We all want to stay healthy and prevent illnesses, for which, we either exercise, follow a healthy diet, or count calories while many are able to lose weight, there are certain foods that cause an insulin spike, owing to their high glycemic index. What is the Glycemic index we hear you ask? It's the insulin response that food creates which is due to its spiking blood-glucose levels. There is a Glycemic index chart and for any food that scores 70 and above, that food is known to spike sugar levels in the body. The lower the Glycemic index of the food, the less blood glucose response it creates in your body. Foods that are high in dietary fiber are known to slow down digestion and slowly release glucose into the bloodstream. Spiking your blood glucose levels consistently can result in developing type 2 Diabetes, and given the fact that India is the diabetic capital of the world, it becomes necessary to avoid this slow-killing disease. In today's blog, we'll cover the top 5 high Glycemic index foods that you may be consuming in your day-to-day life.
Refined Flour:
A food type that we have constantly featured in our Know-Your-Calories blog is refined flour. Stripped of all the fiber and just simple carbohydrates, the Glycemic index of refined flour is 71, and consuming this regularly will surely spike your blood glucose levels.
Breakfast cereals:
Most breakfast cereals come loaded with sugar, stripped of all the fiber, and comes loaded with preservatives, artificial flavours, and whatnot. A single serving of chocolate or cornflakes scores 82 on the glycemic index
Tea-time cookies:
Another popular tea-time snack is the classic cashew or butter cookie, which sits high on the glycemic index. Made using refined flour and table sugar, it scores 73 on the glycemic index, which means that it is bound to cause an insulin response.
Soft drinks:
One of the most popular beverages in the country is aerated beverages that are spiked with sugar to give you instant energy/sugar high on a hot summer's afternoon. Cola scores 68 on the glycemic index, and if you prefer mango-based drinks, then the glycemic index will be much higher, owing to its higher sugar content.
White rice:
As much as we hate to add this food to the list, owing to the fact that it is a part of many households across the country, white rice scores 77 on the glycemic index. White rice is extremely high in simple and starchy carbohydrates, which is known to cause an immediate insulin response. If you are unable to decide which grain is the best for you, then click here to read all about it in our previous blogs.
So there you go, another important health and nutrition topic covered by us at HYP. Stay tuned to this page for more important health tips.
Questions?