I suppose we should add BG to the acronym list.
Blood
Glucose is what Jan is referring to.
According to the Perfect Health Diet book, they say that low-carb diets cause the body not to respond to insulin signals, so it doesn't take in glucose after meals. The glucose is redirected to the liver, where it is stored as glycogen and released later for use by the brain.
This is a "physiological insulin resistance', and is a protective response of the body that assures the brain gets the benefit of a limited supply of glucose. (They say that we shouldn't count vegetables as a carb source, as the net contribution to the body's glucose balance is virtually nill.)
Hyperglycemia is of course when blood glucose levels are too high. Low-carb dieting increases the risk of "postprandial hyperglycemia."
They go on to say that we should probably focus more on a 'fructose index' rather than a 'glycemic index'.
The book says that starches should be eaten like this:
- cook gently and on low heat
- avoid industry prepared foods
- eat starches with fat (this slows down the speed at which starches are digested, reducing peak blood glucose) - so put butter on potatoes.
- Eat with vegetables (fiber reduces the glycemic index of the starch)
- eat starches with acids, especially vinegar (vinegar, pickle juice, etc. which again lowers the glycemic index)
