What is the Glycemic Load?

May 16, 2022 0 Comments

The glycemic index measures how quickly and how high a specific food or drink raises your blood sugar level. A lower glycemic index indicates that a food will stimulate less blood sugar and is a “good” carbohydrate. A higher one means it’s a “bad” carb. This system is useful, however, it does not take into account the size of the carbohydrate portion. A better measure is your glycemic load.

To measure your glycemic load, use the following equation:
Glycemic Load = Glycemic Index x Grams of Carbohydrates/ 100

The glycemic load measures the effect of the total amount of a food on your blood sugar level. To find the glycemic load of any food or drink, simply multiply the glycemic index by the amount of carbohydrate per serving, then divide by 100 squared. What is a healthy number? Roll for 10 or less.

The glycemic load guidelines per serving of a single food are…

Low glycemic load = 0 to 10
Mean glycemic load = 11 to 19
High glycemic load = 20 and over

Use this information provided by both measures, with the goal of eating low glycemic index/glycemic load foods, such as salads, vegetables, and protein, while keeping the total glycemic load of the meal low. Your daily glycemic load intake should range from a minimum of 60 to a maximum of 180. You can reduce the impact of a carbohydrate’s glycemic index by eating protein first. The glycemic index is affected both by gastric emptying time and the speed of digestion in the intestines, as well as by the addition of healthy fats, such as butter in popcorn, potatoes, or pasta.

You can downgrade pasta (which falls in the mid-glycemic index range) by mixing whole-wheat pasta with regular pasta and making a sauce with lots of vegetables and some protein. Eat plenty of low-glycemic foods, like beans, vegetables and fruits throughout the day and will easily stay at or even below the recommended daily glycemic load of 100.

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