The glycemic index of of a food is a number associated with that food; it indicates the food’s effect on a person’s blood glucose (also called blood sugar) level. We all have been given the impression at one time that all Carbohydrates are bad because they raise the level of our blood sugar. There are those ones with low glycemic index which only have little effect on out blood sugar.
However, there are also carbs that create sharp increase in blood sugar and they can raise the risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart diseases and weight gain. Carbohydrates with low Glycemic Index (GI) of (0-54) or GL (<10) help to curb hunger and also provide you with more energy. This way, you eat less than you would normally eat and you start to lose the weight that you have been dreaming of doing.
A short Guide on Glycemic Indices of Foods
High GI Foods = GI of 70+ (Try to avoid these foods)
Medium GI = 55 – 69 (use caution in eating them)
Low GI = 0 – 54 (These foods are not bad, they are what you want; look for foods with a low GI score)
Common Foods That We Eat and Their GI
| FOOD | Glycemic Index (GI) (glucose = 100) | Serving size (grams) | Glycemic load (GL) per serving |
| Sponge cake, plain | 46±6 | 63 | 17 |
| White wheat flour bread | 70±0 | 30 | 10 |
| Coca Cola®, average | 58±5 | 250 | 15 |
| Fanta®, orange soft drink | 68±6 | 250 | 23 |
| White rice, average | 64±7 | 150 | 23 |
| Ice cream, regular | 61±7 | 50 | 8 |
| Milk, whole milk | 27±4 | 250 | 3 |
| Milk, skim | 32±5 | 250 | 4 |
| Reduced-fat yogurt with fruit, average | 27±1 | 200 | 7 |
| Banana, ripe | 51 | 120 | 13 |
| Kidney beans, average | 27±4 | 150 | 7 |
| Spaghetti, white, boiled 5 min, average | 38±3 | 180 | 18 |
| Spaghetti, white, boiled 20 min, average | 61±3 | 180 | 27 |
| Microwave popcorn, plain, average | 72±17 | 20 | 8 |
| Potato chips, average | 54±3 | 50 | 11 |
| Yam, average | 37±8 | 150 | 13 |
Foods with high Glycemic indices give you high blood sugar level and can lead to the onset of diabetes. They also add more sugar to your blood which the body breaks down into smaller units of carbohydrates and ultimately fat. Fat is not what you want much of it to be stored in your body, especially belly. Almost everyone don’t like belly fat.
