The Glycaemic Index (GI) is a rating system for foods containing carbohydrates. It shows how quickly each food affects your blood sugar (glucose) level when that food is eaten on its own.
It then ranks the quality of carbohydrates based on this score. Foods are ranked on a scale of 0 to 100, with pure glucose (sugar) given a value of 100. High GI carbohydrates cause blood sugar levels to spike and then crash, whereas low GI foods are digested and absorbed more slowly.
The GI principle was first developed as a strategy for guiding food choices for people with diabetes.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates, or carbs, a type of nutrient in foods, are an essential part of our diet since they provide fuel for the brain, most other organs and muscles during exercise. However, not all carbohydrate foods are equal. Different types of carbohydrate foods have properties that affect how quickly your body digests them and how quickly glucose enters your bloodstream. The three basic forms are sugars, starches and fibre. When you eat or drink something with carbs, your body breaks down the sugars and starches into a type of sugar called glucose, the main source of energy for cells in your body. Fibre passes through your body undigested.
Two main hormones from your pancreas help regulate glucose in your bloodstream. The hormone insulin moves glucose from your blood into your cells. The hormone glucagon helps release glucose stored in your liver when your blood sugar level is low. This process helps keep your body fuelled and ensures a natural balance in blood glucose. This slow release of glucose into the bloodstream is proven to be much more beneficial for the body – from improving energy levels to managing weight, diabetes and other health concerns.
Understanding the GI value of a food can help you make healthier food choices and improve your overall health in the long run. The GI value of foods is calculated in a food laboratory using valid scientific methods. There are three classifications for GI:
The Glycaemic Index Diet
Purpose
The purpose of a glycaemic index diet is to eat carbohydrate-containing foods that are less likely to cause large increases in blood sugar levels.
The diet could be a means to lose weight and prevent chronic diseases related to obesity such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Comparing these values, therefore, can help guide healthier food choices. For example, an English muffin made with white wheat flour has a GI value of 77.
A whole-wheat English muffin has a GI value of 45.
Why you might follow the GI diet
- You might choose to follow the GI diet because you:
- Want to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight
- Need help planning and eating healthier meals
- Need help maintaining blood sugar levels as part of a diabetes treatment plan
Studies suggest that a GI diet can help achieve these goals.
Selecting foods based on a glycaemic index may help you manage your weight because many foods that should be included in a
well-balanced, low-fat, healthy diet with minimally processed foods — whole-grain products, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products — have low GI values.
Follow these tips to include more low GI foods into your diet:
- Prepare more stews and salads from ingredients that contain less carbs
- When shopping, choose grainy bread (you should be able to see the grains) or sourdoughs.
- Include legumes in your meals two or three times a week (more if you are vegetarian).
- Milk and yoghurt are both low GI and enriched with protein and calcium. If you are lactose intolerant, select calcium enriched soy milks instead of rice milk.
The researchers who maintain the GI database caution, however, that the "glycaemic index should not be used in isolation"
and that other nutritional factors— calories, fat, fibre, vitamins and other nutrients — should be considered.
How BioMed can help
Following an initial health assessment, Claudia, your BioMed Health Professional, may recommend a computerised health screening (Quantum Analysis)
which will identify any allergies, intolerances and nutritional deficiencies in the body’s systems.
An individualised treatment plan can then be created using a combination of therapies, treatments and recommended life style practises.