Glycemic Index: The Key To A Well-Balanced Diet

Achieving a healthy body demands a proper nutrition. Getting the proper amount of nutrition is not an easy task. Being able to get the right kind and amount of nutrition is a complicated thing and not as easy as anyone could have possibly imagined. There are certain nutrients that our bodies require to stay in good condition and there are also some nutrients that need to be consumed in a limited amount only.

As always, too much of a something is not good for our health. But then again, if we lack some nutrients or if we will not able to get all the nutrients that our bodies need, it is also unhealthy for our body.Thus, to be able to have a better grasp on proper nutrition and the right amount of nutrients that our bodies need, we need to be more aware of the nutrients that we take in.Furthermore, we must pay attention to our diet and the food that we consume. Carbohydrates are an important nutrient and form an essential part of a well-balanced diet.They are also a good source for energy for our bodies allowing us to perform our daily tasks.

Carbohydrates are commonly found in foods such as breads, pastas, beans, potatoes, bran, rice, and cereals. However, scientists were able to establish that not all carbohydrates are alike and each of which behave differently inside our bodies.They have also found out that only a number of types of carbohydrates are useful and the others are not essential nutrients for our bodies. Contrary to what we came to believe, too much carbohydrate is bad to our health and well-being. Certain types of carbohydrates and too much ingestion of them can cause abnormalities in our blood glucose and insulin levels.This could further cause serious health risks including developing the risks of heart disease, diabetes and obesity.Therefore, in order to stay healthy and protected against these health risks, we need to be familiar with the foods that contain lower carbohydrates and avoid the ones that contain a lot of carbohydrates. To keep track of our carbohydrate intake, what we need to do is to use the glycemic index as our reference. The glycemic index is used by a lot of health and fitness experts to measure the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. This index ranks carbohydrates based on their effect on our blood glucose levels. Developed by Dr. David J. Jenkins and his colleagues, GI divides foods with carbohydrates into three classifications namely low GI, medium GI and high GI. Each of the classification has a list of foods that are classified based on their carbohydrate content.

The glycemic index is an essential tool in keeping us in good health and protected against the risks of heart disease, diabetes and obesity. High GI foods can cause more rapid rise in blood glucose levels and greatly helps in energy recovery after endurance exercise or for a person experiencing hypoglycemia. However, high GI foods are detrimental to our health especially to obese and overweight people, because it pushes our body to extremes.What many fitness and health experts recommend is to take in low GI foods which can gently trickle glucose into our blood stream which greatly helps in keeping our energy levels balanced and making us feel fuller for longer between meals.Choosing low GI foods over high GI foods is good for our health and can keep us protected against the risks of heart diseases and diabetes.Furthermore, a low GI diet is perfect for weight reduction and weight management.

In order to stay healthy and protected against these health risks, we need to have an idea on what foods contain lower carbohydrates and avoid the ones that contain too many carbohydrates. To keep track of our carbohydrate intake what we need to do is to use the glycemic index as our reference. This index is used by many health and fitness experts as a gauge to which the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels are measured.