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What is a Glycemic Index List?
The best tips on how to use a glycemic index list of foods for successful weight loss.
The glycemic index (GI) is a way to rank different types of carbohydrates according to their affect on our blood sugar levels.
Food with a high glycemic index releases glucose quickly into the blood stream with the result of rapidly rising blood sugar levels, and the opposite for food with low glycemic index.
Foods that contain carbohydrates have an impact on our blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates in the food are broken down into sugar and then absorbed into the blood stream.
Sometimes it causes a fast rise in the blood sugar and sometimes it doesn’t.
What is a Glycemic Index?The Glycemic Index as a concept was developed in the early 1980’s by Dr. David Jenkins, professor of nutrition at the University of Toronto.
He had volunteers eat different foods on an empty stomach and listed the foods according to how fast it affected their blood sugar levels.
It was initially meant as a tool for people suffering from diabetes to help them choose the right food to avoid high blood sugar, but has also become a popular tool among dieters, sometimes presented as a weight loss method.
It’s not a method and following only a glycemic index list of foods is not a good way to lose weight.
Keep in mind; the index doesn’t say anything about the nutritional value of your food or the calorie content, only how fast it will make your blood sugar level rise.
It’s not necessary to go to extremes by avoiding all carbohydrates.
The body needs carbohydrates to burn fat, so a certain amount of carbohydrates is necessary for weight loss. You just have to be careful in choosing the right ones.
The Glycemic Index List and your HealthThe index can trick you into making some unfounded conclusions, but nevertheless; it’s an excellent tool for weight loss.
Besides being good for weight loss, eating food with a low index can also have many positive health affects.
It can improve the condition of your heart and your brain, may lower the risk of cancer and even improve the health of your teeth.
So there are many reasons for learning more about this index to help you keep your blood sugar at acceptable levels.
By following a low glycemic diet you will avoid fluctuations of your blood sugar levels and you will stop having sugar cravings. This is a great help for your weight loss, but not enough.
Some low glycemic index foods are high in calories. Check out how you can design a low glycemic index diet that will also make you lose weight.
Adjusting to a diet based on this index isn’t difficult. Check out this GI chart to see what foods to prefer and what foods to avoid.
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Return from The Glycemic Index List to Healthy Weight Loss Made Easy

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