Читать книгу Sugar Addicts’ Diet - Nicki Waterman - Страница 26

Simple sugars are perfect fuel for this blood-sugar roller coaster, as are the ‘sneaky’ sugars – the refined carbohydrates. The extent to which specific carbohydrates (including ‘good’ unrefined complex carbohydrates) make the roller coaster rise – and the speed at which they do so – depends on something called the Glycaemic Index (GI). The GI is a way of measuring the effects of food on blood-sugar levels. Foods range from high GI down to low GI.

High GI foods break down quickly during digestion and raise blood-sugar levels rapidly and to high levels. Examples include white rice (not basmati) and white bread.

Mid GI foods break down moderately slowly. Examples include pasta and raisins.

Low GI foods break down slowly and release sugar gradually into the bloodstream for long-term energy. Examples include lentils, sweet potatoes, and fruits such as cherries and peaches.

In simple terms, if you want to stop the roller coaster – or at least stop it rising and falling so sharply – you should be trying to eat low GI foods rather than high GI ones. But don’t start panicking and trying to work out what the GI rating of foods is. The Sugar Addicts’ Diet incorporates these principles for you so foods we suggest you eat will tend to be low or medium GI, and those we advise cutting down on or removing altogether will tend to be high GI. We’ll be providing you with lists of these foods later on, as well as a meal planner and recipes.