One of the most important things to keep in mind on your journey to overall health and fitness is to watch the foods, and such, that you put into your body. Some foods contain more acid, sugars, carbohydrates, salt, and other factors that contribute to the health of your body. Often you will here the term glycemic index or GI. Glycemic index is a numeric rating system that measures one food's ability to raise blood sugar against another's, the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. Only foods that contain carbohydrates have a glycemic index value. Any food that has a GI value of 100 or more will raise your blood sugar just as pure sugar would.
This doesn't mean that all Carbs are bad or you need to give up some of your favorite foods. The glycemic index of a food is defined as the area under the two hour blood glucose response curve following the ingestion of a fixed portion of carbohydrate. A low GI food will release glucose more slowly and steadily where as high-GI food causes a more rapid rise in blood glucose levels. For those whom are trying to achieve a positive exercise regimen that produces results, keep in mind that it's been proven a higher GI level will help in energy recovery after exercise. Although, many would claim that foods such as carrots and potatoes are dangerous to your health other would argue that they are the opposite. Some of us, more than others, have to pay close attention to these levels such as diabetics. Many modern diets rely on the glycemic index such as the South Beach Diet. Yet some would say that foods like chocolate cake, that carry a lower GI level are easier to work off, so they are not as unhealthy as others would state. This is one of those crazy things that has many a opinion and factors. I mean, how on earth is chocolate cake possibly good for you?
Here I will list some everyday foods and their glycemic levels:
Potatoes 120
Parsnips 97
Sweet Potatoes 85
Corn 85
Rutabaga 72
Carrots 70
Green Peas 50 - 70
Fructose - 12-25
Glucose - 85-111
Honey - 32-87
Lactose - 46
Milk, regular 11-40
Skimmed milk - 32
Sugar free- 14-23
White bread - 64-87
Whole wheat bread - 52-87
Muffins, cakes, pancakes, waffles etc - vary between 38-102
Rice Cakes - 61-91
All bran - 30-51
Bran buds - 58
Corn flakes 72-92
Corn Chex - 83
Fruit loops - 69
Rice chex - 89
Quick cooking oats - 66
Instant cream of wheat - 74
Grains
Barley - 22-48
Barley, cooked - 50
cornmeal boiled in water - 69
long grained white rice - 50-64
Short and medium grained white rice - 83-93
Brown rice - 66-87
Rice pasta - 40-92
Apples - 28-44, average 38
Raw apricots - 57
Dried apricots - 31
Under ripe Banana - 30
Over ripe Banana - 52
Cherries - 22
Dates - 103
Grapefruit - 25
Grapes - 46-49
Pears - 33-42
Plums - 24-53
Strawberries - 40
Carrot juice - 43
Cranberry juice cocktail - 52-68
Grapefruit juice - 48
Orange Juice - 46-53
Pineapple juice - 46
Hopefully, This helps a bit. As I have stated before, please keep in mind or rather take into consideration that these foods and their glycemic levels effect us in different ways. Ultimatlely, eating healthy, reasonable portions of foods, with a daily exercise regime the average person can stay healthly and fit throughout their lives.
This doesn't mean that all Carbs are bad or you need to give up some of your favorite foods. The glycemic index of a food is defined as the area under the two hour blood glucose response curve following the ingestion of a fixed portion of carbohydrate. A low GI food will release glucose more slowly and steadily where as high-GI food causes a more rapid rise in blood glucose levels. For those whom are trying to achieve a positive exercise regimen that produces results, keep in mind that it's been proven a higher GI level will help in energy recovery after exercise. Although, many would claim that foods such as carrots and potatoes are dangerous to your health other would argue that they are the opposite. Some of us, more than others, have to pay close attention to these levels such as diabetics. Many modern diets rely on the glycemic index such as the South Beach Diet. Yet some would say that foods like chocolate cake, that carry a lower GI level are easier to work off, so they are not as unhealthy as others would state. This is one of those crazy things that has many a opinion and factors. I mean, how on earth is chocolate cake possibly good for you?
Here I will list some everyday foods and their glycemic levels:
Potatoes 120
Parsnips 97
Sweet Potatoes 85
Corn 85
Rutabaga 72
Carrots 70
Green Peas 50 - 70
Fructose - 12-25
Glucose - 85-111
Honey - 32-87
Lactose - 46
Milk, regular 11-40
Skimmed milk - 32
Sugar free- 14-23
White bread - 64-87
Whole wheat bread - 52-87
Muffins, cakes, pancakes, waffles etc - vary between 38-102
Rice Cakes - 61-91
All bran - 30-51
Bran buds - 58
Corn flakes 72-92
Corn Chex - 83
Fruit loops - 69
Rice chex - 89
Quick cooking oats - 66
Instant cream of wheat - 74
Grains
Barley - 22-48
Barley, cooked - 50
cornmeal boiled in water - 69
long grained white rice - 50-64
Short and medium grained white rice - 83-93
Brown rice - 66-87
Rice pasta - 40-92
Apples - 28-44, average 38
Raw apricots - 57
Dried apricots - 31
Under ripe Banana - 30
Over ripe Banana - 52
Cherries - 22
Dates - 103
Grapefruit - 25
Grapes - 46-49
Pears - 33-42
Plums - 24-53
Strawberries - 40
Carrot juice - 43
Cranberry juice cocktail - 52-68
Grapefruit juice - 48
Orange Juice - 46-53
Pineapple juice - 46
Hopefully, This helps a bit. As I have stated before, please keep in mind or rather take into consideration that these foods and their glycemic levels effect us in different ways. Ultimatlely, eating healthy, reasonable portions of foods, with a daily exercise regime the average person can stay healthly and fit throughout their lives.
