Be health and happy

Most diabetics have probably heard of the glycemic index list, and even non-diabetics might have run across it before. The thing is, no matter your current health, you can improve it by incorporating the glycemic index list into your diet. Are you curious why? Read on.

Not all carbohydrate foods are created equal, in fact they behave quite differently in our bodies. The glycemic index or GI describes this difference by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels. Choosing low GI carbs - the ones that produce only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels - is the secret to long-term health reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes and is the key to sustainable weight loss

First, you need to understand what the glycemic index is, how it works, and why it will help you be a healthier and happier person. The glycemic index (GI) is a numerical system of measuring how much of a rise in circulating blood sugar a carbohydrate triggers–the higher the number, the greater the blood sugar response. So a low GI food will cause a small rise, while a high GI food will trigger a dramatic spike. A list of carbohydrates with their glycemic values is shown below. A GI is 70 or more is high, a GI of 56 to 69 inclusive is medium, and a GI of 55 or less is low.

The glycemic load (GL) is a relatively new way to assess the impact of carbohydrate consumption that takes the glycemic index into account, but gives a fuller picture than does glycemic index alone. A GI value tells you only how rapidly a particular carbohydrate turns into sugar. It doesn't tell you how much of that carbohydrate is in a serving of a particular food. You need to know both things to understand a food's effect on blood sugar. That is where glycemic load comes in. The carbohydrate in watermelon, for example, has a high GI. But there isn't a lot of it, so watermelon's glycemic load is relatively low. A GL of 20 or more is high, a GL of 11 to 19 inclusive is medium, and a GL of 10 or less is low.

Foods that have a low GL almost always have a low GI. Foods with an intermediate or high GL range from very low to very high GI.

Both GI and GL are listed here. The GI is of foods based on the glucose index–where glucose is set to equal 100. The other is the glycemic load, which is the glycemic index divided by 100 multiplied by its available carbohydrate content (i.e. carbohydrates minus fiber) in grams. (The "Serve size (g)" column is the serving size in grams for calculating the glycemic load; for simplicity of presentation I have left out an intermediate column that shows the available carbohydrates in the stated serving sizes.) Take, watermelon as an example of calculating glycemic load. Its glycemic index is pretty high, about 72. According to the calculations by the people at the University of Sydney's Human Nutrition Unit, in a serving of 120 grams it has 6 grams of available carbohydrate per serving, so its glycemic load is pretty low, 72/100*6=4.32,
Basically, the glycemic index was developed to better understand the effects of a variety of foods on people’s blood sugar levels. It allows doctors to come up with a realistic plan to help keep their patients’ blood sugar levels stable, and it has become a great way for regular people to evaluate the foods they’re eating.

The glycemic index uses a rating system between 0 and 100, with 100 being pure glucose. The foods on the higher end of the glycemic index will be digested faster, and also will be converted into blood sugar faster. What you want to avoid is a high glycemic food that your body digests quickly, because you will then have a lot of blood sugar that your body has to clear out immediately, and then you’ll crash and have to start all over again with another high glycemic food in order to avoid feeling hungry.

The reason to go with low glycemic foods is that they release blood sugar slowly, especially if you eat them in concert with other foods that slow the insulin response. You will end up feeling full for longer between meals, and that means less snacking, less hunger, and fewer cravings for higher glycemic foods. Eventually, if you stick to a diet of mostly low glycemic foods, you will feel more energy and stay satisfied, because your body is using blood sugar more efficiently.

So, what is the glycemic index list? It’s exactly what it sounds like: a list of all sorts of foods and how your body will respond in terms of blood sugar levels. It includes ratings on pasta, bread, fruit, rice, pretzels, potatoes, and any other carbohydrates you can think of. The reason it’s being adopted by everyday people is because it’s pretty simple to understand. If the food is high on the glycemic index (more than 70), you’ll want to avoid it when possible. If it’s between 56 and 69, it’s moderate. If it’s 55 or below, it has a low glycemic index. Since you want to focus on foods with a low glycemic index, you can figure out what foods are right for you with just a glance.
Most protein foods (such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs and full fat cheese) are not listed because they are generally very low on the glycemic index list. Only processed animal products such as hot dogs, lunchmeats and bacon are higher because they have added sugar and other carbohydrates.

Non-fat dairy products also are a bit higher because they do have carbohydrates in them. Most nuts are low on the glycemic list because of the protein and fat found in them (for example, cashews are 27 and peanuts are 22 - but watch out for salt and sugar found in processed nuts!)

Generally, raw vegetables are extremely low on the glycemic index list of foods and in addition, they have a low glycemic load because of the fiber found in them. Cooking changes the quality of the fiber and makes the carbohydrates more readily available, thus raising their glycemic number.

Many vegetables not on this list have a low glycemic index - here are some examples: Asparagus, artichoke, cucumber, fennel, lettuce, bell peppers, tomatoes, avocados, green beans, broccoli, cabbage, kale, collards, parsley, cilantro and cauliflower.

Keep in mind as you review these numbers that they are approximate, usually with a plus or minus factor of 2 - 4 points. Now, when it comes to using the glycemic index list compared to all the other possible diets out there, you might be skeptical about why it is a good guideline to use. The easy answer is it’s not meant to be a fad diet. If you devote yourself to eating low glycemic foods and nutrient-rich foods, you are going to be healthier and be less prone to putting on weight, pure and simple. It’s not gimmicky––it’s based squarely on scientific principles.