More on the Glycemic Index

September 11, 2012 by aklallatin 2 Comments

After looking at the stats for my blog I realized the number one way people find me is when they are looking for the glycemic index.  I figured I should give the people what they want and find more information about the glycemic index.  First off for those looking for a list of foods Harvard Medical School has a decent of foods with their glycemic index and load.  Lets start with the basics again according to KidsHealth the glycemic index is “measures how fast and how much a food raises blood glucose levels”, the article explains food is processed by the body it becomes glucose that goes into the bloodstream.

The Mayo Clinic explains that the glycemic index as a diet means that you try to eat food that have a low glycemic index to maintain a healthy blood glucose level with the result being a healthy person.  The glycemic index is not a weight loss program it is a guide for overall health.  Losing weight can be an affect of following the glycemic index but its not the purpose of this diet.

 

Reasons to consider following the glycemic index diet (taken directly from source):

• Want to change blood sugar imbalances related to your current diet
• Want to change your overall eating habits
• Don’t want to count calories or go low-carb
• Want a diet that you can stick to for the long term

There are a few problems with this diet, a lot of foods are not on the scale so you have to take your best guess or limit the food you eat.  Another problem is when most of us eat a meal we combine foods which will affect blood glucose levels differently because the list is only for individual items.  There also isn’t a lot of scientific support for the glycemic index diet.

I feel that the glycemic index can be useful for specific people like those with diabetes, however for most of us we should probably look elsewhere for healthy eating plans.