If you’ve been struggling more and more to lose weight as you age or you have a family history of diabetes, you might want to consider paying closer attention to what you’re eating. Following a food plan that takes into account how various types of food affect your blood sugar levels can help an individual make healthier food choices and potentially avoid significant health issues later in life.

Blood Sugar and Insulin – How Does it Work?

Before discussing the glycaemic index and how it affects blood sugar, it is worth taking time to understand how blood sugar and insulin actually function in the body. There are two main hormones that help regulate the amount of glucose (blood sugar) within the blood stream. The hormone insulin moves sugar from the bloodstream and places it into cells throughout the body. If you often have a higher than average amount of glucose in your bloodstream, that means the insulin within your body is working very hard to remove the excess glucose from your blood. When your blood sugar is too low another hormone, glucagon, releases glucose from your liver which begins to circulate throughout your bloodstream, restoring glucose to normal levels.

The Glycaemic Index

Whenever you eat or drink anything with carbohydrates, your body breaks down the carbs into sugars and starches and then into glucose. Glucose is the main source of energy for your cells and plays a vital role in giving an individual enough “pep” to carry out their daily activities. Certain foods that dispense glucose more rapidly into your bloodstream are said to have a higher glycaemic index. These foods result in a high blood glucose level, which requires your insulin to work harder to process the excess glucose. Those foods with a lower glycaemic index do not send much glucose into the bloodstream, allowing an individual’s blood sugar level to remain fairly constant.

Blood Sugar, Insulin and Diabetes

People who have a diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates are continually sending a higher level of sugar into their bloodstream. Over time, their insulin receptors wear out or become resistant, and insulin can then no longer effectively remove the excess sugar from their blood. This is when insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, and finally diabetes mellitus type II comes into play. Although many diabetics can control their blood sugar through oral medication, diet and exercise, some must regularly inject themselves with insulin in order to reduce the excess sugar in their blood. Understanding how excess sugar gets into the blood from high glycaemic foods, shows how important it is to consider what foods can help avoid diabetes in the future.

Weight Management and the Glycaemic Index

Generally speaking, when it comes to weight management through low glycaemic index food choices, foods high in protein are typically low on the index. Complex carbohydrates are often lower on the index as well. Foods high in protein centre around meat and fish, dairy products, nuts, eggs and tofu. Complex carbs are typically found in many vegetables, some fruits and whole grains such as oats, barley and whole wheat.

Foods containing large amounts of sugar or simple carbohydrates tend to rate higher on the glycaemic index. Eating a diet rich in protein and complex carbs, and low in refined carbohydrates and sugars helps keep glucose levels in the bloodstream fairly constant. This helps individuals feel they have enough energy to perform their daily activities, without going overboard and inserting unhealthy amounts of glucose into their bloodstream, which then is processed by insulin.

If you want to know more about the glycaemic index and how it can help you sensibly lose weight and possibly improve your insulin levels, please contact us. Doctor Allie understands the complex world of hormones and how important they are to feeling healthy and maintaining wellness for a lifetime. Right now you can tune Doctor Allie’s 28 Day Be Healthy Challenge free by purchasing products HERE – we will personally help you to select the best nutritional products for your situation, with a free Health and Wellness Zoom call.