Do we use the Glycemic Index?

The easy answer is yes.

But, more specifically, BistroMD meals are created to supply a low glycemic load, which is based on the glycemic index. For those who aren’t familiar with the glycemic index, it is simply a measure of how much certain foods raise your blood sugar. A level of 100 is used as a starting point, based on how much your blood sugar goes up after eating a standard amount of sugar (glucose). A rapid rise and fall in blood sugar after meals is one of the biochemical events that can increase hunger. Most interesting is that some foods raise the blood sugar even higher than glucose, and these foods are not necessarily sweet or “unhealthy”. This is the reason that some diets do not recommend carrots or watermelon as part of a meal plan - - as the glycemic index of these foods are higher than other fruits and vegetables.

The Index is a useful tool, but most meals that are eaten contain a variety of foods with varying glycemic indexes. The combinations of food types will affect the glycemic index of a meal. Let’s break that down.

For example, if a food containing protein and fat, (like a piece of fish or chicken) is eaten during the same meal as vegetables and rice (which contain glucose), the blood sugar will be affected differently than if the rice was eaten by itself. The combined effect on blood sugar by all the different types of foods in a meal makes up what we call the glycemic load. Diets containing meals with a low glycemic load have been found to be beneficial for weight loss, specifically by controlling hunger and for improving medical conditions such as diabetes. BistroMD meals are all designed with a low glycemic load in mind. This is the science behind our modus operandi of always serving protein with some healthy fats alongside carbohydrates on the diet. This is also why the meal plan is high in fiber, as higher fiber foods help lower the glycemic load. Carrots are not a forbidden food because they contain fiber and supply a relative low amount of carbohydrate per serving. So while their glycemic index may be high, the glycemic load is not.