The Glycemic Index Chart

The glycemic index chart requires a little research before you can fully understand and benefit from it. Fortunately, once you understand the numbers, your life will change for the better. Even if it seems a little intimidating, it really is one of the most important concepts you can know when it comes to knowing what to eat and how to be healthy.

The numbers range from 0 to 100 on the glycemic index chart, and every food that’s rated on the chart gets one of those numbers. Any food that’s listed as higher than 70 is going to be a high glycemic food, which means it will be digested quickly and converted into a lot of blood sugar quickly. When you have a lot of blood sugar, your body has no choice but to clear it out, and then you’ll find yourself hungry again. When you have so little blood sugar, you’ll feel compelled to eat higher glycemic foods. You have to break the cycle somewhere if you want to have good health.

As for low glycemic items, they will be digested more slowly, which means that you won’t have a surge of blood sugar and then a crash, but rather a steady stream of blood sugar that will keep you satisfied. As mentioned earlier, anything above 70 is high. Anything between 55 and 70 is in the middle, and anything below 55 is low. You want to focus on eating low glycemic foods from the glycemic index chart.

Here’s where it might get a little confusing to the untrained eye: something that’s seemingly very sugary, like a candy bar, might rate in the 40s on the index, while something that people consider to be healthy, like a bagel, ranks in the 70s! This is because that particular candy bar has some protein and fat in the chocolate and the peanuts, so even though it’s sweet and has a lot of sugar, the protein it contains will slow down the insulin response!

What this means is that you might have to try using your better judgment when it comes to items on the glycemic index chart. Just because it’s high on the list doesn’t mean you can’t ever have it (although some items that are high on the list are generally unhealthy and should be avoided most of the time). When you have something high on the list like a bagel, add something on it or on the side that has protein and fat to slow down the response, such as eggs, cream cheese, peanut butter, meat, etc.

The benefits of this concept are many. For one thing, by finding ways to eat lower glycemic foods, you will be eating healthier than when you’re relying just on high glycemic foods. In addition, you will feel full long after you eat your meals, so instead of crashing halfway between breakfast and lunch, you’ll feel satisfied until roughly lunchtime, which is the ideal situation. Whether you’re diabetic or health-conscious, this will leave you feeling more satisfied, more energetic, and less apt to crave unhealthy foods. Best of all, you’ll be enjoying greater health than ever before.