What is the Glycemic Index?

If you have diabetes or you are watching your weight, it may be wise to pay some attention to the Glycemic Index. The Glycemic Index ranks how much a particular food raises your blood sugar level after you eat it. It is really all about carbohydrates and how they raise blood sugar, since foods high in protein and fat have little effect on blood glucose. The carbohydrates that break down quickly in the digestive process have a higher glycemic index than those that slowly release glucose into the blood stream.

Illustration of a glycemic reading.

The Glycemic Index is starting to get some attention in the health care arena based on the fact that more than 17 million Americans suffer from diabetes, with millions more in the making. Several of the popular diet books are also based on the Glycemic Index approach to losing weight, including Sugar Busters (Ballantine), Eat Yourself Slim (Erica House) and the South Beach Diet (Rodale).

According to the Glycemic Index, mashed potatoes, ice cream, and cornflakes raise blood sugar levels higher than pure table sugar! While fruits, vegetables (other than potatoes) and grainy breads have a low glycemic index.

What are some of the benefits of eating foods with a low glycemic index?
  • Weight loss
  • Feeling of "fullness" for a longer period of time after eating
  • Lower rise in blood glucose levels
  • Lower risk of diabetes

For a listing of more than 750 international foods, along with their glycemic index and glycemic load (how much of a carbohydrate is in the particular food), go to www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm.

Dr. Gulotta Asks some important questions of interest to Lake Como residents - Chiropractor Lake Como Dr. Gulotta Asks...

Why is a "slipped disc" unlikely?
Separating each spinal vertebra is a disc. Its fibrous outer ring holds in a jelly-like material. Because of the way a disc attaches to the spinal bones above and below it, it can't actually "slip." However, a disc can bulge, tear, herniate, thin and collapse. But it can't slip.
Why are chiropractors wary of the germ theory?
Louis Pasteur originated the idea that germs caused disease. Yet, on his deathbed he recanted, declaring, "It's not the seed, but the soil." Meaning, it's not the germ that causes disease, but the condition of the body that allows the germ to thrive. Chiropractic care in our Lake Como office is designed to bolster your resistance so germs don't see you as a good host.