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Glycemic Index and Weight Loss
How To Use Glycemic Index
You can use the glycemic index as a guide to help you determine how fast a certain carbohydrate will raise your blood sugar. The values on the glycemic index are based on glucose. Glucose is a carbohydrate that assimilates very quickly into the body (only maltose is quicker), which makes it a good base to compare other foods with. Glucose is given the value of 100 and all other foods are compared to that number. The closer the food is to 100, the faster your body will use it up. If the number is lower, the same number of calories will normally leave you feeling fuller and keep you in a state that is less likely to binge eat. Foods high in protein or fat don't normally cause your blood sugar level to rise much so are not included here. As a result, the chart at the end of the article only deals with foods that are relatively high in carbohydrates.
Foods that are high on the glycemic index are usually fun to eat (candy bars, soda pop). They can give you a "sugar rush" and make you feel good. Unfortunately, these foods also cause a lot of insulin to be released into your blood stream. Insulin is like a key that lets sugar into your cells from the blood stream and is very important to your body. The problem with sweet foods is that your body will try to bring its blood sugar level back to normal by producing a lot of insulin. Once the insulin has gotten rid of the extra sugar that you just ate, there is still insulin in your blood. This extra insulin will continue to lower the sugar level in your blood, making you feel hungry, slow and lethargic.
How can the Glycemic Index help me lose weight?
To help keep your blood sugar level from falling, you can eat carbohydrates that have a lower glycemic index value because they have a longer action time. Low glycemic foods do not cause your body to release as much insulin into your blood and as a result are broken down over a longer period of time. This results in a longer, steadier release of energy and will probably make you feel more alert and energetic during the day. You will also be less likely to binge eat when your blood sugar levels are in balance. Try to avoid eating too many foods in the high glycemic range. They taste really good but usually don't have much nutritional value.
The actual glycemic value of a food has a lot to do with how fast it is used by the body but there are other factors that contribute as well. The amount of fiber and fat the food contains may slow the absorbtion. Also, the amount of cooking and the ripeness can affect how a product is absorbed by your body. Your blood insulin level and how active you have been before eating also play roles in determining the speed at which your body takes in foods.
Please note the numbers shown below may not be "exactly" what you are eating. Different research labs come up with slightly different results and although the numbers may be close, they do not always match. I think this in another one of the tools that can be incorporated into your overall weight reduction plan.
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Beans baby lima 32 baked 43 black 30 brown 38 butter 31 chickpeas 33 kidney 27 lentil 30 navy 38 pinto 42 red lentils 27 split peas 32 soy 18 Breads bagel 72 croissant 67 Kaiser roll 73 pita 57 pumpernickel 49 rye 64 rye, dark 76 rye, whole 50 white 72 whole wheat 72 waffles 76 Cereals All Bran 44 Bran Chex 58 Cheerios 74 Corn Bran 75 Corn Chex 83 Cornflakes 83 Cream of Wheat 66 Crispix 87 Frosted Flakes 55 Grapenuts 67 Grapenuts Flakes 80 Life 66 Muesli 60 NutriGrain 66 Oatmeal 49 Oatmeal 1 min 66 Puffed Wheat 74 Puffed Rice 90 Rice Bran 19 Rice Chex 89 Rice Krispies 82 Shredded Wheat 69 Special K 54 Swiss Muesli 60 Team 82 Total 76 |
Cookies Graham crackers 74 oatmeal 55 shortbread 64 Vanilla Wafers 77 Crackers Kavli Norwegian 71 rice cakes 82 rye 63 saltine 72 stoned wheat thins 67 water crackers 78 Desserts angel Food Cake 67 banana bread 47 blueberry muffin 59 bran muffin 60 Danish 59 fruit bread 47 pound cake 54 sponge cake 46 Fruit apple 38 apricot, canned 64 apricot, dried 30 apricot jam 55 banana 62 banana, unripe 30 canteloupe 65 cherries 22 dates, dried 103 fruit cocktail 55 grapefruit 25 grapes 43 kiwi 52 mango 55 orange 43 papaya 58 peach 42 pear 36 pineapple 66 plum 24 raisins 64 strawberries 32 strawberry jam 51 watermelon 72 |
Grains barley 22 brown rice 59 buckwheat 54 bulger 47 chickpeas 36 cornmeal 68 couscous 65 hominy 40 millet 75 rice, instant 91 rice, parboiled 47 rye 34 sweet corn 55 wheat, whole 41 white rice 88 wh. rice, high amylose 59 Juices agave nector11 apple 41 grapefruit 48 orange 55 pineapple 46 Milk Products chocolate milk 34 ice cream 50 milk 34 pudding43 soy milk 31 yogurt 38 Pasta brown rice pasta 92 gnocchi 68 linguine, durum 50 macaroni 46 macaroni & cheese 64 spaghetti 40 spag. prot. enrich. 28 vermicelli 35 vermicelli, rice 58 Sweets honey 58 jelly beans 80 Life Savers 70 M&M's Choc. Peanut 33 Skittles 70 Snickers 41 |
Glycemic Index and Weight Loss, How To Use Glycemic Index