Eating the right kinds of food is important not only for your overall health, but also for maintaining steady blood sugar levels throughout the day. Every cell in the body relies upon sugar (glucose) to enter into the cells in order for the cells to have energy to carry out their function. The hormone insulin is released from the pancreas in response to sugar entering the blood stream after consuming a drink or eating food. In this blog post, we will be discussing high glycemic foods and how these can impact our blood sugar levels.
High glycemic foods are those that cause a quick surge of glucose into our bloodstream. These include simple carbohydrates found in processed, white flour-based products such as white breads and pastries, as well as sugary snacks like candy bars and soda. When these types of foods are consumed they quickly spike our blood sugar, leading to an overproduction of insulin by the pancreas in order to bring our glucose back down to normal levels. Unfortunately, when high glycemic foods are consumed too often, it can lead to a condition called insulin resistance over time.
Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance occurs when our cells become desensitized or “resistant” to the call of insulin so that it takes more and more of it for them to carry out their function properly. When this happens, it can lead to consistently elevated blood glucose levels throughout the day which can increase your risk for various chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. It is therefore important that we pay attention to what we eat and try to avoid consuming too many high glycemic foods such as refined grains and sugary snacks.
Healthy Alternatives
Fortunately, there are many healthy alternatives available that are much better for keeping your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day! These include complex carbohydrates found in whole grains such as oats and quinoa, legumes such as chickpeas and lentils, fruits with low glycemic indices such as apples and oranges, nuts like almonds or walnuts, and proteins like lean meats or fish. Incorporating these healthy alternatives into your diet will help you keep your blood sugar levels steady while still providing you with all of the essential nutrients needed for optimal health.
eating high glycemic foods on a regular basis can lead to an increased risk for developing chronic illnesses due to insulin resistance caused by the overproduction of insulin from consuming too many simple carbohydrates. It is therefore important that we pay attention to what we eat and try instead to incorporate more complex carbohydrates such as whole grains or legumes, fruits with low glycemic indices such as apples or oranges, nuts like almonds or walnuts, proteins like lean meats or fish into our diets so that we can keep our blood sugar levels steady while still providing us with all of the essential nutrients needed for optimal health.
