The Glycemic Index And Its Effectivenss As A Weight Loss Plan
The Glycemic Index and its Effectiveness as a Weight Loss Plan
Thomas Jefferson once said, "We rarely repent of having eaten too little." Throughout history, Americans have been obsessed with losing weight. Most new weight loss ideas promise to be the easiest and quickest ways to lose weight. Americans are eager to try these new weight loss plans in the never-ending pursuit to lose weight without putting forth any more effort than necessary and without giving up favorite foods. One such diet plan that has become increasingly popular in the wake of the low-carbohydrate craze is the low-Glycemic Index diet.
The original intent of the Glycemic Index (GI) was to aid diabetics in managing their blood sugar; however, the use of the Glycemic Index as a tool for losing weight has gained increasing attention in the wake of the low carbohydrate craze. If followed correctly, the Glycemic Index can be a useful tool for losing weight, but the same can be accomplished with a reduced calorie diet.
According to the International Food Information Council (Food Insight, 2006), the Glycemic Index (GI) was developed by a group of researchers about 20 years ago to help measure the effect that foods containing carbohydrates have on blood sugar. Carbohydrates are turned into glucose when digested which cause blood sugar levels to rise. Some foods cause the blood sugar to rise more than others. By measuring the change in blood sugar levels when certain foods are eaten compared to a control food, experts assign a number referred to as the food's Glycemic Index.
A search on the internet can result in many different sources which list the Glycemic Index values of foods. One such source is http://www.glycemicindex.com/ which offers a search of the GI Database. A search can be conducted for the GI value of a particular food or for a listing of foods within a certain GI rage. Foods with a GI over 70 are considered high, a GI under 55 is low, and...
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