by Michelle Sprecher

Created on: November 18, 2007   Last Updated: November 20, 2007

Understanding the Glycemic Index (GI) of the food that you eat will help you to better understand why your body responds to certain foods the way that it does. For instance, a jelly donut for breakfast causes you to "feel bad", after a short amount of time, verses when you've eaten your rolled oats granola and yogurt. It's not from the guilt of eating the extra calories either; it's from the impact of how the carbohydrates break down and cause your blood sugar levels to spike and level off. Not all carbs are created equal. So how do you choose the good carbohydrates?

The Glycemic Index is a ranking of carbohydrate containing foods that have been tested and ranked on a scale from 0 to 100, showing the effect that that food will have on your blood sugar level after eating it. The ideal goal is to eat foods that have an average overall GI ranking of 50 to 55. They are foods that are made up of complex carbs that break down more gradually and maintain your blood sugar levels over a longer period.

To determine how food will affect your blood sugar level, it is control tested by 10 people. Blood samples are taking over a period of time after the consumption of a particular food and averaged from all ten people. To be considered a low GI food it must rank at 55 and under. A medium GI food is rated 56 to 69 and a high GI is 70 and above. To view the list of tested foods, search www.glycemicindex.com to see where your choice of foods rank and learn more about the testing procedures.

The GI of your overall food in your diet is closely related to your risk of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease and obesity. Making good choices of the type of carbohydrates that you consume can help prevent and overcome some health issues.

*High spikes in blood sugar levels encourage your body to store the energy or fat. By choosing a low GI carb your energy level is more consistent over a period of time and you feel fuller longer. The result is less cravings between meals!

*Low GI foods can actually help reduce bad cholesterol levels.

*By choosing lower GI foods you are automatically helping to control diabetes and increasing the body's sensitivity to insulin.

Understanding the benefits to selecting lower Glycemic Index foods is your first step to a healthy life style. You have the opportunity to prevent disease or make positive changes in your life that will make you feel young.

Making the change to a lower Glycemic diet is worth your effort. You can make small changes by exchanging

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