Summing Up A Person’s Glycemic Load

Even though following the glycemic index would give great benefits to an individual, it can also be at times confusing. For an average person, he/she may get baffled about how it associates to them and may also find it quite hard to let it work into their own diet. In addition to this, the ranking of a specific kind of food in the index depends on certain variables: the way the food is grown, cooked or processed can either decrease or increase the index numbers; an individual’s metabolic make-up, the amount of daily food in-take a person has, and how one mixes or combines the foods he/she eats could vary the food’s response; etc. There are also discrepancies when it comes to calculating the index. According to experts, as the index is based on a very small amount of food (around 50 grams), it’s less than the typical consumption of an average person. This understates the effect of high-carb foods on blood sugar, and overstates the effect of low-carb foods. So, to clear up the confusion, nutritionists have come up with a calculation using the index in order to figure out the Glycemic Load.

For this, the amount of available carbohydrates is taken into account. These carbohydrates (such as sugar and starch) can give energy (with the exception of fiber). The glycemic load is recommended to be used as a dietary guide rather than the glycemic index, as it explains the amount of food consumption of an individual, and also the way they combine or mix the foods they eat. To gain an understanding on a food’s impact on the blood sugar, one should know the glycemic index and glycemic load in order to calculate the glycemic load of a specific food, and then divide the index by 100, and multiply by the grams of carbs in the serving size. A glycemic load of 10 or less is low, 11 to 19 is medium, and 20 or above is high. Take a watermelon for instance. It possesses a high glycemic index of 72. It has 6 grams of available carbohydrates per serving in a serving of 120 grams. So, using the formula, 72 divided by 100 multiplied by 6 would equal to 4.32, then round it off to 4. So with this result, it is seen that the carbohydrates in watermelon has a high ranking in the glycemic index, but its glycemic load is low because there’s not a lot of it.

So by having an ample understanding of the concepts of the glycemic load and glycemic index, one can also gain an understanding of the importance of mixing the 4 food groups as a healthy way of eating. This will explain why a scoop of ice cream (which contains protein and fat) has a lower glycemic index and glycemic load compared to a small quantity of Cheerios (which contains little more than refined carbohydrates. The index is a useful reference in making the right choice of foods to be taken, and some would also choose it rather than counting the carbohydrates. The index may have its own shortcomings, but it is a great reference to keep an individual’s insulin resistance checked and controlled.

Knowing The Glycemic Index List

The glycemic index list – you have probably come across of the term before, and if you’re a diabetic, the great possibility is that you have already heard of it. News about this list is spreading, and the thing here is that it’s not just for somebody who need to control his/her blood sugar anymore. Now, in order for you to have an ample understanding of this list, you need to know the glycemic index itself, how it works, and how it can in have an impact in your life. After that, you can then go to the list itself!

What is the Glycemic Index?

The glycemic index was first developed for one objective: helping diabetics cope up with the fast-changing (and mystifying) blood sugar levels. It was an index to help both the doctor and the patient know what is being inputted in their body. The glycemic index ranks the carbohydrates on a scale between 0 to 100, and is based on how these carbs can increase one’s blood sugar level after eating. Foods that have a higher level are being digested quickly, and will then create a spike in the blood sugar level. This glycemic index is not just used for type 1 and type 2 diabetes; nowadays, this index is also being used by completely healthy people to reduce the possibilities and risks of heart disease, lose weight, etc.

What is the Glycemic Index List?

The reality is that using the glycemic index instead of any other kind of diet (whether as some sort of a “magic formula” that diabetics can use or as a cure for being an overweight) is a big question for a lot of people. For one thing, the glycemic index itself is not just some kind of random diabetic diet you can find on the Internet or in a book; it is a scientific system used in order for one to deal with his/her blood sugar levels. It was just recently that people other than diabetics started to use the index to serve as a tool for weight loss, and the doctors have already realized its importance in losing weight.

So, to sum it all up, the glycemic index, as a list of common foods and their values, was originally intended for diabetics to keep their blood sugar levels at bay, but is now used by completely healthy people to lose weight, as well as improving their health. It is a useful tool for measuring how your own body digests foods, and how it can have an impact on your blood sugar level.

