Glycemic Index

Glycemic Index (GI) is a food measurement determined by how quickly blood sugar rises in a fasting person in response to eating exactly 50g of available carbohydrate. Foods are then categorized as low, medium, or high based on how how the food compares to a reverence food like white breads.

The glycemic index of foods in particularly important for individuals with diabetes or hypoglycemia. For healthy individuals it is a useful tool as well. For example, a marathon runner may want to eat a high-GI food before a workout. This is because he/she wants glucose to enter the bloodstream rapidly to help during exercise.

Some people declare all foods with a high glycemic index unhealthy because they cause a rapid rise in blood sugar. But a food should not be ruled out completely because it has a high GI. Instead, get to know your own response to foods that have a high GI.