Why should you care about your blood sugar levels?

In a previous post I had mentioned the term Glycemic Index; today’s post will explain what on earth I was talking about.

Glycemic Index

• The glycemic index (GI) assigns a numerical value to a food based on how drastically it causes your blood sugar to rise. Foods are ranked on a scale of 0 to 100, with pure cane sugar valued at 100. The lower a food's GI, the slower blood sugar rises after eating that food. In general, the more processed a food is, the higher its GI, and the more fiber or fat in a food, the lower it's GI.

• Why does it matter if your blood sugar spikes? When you consume a high GI food, your blood sugar will spike and then quickly fall back down, leading to lethargy and hunger. Typically, the lower GI foods are more nutritious and keep you satisfied for longer; there for you will likely end up consuming less calories overall. Chronic high blood sugar can lead to weight gain and chronic diseases related to obesity such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

• How to analyze a GI values

  • Low GI: 1 to 55

  • Medium GI: 56 to 69

  • High GI: 70 and higher

  • Comparing these values can help guide healthier food choices. For example, an English muffin made with white wheat flour has a GI value of 77, while a whole-wheat English muffin has a GI value of 45.

Glycemic Load

• Understanding the Glycemic Index only tells us half of the story…which is where Glycemic Load (GL) comes into play. Glycemic Index doesn't tell us how high our blood sugar could go when we eat the food and does not take into account the amount of that particular food we will consume. The Glycemic Load tells us both how quickly a food will cause glucose to enter our bloodstream and how much glucose per serving it can deliver.

• For example, watermelon has a GI of 72, yet a low GL of 7. The high GI is based on 5 cups of watermelon, not an actual serving size of 1 cup. The low GL means one serving of watermelon doesn't contain much carbohydrate because it is actually mostly water, and in turn will not have a large impact on your blood sugar. Carrots have a GI of 71 but a low GL of 6, there for unless you're going to eat a pound and a half of carrots in one sitting, an average serving of carrots will have very little impact on blood glucose levels.

• How to analyze GL values

  • Low: 10 or less

  • Medium: 11 – 19

  • High: 20+

• What about juicing? When you juice fruits and vegetables, not only do you lose the benefits of the fiber but you will end up consuming far more calories and sugar when compared to eating one serving of the whole fruit/vegetable. Not only does the fiber hold a great deal of nutrients, but it also will keep you full and reduce the blood sugar spikes.

Questions? Want help analyzing and adjusting your diet? Wondering if nutrition could be the root of your current symptoms? Contact us!

Email: courtney@plusforte.co

Phone: 978-590-6951