Glycemic load and glycemic index are two different yet related ways of measuring how much glucose a particular food or meal releases into the bloodstream after it is eaten.  Keeping a normal blood sugar level or a blood sugar that returns to normal ranges soon after eating can be managed by paying attention to a foods place on the glycemic index and load tables.  The glycemic index of a food is the measure of the glucose change it induces in the bloodstream in comparison to a control food such as glucose or white bread.  Foods are compared accordingly to how they rank against the control foods.

A baked potato has a glycemic index of 76 relative to glucose or the blood sugar rise of a baked potato is 76% of the blood sugar rise that happens from eating the same amount of glucose.  Glycemic load is figured by multiplying the amount of carbohydrate in grams provided by a food by the glycemic index and then dividing the total by 100.  Glycemic load came about as a way to describe the quality and quantity of carbohydrates in meal

So after all that, what we need to do to keep a normal blood sugar level, or a blood sugar level that returns to normal soon after eating is to choose a diet plan or individual meals that have a low glycemic load.  The best way to do that is to choose foods like whole grains, fruit, and non-starchy vegetables.  Go easy on the starchy higher glycemic index foods like white bread, potatoes and white rice. Lastly, the really hard part, decrease the amount of cookies, cakes and sodas you consume.  Add these to a low-fat, high-quality protein source and you’re all set.

You want to eat foods that are lower in glycemic index to prevent high and low blood sugar swings.  Decreasing the total glycemic load of a meal is a good way to do it.

Posted on: March 16th, 2010 by Natural Remedy Reporter

Filed under: Healthy Eating

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!