Think about the time when you feel like you need a boost of energy during a mid-afternoon at the office. After grabbing a snack, a quick burst of energy fills you right up, however, the energy is gone too soon and you feel down again? This phenomena is called the blood sugar dip which may affect productivity. How does this happen?

So when you consume any type of carbohydrates, it will be broken down into simple sugars by the digestive system that will be release into the bloodstream. The rate that influences your blood sugar levels depends on the food’s glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) values. GI and GL are two terms that describe how carbohydrate-dense foods affect our blood sugar and insulin levels.

Specifically, GI is a ranking of how much a carbohydrate-containing food will raise your blood sugar and insulin levels, based on a scale of 0 to 100 where, 100 is pure glucose or sugar. Low GI food are more preferred as they are slowly digested and absorbed, which slowly rises the blood sugar levels.

In contrast, high GI food lead to a rapid rise and fall of blood sugar levels and its consumption needs to be limited. The GI of a food is generally higher the more processed and refined it is. The cooking process, as well as the nutrient composition of the food, are all factors that affect the GI.

Below are the glycemic index values:

• Low GI: 55 or less
• Medium GI: 56 to 69
• High GI: 70 or higher

These are the GI values in some foods:

Fruits

• Apples: 36
• Dates: 42
• Oranges: 43
• Banana: 51
• Blueberries: 53
• Watermelon: 76

Vegetables

• Carrots (boiled): 39
• Sweet potatoes (boiled): 63
• Potatoes (boiled): 78

Grains

• Brown rice: 68
• White rice: 73
• Whole wheat bread: 74
• White bread: 75

Legumes

• Soybeans: 16
• Chickpeas: 28
• Lentils: 32

Dairy products and dairy alternatives

• Soymilk: 34
• Skim milk: 37
• Whole milk: 39
• Ice cream: 51

Sweeteners

• Fructose: 15
• Coconut sugar: 54
• Maple syrup: 54
• Honey: 61
• Table sugar: 65