The glycemic index is not that new punk rock band from Saskatoon. I got dibs on that name though – it’s a pretty good one. I might name my next cat that. “Here, Glycemic Index! I’ve got some nice Kibbles and Bits for you!”

Wait. That’s a dog food, isn’t it?

Will the real glycemic index please stand up?

The glycemic index ranks foods based upon their immediate effect on your blood sugar levels. Carbohydrate foods that break down quickly during digestion have the highest GI number. Blood sugar response is fast and high. Carbs that break down slowly and release glucose into the bloodstream gradually have a low GI number.

That makes sense.

So what is the significance of a food’s GI number to you? Good question. A low GI diet:

- Means a low rise in blood sugar and can help control diabetes
- Can help people lose weight
- Can improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin
- Alleviate mood swings and regulate energy level

Here are a few things you can do to replace high GI foods with lower ones. Choose breakfast cereals based on wheat, bran, barley, or oats. Select ‘grainy’ breads made with whole seeds. Replace potatoes with pasta and rice. Use vinegar and lemon dressings.

The goal is to build a good eating plan around low GI foods. It will minimize your hunger, reduce the tendency to “cheat” and, consequently, you can continue to lose body fat or maintain your weight. That’s a good deal all the way around.

Here are a couple of points to ponder.

1. Foods that stimulate insulin surges can cause you to eat 60-70% more at the next meal. Yikes.
2. People who eat high glucose products (white bread and most commercial wheat bread) eat an average of 200 calories more at the next meal than those who eat fructose (found in fruits).

Here’s a chart from the South Beach diet to give you an idea of the relative status of foods in the glycemic rankings. It might be worth it to keep this information in the back of your mind when choosing your foods.

All I wanna know is what is the glycemic index of broiled squirrel? Thank you for your attention.

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