Dr. David Jenkins developed the GI, short for Glycemic Impact, Diet when he was studying the effects of carbohydrate food substances on a person’s blood sugar level.
During this study, he discovered that sugary food items had a lesser effect on sugar levels than starchy meals.
Glycemic Index is a scale or chart that identifies the level by which certain food will affect a person’s blood sugar level. This index measures and classifies carbohydrates based on their sugar level or Glycemic.
The GI chart has 100 divisions. 100 is used as the standard to compare the effect of each item on your blood sugar level. The GI index tells the dieter to which extent a food substance will raise the blood sugar level.
In the chart, foods are categorized into low, moderate and high levels. The blood sugar level in the low category is 55 and below. Simple Carbs, such as flour and white sugar are in this group.
The moderate category of GI is within 56 to 69 blood sugar levels. Lastly, the high category is 70 and above sugar levels. Here you could find complex carbohydrates such as whole grains and vegetables.
The GI Impact’s theory is that these simple carbohydrates cause your body to retain fat and increase the insulin level.
The GI diet is healthy. Although it allows three meals and several snacks each day, it is highly restrictive in sugar and advises only low GI foods.
It lessens the risk factors for diabetes and heart diseases. When a person follows a low GI value diet, it would affect his or her metabolism that could lead to increased energy, reduced risk of obesity, improved blood sugar levels and decreased hunger.
However, the negative point of the GI Diet is when these food items are consumed all together, the total GI value changes. Meaning, one should be careful in choosing low GI value foods to absorb the necessary nutrients.
Planning low GI value meals is more complicated than other diets. This is because many factors could affect the GI value of certain foods, such as food combination and preparation. In addition, the GI values of some foods are unknown.
The decreased calorie intake, done with exercise, could reduce weight. The GI diet is best practiced in moderation for a gradual adjustment of eating habits.
