The Glyceamic Index (GI) is a numerical scale that is used to indicate how fast and how high a particular food can raise our blood glucose (blood sugar) level. A food with a low GI will typically cause a moderate rise in blood glucose, while a food with a high GI may cause our blood glucose level to increase above the optimal level, which can be very detrimental to our health, especially if we’re overweight.

Many of us consume way too much, especially in the form of empty kilojoules. We eat a lot of refined foods and sugary snacks and beverages with high GI values, and lead largely sedentary lifestyles. As a result, our bodies do not burn up the sugar that we consume in such large quantities. It has been scientifically proved that eating mainly low GI carbohydrates that slowly trickle glucose into our bloodstreams is a much better alternative.

Benefits of low GI foods

    • Control the appetite. Low GI foods help you to feel fuller for longer between meals
    • Decrease the risk of cancer. A study in Australia showed that consumption of white bread and cereals high in sugar for breakfast over a sustained period increases the risk of cancer; it is also well-known that cancer cells feed on sugar
    • Help to lower and control “bad” cholesterol levels
    • Lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. For those already suffering from diabetes, it can help control the condition
    • Improve physical endurance as blood glucose levels are kept at a moderate level (instead of dipping drastically due to sudden insulin production) for a more sustained period
    • Help to control glucose levels in the blood
    • Lower the risk of heart disease. Those who followed a diet of low GI foods for several years had significantly lower risk of getting coronary heart disease
    • Improve insulin sensitivity. While high-GI foods lower the body’s sensitivity to insulin in the long run, low-GI foods help to maintain and even increase it
    • Help to lower and control triglyceride/lipid levels in the blood
    • Help with weight loss, and the maintenance of a healthy weight

 

Our Employee Wellbeing Programme (EAP) is available 24 hours a day. If you want to know more about the Glycemic Index, call us on the EAP number or email us

Sources
www.all4naturalhealth.com
www.glycemicindex.com
www.whfoods.com