The glycemic index is a system of values given to foods according to how quickly they cause an increase in blood glucose levels to put that in layman's terms it basically measures how fast different foods are digested by the body you see glucose is a simple sugar that gives your body energy and you get it from the foods you eat your blood is what carries this sugar throughout your body to all you're hungry cells and tissues that's why it's called blood glucose if you eat something that's high on the index your blood glucose will spike giving you a fast boost of energy
Wait a second it's not as cool as it sounds because this energy boost is short-lived and almost always followed by a crash like Isaac Newton said what goes up must come down that energy rush you get as a result of the food being digested quickly once that process is done your fuel tank it's empty real fast that means you'll be feeling hungry again sooner than you know it and heading right back to the fridge in a nutshell if you're eating lots of these fast digesting foods you may find that you're eating way more than you should
Now I'm not saying that the kitchen isn't my favorite place in the house because it certainly is but of course we all know the main problem when it comes to spending too much time there getting into that vicious cycle of overeating high glycemic foods almost always leads to weight gain plus since these foods have so much glucose in them your body takes what it needs and then stores the rest as fat well not unless you're one of those lucky people that eat what you want and don't gain an ounce anyway as for the rest of us added weight comes with health risks like cardiovascular disease kidney failure and diabetes so it's better to avoid these foods or consume them in moderation
On the flip side foods that are low on the index release glucose aka fuel for your body in a slow and steady manner and since these foods are metabolized slowly they take a while to leave your digestive system which means you feel full for longer and won't need to constantly overeat just to keep your body going but the glycemic index is a bit more complex than just high and low foods and drinks are actually split into three groups low medium and high low items rate from 1 to 55 medium is from 56 to 69 and high items are from 70 and above if you're not sure about a certain food you can always look up its glycemic value on the Internet
Now that you know all the technicalities and terminology let's just see howdifferent foods rate on the scale number
1. Foods that digest slowly Low glycemic values
Vegetables like green leafy veggies boiled or raw carrots vegetable soups and plantains most fruits such as raw apples oranges mangoes canned peaches apple juice and orange juice foods with complex carbs which include whole grain breads flatbread barley sweet corn spaghetti oatmeal and noodles dairy that's whole milk skim milk and yogurt nuts and legumes like cashews peanuts chickpeas and most beans
2. Foods that digest moderately a medium glycemic value
Vegetables like sweet potatoes and pumpkins fruits that include bananas dates Kiwi pineapple and watermelon moderate carbs such as boiled brown rice and couscous cereals which include wheat flake biscuits and muesli honey sodas popcorn and potato chips also make this list
3. Foods that digest quickly high glycemic value
Vegetables like instant mashed potatoes and boiled potatoes simple carb foods that's white bread and white rice cereals such as rice porridge and instant oatmeal
According to the experts at body tomy some low glycemic foods like cooked vegetables or a salad can remain in your stomach anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour that doesn't seem very slow especially when you compare it to more glycemic potatoes which take your stomach up to two hours to fully digest but only end up spiking your blood sugar and giving you a short-lived boost of energy your stomach needs even more time up to 3 hours to break down low glycemic nuts so you see these foods can sit in your belly for different amounts of time but it's the good low glycemic foods that keep your body energized for longer There are also foods that don't really have a glycemic index value since they don't contain any carbs but they can still take a while to be digested by your stomach it can take you anywhere from two to five hours for your stomach to digest meats like chicken lamb and pork seafood and fish such as salmon trout and tuna usually leave the stomach after about 40 minutes to an hour eggs cheese oils and herbs also have a glycemic index of zero and get broken up by your gut pretty quickly but fast digestion doesn't mean you'll be hungry soon these foods are full of nutrients that your body needs
You might still be wondering what about my favorite foods like pizza and burgers the case for pizza is an interesting one if you're having pizza that's just Joe cheese and sauce that might rate high on the glycemic index mostly because of that go but believe it or not adding toppings actually makes you slice healthier a deluxe style pizza with all the toppings can reduce glucose levels because the protein and fats in the toppings will slow down the process of breaking the food down into glucose so go ahead and throw some mushrooms bell pepper and onions on your pizza not only will it taste better it'll also keep you full for much longer
Just don't fall into the trap of thinking all low glycemic foods must be healthy you might encounter foods that will be low on the index but if they're processed they most likely still contain tons of saturated fats sugar and empty calories take cheeseburgers for instance they rate pretty low on the glycemic scale but this doesn't mean that big greasy burger is gonna provide you with long-lasting energy or help you lose weight you still need to be mindful of the nutritional value of foods which the glycemic index doesn't tell you for example whole milk has a low glycemic value but it's also high in fat so it won't be suitable for weight loss plus since low glycemic foods digest more slowly if you eat only these types you risk overworking your digestive system everything's about balance you know also keep in mind that the exact time it takes you to metabolize the foods we've mentioned today will also depend on your physical health age gender activity level and the general state of your digestive system
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