Knowing The Glycemic Index Chart

The glycemic index chart can be baffling or confusing, if you are unsure of what everything means. It was primarily made for both the doctor and the patient to ensure a proper and healthy diet, but if you don’t understand the numbers that you find on the chart, then it’s pretty much useless for you! You shouldn’t consider this chart as a “big, bad monster”; it can be a great tool to help you maintain your health.

The Numbers: Low, High, And Everywhere In Between The Chart

The glycemic index chart has many different numbers that go with the listed foods, ranging from 0 to 100 (and it depends on the food listed). These numbers will tell you how your blood sugar will spike. For example, the number 92 indicates that it digests rather quick in your own system, and will then bring your blood sugar up high quickly as well. And the lower the number, the slower it will be digested into your own system, and this can be much healthier for you as it will slowly change your blood sugar (especially if you are a diabetic).

Reading the numbers in the chart certainly takes some work to be done, but the process of understanding them is rather simple. For the charts in majority, a number lower than 55 is categorized as low; numbers between 55 to 70 belong to the middle range; and finally those that go beyond 70 is categorized as high. Most of the charts will not list the food based on their index number, instead, foods are being listed in food groups or types. You can observe little differences with these charts, but they all have a common principle.

The Reason Why Some Foods Are Lower Compared To Others:

The reality is that this chart can be quite confusing on many levels. Take for example a chocolate that everybody would surely love to get their hands on, the Snickers bar. Don’t you know that a single bar ranks around the 40’s, compared to a bagel that will let you hit in the 70’s? The reason for this is that Snickers has both chocolate and peanuts (which have a lot of protein). The protein serve as an agent that slows down the digestion of the rest of the food, taking it quite some time to be digested.

You see, this is where the loophole of the glycemic index lies. If you’re going to eat a food that would rank high on the index, make sure you combine it with protein. Add peanut butter to a toast, and you shouldn’t worry about eating a tuna sandwich. Now, this is the reason why some of the foods may seem strangely ranked to you. If you only have a little knowledge about the figures on the chart, then it would seem as if you’re looking at a listing of random numbers displayed right in front of you!

The Importance Of This Information:

The glycemic index is utilized by many, whether diabetic or not, and if one is able to master this index, then he/she has unlocked the key to a healthier and long life! It’s true that it may take quite some time for you to understand well the glycemic index chart, but this doesn’t mean that you should hesitate to eat according to it before you have completely mastered everything in it. As the saying goes, “experience is always the best teacher”!

Glycemic Index Recipes: Starting Up A Healthy Diet

If you’re somebody who thinks that eating according to the glycemic index is a bad idea, think again! With food that tastes this great, it’s guaranteed that you won’t even think that this would be healthy for your diet. Here are some great recipes that you can start with.

Recipe #1: Chicken With Fried Rice

Ingredients:

12 fl. oz. chicken stock
1 ½ oz. brown rice
5 ½ oz. cooked chickpeas
2 fl. oz. light soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 cubed boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 green onion (chopped)
1 carrot (diced)
2 sticks sliced celery
8 oz. bean sprouts
salt (to taste)

Procedure:

Add 10 fl. oz of chicken stock, salt and rice in a medium-sized saucepan. After boiling, decrease the heat to low level and then cook, covered, for around 25 minutes (or until all the liquid contained in the pot has been absorbed). Fluff the rice using a fork, and then set it aside.

Add sesame oil in a large (non-stick) skillet, and then heat it over a medium to high heat. Then cook the chicken and the mushrooms for about 8 to 10 minutes (or up until you see the chicken turn to white completely).

Add the rice, chickpeas, carrots, celery, and onions, then absolutely stir while cooking for around 2 minutes. Then add the rest of your chicken stock, together with the soy sauce 5 minutes. Add up the sprouts and then mix.

**With this, you get to enjoy a delicious glycemic index recipe of a light salad!

Recipe #2: Chicken Tarragon Delight

Ingredients:

2 chicken cutlets (roughly 4 oz each)
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 oz. white wine
1 teaspoon of margarine
1 tsp. dried tarragon
fresh ground pepper
1 small onion (chopped)
4 oz. chicken stock or water

Add oil in a non-stick pan and heat over a medium to high heat. Then take the chicken and speckle with fresh ground pepper. Sauté in the oil until done. After this, remove the chicken and then cover.

