The glycemic index (Glyx ) affects blood sugar levels and shows whether what you eat makes you fat. Or slim! Not only the calories contained decide whether you gain or lose weight with a food – also its glycemic index (GI), called Glyx for short.
When you eat, blood sugar levels rise and the pancreas produces the hormone insulin to break down the sugar. Each food causes the blood sugar level to rise to a different extent, and with it the release of insulin. Scientists examined the blood of test subjects to see which foods caused the blood sugar to rise quickly or slowly, high or low compared to glucose. They called this measure the glycemic index. It will be given to you at the bottom of the Glyx tableencounter more often. The lower the Glyx of a food , the less the blood sugar level rises after eating. The glycemic index measures how quickly blood sugar levels rise. Each food is given a number from 1 to 110. Foods up to Glyx 55 keep you slim, e.g. E.g. meat, tofu, sour fruit and even nuts. Eat Glyx 55 to 70 in smaller portions, e.g. E.g. bananas, rice or whole grains. Better to avoid Glyx above 70 as in cakes and ready meals.
The Glyx PyramidGrab or leave? The traffic light colors from green to red tell you how to optimally create your meal plan. Eating after the Glyx may sound like a complicated number game at first. But it’s actually quite simple: Thanks to traffic light colors, it’s child’s play to recognize which foods go well on the plate based on your glycemic factor and where it’s better to be cautious.
- green dot = Low Glyx 0 – 55
- yellow dot = Medium Glyx 56 – 75
- red dot = High Glyx over 75
In particular, focus on the foods marked with a green dot in our table. They form the basis of your meals. Foods with a yellow or orange dot complement the foods with green glyx. The rare icing on the cake are those with red glyx. Grab it with a sense of proportion and always combine it with Glyx “green”. This will help slow down the blood sugar spike caused by the red glyx foods. Your body releases less insulin.
Table of Contents
Lose weight with the Glyx chart
To lose weight, experts recommend eating low-glycemic (up to 55) foods. The advantage: you feel full longer and help to burn fat. At the same time, you avoid cravings for chips and sweets that are triggered by fluctuations in blood sugar. Health also benefits: a low blood sugar level reduces the risk of diabetes and heart attack.
This is caused by foods high in Glyx
When sugar circulates in the blood, the storage hormone comes into play. And prevents the slimmers from working. Whenever you eat, blood sugar levels rise. In order to lower it back to a normal level, the pancreas sends the storage hormone insulin into the blood. It ensures that the body cells absorb the sugar from the blood: muscle cells use it for energy and the fat cells store it. But as long as insulin circulates in the blood, the fasting hormone glucagon, which helps to break down fat, is paralysed. And the growth hormone, which builds muscle and breaks down fat, only works without insulin in the environment. One key to maintaining a healthy weight is to permanently lower insulin levels. With low Glyx you give your body the insulin-free fasts it needs to burn fat.
Sport is also an important factor because it builds muscle. A kilo of muscle mass burns around 100 calories a day at rest. The more muscles, the more fat burns. And that also after exercising on the sofa, because the basal metabolic rate increases with increasing muscle mass. Bonus: exercise affects liver and sugar metabolism and makes the cells more sensitive to insulin again.
The latest research also shows a link between sleep and obesity : lack of sleep makes the body’s cells less sensitive to insulin. That means the body has to release more of it so that the cells recognize it and absorb blood sugar. Half an hour too little sleep per night is said to trigger this negative effect. So make sure you get about eight hours of sleep.
Glyx and more… This is how our table works
The foods in our table are comprehensively rated. There you will find calories, the Glyx (Glyx factor) and many other criteria such as e.g. B. the fat or protein content. Here you can read what is behind the individual factors. Eat as many foods with a green dot as possible to lose weight.
