Here’s one thing you can start today for better eye and body health: Reduce foods with a high glycemic index (GI).
What is a food’s glycemic index? It is the tendency of that food to cause a rapid rise in your blood sugar, whether or not the food actually contains sugar, corn syrup or other sweeteners. So of course, a candy bar will have a very high glycemic index. But surprisingly, so does white rice, white potatoes as well as all the goodies that are made with white flour: pasta, white bread, crackers, breakfast cereal, chips, and more.
It’s not only diabetics who have to worry about sudden spikes in their blood sugar. When you get a rush of sugar into your bloodstream from a food with a high glycemic index, your insulin is triggered to turn on. Insulin moves the sugar out of the bloodstream and into cells, where the glucose that cannot be immediately used is converted into fat. It’s not just the calories of glycemic foods that increases weight. It’s the mechanism of glucose metabolism. In addition to keeping up with your lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation, reduce your sweets and you’ll have an easier time controlling your body weight. Your eyes, which reflect your body’s overall health, will reap the benefits of your good choices.
