So what is the Glycemic Index (GI) Diet and how do you apply it to your new lifestyle? The Glycemic Index might sound complicated but is very easy to understand. It was devised about 20 years ago when researchers looked closer at the dietary recommendations for diabetics; which was to eat more complex carbohydrates (starch) because they took longer to process and digest than simple carbohydrates (sugar). The GI ranks carbohydrate foods (from 1 – 100 or more) which measures the effect of a food on your blood-glucose level over the two hours after the food is eaten. All carbs are not equal. Low GI foods cause a slower climb and decrease in your blood sugar than high GI foods, and so when they are lower in fat they can make for a healthier choice. You get a spike of blood-glucose when you consume simple carbohydrates; the blood-glucose rises and as your body produces insulin it pushes the glucose out of the blood and into tissues, and then you see the blood-glucose level falling. When eating high GI foods, you get a very high bell curve response with a dramatic drop. With a low-GI food, there is a slower and steadier rise in the blood-glucose level. | 
