What Is the Glycemic Index?

Diet and nutrition image.

If you have diabetes or you are watching your weight, it may be wise to pay some attention to the Glycemic Index. The Glycemic Index ranks how much a particular food raises your blood sugar level after you eat it. It is really all about carbohydrates and how they raise blood sugar, since foods high in protein and fat have little effect on blood glucose. The carbohydrates that break down quickly in the digestive process have a higher glycemic index than those that slowly release glucose into the blood stream.

The Glycemic Index is starting to get some attention in the health care arena based on the fact that more and more people suffer from diabetes, with millions more in the making. Several of the popular diet books are also based on the Glycemic Index approach to losing weight, including Sugar Busters, Eat Yourself Slim and the South Beach Diet.

According to the Glycemic Index, mashed potatoes, ice cream and cornflakes raise blood sugar levels higher than pure granulated sugar! While fruits, vegetables (other than potatoes) and grainy breads have a low glycemic index.

What are some of the benefits of eating foods with a low glycemic index?

  • Weight loss
  • Feeling of "fullness" for a longer period of time after eating
  • Lower rise in blood glucose levels
  • Lower risk of diabetes

For a listing of more than 750 international foods, along with their glycemic index and glycemic load (how much of a carbohydrate is in the particular food), go to www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm.

Dr. Mark Asks some important questions of interest to Pickerington residents - Chiropractor Pickerington Dr. Mark Asks...

How do you know when you're healthy?
Ask most Pickerington residents this simple question and you're likely to hear, "When you feel good" or "When you're at your proper weight for your height" or "When you have lots of energy and vitality." Great answers. But our chiropractic patients know that true health is when your body is working as it was designed. True health is how you function, not how you feel.
What's your plan to deal with drug-resistant 'super germs'?
Chiropractors have always been concerned with the indiscriminate use of antibiotics, accelerating the mutation of microbes that make "wonder" drugs increasingly ineffective. My strategy? Do everything possible to bolster my immune system through proper diet, rest, exercise, clean air, pure water and an optimally functioning nervous system with regular chiropractic care.