Overall, a diet with lean meats, legumes, low-carbohydrate dairy and other healthful choices is important. Also pay attention to portion size to gain the maximum benefits. Even low glycemic foods can boost blood sugar if they are eaten in overabundance.

Following a diet that includes low glycemic food list items can help keep weight and sugar levels under control. Common sense is a good guide for following this type of diet.