Carbohydrate-Guide

The glycemic index (GI) is a system that ranks foods by how fast and how high they cause blood sugar to rise after eating a particular food -

The GI of any particular food is always compared to a standard reference food, which is either one slice of white bread or a small amount of glucose, both of which have a numerical value of 100. The higher the glycemic index, the greater the swings in blood sugar produced. So, in general, the lower the glycemic index, the better the food choice.

Why is the Good Glycemic Index Important?

Generally speaking, you can think of GI in 3 ranges: “low” (55 and below), “medium” (56 to 69), and “high” (70 or above). Foods with a low GI are converted to glucose more slowly, and so their sugars enter the bloodstream more slowly.

Foods with a medium or high GI, which are converted to glucose more quickly, release their sugars into the blood?stream more rapidly. This results in a swifter rise in insulin.

Unrefined carbs often fall lower on the GI scale because they’re rich in fiber, which takes longer to digest and so results in a slow, gradual rise in blood sugar.

How about refined, bad carbs? Not surprisingly, their processed sugars enter the bloodstream quickly. This quick conversion makes blood sugar and insulin rise and fall quickly-definitely not so good.

- Good Carbs mean a smaller rise in blood glucose levels after meals

- Good Carbs diets can help people lose weight

- Good Carbs diets can improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin

- Good Carbs foods can help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise

- Good Carbs can improve diabetes control

- Good Carbs keep you satisfied longer

- Good Carbs can prolong physical endurance