The Problem With Using Glycemic Index

Posted by: Curt | Under: General Fitness | (0) Comments

MSNBC has a great article about foods, glycemic index and carbs. For years, we have been told that glycemic index is a good way to control blood sugar, carbs and body fat. Not exactly true… For example, chocolate cake and pizza both have a relatively low glycemic index, but are high in both sugar and fat. So, they are not exactly healthy food choices from that perspective. Here is a good example of the flaw in the system-

1. Both pound cake and soda have a lower GI than watermelon.

2. Chocolate ice cream has a lower GI than a parsnip.

3. The GI of a Twix bar is lower than that of all the foods we just mentioned.

According to this analysis, you should opt for a Twix over a slice of watermelon. A soda would be better, too. Intuitively, of course, that doesn’t make sense. After all, per serving, the watermelon is lower in calories and higher in essential nutrients than the Twix. And, well, it’s fruit — not junk.

What gives? It’s simple: The glycemic index doesn’t compare real-world portion sizes. You see, the GI of a food is determined by giving people an amount that provides 50 grams of digestible carbohydrates, which include starch and sugar but not fiber.

This is the amount of carbs in about three-quarters of a king-size Twix. However, you’d have to eat 5 cups of diced watermelon to match that number — not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison. So even though eating a lot of watermelon may raise blood sugar dramatically, a single serving of the fruit has significantly less sugar than a candy bar.

…Here’s the bottom line on the GI.

Unless you’re having just a soda, you’re usually eating a mix of nutrients. That is, most meals with fast-absorbing carbs also include protein, fiber, and/or fat. (If yours don’t, they should.) This makes the GI an unreliable tool, as fat and fiber both lower your blood-sugar response after you eat.

You don’t need the glycemic index to make wise choices. Just eat the majority of your calories from whole foods: meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, dairy, and whole grains. This automatically eliminates the junk and provides a filling diet rich in vitamins and minerals and other healthful nutrients.

Calories are king. If you don’t overeat, you’ll stay lean and healthy for life. So a diet that you find the easiest to maintain is probably the right one for you.

Make sure you read the whole article since there is a lot more important info that you need to be aware of- and remember that daily exercise makes all the difference in how your body uses and processes sugars. That is why Micheal Phelps (OK, this is an extreme case) can eat 10,000 calories/day and suffer no ill effects. Exercise is critical to healthy living.