Following a Low Glycemic Index Life Plan for a Healthy Life
Bradley G. Philbrick, RPh
Contents
Introduction to the Glycemic Index Eating Lifestyle
Losing Weight for the Overweight and Obese
Supporting Heart Health by Lowering LDL Cholesterol and Raising HDL
Cholesterol
Maintain Proper Blood Sugar Levels and Hemoglobin A1C for the
Diabetic
Increasing Sports Performance by Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load
Conclusion
Introduction to the Glycemic Index Eating Lifestyle
Glucose is the principal source of energy for the human body. All of the cells in the body require at least
some amount of glucose to serve as fuel, to maintain its function and purpose. What is especially
intriguing is that the nervous system and brain rely solely on glucose to perform all of its duties and
instruction to the rest of the body. Blood sugar level is the concentration of glucose in the bloodstream
and it is the brain that signals to other parts of the body that it needs more sugar or if the sugar supply is
sufficient.
The research was conducted on several foods to measure the blood sugar response. It was reported
that many starchy foods were quickly converted to sugar, i.e. glucose and thus entered the blood stream
immediately. Other foods with known sugar contents, especially fruit, was noted did not yield high
sugar levels rapidly but instead took longer to digest. The blood sugar level would take longer to rise,
and most importantly would have maintained a level of glucose for a longer period of time than a
starchy food item such as white bread.
The beginnings of the glycemic index came about by the study and research of Dr. David Wilkins, a
professor at the University of Toronto, Canada. It was the influential work of Dr. Wilkins that led many
other researchers of nutrition around the entire globe to begin the testing of foods. It was found that
different grains, different fruits, different potatoes would all have different responses to blood sugar
levels. This research resulted in an entirely new concept of labeling carbohydrates. Thus, the glycemic
index was created. Research determined too that is it not only the food itself but how the food was
prepared or cooked that would significantly affect how readily the food was broken down into glucose
and into the blood stream. The glycemic index then is ranking of foods based on their effect to raise
blood sugar levels. Glucose, the pure sugar of which the human body’s energy comes from, is the
benchmark for a value of 100. All other foods are ranked on a scale of zero to one hundred determined
by the results of blood sugar levels.
It is important to note that there is another measurement besides the term glycemic index and that is
glycemic load. Glycemic load is a value that predicts how much food will raise an individual’s blood
sugar after consumption. This number is based on the effect of eating one gram of glucose. The
glycemic load then is the product of an equation multiplying the GI value of a food times the amount of
carbohydrate in grams divided by one hundred. One should strongly consider the glycemic index
values of food and not rely solely on a meal plan based upon glycemic load.
The foods we eat most assuredly will affect a vast array of conditions. Obesity is an obvious
circumstance. Improper nutrition may lead to heart disease, kidney disorders, heart conditions
including high blood pressure, and damage to the nervous system. Eating healthy promotes a healthy
body and an enjoyable lifestyle.
Losing Weight for the Overweight and Obese
Obesity is dreadfully full of untoward statistics. Now over two-thirds of adults or seventy-eight million in
the United States is overweight or obese. Even childhood obesity is now approaching close to twenty
percent that are overweight, That is 12.5 million children. An alarming statistic is that for the first time
since the Civil War that the current generation in the United States is expected to have a shorter lifespan
the generation before them. It is because as research points out, it is what they eat, how much they
eat, and a lack of exercise. Obesity in children is of great concern. According to statistics presented by
the American Heart Association children who are obese and who have high triglyceride levels have
arteries similar to those of 45-year-olds. Obese children as young as age three show indicators for
developing heart disease later in life. Children that are overweight from the ages of seven to thirteen
may develop heart disease as early as age 25. Obese children are twice as likely to die before age 55
than their slimmer peers.
It is now estimated that nearly half a million deaths in the U.S. can be traced to obesity. Finally, obesity
is the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States, where obesity attributes to one in
ten deaths.
Obesity leads to a vast array of health problems: hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease,
diabetes, kidney concerns, and various types of cancer.
A low glycemic index eating lifestyle can definitely help the overweight and the obese. Consuming those
carbohydrates with a low glycemic index will aid in controlling one’s appetite. One can actually increase
their food intake without gaining weight or size, and one will be satisfied longer while burning more
body fat.
