Diet Programs Today

The effect foods have on your blood sugar levels is measured by the Glycemic Index (GI). A high glycemic index value means that food will raise the blood sugar level faster than a low glycemic index value.

Thinking simply about carbohydrates it may seem that complex carbohydrates digest slowly, and that simple and refined carbohydrates digest quickly causing a spike in blood sugar. Recent research has indicated that there is more to this story. It is not as simple as just simple vs complex or refined vs natural.

I values are on a scale of 1 to 100 with the high value being pure glucose. Many carbohydrate-rich foods have been tested for glucose levels. A value of 50 means that the food will affect blood sugar on a level that is equal to half that of glucose.

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A calorie is a unit of energy, defined as the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water up 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
When applied to food, we say a Calorie but we mean a kilocalorie (1000 calories). The number of Calories gives us an idea of the potential energy that we intake when we eat a particular food. This can easily be calculated with the following formula:

• 1 gram of Protein* = 4 Calories
• 1 gram of Carbohydrate* = 4 Calories
• 1 gram of Fat* = 9 Calories
• 1 gram of Alcohol = 7 Calories

Therefore Calories can be calculated simply by knowing the amount of these three building blocks* in the food.

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