What is the Glycemic Index?

Not all carbohydrate foods are created equal, in fact they behave quite differently in our bodies. The glycemic index or GI describes this difference by ranking carbohydrates according to how quickly after ingestion their effect on our blood glucose levels. Choosing low GI carbs - the ones that produce only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels - is the secret to long-term health reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes and is the key to sustainable weight loss.

Remember, carbohydrates provide sugar to the muscles, and carbohydrates are ranked (indexed) based on their immediate effect on blood glucose (blood sugar) levels.

High, Low Glycemic Index

The faster a specific carb delivers sugar to the blood, the higher its rank or glycemic index. For example, carrots are a source of sugar (carbs) but the delivery of the carrot sugar into the blood is much slower than from another source such as a potato. A spud will deliver sugar (starchy carbs) to the blood faster than a carrot, but not as fast as say, a banana or sugar. Sugar has a very high index, and carrots very low. This index ranking is called the Glycemic Index.

Complex, Simple Carbohydrates

This Glycemic Index compares foods gram for gram of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates that breakdown quickly during digestion have the highest glycemic indexes and are often called "simple" carbohydrates. The blood glucose response is fast and high. Carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream, have low glycemic indexes and are called "complex" carbohydrates.

What is a complex carbohydrate? It is a carbohydrate that has a low glycemic index, such as carrots, bell peppers, apples, etc. For more on the complexity of carbs, visit the glycemic index website: http://www.glycemicindex.com