Glyceamic-Insulin Index Food Chart
The Blood Glucose graph below demonstrates why calories are not always equal. Carbohydrates will only take 2hrs to completely metabolise and will prompt a rebound hypogleamic (glucose drop) event, activating an energy slump, hunger, craving, irritability (hangry), mood swings, withdrawal headaches and sometimes even hand tremors … it is indicated by a strong desire to eat something to feel better and most often it is something sweet or starchy.
Fats are the polar opposite, they stabilise blood glucose through their gradual absorption over 7.5hrs. This is like drip-feeding your body energy gradually all day without any spikes and fluctuations commonly found with carbohydrates. Think of the analogy … carbs are like putting little sticks on the fire every couple of hours vs fats that are like throwing a big log on the fire that will burn all day.
Proteins are the medium-sized branches that also provide the important scaffolding of our biology. Proteins are considered the primary macronutrient that maintains our muscle mass and collagen for our joints and connective tissue.
The glycemic index (GI) is a number from 0 to 100 assigned to a food, with pure glucose equaling 100. This represents the relative rise in blood glucose two hours after consuming that food. The insulin index (II) of food represents how much the concentration of insulin is elevated in the blood during the two hours after the food is ingested. The Glycaemic/Insulin Index Food Chart categorises all foods as follows:
- Low (Green)
- Medium (Orange)
- High (Red)
To maintain balanced blood glucose and insulin levels, it is recommended to avoid all High (Red) foods, minimise Medium (Orange) foods, and focus mostly on Low (Green) foods. The exception applies to the three meats with a medium insulin index (beef/fish/veal), as they will gradually absorb over many hours to avoid any spiking effect.
