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What is the Glycemic Index?

If you have diabetes or you are watching your weight, it may be wise to pay some attention to the Glycemic Index. The Glycemic Index ranks how much a particular food raises your blood sugar level after you eat it. It is really all about carbohydrates and how they raise blood sugar, since foods high in protein and fat have little effect on blood glucose. The carbohydrates that break down quickly in the digestive process have a higher glycemic index than those that slowly release glucose into the blood stream.

Illustration of a glycemic reading.

The Glycemic Index is starting to get some attention in the health care arena based on the fact that more than 17 million Americans suffer from diabetes, with millions more in the making. Several of the popular diet books are also based on the Glycemic Index approach to losing weight, including Sugar Busters (Ballantine), Eat Yourself Slim (Erica House) and the South Beach Diet (Rodale).

According to the Glycemic Index, mashed potatoes, ice cream, and cornflakes raise blood sugar levels higher than pure table sugar! While fruits, vegetables (other than potatoes) and grainy breads have a low glycemic index.

What are some of the benefits of eating foods with a low glycemic index?
  • Weight loss
  • Feeling of "fullness" for a longer period of time after eating
  • Lower rise in blood glucose levels
  • Lower risk of diabetes

For a listing of more than 750 international foods, along with their glycemic index and glycemic load (how much of a carbohydrate is in the particular food), go to www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm.

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Dr. Shakib Asks some important questions of interest to Irvine residents - Chiropractor Irvine Dr. Shakib Asks...

Where do most Irvine residents get their first vertebral subluxation complex?
Being born in a hospital is a common source of vertebral subluxation complex. Trauma from forceps delivery has been replaced with drugs, vacuum extraction, Cesarean section and births that are "scheduled" to fit the workweek routines of Ob-Gyns. That's why we recommend a chiropractic checkup for every Irvine newborn.
Are chiropractors just concerned with the spine?
Our interest in the spine is because it covers the major communications conduit between your brain and your body. As a Irvine chiropractor my job is to locate areas (usually along the spine) that interfere with proper nerve communications to and from your brain. Chiropractic adjustments help restore nervous system integrity. In this way, chiropractic care can affect the function of your entire body.