Have you ever had your blood
sugar levels tested or heard about eating to balance blood sugar?
You know I talk about it a bunch, so if you have ever worked with me you have heard this.
Have you
wondered about the science behind how foods affect blood sugar?
Or more
importantly, which foods affect your blood sugar more than others?
If so, this post is for you. If not you, maybe someone you love.
It's all about the glycemic index
and glycemic load. And it's not boring, promise!
Read on because you may want
to pay attention to foods that are high on the glycemic index or high glycemic
load. And if you're at risk of blood sugar issues, pancreas conditions, or even
diabetes this is IMPORTANT for you to know. And if you aren't and don't want to ever be, this is important too.
What is the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load?
Glycemic this and glycemic that.
Does it matter?
You'll notice that they both
begin with "glycemic." That's one tip that they have to do with
sugars and carbs. Not only how much sugar is in foods, but more importantly,
how it affects your blood sugar levels.
In general, diets that are high
on the glycemic index (GI) and high in glycemic load (GL), tend to increase the
risk of diabetes and heart disease.
FUN FACT: Starches like those in
potatoes and grains are digested into sugar; this is because starch is just a bunch
of sugars linked together. Digestive enzymes break those bonds so that the
sugars become free. Then those sugars affect your body the same way that eating
sugary foods do.
Glycemic Index (or “how fast”)
The most common of the two terms
is “glycemic index” (GI).
As the name suggests, it
"indexes" (or compares) the effect that different foods have on your
blood sugar level. Then each food is given a score from 0 (no effect on blood
sugar) to 100 (big effect on blood sugar). Foods that cause a fast increase
in blood sugar have a high GI. That is because the sugar in them is quickly
processed by your digestive system and absorbed into your blood. They cause a
“spike” in your blood sugar.
So, you can probably guess that
pure glucose is given a GI rating of 100. On the other hand, chickpeas are
right down there at a GI of 10.
Regarding GI: low is anything
under 55; moderate is 56-69, and 70+ is considered a high GI food.
Remember, this is a measure of
how fast a carbohydrate containing food is digested and raised your blood
sugar. It's not a measure of the sugar content of the food.
How the carbohydrates in food
affect your blood sugar level depend on other components of the food. Things
like fiber and protein can slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream, and
this can make even a high-sugar food, low on the GI scale.
So, lower GI foods are better at
keeping your blood sugar levels stable because they don't increase your blood
sugar level as fast.
FUN FACT: Can you guess which
food has a GI of higher than 100? (Think of something super-starchy) White
potatoes! They have a GI of 111.
Glycemic Load (or “how much”)
The glycemic load is different.
Glycemic load (GL) doesn’t take
into account how quickly your blood sugar “spikes”, but it looks at how high
that spike is. Basically, how much the food increases your
blood sugar.
GL depends on two things. First,
how much sugar is actually in the food. Second, how much of the food is
typically eaten.
Low GL would be 0-10, moderate GL would be 10-20, and high GL would
20+.
Example of GL and GI
So, let’s compare average (120 g) servings of
bananas and oranges:
Food
|
GI
|
Serving size (g)
|
GL per serving
|
Banana,
average
|
48
|
120
|
11
|
Oranges,
average
|
45
|
120
|
5
|
Excerpt from: Harvard Health
Publications, Glycemic index and glycemic load for 100+ foods
As you can see, the banana and
orange have almost the same glycemic index.; this means they both raise your
blood sugar in about the same amount of time.
But, the average banana raises
the blood sugar twice as high (11) as the orange does (5). So, it contains more
overall sugar than the same amount (120 g) of orange.
Of course, this is all relative.
A GL of 11 is not high at all. Please keep eating whole fruits. This is an easy example.
So...What does this all mean for
your health?
Certain people should be aware of
the effects that foods have on their blood sugar. People who have diabetes or
pre-diabetes conditions like insulin resistance need to be aware of the glycemic index and
glycemic load of foods they are eating regularly.
The GI and GL are just two
factors to consider when it comes to blood sugar. Some high GI foods are pretty
good for you but if you want to reduce the impact on your blood sugar, have
them with a high-fiber or high-protein food. That's why I always talk about eating with a fiber food or protein.
Conclusion
If you have blood sugar
imbalances or diabetes, you should probably be aware of the GI and GL of your
food.
If you are at risk of diabetes or
heart disease, you might try swapping out some higher GI/GL foods and replacing
with lower GI/GL foods.
If you want to prevent either of those in the future, remember these tips.
Oh, and check out this low GI recipe I
have for you.
Recipe (low GI): Mediterranean
Salad
Serves 2
1 cucumber, chopped
½ cup chickpeas, drained and
rinsed
½ cup black olives
¼ red onion, diced
½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp basil
½ tsp oregano
1 dash sea salt
1 dash black pepper
Place first five ingredients
together in a bowl.
Add remaining ingredients to a
jar (to make the dressing) with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously.
Add dressing to salad and gently
toss.
Serve & enjoy!
Tip:
Add chopped avocado for even more fiber and healthy fat.
When you try it...come back here and let me know!
References:
http://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods
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