One of the tools used now in weight loss programs is the Glycemic Index or GI. Basically, GI rank foods according to their effect on sugar levels.
Foods that are easily absorbed by the system are classified high in the glycemic index while those foods which are not easily absorbed by the system are considered low in the Glycemic Index.
Originally, Glucose Index was just intended to determine which foods are best for those who are diabetic who needs to control the sugar level in their blood.
That is why the indexes in the Glycemic Index only tell the effect of sugar in the blood which is critical to a diabetic person. This concept was conceived by Dr. David J. Jenkin in 1980-81 at the University of Toronto intending to find out which foods were suitable for people who has diabetes.
But as the tool was figured to be also helpful in controlling and/or losing weight, many dieticians and physicians are now also using the index to aid people in determining which food helps them to lose weight.
Glycemic Index Explained Simply put, glycemic index is a method to measure the effect of certain foods on your blood sugar. Foods which rank high in glycemic index are foods which can be easily broken down by your system.
This type of foods causes a sharp spike in your blood sugar level as it is easily absorbed by your body. Whereas, foods which rank low in the glycemic index are those foods which are not quickly absorbed by your system. They are compared against a table with 100 as the highest number which is the equivalent of sugar in a pure glucose.
This information is particularly important to those who want to lose weight as this method can also help regulate an individual’s craving for food and sugar. Nutritionist study shows that the amount of sugar in the bloodstream has also a direct correlation to a person’s appetite for food.
While this information is critical to diabetics who has to control the blood sugar in their system, this was made important to dieters as it is a way to limit their food intake.
Foods like cereals, whole grain and apple has a low glycemic index and tends to “fill” you for a longer time hence your reduced requirement for food intake. This information is particularly helpful if you intend to lose weight as you are being nourished with the least quantity of food. Basically Glycemic Index determines which food will sufficiently nourish you without getting fat.
And with food that takes time to absorb, your body exerts more effort to break it and inadvertently increases your basal metabolic rate. Both processes are beneficial to you as your body burn more calorie as it processes your food intake in the least quantity.
On the reverse, foods which scores high in the glycemic index (more than 70 of the 100) are foods that can easily be absorbed in your bloodstream. This causes a sudden rise in the sugar level in your blood. As this is easily absorbed, it can only fill you for a short period of time.
When the sugar level subsides, your body will feel the necessity to eat again. In effect, foods that are ranked high in Glycemic Index require more food intake to nourish your body and not advisable when you are attempting to lose weight.
