What is Glycemic Index?

Using a scale of 1 to 100, it is a numerical index of how your blood sugar is affected within two to three hours of eating foods that are high in carbohydrates- carbs and how a certain carbohydrate turns into blood glucose. GI was developed in 1981 and has grown in popularity in recent years.

Not all carbohydrates act the same way. There is a common belief that all complex carbs are digested slowly and steadily in your body. Although this is true for a high percentage of complex carbs, starchy foods like potatoes, for instance, tend to cause a quick rise in the blood sugar levels.

On a scale of 1 to 100, which is commonly used on Glycemic Index charts, 55 and under is low GI, 56 to 69 is medium GI and 70 and above will be high GI. A good GI Diet will clearly have more of those foods that fall within the low and medium categories, which would cause smaller fluctuations in insulin and blood glucose.

Lower GI foods can reduce LDL- bad cholesterol, aid with weight loss, increase body’s insulin resistance, prevent heart disease, improve diabetes control, can reduce hunger and improve satiety- feeling of fullness, achieve peak athletic performance, maintain physical endurance, can help manage the symptoms of PCOS and promote an overall healthy life.

Did you know that…

The world’s first low GI sugar product was introduced by a Melbourne company called Horizon Science in March 2009 and sold 70,000 packets in a matter of five months in Australia. They are expected to enter into other markets around the world later in 2010 – ABC Online Rural News, ‘Low GI sugar exports to begin soon’, 11.09.09.

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