What is the Glycemic Index?
The glycemic index (GI) is a dietary indicator that ranks foods that are high in carbohydrates and measures their effects on blood sugar (glucose) levels. It is the number one index that all diabetics should adapt to their daily food and drink intake.
A “GI” helps us differentiate between the various carbohydrate (sugar and starch) foods we eat and how our bodies use them. A healthy low GI diet has been proven to help people who want to lose or manage their weight, improve their cholesterol levels, reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, diabetic complications and heart disease.
The evidence for consuming a low GI diet is far stronger than that for avoiding sugars in food. The GI Symbol Program makes it easy for everybody to choose low GI food and reap the long-term health benefits of enjoying a low GI diet.
Blood sugar that is delivered to the cells throughout our bodies via our bloodstream is partly derived from the carbohydrates in the foods that we eat.
For example, food with a low glycemic index typically raises blood sugar levels only moderately, while a food with a high GI may cause blood sugar levels to increase more than desired.
The Glycemic (Low) Index Diet was initially developed as a preventative method to help diabetics, especially those over 40 and overweight, lower and maintain their blood sugar control.
Carbohydrates – the good and the bad
Getting to know the glycemic index will help you concentrate less on calories and more on bad carbohydrates, especially those found in sugar, honey, and refined white flour, and good carbohydrates.
When you eat carbohydrates, your body breaks them down into sugar, which enters your blood stream. Your pancreas responds to blood sugar by producing the hormone insulin, which tell your fat cells to hold on to fat and store it – but not necessarily as permanent fat.
When everything is working right, fat acts “more like a wallet a than a savings or retirement accountant.” In other words, you’re constantly putting money in and taking it out again.
In the case of the body, fat gets stored in cells and re-released after digestion to ensure steady energy.
Simple carbs, like those found in cake, candy and fruit, contain lots of sugar and will eventually cause a large insulin response.
If you eat simple carbs with any regularity – or worse, drink them, your fat cells hold on to accumulated fat because there is always more sugar, and consequently more insulin in the body.
Over time, your fat cells continue to acquire more fat then your body can use as energy. To lose weight then, you have to cut back on your carbohydrate consumption, to push your insulin level low enough that it forces your body to release the stored fat that your muscles and organs burn as fuel.
In other words, it’s about the quality of the carbohydrates, not the quantity.
If you’re looking to maintain your weight, remember that not all carbs are created equal. Complex carbs, such as legumes, whole grains, and leafy vegetables, produce only a moderate effect on blood sugar.
All legumes except baked beans, are particularly healthy because they’re high in fiber and protein; aim to eat them on a daily basis.
You shouldn’t eat pasta, cereal, and baked goods as frequently, but when you do, choose only those made from whole grains. Look for products that specify whole flours, but read labels carefully: Without the word whole, “100 percent wheat flour” doesn’t count.
Opt for sprouted-grain, oat-bran, or 100 percent whole-wheat bread: Alvarado Street bakery and all reliable brands.
Choose less processed, high-fiber cereals, like Nature’s Path Organic SmartBran and Cascadian Farm Hearty Morning, and whole-grain pastas, such as Eden Organic Kamut & Buckwheat Rigatoni, Brown rice is preferable to white, but whole-kernel substitutes like barley, farro, and quinoa are even better because they contain more protein and fiber.
This all brings me back around to the Glycemic Index Diet and how it can positively impact their blood sugar level.
Essentially it is a system used to rank carbohydrate foods based on how much a certain amount of each of those foods raises a person’s blood sugar levels.
The ranking system ranges from 0 and 100, with 100 being pure glucose.
Because of the widespread popularity of the (low) Glycemic Index Diet as a major method of helping diabetics manage their disease (e.g controlling appetite and weight), the diet has slowly found it’s way into the mainstream weight-loss market; the key factor being that by adhering to the diet people would feel full longer thereby minimizing their urge to overeat.
Food on the low-end of the Glycemic Index range (55 and lower) will produce small fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin levels resulting in helping to keep weight down and stabilizing it.
Low index glycemic foods release blood sugar slowly, especially if you eat them in with other foods that slow the insulin response.
The body feels full for longer periods of time especially between meals. This mean less snacking and fewer cravings for the higher glycemic foods and more energy because your body is using blood sugar more efficiently.
Conversely foods on the higher end of the Glycemic Index are digested faster resulting in a quicker conversion into blood sugar causing a fast conversion making the body want to eat yet more high glycemic foods in order to combat hunger.
It becomes a never ending food fight.
Eat right to maintain your glycemic index (55 or below): Fill up on carbs that won’t spike your blood sugar
- Oat-bran bread
- Whole fruits
- Peanuts
- Meat pizza
- Chocolate cake
- Most vegetables
- Beans (preferably black)
The glycemic index ranks foods that contain carbohydrates from 0 to 100 based on how they affect blood sugar. High-GI carbs (70) cause blood sugar to spike while a low-GI (55) have more moderate effect on insulin levels. For a database of more foods, visit glycemic.com to learn more.
The low Glycemic Index list of foods is not meant to be a panacea for weight loss nor should it be looked upon as yet another fad diet.
Instead by understanding and incorporating a diet consisting of low glycemic and nutrient-rich foods along with a good exercise program into your lifestyle you are going to be less prone to put on weight and you will increase your chances of living a longer and healthier life.