The Glyx Factor:
It shows how quickly the food causes the blood sugar level to rise. A low glycemic index (green dot) is ideal because it helps with weight loss. And: It strengthens the immune system, prevents gout and chronic diseases such as rheumatism and allergies. Yellow Glyx dot foods should be consumed in moderation. Red dots should rarely appear in your menu.
green: low glycemic
yellow: medium glyx
red: high Glyx
The fat factor:
The fat factor provides information about the fat content and the quality of the fats in a food. If you want to lose weight, you need fat. A green dot means that good fats such as B. Put olive oil or nuts in it. If a product contains a lot of saturated fat or arachidonic acid, it gets a yellow or red dot.
green: good fat and/or low fat
yellow: fatty acid composition not optimal or medium fat content
red: lots of bad fats or arachidonic acid
The protein factor:
A diet only works with enough protein. If it is missing, the body breaks down muscles. The protein factor indicates how much protein a food provides within its food group. Example: Fish contains much more protein than cabbage. Cabbage, however, has significantly more than lettuce and thus contributes to a good supply of protein within its food group.
green: good source of protein
yellow: medium protein supplier
red: contains little or no protein
The heart protection factor:
Here you can find out whether a food has a positive or negative effect on blood vessel health. The fatty acid composition is more important than its cholesterol content: healthy vegetable fats or fish oils protect the heart, as do plenty of plant substances. On the other hand, too much sugar in the blood damages cells and blood vessels.
green: protects the heart
yellow: consumed in moderation no problem
red: harms the heart
The Fiber Factor:
You need at least 30 grams of fiber every day for healthy digestion and to stay full for a long time. The fiber factor answers the question of whether the food contains valuable fiber. This also includes filling soluble fiber such as pectin. Example: Naturally cloudy apple juice contains pectin and therefore gets a yellow fiber dot.
green: good source of roughage
yellow: medium fiber supplier
red: little or no dietary fiber
The good mood factor
CertainTolfioow substances help to lift your spirits, e.g. B. magnesium, selenium, vitamin C, B vitamins, protein building blocks such as tryptophan and good carbohydrates. The higher their proportion in a food, the better it is rated. The sugar and fat content also influence well-being. If there is a lot of it in the product, it gets a yellow or red dot.
green: high proportion of happiness substances
yellow: medium proportion of happiness substances
red: low content of happiness substances
The plus factor
This factor indicates whether a food has additional good or bad properties. are rated positively e.g. B. little processed, lactic acid fermented or frozen vegetables. There are minus points if nitrite curing salt, purines, acrylamide or additives are included and for the ultra-high temperature treatment of dairy products.
green: high content ofTolfioow substances
yellow: positive and negative ingredients are balanced
red: more negative ingredients
The Slim & Fit Factor
Here all factors are assessed together. He reveals which foods you should eat or avoid. And it accounts for glycemic load (GL) when a food becomes a glycemic trap because you eat it in larger amounts. This applies e.g. B. for peas, grapes, juices and for pizza or side dishes such as pasta.
green: you can eat a lot of it
yellow: do not eat too much of it and best combined with Glyx “green”.
red: enjoy only in small portions, combine with Glyx “green”.
Order in restaurants with the Glyx table
Café, snack bar or restaurant: You can find tasty and glyx-compatible alternatives everywhere. A little planning helps. A stressful working day under time pressure or a cozy evening in a restaurant with friends – far from the fridge at home, good resolutions can easily go overboard. The magic word for sticking with it is “planning ahead”. The night before, roughly structure the following day and think about where, when and what you will eat. Whether restaurant or canteen: Check the menu in advance on the Internet and order what you have previously chosen on site.
Quick lunch break:Get a salad to go with vegetables such as carrots, cucumber or tomatoes from the self-service counter in the nearest supermarket or from the bakery. Top it all off with tuna, turkey, egg or cheese. Add a vinegar and oil dressing and your fixed Glyx lunch is ready.
In the kebab shop:
Instead of the doner kebab in flatbread, order a doner kebab plate without fries or rice and with more salad. Vegetarian alternative: falafel or feta cheese.
Movie night:
Plan ahead and bring your own snacks e.g. B. mixed nuts or coconut chips. Do you prefer something sweet? Mini bars of dark chocolate (70% cocoa content) are ideal.
In the coffee shop:
Order Glyx-friendly coffee without flavored syrup in a small cup size. Enjoy fresh fruit salad as a snack. Fancy something to snack on? Choose biscuits packaged in portions rather than the cake in the cake display case.
After-Work-Drink:
A glass of wine spritzer is more figure-friendly than beer or cocktails. And order a glass of water with every alcoholic drink.
In the restaurant:
A slice of bread beforehand is definitely glyx-compatible. But if you find it difficult to leave the rest lying around, return the bread basket right away. Good Glyx side dishes are vegetables, pure potatoes and wholemeal pasta.
