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Glycemic Index (GI) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As a bodybuilder you already know that carbohydrates are an important part of our diet, and that all carbs are not created equal-some are good while others are not-so-good or even bad. The rate at which carbs release their energy determines where they fall on the spectrum. The carbs that release their energy slowly are the good ones, while the ones that release their energy quickly are the ones to avoid.

There are three types of carbs: complex, simple and refined. Complex carbs are the slowest energy-releasers, with refined carbs releasing it the fastest. Knowing which is which used to be tough until the Glycemic Index was developed. The Glycemic Index (GI) classifies carbs based on the rate at which they release energy. Carbs that that fall low on the GI scale release their energy slowly while those that are high on the GI scale release their energy quickly. This is important to know and here's why: Carbs that release their energy quickly produce a rise in blood sugar levels followed by a rapid fall, leading to a "crash," which makes us feel lethargic. On the contrary, carbs that release their energy slowly help keep blood sugar levels on an even keel, which allows us to maintain our energy levels throughout the day. Exactly where a particular food falls on the GI is determined by how much it raises blood sugar levels over a two to three hour period.

The GI uses a scale of 0-100. Most people who use the GI classify any food that ranks at 55 or below as having a low Glycemic Index, meaning that it raises blood sugar levels considerably less than foods that fall higher on the scale. Foods with a medium GI are those that have a rank of 70 or below with anything above being classified as having a high Glycemic Index. Refined carbs release their energy very quickly and therefore, have a high Glycemic Index. These are the ones you find in processed foods. Refined carbs have been processed by machines that strip the bran and the germ from the whole grain. They fall high on the GI because they release their energy quickly. Refined carbs have been largely stripped of the nutrients, meaning that they're basically empty calories that have little nutritional value, send glucose levels skyrocketing and leave you feeling hungry a short while after you eat them. White bread and white rice are some foods that are made up of refined carbs.

Simple carbs are mostly sugar and also release their energy quickly. You'll find them in sodas, candy, chocolate, fudge and other foods that have lots of added sugar. While you want to mostly avoid simple carbs because the majority of them have a high Glycemic Index, they're not entirely bad because most fruits-which can be very good for you to eat now and then-are made up almost entirely of simple carbs. There are plenty of fruits made up of simple carbs that don't rank high on the GI. Fresh strawberries for example, rank 40 on the GI, well below the threshold of 55. Some other fruits that score low on the GI include apples, pears, oranges and cherries, among others. So even though they're simple carbs, feel free to occasionally add a handful of these nutritious fresh fruits to your protein shake.

