Unlocking the mystery of heart health with the Glycemic Index Chart

The Glycemic Index Chart Will Improve Your Heart Health

The Glycemic Index Chart may just be what the doctor ordered.

Would you be interested in a diet that lowers heart disease risk, improves memory and encourages the eating of ice-cream? The Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load are exactly what you have been looking for!

When I first began to study the Glycemic Index Chart (GI), I was surprised by the factors that speed or slow the process of converting foods to glucose (blood sugar.)

Why should we care? Our health and well-being depend on it.

Within 5 to 10 minutes after eating, glucose appears in the blood stream. Whether it appears as a torrent or a trickle is determined by the rate of digestion.

A gush of glucose prompts a rush of insulin...and too much insulin causes a host of problems, including weight gain, diabetes and heart disease.

Low GI foods digest slowly and release a steady supply of blood glucose into our bodies. This provides us with sustained energy and a feeling of fullness.

Researchers have also discovered that low glycemic foods from the Glycemic Index Chart enhance memory and learning.

Some surprises in the Glycemic Index Table
The foods that tend to have the highest index are breads and grains.

But heres where it gets interesting.

Bread, rolls and bagels made from white flour digest quickly; sourdough, pumpernickel, and whole grain breads move through our digestive tract more slowly.

The fermentation process used in making sourdough is the factor that slows digestion.

Other things that improve the Glycemic Index are acids, such as lemon juice and vinegar. Protein, fiber and fat also slow down the digestive process.

There is no calorie counting in the Glycemic Index Chart and we can enjoy many of the foods that are taboo on low fat, calorie restriction diets.

Just include a low GI food to balance out your high GI treat. A low GI breakfast of old fashioned oat meal will keep your blood sugar stable for up to eight hours.

I'm Gene Millen. Twenty one years ago a heart surgeon, sawed open my chest and stitched in bypasses to six of my favorite heart arteries. It wasn't as much fun as you might think...and started me on a journey to helping others avoid my mistakes.

I am a firm believer that the Glycemic Index Diet is the healthiest and most common sense way to lose weight...but I also know that you need exercise to make it work long term.

My experience in helping people lose weight includes eleven years working with hundreds of people in the Vital Life Center, a health and wellness club for the "over 50 crowd

Click on this link to download a complete Free Glycemic Index Chart

This color coded chart shows which foods are low, medium or high on the Glycemic Index Listing and Glycemic Load List.

It also shows serving amounts and the Glycemic Load of each food by category.

Gene