Glycemic Index

The glycemic index of food is a ranking of foods based on their immediate effect on blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. Carbohydrate foods that break down quickly during digestion have the highest glycemic indexes. Their blood sugar response is fast and high. Carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream, have low glycemic indexes.

What is the significance of a Glycemic Index?

• Low GI means a smaller rise in blood sugar and can help control established diabetes
• Low GI diets can help people lose weight and lower blood lipids
• Low GI diets can improve the body's sensitivity to insulin
• High GI foods can help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise

How to switch to a low GI diet

• Breakfast cereals based on wheat bran, barley and oats
• "Grainy" breads made with whole seeds
• Vinegar and lemon juice dressings

In short, the goal should be to build a good plan including the low Glycemic Index foods. This way, hunger is minimized, and there is less of a tendency to "cheat" or overeat. Consequently, you can continue to lose body fat or maintain your weight - once the excess pounds have been lost.

Even for those whose main objective is not fat loss, foods that are low on the glycemic index will help alleviate mood swings and regulate energy levels.

Some points to ponder:

• Foods that stimulate insulin surges can cause people to eat 60-70% more calories at the following meal.
• People who consume foods relatively high in glucose (such as white bread, most commercial whole wheat bread, and raisins) eat an average or 200 calories more at the next meal than those who eat fructose (a sugar found in fruits).

Low glycemic index foods can be mixed with modest quantities of high glycemic foods without losing their hunger reducing effect.

The purpose of the chart is not to have you eliminate those nutritious choices from your diet. Instead, balance the foods that are "less desirable" by eating them with foods that are "desirable."

High glycemic foods:

• Elevate insulin and blood glucose
• Stimulate fat-storage
• Exacerbate hyperactivity
• Reduce sports performance

A low glycemic food plan is beneficial for:

• Helping balance blood glucose and insulin levels
• Reducing excess body fat levels
• Increasing sports performance
• Helps to regain the insulin sensitivity to glucose (repairs insulin resistance)

Low glycemic food plans focus on reducing ingestion of foods that elevate insulin and stimulate fat-storage. We can't totally eliminate high glycemic foods from our diet, but we can be aware of the glycemic reaction that foods have so we can make better choices.

Low glycemic food plans have been proven to reduce incidence of Type II diabetes and to help control Type I and II diabetes, hypoglycemia and hypertension. Low glycemic foods do not stimulate food-craving hormones like Neuropeptide Y and Lipoprotein Lipase. Stimulation of these hormones can cause chemically-triggered cravings for food and uncontrolled eating binges.

Obviously, low glycemic food plans can be followed for more than 7 days. You can create your own low glycemic food plan with many variations. Be sure to ingest enough calories per day to meet the needs of your own body. For optimum health, select a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, and foods daily. This helps assure an adequate intake of Phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals.