A diabetic diet can amazingly do wonders to control the blood sugar level. This is called the "glycemic index (GI) diet," "GI diet," or "low glycemic diet". This is not just the basis of many popular diets for diabetics, this is also the basis of diet for people who want to lose or manage their weight. However, should you wish to try this out, you would do well to arrange an online doctor consultation first. You can do that by installing an app in your smartphone that lets you talk to a doctor from the comfort of your home.
Understanding the Glycemic Index
The glycemic index is one of several metrics used to measure carbohydrates or quick increases in blood sugar/glucose levels following a consumption of carbohydrate-containing food. The measurement of the GI is set at 100, which is the glycemic index of glucose. Foods are typically regarded to have low GI when the value is less than 55, moderate when the GI is 56-69, and high when it has a value of 70.
All carbohydrate-containing food can trigger an increase in the GI in the blood glucose, but the rise can be quicker in some foods. For instance, a bottle of soda can raise the blood sugar faster than a bowl of oatmeal because the latter digests slower for its fiber. The response depends on more factors like the quantity of food, the cooking method, the kind and degree of preparation/ processing.
The Value of Glycemic Index
Glucose is the body's immediate source of energy that is metabolized during glycolysis in the human cells. This fuels the generation of energy in the form of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) to power up cells in the brain, muscles, and other organs.
A low glycemic diet is a diet that is based on controlling blood sugar that works both for diabetics and those people who want to manage their body weight. The metric is based on foods that generate low glycemic response. This does not only help manage diabetes, it also helps in the management of cholesterol that also reduces the risks of coronary diseases. Still, you might want to arrange for a doctor appointment online in case you want to try it for yourself.
How would one know which foods have high or low GI values? Generally, quickly digestible foods have a high GI, while slow digesting foods have a lower GI. Foods that are harder to digest prolong satiety and can maintain blood glucose at a relatively constant state. On the other hand, foods that are digested fast and which have high glycemic index can trigger extreme fluctuations in the blood sugar.
Other dynamics can influence the glycemic index of foods. The plant variety, food processing, cooking method and whether the food is eaten singly or combined with other foods are just some of these factors. Transitioning from a high glycemic index diet to a low glycemic diet can actually be easy with conscious effort. With the help of a doctor, that would be easier. The app mentioned above is beneficial for patients as well those who want to become a doctor.
A person who is predisposed to diabetes and obesity and is aware of the symptoms must try to stick to low glycemic diet. It's a critical decision to make, but a big step towards advancing to a healthy life. However, it gets easier with time.
Christopher Hill hasn't published any talks.