Supporting Heart Health by lowering LDL and raising HDL Cholesterol
Every minute and twenty-four seconds an American dies from coronary heart disease. Approximately
one in twenty deaths is caused by stroke. Most assuredly, heart disease is the single largest cause of
death in the United States. Nearly two-thirds of all American adults suffer from high blood pressure.
One more alarming statistic, what does heart disease cost? The total economic burden of heart disease
in America was estimated to be $215.6 billion in 2011.
It has been stated previously how obesity leads to many healths related issues, and heart disease is one
of those maladies.
Engaging in a new lifestyle that includes maintaining a low glycemic index diet will reduce blood
cholesterol levels. It will increase the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol while decreasing the
low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Again, an individual will lose weight and increase a body’s
sensitivity to insulin.
Maintaining Proper Blood Sugar Levels and Hemoglobin A1C for the
Diabetic
Diabetes Mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a disease that left unchecked may produce a
whole series of health conditions. Kidney disease, infections, blindness, and nerve damage associated
with pain are several manifestations of diabetes. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
reported in the 2014 National Diabetes Statistics Report that 9.3% of the population in the U.S. or 29.1
million people have diabetes. Those that are diagnosed account for 21.0 million people while 8.1 million
are not diagnosed. The United States is quickly approaching 1.7 new cases of diabetes each year.
Diabetes is a disease determined by how one’s body uses blood sugar. Glucose, as mentioned
previously, is the essential fuel supply for the human body. Being diagnosed with diabetes means that
you have too much glucose in the blood.
One may have a condition known as prediabetes where blood sugars are higher than normal but not
high enough to be fully diagnosed as being a diabetic. The good news for such individuals is prediabetics
have an opportunity to potentially reverse the conditions.
Diabetes is diagnosed by various laboratory tests. The glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test measures one’s
average blood sugar over a period of two to three months. A1C measures the percentage of blood sugar
attached to hemoglobin. The higher the blood sugar levels, the more sugar that will be attached to
hemoglobin. One is diagnosed as diabetic if after two tests the resulting A1C level is greater than 6.5.
An A1C between 5.7 and 6.4 is considered prediabetic and below 5.7 is believed to be normal.
There are three blood sugar tests: random, fasting blood, and an oral glucose tolerance test. A fasting
blood sugar of greater than 126 on two separate tests indicates diabetes. Random blood sugar and an
oral glucose test where blood sugar is determined to be 200 mg/dl are documentation for diagnosing
one as a diabetic.
A low glycemic index eating life plan will help the diabetic and prediabetic. Eating this way contributes
to control fluctuations in blood sugar. One will find too with the low glycemic carbohydrates, many that
were thought to be not good actually do not have the effects on blood sugar once believed.
Increasing Sports Performance by Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load
There is currently much research on the effect of glycemic index and glycemic load on exercise
performance. Also, the glycemic index is a highly debated topic among exercise and health
professionals, ways to improve performance is frequently based on glycemic research. There is strong
evidence that a low glycemic meal prior to exercise provides greater endurance versus a high glycemic
index meal. It needs to be mentioned here that research on the effect of GI on athletic performance is
still at early stages, but belief is that glycemic index has significant merit and needs to be further
investigated.
Other studies indicate that eating a low glycemic meal thirty to sixty minutes prior to exercising will
lower the possibilities of hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia, providing carbohydrates throughout the
training period. It is recommended to eat high glycemic foods during training, these carbohydrates
possess rapid digestion and absorption leading to increased blood levels of glucose during exercise.
Following exercise it is thought that again carbohydrates with a high glycemic index are advised to be
sure of adequate muscle glycogen.
Conclusion
The low glycemic index lifestyle is exactly that, a way of life, not a diet. A diet for many is considered a
temporary matter. The low glycemic index is a change in eating habits for life, indeed a lifestyle
modification. It is one of the few dietary guidelines that are based wholly on scientific evidence.
There are numerous sources available to gain information on the glycemic index (GI) of foods. One
should consider visiting the website of the American Diabetes Association (www.ada.org), The Harvard
Health Publications Website (www.health.harvard.edu), and www.webmd.com. Additionally there are
numerous books on the subject with a detailed list of foods and their glycemic indices. These books
often include recipes and cooking advice to assure a pleasant and satisfying meal.
For the individual who is overweight, concerned with diabetes, at risk for coronary issues and
investigating ways to increase athletic performance a low glycemic index life plan is one that should be
highly regarded and highly considered.