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Article Summary:
Carbohydrates that break down slowly, have a low glycemic index.
Eating a lot of high GI foods can be detrimental to your health.
High GI carbs help re-fuel & maximize carb stores after exercise.
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What Is The Glycemic Index?
Not all carbohydrate foods are created equal, in fact they behave quite differently in our bodies.
The Glycemic index (also GI) is a ranking system invented by Dr. David J. Jenkins and colleagues in 1981 at the University of Toronto that ranks the effects of carbohydrates on blood glucose levels. The GI Index compares available carbohydrates gram for gram in individual foods, providing a numerical, evidence-based index of postprandial (post-meal) Glycemic.
How The Glycemic Index Works
Carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream, have a low glycemic index. A lower glycemic index suggests slower rates of digestion and absorption of the sugars and starches in the foods and may also indicate greater extraction from the liver and periphery of the products of carbohydrate digestion.
Click Image To Enlarge.Cabs That Break Down Slowly
Have A Low Glycemic Index.
Examples of some low GI foods include:
Carbohydrates that break down rapidly during digestion have the highest glycemic indices. Examples include:
What Are The Benefits Of The Glycemic Index?
Eating a lot of high GI foods can be detrimental to your health because it can raise blood sugar and as such pushes your endocrine system to extremes. This is especially true if you are overweight and sedentary.
Click Image To Enlarge.Eating A Lot Of High GI Foods
Can Be Detrimental To Your Health.
Switching to eating mainly low GI carbohydrates that slowly trickle glucose into your blood stream has many benefits, such as:
- Low GI diets increase the body's sensitivity to insulin
- Low GI carbohydrates improve diabetes control
- Low GI carbohydrates reduce the risk of heart disease
- Low GI carbohydrates reduce blood cholesterol levels
- Low GI carbohydrates reduce hunger and keep you fuller for longer
- Low GI carbohydrates prolong physical endurance
- Low GI diets help people lose and control weight
- Low GI diets help minimize carbohydrate cravings
- Low GI diets help minimize energy crashes
Note: there is a time and place for high GI carbohydrates. High GI carbohydrates help re-fuel and maximize carbohydrate stores after exercise.
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Glycemic Index?
Does anyone take into account the glycemic index of the carbohydrates they are eating? I always knew about it but I was pretty amazed at what the numbers were.
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Started By:
kickfacejimmy
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How To Start Switching To A Low GI Diet
The basic technique for eating the low GI way is simply choosing low GI carbohydrates over high GI carbohydrates. It is that simple. You do not need fancy monitors or a log book.
Here are some tips to start you on your way:
- Skip sugary box cereals like Cocoa Puffs. Instead choose breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran
- Skip the white bread and instead choose breads with whole grains, stone-ground flour, sour dough
- Reduce the amount of white potatoes you eat, substitute for yams and sweet potatoes
- Skip the white rice and instead choose basmati rice
- Eat plenty of salad vegetables with a vinaigrette dressing
- Minimize fruit juices
- Choose cherries, peaches, grapefruit or bananas over watermelon or dates
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