Sexy Diabetic

What is the Glycemic  Index?

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a numerical scale used to indicate how fast and how high a particular food can raise our blood glucose (blood sugar) level. A food with a low GI will typically prompt a moderate rise in blood glucose, while a food with a high GI may cause our blood glucose level to increase above the optimal level.

The consumption of high-glycemic index foods results in higher and more rapid increases in blood glucose levels than the consumption of low-glycemic index foods. Rapid increases in blood glucose are potent signals to the beta-cells of the pancreas to increase insulin secretion. Over the next few hours, the high insulin levels induced by consumption of high-glycemic index foods may cause a sharp decrease in blood glucose levels (hypoglycemia). In contrast, the consumption of low-glycemic index foods results in lower but more sustained increases in blood glucose and lower insulin demands on pancreatic beta-cells.

An awareness of foods’ Glycemic Index can help you control your blood sugar levels, and by doing so, may help you prevent heart disease, improve cholesterol levels, prevent insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes, prevent certain cancers, and achieve or maintain a healthy weight. A substantial amount of research suggests a low GI diet provides these significant health benefits.

Persons with diabetes, in particular, can reap significant benefits from a low to moderate GI way of eating. In persons with diabetes, an uncontrolled glucose level-which means blood glucose levels are often too high-can lead to severe health complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and limb amputations. Fortunately, an individual with diabetes who controls his or her blood glucose levels most of the time has little risk of these complications.

A low-GI food will release glucose more slowly and steadily, which leads to more suitable postprandial blood glucose readings. A high-GI food causes a more rapid rise in blood glucose levels and is suitable for energy recovery after exercise or for a person experiencing hypoglycemia.

What is Glycemic Load?

The amount of carbohydrates consumed also affects blood glucose levels and insulin responses. Dietary glycemic load is the sum of the glycemic loads for all foods consumed in the diet. In essence, all the carbohydrates in a plate of food is totaled to determine how the much is going to be consumed.  The glycemic load of a food is calculated by multiplying the glycemic index by the amount of carbohydrate in grams provided by a food and dividing the total by 100. Dietary glycemic load is the sum of the glycemic loads for all foods consumed in the diet.

How do I Lower my Dietary Glycemic Load?

A definite strategy to lowering the dietary glycemic load is by healthy changes in your daily diet and exercise.

• Increasing the consumption of whole grains, nuts, legumes, fruits, and nonstarchy vegetables
• Decreasing the consumption of starchy high-glycemic index foods like potatoes, white rice, and white bread
• Decreasing the consumption of sugary foods like cookies, cakes, candy, and soft-drinks

What is high and What is low?

• Foods with GI index less than 55 are considered Low Glycemic Index food (GI < 55).
• Foods with GI index between 55 and 70 are considered intermediate (55< GI <70).
• High Glycemic Index foods are with GI index more than 70 (GI >70).

Glycemic index and glycemic load for 100+ foods

Glycemic index and glycemic load offer information about how foods affect blood sugar and insulin. The lower a food’s glycemic index or glycemic load, the less it affects blood sugar and insulin levels.