2024
Low and High GI Food.
You may have heard about Low and High GI food? To be more exact we’re talking about low and High GI Carbohydrate. (GI stands for Glycaemic Index).
Carbs are the bodies and brain’s main source of energy, and we can’t live for long without them.
However, the quality of carbohydrate makes a big difference to how we function and our health overall.
When we ingest carbohydrate it goes into our bloodstream and transported as glycogen into the cells of our bodies with the help of a hormone called insulin which is made in the pancreas. (an organ located near the stomach). Some carbohydrates go into our system quickly and others take longer to do so. The ones that take longer are known as Low GI carbs and the ones that enter the bloodstream quickly are called High GI carbs (which create a quick hit of energy). Low GI carbs provide the body with longer lasting energy and also allow the body to feel fuller for longer which prevents overeating. Another benefit of low GI carbs is for sports performance which really helps with endurance, however the main benefit is that they help prevent Type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is caused by too many high GI carbs ( over processed carbs) which if too many are consumed cause the pancreas to stop creating insulin which means that glycogen cannot enter the cells so it backs up in the bloodstream and eventually causes limbs to go gangrenous.
The rule of thumb is the more natural the carbohydrate the better it is , e.g. white bread , white pasta .
It’s also easy to an internet search on the rankings of GI in foods. For example, 40 is considered low (Glucose has a ranking of 100) and brown rice has a ranking of about 45.
So the lower the ranking the healthier it is!!!
For more information https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/carbohydrates-and-the-glycaemic-index
See our other blogs at https://www.inspiresa.com.au/blog/