Derik Li

Glycemic index table charts for food are easily available online, through diabetes and hypoglycemia support groups and even your doctor might have a ready made food table for you. Although we all should pay attention to what is in the food we put in our mouths, we often don’t pay any attention until we have to. It’s taken about twenty years for the present glycemic index table chart of foods to be developed, so you can rely on tried and true testing. But when would you need these glycemic index table charts?

Diabetes

Diabetes comes in two types, both of which deal with the body’s inability to make or cope with glucose — their blood sugar levels. It’s not sugar that causes the more common Type II Diabetes (or sugar diabetes ), but too rich of a diet. All foods affect your blood sugar levels, irregardless of how much sugar is in it. You will still need to monitor your blood sugar levels and follow your doctor’s orders, but having a glycemic index table chart can help you easily select more foods on the lower end of the scale.

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia is when your blood sugar levels plummet to rock bottom. This is bad news as blood sugar is what gives you energy. You can have hypoglycemia and not have diabetes or you can have both. Just like with a diabetic, a glycemic needs to carefully monitor their food intake, eat more of a variety of foods and follow their doctor’s advice. Often, glycemics are encouraged to go on what’s called a low G.I diet . This doesn’t mean you eat like an Army recruit, but choose to eat more foods on the low end of the glycemic index table chart for food.

Heart Disease

A low G.I. diet does not condemn you to eat rice cakes and celery stalks for the rest of your life. You can combine many tasty foods and may discover new favorites. Foods low on the glycemic index table chart just happens to be the ingredients for a healthy diet for anyone. If your doctor thinks you are a likely candidate for heart disease, he or she might recommend you a low G.I. diet. This will not only help you loose weight, but help your heart work easier and more efficiently. You will also have to exercise regularly and drink plenty of water and not alcoholic beverages in order to get the full benefits.