In the same pan that you have used, add the margarine and sauté the onions and mushrooms for about 5 minutes (or until they soften). Then, add up the tarragon and wine. Simmer this mixture for roughly 1 minute, and then add up the stock.

Simmer for about 2 minutes (or until it has been reduced to half). Add a little bit of pepper to your mixture, and you’re good to go! Put the sauce over the chicken.

**If you’re looking for a great side with this, serve this glycemic index recipe over rice!

Recipe #3: GI Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:

3 oz. non-hydrogenated soft margarine
3 oz. wholemeal flour
1 tablespoon of wheat bran
sugar substitute equivalent to about 4oz of sugar
¼ pint cooked white kidney beans
1½ oz. unsweetened cocoa powder
3 fl oz. skim milk
1 egg
2 teaspoons of vanilla
½ teaspoon of baking soda

In a food processor, add 1 fl. oz. of skim milk, the beans and wheat bran. Puree until they are blended well. Then add the margarine, flour, sugar substitute, baking soda, cocoa powder, vanilla, egg and skim milk and bean puree until a bowl, and then beat them all together until they are mixed well.

Pre-heat over to around 375 degrees. Drop the cookie batter from the heaping teaspoons into a baking sheet (waxed, paper-lined). Bake them for around 10 minutes (or until they are already firm).

** If you’re not sure about the bean paste, well here’s some great info for you: you can’t taste it, keeps the batter from drying, and it also adds a little extra fiber into your own diet!

For more of the glycemic index recipes, convert your favorite recipes with ease in order to increase the fiber and protein content. So, what are you waiting for? Try some of these healthy recipes today!

Changing The Diet: Switching To Foods With Low Glycemic Index

It could be hard as you choose foods with low glycemic index over those foods that you would normally choose. And worse, you can have quite a hard time adjusting if you don’t slowly introduce the new options into your own diet. But the thing here is that it doesn’t have to be all that bad; and this is because eating with these kinds of foods will help you feel better and keep you healthy. The only obstacle is the switching process, which is the hardest part.

Why Adjusting Is Quite Difficult For Us:

As creatures of habit as we are, chances are that you have been eating the way you are now for a very long time. That’s just part of being human, clinging to the lifestyle that we have always lived with. Now, changing those habits is quite a challenge: it takes sheer will power and a real drive to get to that “change”. This is often the reason why people stumble when it comes to dieting. There are ways in implementing a change of diet in your lifestyle, and it solely depends on what type of person you really are. Some of us would work best with extreme changes, while other people would go for just a slow change. Now the question that you should ask yourself is this: what type of change would fit you best?

Going For The Extreme Changes:

Going for a quick change in diet is what almost always people try to do, as it will eliminate those bad habits right then and there. But the fact is that many would see it as going “cold turkey” from the bad foods! Now, the best way to do this is when you have very little food left at home. Consider it as this: it’s like eating through your options and you don’t have any bad foods to choose from. Then what you do next is print out the glycemic index list that you have, or you can write down a list of good foods (those that rank low in the index) and then bring it with you in the store. Purchase only those good foods from the store. So, with this, you have no further options in going for those bad foods, only the good ones that you’d be stuck eating with!

Going For The Slow Changes:

Now, going for the slow or gradual change isn’t always the easiest option for you, but some would consider it as their only resort. You see, opting for the gradual change will tend to lead you to the unhealthy food options you can find around you. But this doesn’t mean you can’t really change your own diet. What you can do for this is that you can start by going to the store and buy at least one item that’s categorized as “low” on the index. Then in time, it will be much easier for you then to eat according to the index and choose the good foods.

Why You Should Go For The Change:

It’s quite a fact that changing one’s lifestyle can be a struggle, and because we so love to eat almost anything we want, changing our eating habits is almost a “torture”! But when you boldly take that step and understand that you really need to change your own lifestyle and eating habits, then it can really help you. Just make sure that you’re really ready for the “change” you’re going for when you choose to eat foods with low glycemic index, and then always stick to the plan no matter what! This can improve not only your health, but the quality of your life as well!