What is the Glycemic Index and How does it affect Diabetes

The GI (glycemic index), is a measurement of how food affects the rise in blood glucose. The rank is compared to a reference food of either white bread or actual glucose.

Basically the way it works is the higher the GI, the more that food will increase your blood glucose level.

Why is this important? Well as you might already know the more glucose flowing through your veins can cause significant swings in your blood sugar and even cause you to crave more carbs which in turn will take us through a vicious cycle we should avoid.

How should you use the GI? The best place to use the index is in meal planning. You can pair high GI foods with low GI food or even plan your entire meal around medium to lower GI foods.

One important thing to remember about the glycemic index is that it only measures foods with carbs so meats and fats do not have a GI.

Below are examples of foods based on their GI.

Baked beans   Low    48
Kidney beans    Low    52
Lentils green   Low    52
Broccoli    Low    15
Cauliflower    Low    15
Celery    Low    15
Cucumber    Low    15
Apples    Low    38
Pears    Low    38
Plums    Low    39
Peaches    Low    42
Oranges    Low    44
Wholemeal bread    Medium    69
White bread    High    71
Corn chips    High    74
Jelly beans    High    80
Pretzels    High    81

Remember that not all forms of Diets and Carbohydrate counting work the same for everyone. The most important thing you can do is find what is right for you and follow that plan.

If you are interested in looking up the GI on any food check out the link below.
http://www.glycemicindex.com/