Texas Lap Band Surgeons Talk With You

I wanted to expand on the idea of “simple” vs “complex” carbohydrates.  One of the key differences between these two is how easily they are digested by the body and how quickly the body is able to convert them into sugar – which is the end product of ALL carbohydrates whether lima beans, apples, toast or doughnuts.  The way we describe this difference is the glycemic index.  The glycemic index, or GI, of a food is a number that ranks that food in terms of it’s effect on blood sugar levels.  Low glycemic foods slowly raise the blood sugar level and then don’t raise it dramatically.  High glycemic foods raise the blood sugars quickly and they raise it high.

So what are low glycemic carbohydrates? Usually carbs that are joined with fiber such as whole grain fibers like oats, bran and barley as well as most veggies and many (but not all) fruits.  High glycemic carbs include anything with table sugar added: cakes, candy, cookies, SWEET TEA (just had to continue that rant), fruit juices and potatoes.

Does this mean you can never have anything with the word “powdered” again?  No, but moderation continues to be key.  All carbohydrates should be accompanied by some protein to help slow down their effect on blood sugar and insulin release.  And if you can choose what carb you eat – and you can! (if it is to be it is up to me…by which I mean You!) then you should try to steer toward low glycemic picks, especially if you are a diabetic.  Surf the web – there’s a lot of information out there on “good” glycemic choices. have fun with it!