Knowledge Sharing

“Eat to Live, don’t Live to Eat - Glycaemic Index Vs Glycaemic Load”

By: Qadir Mahmood Soomro, HSE Professional

EAT TO LIVE, DON’T LIVE TO EAT:

Health and fitness guru Jack LaLanne has been credited with coining the phrase, “eat to live, don't live to
eat,” meaning that we should eat with function and purpose in mind, not with enthusiasm and anticipation
of flavors and textures that we enjoy. Eating a variety of foods is essential to life. In other words, we need
to eat to live. Our bodies cannot manufacture all the substances we need and therefore we must consume
foods to produce energy and to provide the building blocks necessary to sustain life.

To understand the above concept, we need to know what Glycaemic Index (GI), Glycaemic Load (GL) are
and difference between them so that we will be able to select right food for our healthy life.

GLYCAEMIC INDEX (GI):

The glycaemic index (GI) is a rating system for foods containing carbohydrates. It shows how quickly each
food affects your blood sugar (glucose) level when that food is eaten on its own.

The glycaemic index is a number from 0 to 100 assigned to a food, which represents the relative rise in
the blood glucose level two hours after consuming that food
 Low GI : 1 to 55
 Medium GI : 56 to 69
 High GI : 70 and higher

FOODS AND GLYCAEMIC INDEX:

Low GI: Green vegetables, most fruits, raw carrots, kidney beans, chickpeas, and lentils.
Medium GI: Sweet corn, bananas, raw pineapple, raisins, cherries, oat breakfast cereals, and multigrain,
whole-grain wheat or rye bread.
High GI: White rice, white bread and potatoes, beverages: Soda, sweet tea, and sports drinks. Fast food:
Cheeseburgers, fried chicken, and pizza. Bakery/grains: Doughnuts, white bread, and cereals (unless
whole grain). Potatoes: Mashed potatoes and French fries.

GLYCEMIC LOAD (GL):

Glycemic load refers to the amount of carbohydrate consumed multiplied by the rate at which the
carbohydrate is metabolized and enters the bloodstream (glycemic index).

GLYCAEMIC INDEX (GI) VS GLYCEMIC LOAD (GL):

Glycemic index (GI) explains how carbohydrates may affect blood glucose levels, whereas glycemic load
(GL) takes into consideration every component of the food as a whole, giving a more real-life picture of a
food's impact on your blood glucose levels. Both tools are valuable in blood sugar management and diet
planning.
 Knowledge Sharing
“Eat to Live, don’t Live to Eat - Glycaemic Index Vs Glycaemic Load”
By: Qadir Mahmood Soomro, HSE Professional

 GI alone does not tell the full story, because it doesn't account for the many factors that impact
your blood sugar.
• Low GI : 1 to 55
• Medium GI : 56 to 69
• High GI : 70 and higher
 GL represents the quantity and quality of carbohydrates in the overall diet and their interactions in
the body. This is why GL is widely regarded as a more reliable tool than the glycaemic index alone
• Low GL : 0-10
• Medium GL : 11-19
• High GL : >20

GLYCEMIC LOAD MEASUREMENT:

Glycemic load for a single serving of a food can be calculated as the quantity (in grams) of its carbohydrate
content multiplied by its glycemic index (i.e., its impact on blood sugar) and then divided by 100.

FOOD VALUES: GLYCAEMIC INDEX (GI) / GLYCEMIC LOAD (GL):

 Knowledge Sharing
“Eat to Live, don’t Live to Eat - Glycaemic Index Vs Glycaemic Load”
By: Qadir Mahmood Soomro, HSE Professional

GLYCEMIC LOAD Guide:

By including the amount of carbs, you are given a better sense of how your body is processing the serving.
Glycemic load is more accurate than the glycemic index in predicting how your body will process sugar.
Glycemic Load (GL) ranking system, is a much better yardstick by which to determine how a food will
affect blood sugar and sugar reducing hormone levels. The GL builds on GI, as it considers both the GI
of the food and the amount of carbohydrate in a portion. GL is based on the idea that a high GI food
consumed in small quantities would give the same effect on blood glucose levels as larger quantities of a
low GI food.

Conclusively, Glycemic load is a smidge more useful than glycemic index when it comes to choosing
healthy, diabetes-friendly foods. Hence eat to live and don’t live to eat, please consider healthy foods for
your life.