What is Glycaemic Index (GI) and does it concern me?

The Glycaemic Index (GI) is an index of foods categorising the rankings of carbohydrates in relation to how the consumption can affect the glucose levels in your body. Does it concern you? Yes.

Foods such as All-Bran, Pumpernickel, Peppers and Spaghetti are low in GI content thus have a minimal effect on your blood glucose levels compared to high GI foods such as Rice Crispies, Mashed Potato, Pineapple and Ice Cream. So what does this mean for your diet? Does this mean that you can never eat high GI foods and constantly consume low GI foods to become fit and healthy? In short and sweet terms, No. A mixture of high GI and low GI foods is desirable in your diet from a nutritional perspective. It is important to note that high GI foods have been associated with the risk of more cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure but this is only when consumed readily in vast quantities.

With this in mind, when should you consume high GI foods?
You should not cut out the high GI foods but simply eat them in moderation. Combined with low GI foods in a meal you can strike a nice nutritional balance. If you are going to engage in physical activity then you are recommended to eat a low GI meal prior to engaging then a high GI food after engaging. Reasoning behind this is that the low GI foods will slowly release energy and last longer for exercise. Whereas the high GI foods will provide you with immediate repletion of energy stores in higher quantities.

If you aren't planning on engaging in physical activity/exercise then try and stick to a higher proportion of low GI foods compared to high GI foods for your meals. As low GI foods release the complex carbohydrates slower and give you a sense of 'fullness' for longer (satiety) thus meaning you will not snack as much.

I hope this has given you some insight into what the Glycaemic Index is about and how it concerns you. I will add a link to the bottom of this post to provide you with a database of Glycaemic Indexes for common foods. None of the information on the website is linked to me whatsoever, it is simply a commercially available source of information. If you have any questions then please get in touch and I will try to answer any questions possible.

http://www.glycemicindex.com/