WHAT IS LOW FAT, LOW GI COOKING?

Let´s start at the very beginning….

What is the Glycaemic Index (GI)? The Glycaemic Index is a rating of foods on a scale from 1 to 100 according to the actual effect on our blood glucose levels. It is an indication of the rate at which digestion and absorption of carbohydrates take place in our bodies. The GI values are broken down as follows:

GI rating	Value	Comments
LOW GI	Foods with a value below 55	Slow release carbohydrates do not result in a sudden, high rise in blood glucose levels, and for this reason they keep blood glucose levels steady for hours! They are more satisfying and do not cause the release of as much insulin as high GI foods do. Therefore it also prevents the huge drop in blood-glucose which occurs after the initial rapid rise in blood-glucose levels, which usually happens after eating high-GI foods
INTERMEDIATE GI	Foods with a value between 56 and 69	The best choice after: - low-intensity exercise of short duration - in the morning, after exercising the previous night - directly after moderate activity in diabetics
HIGH GI	Foods with a value of 70 and more	Food is digested and absorbed quickly and glucose enters the bloodstream at a high speed. Our body produces a lot of insulin, the body’s way of coping with the sudden, sharp rise in blood-glucose. Often the insulin response is too much and blood-glucose levels rapidly fall to below the starting point, a condition known a hypoglycaemia.Useful for sportsmen and women, during and up to 1 hour after sport.