What is the glycemic index?

The term "glycemic index" was introduced by doctors involved in the treatment and study of diabetes. They drew attention to the fact that each product in its own way affects the level of sugar in the blood. In fact, this means that some foods are quickly digested by the body and in the form of glucose instantly enter the human blood, while others are digested much longer, glucose in the blood is released gradually, in small portions.

To date, the glycemic index is used not only by diabetics, for whom the sugar level is an indicator on which life directly depends, but also by people who want to lose weight. The fact is that a sharp release of glucose into the blood triggers the production of insulin, which must remove excess glucose. And remove by processing into fats. Thus, two problems are solved: first, the sugar level is lower, and secondly, energy is stored for the future.

When the amount of glucose falls, the body starts demanding energy from outside and the person feels hungry. This does not mean that there is no energy left, just a part of it is already stocked up for the future, and we did not receive the untapped energy supply in the form of fat.

When glucose enters the bloodstream evenly, there is no release of insulin, the energy is consumed evenly, and not postponed for the future. A person feels longer, and no accumulation of fat takes place.

So, the glycemic index (GI) is just that indicator that visually reflects the speed with which the carbon-containing product is processed into glucose. The GI of glucose, equal to 100, is taken as the reference point. It is with this figure that the GC of the remaining products is compared. The higher the rate of product cleavage, the higher its GI. Accordingly, in order to lose weight, it is necessary to give preference to products with a low glycemic index. Low GI is considered below 55, from 56 to 69-average GI, from 70 - high.

For weight loss, it is recommended to consume carbohydrates with a low glycemic index, so-called complex carbohydrates. On the cleavage of such a molecule, the body must spend a lot of time and energy. This mechanism is designed for the way of life that a person has adhered to for hundreds and thousands of generations, namely, a constant movement to search for food. Now the situation has radically changed, a person no longer has to gallop across the steppes to catch his breakfast or lunch, the search for food began to take away much less time and energy, and the food itself became more caloric. All this leads to the fact that too much of the population is obese. To solve this problem, it is necessary to begin to follow what the person is eating.

However, not everything is as simple as it seems. If you look through all the tables found on the Internet with GI values, you inevitably notice that different tables offer different numbers. And this is not surprising, because the glycemic index depends on many factors, in particular, on the way of processing the product. GI of coarse flour will be lower than GI flour of the highest grade, GI of fresh carrots is lower than that of boiled, and even more so than in mashed potatoes, even a hot and cold dish will have different GI, in a cold one it is lower.

Roughly speaking, the more processing the product takes before use, the higher its GI. To increase the index leads and the addition of spices. Therefore, it is better to give preference to simple and unpretentious dishes. There are other nuances. The fact is that GI depends on what, in combination with what the product was eaten, it equates to a higher one. Therefore, in one meal it is better to combine products with a close index.

In addition, there are a number of products that are practically free of carbohydrates. What, for example, is the glycemic index of meat? In fact, it can be equated to zero, because it does not affect the level of sugar in the blood. However, this does not mean that choosing a weight loss system based on GI, meat can be eaten uncontrolled. In addition, there are products such as nuts or chocolate. Their GI is not too high, but they have a high fat content.

As you can see, in order to follow this system, it will be necessary to understand and remember in it for a long time what, how and with what it is better to use, and what should be abandoned altogether. However, this system is considered very effective, due to which it is gaining more and more admirers.