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The Glycemic Index

June 12, 2009

Have you ever eaten something, then an hour later had a sugar “crash”? If so, you probably ingested food with a high glycemic index.

Low Glycemic Index

Or, have you ever wondered what was the best food to eat before working out or while you’re at the office? Low glycemic index foods would be the way to go.

Low Glycemic Meal

The glycemic index is a measurement of the increase in blood sugar (blood glucose) in the 2 hours after ingestion of a food containing 50 g of carbs, compared with a “standard” for carbohydrates. The “standard” is usually white bread or glucose, and has an assigned glycemic value of 100.
So, for example, if a 50 g of a food has a glycemic index of 40, that means that after you eat the 50 grams of that food, blood glucose concentration rises 40% of the value for the standard (white bread or glucose).

Why is this important? Because knowing the glycemic index of foods can help you choose foods based upon your activities, and this can enhance the likelihood that you will be slim, trim, and healthy, assuming you eat as the glycemic index indicates.

What should you eat before a workout, after a workout, and during a workout? The glycemic index can help us with the answers to these questions. We’ll explore this more…on Monday! Tomorrow, I’ll take a little diversion away from this topic in order to bring you a surprise…if I get time! Until then, abundant health, fitness, and success to you!

Darryl

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