Get the G.I. Advantage

Carbohydrates in our diet are digested to the simplest sugar - glucose. Glucose is then taken into the bloodstream causing the blood sugar levels to rise. The level to which they rise and how quickly they rise will vary for each carbohydrate food. High GI (glycaemic index) foods contribute to a rapid rise in blood glucose as they are digested quickly, whereas carbohydrates with a lower GI, release glucose into the bloodstream more slowly sustaining energy and reducing the desire to snack.

What is the GI?

The glycaemic index (GI) is a ranking of individual carbohydrate foods, based on their effect on our blood glucose (or blood sugar) levels. The GI ranks foods from 0 to 100. High GI foods (GI >70) raise blood glucose levels quite dramatically, medium GI foods (GI 55-70) raise blood glucose levels moderately, whereas low GI foods (GI <55) raise blood glucose levels just a little.

So, are low GI foods the goodies?

It is important to note that a food is not 'good' or 'bad' based on its GI value. Therefore, your food choices should not be solely based on their GI value. Eating a wide variety of foods from the core food groups, and including some lower GI foods, is the key to a balanced and enjoyable way of eating.

Low GI foods

• Foods with a lower GI break down slowly during digestion and produce a gradual rise and fall in blood glucose levels.
• Including a low GI food at every meal can help to reduce the overall GI of your meals. For example, adding a low GI food like a tub of fruit yoghurt to a higher GI food like watermelon will help to reduce the overall GI of the meal.
• Low GI foods are more likely to fill you up and keep you satisfied for longer. So, adding low GI foods to your meals can reduce the desire to snack between meals - that's good news for weight watchers!
• Foods with a low GI include porridge, muesli, wholegrain bread, apple juice, pasta, sweet potato, baked beans, lentils, grapefruit, dried apricots, apples, pears and plums, nuts and seeds.

High GI foods in a nutshell

• Foods with a higher GI break down the fastest during digestion and produce more rapid rises in blood glucose levels.
• High GI foods are useful for some groups of people, such as athletes, who need a fast supply of glucose to fuel their muscles during and after competition.
• Examples of foods with a high GI include white bread, crumpets, English muffins, plain scones, water crackers, puffed crispbread, Calrose and Jasmine rice, potato (including baked, mashed, steamed & boiled) and watermelon.