The Glycemic Index (GI) is a measurement of how slow or fast carbohydrates in a certain food are converted into glucose in the blood. Knowing about the GI values of foods are important especially to those people who suffer from diabetes or obesity. This knowledge will help them maintain a normal blood glucose level while enjoying their foods.
Foods that have lower GI values tend to convert the carbohydrates into glucose in a slower phase thus helping in maintaining a normal glucose level in the blood. This in turn stabilizes the amount of energy the body can utilize. It also take longer for the person to feel hungry again causing minimal eating. This is especially ideal for those who struggle to lose weight or keep it off.
It is easy to incorporate foods with low GI value in your diet. You do not need to use any counting system or to stop eating certain foods. It is a simple method. For instance, instead of eating breads or cereals that are white switch it to ones that are barley, whole grain, sour dough or bran based. Reduce the amount of potatoes in the diet and have more fruits and vegetable. Use Basmati or Doongara rice and feel free to enjoy wheat pasta or noodles.
There is also the thing called the second meal effect to be considered. The second meal effect means that the benefits of eating one meal with a low GI will carry over to the next meal. It is recommended to have low GI food meal at least once per day.
A person might wonder if eating a big amount of the same food increases the food's GI. For example, if a helping is doubled, will that double the glucose level in the blood? The answer is no. It does not double the blood glucose level because GI is relative. There have been rumors about alcohol being rich in carbohydrates. This is not really true since wine and liquor do not contain carbohydrates. Beer has some in it but it really is not a lot so a person can still enjoy drinking beer without worrying about gaining pounds.
After reading this article, people might think it is best to avoid all foods that contain carbohydrates. This thought can be dangerous for the body. People need to consider other nutritional information before making any drastic decisions regarding the consumption or non-consumption of carbohydrates. For example, Atkins diet, as appealing as it might be, might lead to a person eating foods that are high in saturated fats which ultimately leads to weight gain and heart issues.
When your weight is out of control and you have determined it is time to get rid of the extra pounds, the Glycemic Index List can provide effective solutions. Use the Glycemic Index Chart to determine which foods are helpful in your quest to lose weight.
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