Why GI?

The glycemic index ranks foods on how they affect our blood sugar levels.  This index measures how much your blood sugar increases in the 2 or 3 hours after eating.  The ratings are from 1 to 100.  Foods like proteins (meat, eggs, and cheese) cause minimal increases in blood sugar.  Most vegetables cause minimal increases in blood sugar.  These foods are low on the glycemic index (under 55 is considered low GI). Whole fruits, legumes (beans), and nuts are in the middle of the glycemic index (56 – 69 is middle GI).  Foods high on the glycemic index (over 70) would be cookies, cakes, candy, soda, juices, junk food and grain products…grain products being bread, pasta, rice and cereal… INCLUDING whole wheat products.

Why do we care about the glycemic index of the food we eat?  Why do we care about blood sugar increases?  The higher our blood sugar, the more insulin our body produces.  Insulin is the fat storage hormone.  Insulin creates cravings.  Insulin keeps our body from metabolizing stored body fat.  We don’t want extra insulin in our system.  We do not want to store body fat.  We do not want to increase cravings.  We do not want to keep our bodies from using our fat stores.  Insulin is not our friend.  How can we control it?  By eating foods low on the glycemic index and avoiding foods high on the glycemic index.

Many of us are fooled by so called “healthy” foods that are actually high GI foods.  Brown rice, 100% whole wheat bread, and whole grain cereals are good examples.  One serving of brown rice has the same GI as a chocolate Pop tart.  Sure, the brown rice offers some nutritional value but it is just not worth the insulin response.  We can get the fiber and nutrients from veggies instead but without the blood sugar increase!   

At Total Family Healthcare and Wellness, our nutritional plan consists of low glycemic index foods that will keep your blood sugar levels low and steady.  Low, steady blood sugar means less insulin.  Less insulin means more fat loss and few cravings.  Win, win!