Glycemic Index
September, 2004
Some of the following information was taken
from the newsletter referred to earlier called
Take Charge. The particular issue that this
article was in was July 2004, Volume 7, issue
3. I wanted to take the time to bring up this
important issue in light of the ongoing fad
of low carbohydrate diets. Some of the more
popular diets include Atkins, The South Beach
as well and the Zone. When picking a healthy
way to eat the best method is through knowledge
and study sprinkled with common sense. One
way to determine the efficacy of a diet plan
is to understand the concept of glycemic index.
In this way we can begin to realize that the
issue isn’t low or no carbohydrates but
the more healthy carbohydrates. The fact remains
that we need carbohydrates for proper function
and health. Understanding blood sugar issues
and glycemic index will begin to make this
clearer. Basically the glycemic index is a
ranking of carbohydrate foods based on their
immediate effect on blood sugar levels. The
speed at which a food is able to increase a
person’s blood glucose level is the glycemic
response. Carbohydrates that break down quickly
during digestion have the highest glycemic
indexes. The blood glucose response is fast
and high. Carbohydrates that break down slowly
release glucose gradually into the blood stream
and have low glycemic indexes.
To illustrate this, carbohydrates that “push
out” insulin quickly tend to also favor
a greater release of inflammatory hormones.
Low glycemic foods such as vegetables and some
fruits tend to cause a slower insulin response,
which favors more healthy biochemistry. I have
seen many people with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid
arthritis appreciably lower their level of
pain and discomfort by eating the right foods
and especially foods with a lower glycemic
index. Foods with high glycemic indexes include
sugar, bread, pasta, potatoes, etc. Foods that
typically have a low glycemic index include
vegetables and some fruits as well as whole
unrefined grains as opposed to refined grains
and white flour.
Basically, an important fact to realize is
that there are different kinds of sugars. When
you eat a slice of bread, the flour from the
bread breaks down into sugar. The same thing
happens when you eat a piece of fruit, drink
a glass of milk or eat a chocolate bar. Each
of these foods contains a different kind of
sugar. Fructose is a sugar in fruit, lactose
is found in milk and sucrose is found in a
candy bar. All these sugars are broken down
during digestion and provide you with energy.
What are the consequences of low glycemic
index (GI) foods?
- A smaller rise in blood glucose levels
after meals
- Help with weight loss
- Improving the body’s
sensitivity to insulin
- Helping re-fuel carbohydrate
stores after exercise
- Improved control of
diabetes
- Keeping one fuller for longer after
eating
- Prolonging physical endurance
The “basics” of a low GI-diet:
- Use breakfast cereals based on oats, barley
and bran
- Use “grainy” breads made
with whole seeds
- Reduce the amount of potatoes
you eat
- Readily enjoy all types of fruit
and vegetables (except potatoes and other
starchy types of vegetables)
- Eat plenty of
salad vegetables with vinaigrette dressing
- Reduce simple sugars from your diet
- Limit
fruit juice in your diet
In regards to an overall good meal, being
conscience of GI and their healthy factors
is the following. When looking at a plate you
can visually cut it in half. One full half
should consist of your vegetables. The other
half can be split into two quarters. One quarter
should be the healthy lean protein portion
and the other should include a good quality
starchy carbohydrate that is from whole unprocessed
food and not refined. There are good glycemic
index charts available and for more information
you can certainly contact our office.
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