The glycemic index

The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of how a single food will raise your blood glucose level and it’s a great way to separate good carbs from bad ones. A food that’s highly glycemic will be digested quickly and is absorbed immediately, sending your blood sugar level sky-high. The problem is that you crash quickly and end up feeling sluggish.

If you eat the same portion of a low-glycemic food, your body has to work harder to break it down. The benefit is that the sugar from the food will released into the bloodstream more slowly, giving you steady energy over a longer period.

This is the difference between eating a low-glycemic food, such as sweet potatoes, and a high-glycemic food, such as waffles. You already know that sweet potatoes are better than a waffle, but it’s not just because the sweet potatoes will give you nutrients and the waffle will add to your midsection. They also have radically different short-term effects on your energy levels, mood, and performance.

Generally speaking, the lower the number on the GI, the more natural the food will be. Your body has to do the work to get the nutrients out of these foods, and that’s good, because that gradual release helps regulate blood sugar. Look for natural foods that have more colour and fiber, because these foods control appetite, have more nutrients, and improve your cardiovascular system.

By controlling your blood sugar, you’re regulating the hormone insulin. If you’re constantly increasing your blood sugar by eating only high-glycemic foods, you create a vicious cycle that results in increased calorie consumption and body fat levels, obesity, and perhaps even diabetes.

Glycemic index of popular foods

Low	Moderate	High
Sweet potatoes	Mashed potatoes	Baked potatoes
Yams	Sweet corn	Doughnuts
Green peas	Bananas	Waffles
Black beans	Cantaloupe	Bagels
Oatmeal (not instant)	Pineapple	Raisin bran
Peaches	Hamburger buns	Graham crackers
Oranges	Muffins	Pretzels
Apples	Cheese pizza	Corn chips
Grapefruit	Oatmeal cookies	Watermelon

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