Managing Blood Sugar Levels with Glycemic Index

    Various weight-loss solutions are being looked at and used throughout the American culture. Crash diets, low carb, low sugar, low fat–everything’s being looked at in turn. One diet style follows not what’s in the food, but how your body reacts to those foods. Looking at the glycemic index of things that you eat may help with weight loss by helping you choose foods that are more easily metabolized.

The glycemic index(GI) is fairly complicated with how it interacts with the body, but on a basic level, the index charts how food raises the glucose level in your blood, including how high and how fast the reaction occurs. Various factors can determine a certain foods index, however, such as the ripeness, how much it’s been processed, and how much it’s been cooked. A food at its simplest state will have a lower index than one that’s been cooked and significantly dealt with.

The GI is already in use for weight loss purposes with certain programs, including Nutri-System. You don’t need to join a program, though, to utilize the concept of GI–just keep a close eye on and track everything you eat. It’s recommended to eat mostly low index foods(foods with a GI of below 60). A healthy meal will consist of components that are primarily under 50 GI, which allows for higher index foods to be used as well. You don’t have to cut out on higher index foods, just decrease use of them. Lower index foods impact your blood sugar levels less, so eating foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and low-processed grains will be healthier and more effective for your body to deal with. Goji berries have a GI of 29–that’s below oranges and apples! By regulating blood sugar levels, you can also help lower the risk of an insulin resistance that comes from extreme amounts of sugar.

Watching the GI in foods isn’t just for weight loss, though–it could be a tool in dealing with diabetes and hypoglycemia. Higher GI foods will put more sugar into the bloodstream to help deal with extremely low blood sugar quickly. Watching the GI levels in foods may also reduce dependency on insulin shots if regulated carefully enough.

Always remember that it takes numerous tools to create a diet or a healthy lifestyle. Using the GI system may contribute, but never rely on just one idea. Also remember that every body reacts differently to different things, and that consulting with a doctor is always the best thing to do when starting a new diet. Even though there are lists on the internet of GI levels in different foods, a doctor can give you a more accurate list, and a better one for you personally.