| The experts used to tell us we should avoid simple | | | | and emotional well-being.Dr. Jennie Brand-Miller at the |
| carbohydrates, i.e. sugar, and instead eat complex | | | | University of Sydney and some of her colleagues |
| carbohydrates, i.e. starches. Some of them are still | | | | published an extensive list showing both the glycemic |
| saying that, which is unfortunate because scientists | | | | index and the glycemic load of 750 foods in the July |
| now know that this is not the right way to look at | | | | 2002 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, |
| it.Scientists now know that some starches, such as | | | | pages 5-56. It's a tedious list to consult, though, |
| baked potato for example, cause your blood sugar | | | | because it contains many foods and brands from |
| and insulin levels to increase dramatically in much the | | | | other parts of the world, which most Americans are |
| same way as sugars cause these levels to jump. So | | | | not concerned about.More and more diet books, |
| they constructed something called the Glycemic Index, | | | | including several by Dr. Jenny Brand-Miller, are including |
| which shows how fast and to what degree a given | | | | more usable glycemic indexes these days, so you |
| amount of each kind of carbohydrate causes your | | | | shouldn't have much trouble finding one.The reason it is |
| blood sugar and insulin levels to rise.In a typical | | | | so important for you to have this information is |
| glycemic index, pure glucose is assigned the number | | | | because when food causes your blood sugar to rise |
| 100. All other carbohydrates are assigned lower | | | | too much, the increased blood sugar causes your |
| numbers corresponding to how fast and to what | | | | insulin levels to rise, and that causes weight gain, |
| degree they cause your blood sugar to rise in | | | | especially around the waist, and all sorts of other |
| comparison to the way pure glucose causes your | | | | health, appearance, and emotional problems as |
| blood sugar to rise. A baked russet potato causes | | | | well.Insulin is an extremely important endocrine |
| your blood sugar to rise about 85% as much as pure | | | | hormone that has a powerful effect on many aspects |
| glucose, so a baked potato is said to have a glycemic | | | | of health, appearance, and feelings of well-being.When |
| index of 85 on this type of index.Now more and more | | | | insulin levels are elevated, the levels of many other |
| diet-book gurus and nutrition journalists are telling | | | | hormones and other types of chemical messengers in |
| people to forget about whether a carbohydrate is | | | | your body change as well. And this can lead to all |
| simple or complex, and simply judge it by its glycemic | | | | sorts of trouble.Recent scientific studies have revealed |
| index. They tell us the rule we should follow is to simply | | | | a dramatic relationship between high-glycemic foods, |
| avoid foods that have a high glycemic index.This is | | | | obesity, and several major illnesses.Don De Grazia |
| unfortunate too, though, because the glycemic index | | | | attended the University of Chicago as a Hutchins |
| only tells you how much a given quantity of the | | | | Scholar and has participated in workshops |
| carbohydrate in a given food causes your blood sugar | | | | co-sponsored by the Harvard University Medical |
| to rise. The glycemic index does not tell you how much | | | | School and Beth Israel Hospital. In 1982 he participated |
| carbohydrate is contained in that food. And the | | | | in a series of workshops which were co-sponsored by |
| quantity of carbohydrate in a given food is an even | | | | the University of Indiana Medical School, Dental School, |
| more important factor in determining how much that | | | | and Graduate School of Psychology.He is the director |
| food will cause your blood sugar and insulin to rise.No | | | | of Outreach Counseling Center in Oak Park, Illinois, and |
| problem. Another index has more recently been | | | | has conducted highly successful smoking-cessation, |
| developed by scientists which takes into consideration | | | | weight-loss, diet, and nutrition programs for more than |
| both factors: to what degree a given quantity of a | | | | 32 years.He is also a writer who has been published in |
| given carbohydrate causes your blood sugar to rise, | | | | the United States, Canada, Italy, and Japan. He has |
| and also the quantity of carbohydrate contained in a | | | | won several international awards for his writing. In the |
| specific-size portion of that food.This new index is | | | | year 2000, the Illinois Arts Council, an agency of the |
| called the Glycemic Load, and it provides you with | | | | State of Illinois, selected his fiction for its annual literary |
| extremely important information for weight loss and for | | | | award. |
| many other aspects of health, energy, appearance, | | | | |