We are hearing more and more about the “Glycemic Index” in food these days. With the onslaught of Diabetes and obesity in our country, it’s important that we become aware of what the Glycemic Index is and how it can effect our overall health.

We need to understand how diet is the important factor in controlling the sugar levels in our blood system. And the more we become educated about the Glycemic Index in foods, the more we can divert health problems now and later on, and we can start living a more healthy lifestyle.

So, what is “glycemic index”?

The glycemic index is the ranking applied to foods containing carbohydrates in correspondence with their impact on blood glucose levels. Simply stated, the GI (glycemic index) will determine what happens to the body two to three hours after the food is ingested. A food with a lower GI will have lower action time and will not spike the blood sugar level as high as a food that has a high GI.

This is an especially important number for those with diabetes that are trying to control their intake of sugar due to complications that their bodies have in processing sugars. For someone who is experiencing an insulin shock and needs to raise their blood sugar immediately, knowing what food would have a high GI would be crucial so that the body’s sugar level could increase rapidly and then return the individual to a “normal” state.

When the blood sugar level of the body is kept at a constant, the body performs at its best. When the body is functioning based on foods with a high GI, the blood sugar level is elevated and food is turned into fat cells if it is not burned off or digested properly. If the opposite is ingested with foods falling into the low GI index, the body becomes lethargic and sluggish because the energy levels are at a minimum.
Many diets require people to pay attention the GI index and calculate where the body’s blood sugar will be right after eating and where it might be during the course of the day. Mixing foods with various GI indexes is recommended in order to maintain a balanced blood sugar level throughout the day.

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