Another piece of data that I include on this site for foods is the glycemic index. What is it and what does it mean?
As I stated before, the way our bodies process carbohydrates is by breaking them down into sugars which are then absorbed into the bloodstream. The problem with this is that these blood sugar spikes drive insulin levels, which lead to the production of excess fat. So it would be useful to have some kind of measurement for how much impact these foods have on your blood sugar level.
The Glycemic Index (GI) is a quantitative way to measure the rate at which your digestive system breaks down the carbohydrates in food and releases them as sugar into your body. The higher the value, the faster it is absorbed.
The value for glucose is set at 100 and all other foods are set relative to this value. The categories of The Glycemic Index are broken down as follows:
Low: GI <= 55
Moderate: GI 56 – 69
High: GI > 70
The Glycemic Index is a valuable tool for low carb dieters. It helps us become more conscious of the foods we are eating and the effect they have on our bodies. By maximizing the negligible or very low GI foods in our diet and minimizing the high GI ones, we are ensuring that we are making smart decisions with our diet that lead to long-term health.
