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Making Sense of Carbohydrates

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Your body converts carbohydrates into sugar, which gives you energy. That’s the good news. The bad news is that some carbohydrate foods turn into too much sugar too fast, with too many calories. You can identify which carbohydrates are good for you and which to avoid by checking their glycemic index and glycemic load.     Low-Glycemic Index     High-Glycemic Index
Glycemic Index measures how fast the carbohydrates in a food turn into sugar in the body. Foods with a highglycemic index convert into sugar very quickly, with negative physical effects. Foods with a low-glycemic index turn into sugar gradually, helping maintain your body’s chemical balance. In general, foods with a low index are preferable.   Glycemic Load measures the amount of sugar a food actually releases in the body. Foods with a lowglycemic load usually have a lowglycemic index. They are good choices for your meal plan. Foods can have a high-glycemic index, yet still have a low-glycemic load. Other foods have both a high index and a high load. You should avoid high-load foods as a regular part of your meal plan.   Like carbohydrates, fats can have a positive or a negative effect. Good fats can lower your risk of heart disease. Good fats are found in olive oil, fish, olives, avocados and walnuts. But remember, even good fats have a lot of calories, so use sparingly!
When you choose carbohydrate foods, always check both their glycemic index and glycemic load. Detailed tables with this information are widely available. Use the chart below to get started. GLYCEMIC INDEX:
High-Glycemic Index Medium-Glycemic Index Low-Glycemic Index
Fruits and
Vegetables
Starches Fruits and
Vegetables
Starches Fruits and
Vegetables
Starches
Corn
Cranberry Juice
Orange Juice*
Raisin
Bagel
Bread (white)
Refined Cereal
Granola
Muffin
Pasta
Potato
Pretzel
Rice
Tortilla (flour)
Apricot*
Grape*
Pineapple*
Watermelon
French Fries
Oatmeal
Pita Bread
Waffle
Apple*
Asparagus*
Broccoli*
Brussels Sprout*
Cauliflower*
Celery*
Cherry*
Cucumber*
Grapefruit*
Green Bean*
Green Pepper*
Kiwi*
Lettuce*
Mushroom*
Onion*
Orange*
Peach*
Plum*
Spinach*
Strawberry*
Tomato*
Zucchini*
Barley*
Black Bean*
Kidney Bean*
Lentil*
Pea*
* Low glycemic-load foods.

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