The Glycemic Index And Your Health
In some ways, you can link the glycemic index to your health because of its nature and how it affects your overall health. Because we know that too much sugar in the blood can lead to diabetes, it stands to reason that if your diet includes carbohydrates that have a low glycemic index, less sugar will entering the bloodstream, and thus the chances of developing diabetes are reduced. Any time you change your eating habits in order to prevent illness, you are providing the body with the fuel it needs to remain healthy. In addition, carbohydrates with a lower glycemic index include the complex carbohydrates or those that create energy rather than turning into sugar.
The entire purpose of consuming foods that have a low glycemic index is to provide your body with healthy alternatives to the simple carbohydrates that create quick acting energy but cause a meltdown just as quickly. For example, in the middle of the day when you feel tired, you may grab a candy bar to give you a quick burst of energy until the end of the day, but the problem is that you will crash and burn just as quickly when the sugar “high” finishes its job. We do not think of that when we need a quick energy fix, but the fact is that if we take something that is slower-burning energy such as perhaps a slice of whole wheat toast or a bowl or whole grain cereal, it may not give a quick burst of energy, but the energy it gives you will last longer. We think that we need something to keep us from falling asleep, and that sugar-packed product does the job – at the time.
We need to condition ourselves to eating foods that are healthy, and thus preventing the need for quick energy foods. One of the best ways to do this is to get into the habit of eating a healthy breakfast. One of the worst habits that we have is skipping the most important meal of the day. Skipping breakfast is a guaranteed way to lose your energy level before the end of the day, but if you eat a healthy breakfast consisting of whole grains and protein, your energy level will be in its best form for the rest of the day