“Just What is Glycemic Index?”

The Glycemic Index is a measure of how fast and how high a carbohydrate food raises your blood sugar within two to three hours of consumption relative to the rate that pure glucose does. The Glycemic Index is actually a numerical comparison with the Glucose Rate. For example, a food that raises Blood Sugar at the same rate that glucose does would have a Glycemic Index of 100. One that raises Blood Sugar just 50% in comparison would have a Glycemic Index of 50, and so on. Glycemic Index guidelines per portion of a single food are…

        Low Glycemic Index:               0 to 54

        Medium Glycemic Index:       55 to 69

        High Glycemic Index:            70 or higher.

      The lower the better when it comes to Glycemic Index levels.

The Glycemic Index is important because the Pancreas produces Insulin in response to the level of Blood Glucose. When Blood Sugar rises quickly, Insulin levels spike in this way, they also plummet quickly. This leads to swings in Blood Sugar levels, a sudden drop in energy and often, renewed Insulin Sensitivity, a perquisite to Diabetes. The idea behind diets that focus on the Glycemic Index is that eating low Glycemic Index foods stabilizes Blood Sugar, with a result that you experience greater longer satisfaction and are less tempted to rummage around in  the refrigerator.

Lynn Lyons
www.reversingobesity.com