GLYCEMIC INDEX

The glycemic index is the speed at which foods are broken down and turned into glucose for energy. Now we are talking about carbs, and saying there are low-glycemic carbs and high-glycemic carbs. A food that is considered low-glycemic takes a lot longer to break down and doesn't spike up the blood sugar. It gives you steady and slow energy, and helps to keep your blood sugar steady.

If you eat high-glycemic foods your blood sugar will quickly rise, for a more sudden burst of energy. Your body tries to compensate for this spike and make the blood sugar more even. When you are diabetic you want to keep the sugar level as even as possible throughout the day. This makes it easier to manage the insulin, meds, and the disease itself. With sudden spikes and bursts of this energy, you don't feel as full as long as when you eat slow and steady.

Bottom line is that it's better to eat low-glycemic foods than high. For a non-diabetic this means you won't binge eat for energy. You will have a steady full feeling and steady energy dispersed and this will help you to loose weight. For a diabetic the benefits of low over high is being able to manage blood sugar levels and loss of extra weight. Eating this way leaves out the bad carbs, and keeps you on the good carbs. With a slow steady stream of these foods you have cut down the carbs and will not crave and binge carbs because you haven't given them up completely.

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