Complex carbs-like the ones you find in broccoli, beans and whole grains-generally score the lowest on the GI. These are the nutrient-rich, slow burning carbs. They don't cause glucose levels to spike and since they release their energy slowly, they help keep the body feeling "full" and satisfied longer than fast-releasing carbs. This is important not only for sustaining energy levels throughout the day but is essential for maintaining proper weight. It's important to note that while the Glycemic Index can be a useful tool, it should serve as a general guideline, not as a hard and fast rule. If your goal is to lose weight, then you should definitely stick with almost entirely with foods that have a low GI. As a bodybuilder though, there are times when you will certainly want to mix in some foods with a higher GI-particularly after an intense training session when your body needs a quick burst of energy. In any case, the Glycemic Index really is a handy, worthwhile and easy-to-use planning tool, especially since there are lots of interactive websites that allow you to enter the name of a food to quickly find out its Glycemic Index. Glycemic Index Food Chart Low Glycemic Index food (less than 55) Foods with GI index between 55 and 70 are consider intermediate High Glycemic Index food GI (more than 70) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bakery Products *Pound cake Low 54 Danish pastry Medium 59 Muffin (unsweetened) Medium 62 Cake , tart Medium 65 Cake, angel Medium 67 Croissant Medium 67 Waffles High 76 Doughnut High 76 Beverages Soya milk Low 30 Apple juice Low 41 Carrot juice Low 45 Pineapple juice Low 46 Grapefruit juice Low 48 Orange juice Low 52 Biscuits Digestives Medium 58 Shortbread Medium 64 Water biscuits Medium 65 Ryvita Medium 67 Wafer biscuits High 77 **Rice cakes High 77 Breads Multi grain bread Low 48 Whole grain Low 50 Pita bread, white Medium 57 Pizza, cheese Medium 60 Hamburger bun Medium 61 Rye-flour bread Medium 64 Whole meal bread Medium 69 White bread High 71 White rolls High 73 Baguette High 95 Breakfast Cereals All-Bran Low 42 Porridge, non instant Low 49 Oat bran Medium 55 Muesli Medium 56 Mini Wheats (wholemeal) Medium 57 Shredded Wheat Medium 69 Golden Grahams High 71 Puffed wheat High 74 Weetabix High 77 Rice Krispies High 82 Cornflakes High 83 Cereal Grains Pearl barley Low 25 Rye Low 34 Wheat kernels Low 41 Rice, instant Low 46 Rice, parboiled Low 48 Barley, cracked Low 50 Rice, brown Medium 55 Rice, wild Medium 57 Rice, white Medium 58 Barley, flakes Medium 66 Taco Shell Medium 68 Millet High 71 Dairy Foods Yogurt low- fat (sweetened) Low 14 Milk, chocolate Low 24 Milk, whole Low 27 Milk, Fat-free Low 32 Milk ,skimmed Low 32 Milk, semi-skimmed Low 34 *Ice-cream (low- fat) Low 50 *Ice-cream Medium 61 Fruits Cherries Low 22 Grapefruit Low 25 Apricots (dried) Low 31 Apples Low 38 Pears Low 38 Plums Low 39 Peaches Low 42 Oranges Low 44 Grapes Low 46 Kiwi fruit Low 53 Bananas Low 54 Fruit ****tail Medium 55 Mangoes Medium 56 Apricots Medium 57 Apricots (tinned in syrup) Medium 64 Raisins Medium 64 Pineapple Medium 66 **Watermelon High 72 Pasta Spaghetti, protein enriched Low 27 Fettuccine Low 32 Vermicelli Low 35 Spaghetti, whole wheat Low 37 Ravioli, meat filled Low 39 Spaghetti, white Low 41 Macaroni Low 45 Spaghetti, durum wheat Medium 55 Macaroni cheese Medium 64 Rice pasta, brown High 92 Root Crop Carrots, cooked Low 39 Yam Low 51 Sweet potato Low 54 Potato, boiled Medium 56 Potato, new Medium 57 Potato, tinned Medium 61 Beetroot Medium 64 Potato, steamed Medium 65 Potato, mashed Medium 70 Chips High 75 Potato, micro waved High 82 Potato, instant High 83 **Potato, baked High 85 Parsnips High 97 Snack Food and Sweets Peanuts Low 15 *M&Ms (peanut) Low 32 *Snickers bar Low 40 *Chocolate bar; 30g Low 49 Jams and marmalades Low 49 *Crisps Low 54 Popcorn Medium 55 Mars bar Medium 64 *Table sugar (sucrose) Medium 65 Corn chips High 74 Jelly beans High 80 Pretzels High 81 Dates High 103 Soups Tomato soup, tinned Low 38 Lentil soup, tinned Low 44 Black bean soup, tinned Medium 64 Green pea soup, tinned Medium 66 Vegetable and Beans Artichoke Low 15 Asparagus Low 15 Broccoli Low 15 Cauliflower Low 15 Celery Low 15 Cucumber Low 15 Eggplant Low 15 Green beans Low 15 Lettuce, all varieties Low 15 Low-fat yogurt, artificially sweetened Low 15 Peppers, all varieties Low 15 Snow peas Low 15 Spinach Low 15 Young summer squash Low 15 Tomatoes Low 15 Zucchini Low 15 Soya beans, boiled Low 16 Peas, dried Low 22 Kidney beans, boiled Low 29 Lentils green, boiled Low 29 Chickpeas Low 33 Haricot beans, boiled Low 38 Black-eyed beans Low 41 Chickpeas, tinned Low 42 Baked beans, tinned Low 48 Kidney beans, tinned Low 52 Lentils green, tinned Low 52 Broad beans High 79 Glycemic Index of Cereals Kellogg's All Bran 51 Kellogg's Bran Buds 45 Kellogg's Cornflakes 84 Kellogg's Rice Krispies 82 Kellogg's Special K 54 Oatmeal 49 Shredded Wheat 67 Quaker Puffed Wheat 67 Glycemic Index of Grains Buckwheat 54 Bulgur 48 Basmati Rice 58 Brown Rice 55 Long grain White Rice 56 Short grain White Rice 72 Uncle Ben's Converted 44 Noodles (instant) 46 Taco Shells 68 Glycemic Index of Fruit Apple 38 Banana 55 Cantaloupe 65 Cherries 22 Grapefruit 25 Grapes 46 Kiwi 52 Mango 55 Orange 44 Papaya 58 Pear 38 Pineapple 66 Plum 39 Watermelon 103 Glycemic Index of Vegetables Beets 69 Broccoli 10 Cabbage 10 Carrots 49 Corn 55 Green Peas 48 Lettuce 10 Mushrooms 10 Onions 10 Parsnips 97 Potato (baked) 93 Potato (mashed, instant) 86 Potato (new) 62 Potato (french fries) 75 Red Peppers 10 Pumpkin 75 Sweet Potato 54 Glycemic Index of Beans Baked Beans 48 Broad Beans 79 Cannellini Beans 31 Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas) 33 Lentils 30 Lima Beans 32 Navy Beans 38 Pinto Beans 39 Red Kidney Beans 27 Soy Beans 18 White Beans 31 Glycemic Index of Pasta Spaghetti 43 Ravioli (meat) 39 Fettuccini (egg) 32 Spiral Pasta 43 Capellini 45 Linguine 46 Macaroni 47 Rice vermicelli 58 Glycemic Index of Breads inc. Muffins & Cakes Bagel 72 Blueberry Muffin 59 Croissant 67 Donut 76 Pita Bread 57 Pumpernickel Bread 51 Rye Bread 76 Sour Dough Bread 52 Sponge Cake 46 Stone Ground Whole wheat bread 53 Waffles 76 White Bread 70 Whole Wheat Bread 69 Glycemic Index of Dairy Milk (whole) 22 Milk (skimmed) 32 Milk (chocolate flavored) 34 Ice Cream (whole) 61 Ice cream (low-fat) 50 Yogurt (low-fat) 33 Glycemic Index of Snacks Cashews 22 Chocolate Bar 49 Corn Chips 72 Jelly Beans 80 Peanuts 14 Popcorn 55 Potato Chips 55 Pretzels 83 Snickers Bar 41 Walnuts 15 Glycemic Index of Cookies Graham Crackers 74 Kavli Crispbread 71 Melba Toast 70 Oatmeal Cookies 55 Rice Cakes 82 Rice Crackers 91 Ryvita Crispbread 69 Soda Crackers 74 Shortbread Cookies 64 Stoned Wheat Thins 67 Vanilla Wafers Water crackers 78 Glycemic Index of Sugars Fructose 23 Glucose 100 Honey 58 Lactose 46 Maltose 105 Sucrose 65