Over the past several years, high protein, low carb diets have gained a lot of popularity, but the truth is carbohydrates should be an essential part of your diet. They provide important nutrients, vitamins and provide your body with the fuel it needs to get through the day. The trick is to know what carbs are good for you and what carbs are bad for you. That is where the Glycemic Index comes in.

According to Wikipedia, the Glycemic Index, or GI, is the measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. Basically, what this means is how your body is able to convert carbohydrates into glucose.
Glucose is a sugar that is found in your blood, hence the term, blood sugar. The GI is based on a scale of 0-100, with pure glucose (which is a reference point on the scale) scoring 100.

Your body feels best when your blood sugar remains constant. If your blood sugar becomes too low, your body becomes lethargic and you get hungry. If your blood sugar becomes high, your brain signals your pancreas to release more insulin. By doing this, the insulin brings your blood sugar down. At the same time that this is happening, your body is converting the excess sugar into stored fat.

Now, if gaining and storing excess fat isn’t bad enough for you, it can get worse! Those persons with diabetes, both type 1 and type 2, are at a greater risk. Their bodies are unable to process or secret any insulin at all, thus, forcing them to take medication to control their blood sugar levels.

This also puts them at risk for additional health risks. Why is all of this important? By knowing and monitoring your GI, you will be able to stay in better health, thus feeling better and avoiding many health risks.

However, the Glycemic Index alone is not the only important factor. Many times, the amount of food that you are consuming gets overlooked. You must pay attention to the serving size! When these two parts are combined and managed, then you have much more control over your GI.

Foods that score 55 and below are low on the Glycemic Index are usually good for you. Most fruits and vegetables fall into this category, although you need to pay attention to the size of the food. Foods that score 70 and above are high on the GI and are not good for you. These types of foods include: white bread, potatoes, chips, candy, and pasta. Foods such as bananas and watermelon are high on the Glycemic Index, but do have many health benefits. Eat them sparingly.

How do you monitor your GI? You can always carry around a list of where your favorite foods stand on the GI in case you need to check before you make a choice. Generally, the rule of thumb is to avoid too many carbohydrates. Do not sit down and eat a bag of potato chips, or make a loaf of toast! Of course, there is nothing wrong with eating one serving of carbs at each meal, but again, pay attention to the serving size.

The reason that monitoring your carbohydrate intake works is because that information is readily available on labels, whereas the GI is not. It will take some time to learn where foods stand on the list, but it is well worth the investment. After all, it is your health and well being that is the number one priority. If you are feeling your best, you can do anything! Isn’t it worth your time to make sure?

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[tags]glycemic index, carbohydrates, carbs, nutriion, weight loss, fat loss[/tags]