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[G315]Glycemic Index And Foods

by Mario Carini, Mar

In fact you may already be on the road to developing cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

Simply put the food you eat is converted into glucose. It is the job of the pancreas to produce insulin necessary to move excess glucose away from the bloodstream and into the cells of the body where it is needed for energy. For many type 2 diabetics the cells have become resistant and do not absorb glucose even when there is plenty of insulin around to do the job.

It is estimated that upwards of a billion people exhibit some form of insulin resistance. Called syndrome X, their pancreas produce more than enough insulin to move glucose but their cells are showing some form of insulin resistance. That requires the pancreas to produce excess insulin to get blood sugar into the cells. Many functions slow down as you age. Combined with a diet high in processed food can lead to diabetes in your future.

So even if you're not diabetic you should still pay attention to the terms Glycemic index and Glycemic load

So what is GI, GL and why should you care?

The Glycemic Index is a measure of how fast the food you eat is converted into blood sugar.

The Glycemic Load measures the amount of food that is eaten to produce high levels of glucose. Taken another way, you can raise your blood sugar by simply eating more food, even though it may have a low value on the GI.

Highly processed and refined foods such as white bread, sugary breakfast cereals, cookies and cakes rank high on the glycemic index. High GI foods lead to high spikes in blood sugar and it is those high spikes and a slow decline that can lead to damage to the heart and kidneys and other vital organs of the body.

High fiber foods, on the other hand, lead to a slower rise in glucose. The pancreas does not need to produce massive amounts of insulin to get rid of excess sugar. Fruits, nuts and seeds, vegetables and whole grain products rank low on the GI scale. They're a healthier alternative to high glycemic foods.

Watermelon, for example, has a high GI. So avoiding it may sound like a good idea but watermelon has only 6 grams of carbohydrates in half a cup. This is where the GL comes in. 2 slices of watermelon will not significantly create a rise in blood sugar. GL takes into account the amount of calories consumed. Along with GI you have a good standard to determine which foods are best and which you need to avoid.

A GL rating of 20 or more is considered high, 11 to 19 in the medium range.

A slice of whole wheat bread has a GI of 69 which measures in the medium to high range, but it's GL is only 9.6 for that one slice.

Take a look at the GI for a can of any soft drink. The GI is 68 and the GL is 34. Clearly that one can is high on both scales.

Since most of the food you eat likely ranks high on both GI and GL it makes sense to replace them with high fiber foods that won't spike your blood sugar. Simply replacing your typical junk food will go a long way toward maintaining blood sugar levels.

Not all carbohydrate foods are the same and many behave quite differently in our bodies. Choosing low GI carbs - the ones that produce only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels may help maintain long-term health by reducing your risk of conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and help you obtain and maintain a healthy weight.

Not only do low GI foods raise your blood glucose more slowly than higher GI foods, they are generally healthier choices. Low GI foods are usually lower in calories and fat, while also being high in healthy things such as fibre, nutrients and antioxidants. Lower GI foods generally keep you feeling fuller, longer.

Some of the benefits of a low GI diet are: obtaining and maintaining a healthy weight, increasing the body's sensitivity to insulin, helping control diabetes, reducing the risk of heart disease, reducing blood cholesterol levels, and prolonging energy levels.

The great news is that switching to a low glycemic index diet is quite easy to do. You can begin by switching high GI carbs for low GI carbs.

Here are some helpful tips to get started on a low glycemic index diet:

Use breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran, breads with wholegrains, stone-ground flour, sour dough, reduce the amount of potatoes you eat, use Basmati or Doongara rice, eat plenty of salad vegetables with a vinaigrette dressing. Additionally, you can help your overall diet and health by eating at regular times, choosing a variety of foods from all food groups, limiting your intake of sugar and sweets and reducing the amount of saturated fat consumed and substituting with monounsaturated fats such as olive oil. Limiting your intake of salt, alcohol and caffeine can also prove beneficial.

It's a good idea to choose at least one low GI food at each meal and to limit the amount of processed, refined starchy foods, as they tend to be low in fibre and other nutrients and have a higher GI. Eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is recommended. Fruits and vegetables have a low GI, so they break down into sugar slowly in your body. Five to ten servings of fruits and vegetables every day is typically recommended by various sources. Also when you're eating salads, use vinaigrette dressing; it's lower in fat, plus the acidity of vinegar slows digestion, lowering the meal's GI. One obvious thing is to watch your portion sizes; the bigger the portion, the more it raises blood sugar, regardless of its GI rank.

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Both Mario Carini & Matt Wagner are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Mario Carini has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Vitamin Guide and High Cholesterol. The author has been a diabetic for over 8 years. Like many he experienced the symptoms. He has since tackled the disease by losing weight and normalizing his blood sugar through natural means. If you should be interested in finding out about some products. Mario Carini's top article generates over 60500 views. to your Favourites.

Matt Wagner has sinced written about articles on various topics from Gardening, Cosmetic Surgery and Health. For more tips about living life well, you can visit . Matt Wagner's top article generates over 2900 views. to your Favourites.