Let’s face it, managing your blood sugar level is a challenge.To help you in this unending task, scientists developed the Glycemic Index (GI). In plain English, foods were rated by how fast they can raise blood sugar after consumption.
Foods that can raise blood sugar quickly have a high GI rating (over 70). Those foods typically have a lot of sugar or starch.Foods that raise your blood sugar more slowly have a low GI rating (under 55).Those foods tend to be higher in fiber.Foods with few or no carbs (most vegetables, meat, fish and poultry) have such a low GI, that they are not even rated.
So it should be easy to control after-meal blood sugar by eating low-GI foods, right?Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. The GI of a food can go up or down depending on:
- Ripeness of fruits and vegetables
- Food preparation and cooking method
- Combination of foods served during a meal (for example, a casserole with fiber, fat and protein can reduce GI)
- Individual body chemistry: not everyone responds the same to food; age and exercise all affect the GI
There are other downsides. High GI foods can be good sources of necessary nutrients and eating too much of low GI foods can cause weight gain.
The American Diabetes Association advises against basing all of your dietary planning on GI ratings.But GI can be helpful as part of a carb-counting, exchange or basic plan.
Find out the GI of foods at: www.glycemicindex.com.
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| The Glycemic Index (GI) |
| A Comparison of Common Foods |
| High GI |
Low GI |
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| White Bread |
71 |
Whole Wheat Bread |
51 |
| Orange Juice |
57 |
Orange/Apple/Kiwi |
40-48 |
| White Rice |
75 |
Brown Rice |
50 |
| White Milk |
40 |
Skim Milk |
32 |
| Baked Potato |
85 |
Sweet Potato |
54 |
| Banana |
51 |
Grapefruit |
25 |
| Raisins |
64 |
Potato Chips |
54 |
| Popcorn |
72 |
Peanuts |
14 |
| Ice Cream |
61 |
Chocolate Bar |
55 | |
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