Publisher's Synopsis
The low glycemic (low GI) diet is based on the concept of the glycemic index (GI). Studies have shown that the low GI diet may result in weight loss, reduce blood sugar levels, and lower the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. However, the way it ranks foods has been criticized for being unreliable and failing to reflect foods' overall healthiness.The glycemic index (GI) of a food is a measure of how a specific food with carbohydrates causes blood sugar to rise. It is given as a number compared to the effect on your blood sugar of eating either glucose (a type of sugar) or white bread. When you eat a food or beverage containing carbohydrates, your body breaks down the carbs into a type of sugar called glucose. The glucose goes into your bloodstream and causes your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels to rise. Compare to low-glycemic foods, high-glycemic foods lead to a quicker and greater spike in blood sugar levels. These spikes are considered unhealthy for a few reasons. They raise your average blood glucose levels. They place a higher demand for insulin on your body. They lead to more dramatic dips in blood glucose after the spike, potentially causing hunger, carbohydrate cravings, and weakness.A low-GI diet and meal plan can help you avoid the blood sugar roller coaster, but the GI is not on the nutrition label of most foods. Instead, you will probably to look at a list of the GI of foods. The following are several low-glycemic foods.The three GI ratings are: Low: 55 or fewerMedium: 56-69High: 70 or moreFoods with a low GI value are the preferred choice. They're slowly digested and absorbed, causing a slower and smaller rise in blood sugar levels. On the other hand, foods with a high GI value should be limited. They're quickly digested and absorbed, resulting in a rapid rise and fall of blood sugar levels.You can use this database to find the GI value (and glycemic load, described below) of common foods.It's important to note that foods are only assigned a GI value if they contain carbs. Hence, foods without carbs won't be found on GI lists.
