Diabetes and Diet

The glycemic index is a table of measurements which tells how quickly food will be converted by the body into blood sugar (blood glucose). If a food is low on the glycemic index, it will take a long time to convert to blood sugar. A food high on the glycemic index quickly becomes glucose.

The glycemic index uses pure glucose as the food against which all others are measured. Glucose is given a score of 100 on the glycemic index, so keep that in mind when you hear the value of other foods. Surprisingly, some foods, such as dried dates, score higher than pure glucose. (Dried dates rank 103.)

The glycemic index is important because foods which are slowly digested help you stay fuller longer and keep your blood sugar stable. If you eat something high on the glycemic index, such as instant mashed potatoes (86), you will experience a rapid spike in blood sugar followed by an equally rapid sharp decline. This blood sugar roller coaster can lead to chronic exhaustion and overeating. Erratic blood sugar levels can also stress the body and make it more susceptible to developing diabetes and other diseases.

For people with diabetes, the glycemic index is probably the single most important food measurement to take into consideration. Eating foods low on the glycemic index and stabilizing blood sugar naturally can help diabetics decrease or even eliminate the need for insulin shots. If you are worried about developing diabetes, learning the glycemic index can be one of the best preventive measures you can take. (Read the article, How Learning the Glycemic Index Saved My Life.)

For weight watchers, the glycemic index is also critical. This is because foods low on the glycemic index help you eat less overall. The slow digestion process keeps you from feeling hungry. Keeping your blood sugar stable will also help your body digest the food properly instead of immediately converting it into fat.

A lot has been written over the years about food and its effects on blood sugar. Unfortunately, much of the information has been inaccurately presented. As important as the glycemic index is for your health, it has been misconstrued, misrepresented and misunderstood, often by popular diet books. The glycemic index is not difficult to understand but nonetheless, misinformation about it is everywhere.

Many people have the mistaken idea that table sugar and blood sugar are equivalent and that foods with lots of table sugar are automatically high on the glycemic index. This is not true. Table sugar and blood sugar are entirely different on a molecular level. Table sugar is sucrose and blood sugar is glucose. On the glycemic index, glucose is rated at 100 and sucrose is rated at 65.

Ice cream is incredibly high in table sugar but only has a rating of about 50 (depending on the exact kind) on the glycemic index. Why is this? It’s because ice cream is also high in cream, milk and eggs. All of those ingredients are so low on the glycemic index that the addition of sugar is not enough to raise the overall glycemic index.

The fact that foods are rarely eaten alone is one of the things that makes the glycemic index confusing. If you eat a food high on the glycemic index along with foods that are low, (such as the sugar along with the cream and eggs in the ice cream) it is the average of all the foods eaten together that counts. So if you really want that piece of cake, have a glass of milk too and the glycemic index is greatly reduced.

Another fact you might find shocking is that many foods sold as “sugarless” actually contain sweeteners that are higher on the glycemic index than pure glucose! This makes these foods worse than worthless; it makes them dangerous. For example, a low fat, sugarless frozen tofu desert, promoted as a healthy alternative to ice cream, has a glycemic index rating of 115.

To really get an accurate idea of where a food ranks on the glycemic index, please check out the Glycemic Index List. This list was compiled by researchers who carefully monitored the blood sugar reactions of people given foods in isolation on an empty stomach. Their individual reactions (which will vary a bit) were then averaged together. This is the most accurate way to measure the glycemic index.

Lorraine Grula
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/glycemic-index-81351.html

I looked drunk. Smashed. I couldn’t even walk a straight line. I stumbled down the hallway, crashing into the walls. I felt dizzy, about to pass out. Finally, I collapsed onto the bed and didn’t wake for 18 hours.

Was this the result of downing an entire bottle of whiskey? Nope. I hadn’t even had one beer. This drunken state was from eating instant mashed potatoes. Of course at the time, I didn’t have a clue. I thought I was dying.

I missed work at least twice a month. My boss was constantly yelling at me, accusing me of playing hooky. Co-workers shot me accusing looks and branded me lazy. Some people just assumed I was an emotional basket case and couldn’t crawl out of bed to face the cold, cruel world. Many people assumed I was on drugs because I passed out at work more than once.

I hadn’t worked in my garden in two years. As much as I love gardening, I simply couldn’t muster up the energy. I never made it to church anymore, which broke my heart. I wanted to go, but I couldn’t get out of bed. If I wasn’t at work, I was asleep. On the weekends, I was so hopelessly exhausted that I routinely slept 18-20 hours at a stretch. Even that wasn’t enough. All I could do for the other 4-6 hours in the day was lie on the couch and hope that by the time Monday morning rolled around I’d be able to move.

I’d been to the doctor several times and she was stumped. All my blood work looked normal and by all indications, I was a healthy 40-year-old.

So why was I so nonfunctional?

I knew I wasn’t depressed. I knew I wasn’t lazy. I knew SOMETHING was drastically wrong, I just didn’t know what.

Whatever it was, it seemed to be associated with eating. Although I felt tired 100% of the time, it was immediately after eating that I would pass out. Not every meal mind you, so I was confused. How come I could eat ice cream with no ill effects but instant mashed potatoes would send me reeling?

I finally went for a glucose tolerance test. I arrived at the doctor’s office first thing in the morning, not haven eaten anything since 10pm the night before. They took my blood sugar. It was 90. A tad high, but not abnormal. Then I drank an awful concoction, some orange liquid made with pure glucose. I immediately felt dizzy. Within five minutes, my blood sugar had shot to 160, clearly in the diabetic range. Within another five minutes it had plummeted to 60 and I was passed out.

Finally, an answer.

I had stress-induced hypoglycemia. Every time I ate, my blood sugar skyrocketed immediately and then just as quickly came crashing down. This blood sugar roller coaster was straining my body to the max and causing the chronic exhaustion.

Stress started the whole mess. I was a newly-divorced single mother and the hectic pace I was forced to keep had thrown my entire system out of whack. I learned that blood sugar problems are actually a relatively common result of our high stress lives.

I was NOT diabetic. If I were a typical diabetic, the glucose-laden potion would have caused a much slower rise, thirty minutes or even an hour to reach 160. Then, a typical diabetic would remain high for hours. That’s the definition of type 2 diabetes. Sustained high blood sugar because the body becomes resistant to insulin. It’s insulin that keeps your blood sugar levels within the normal range. Obviously, my body was not resistant to insulin or my blood sugar would not have gone down once it rose.

Knowing the problem lead me to research the glycemic index. Like many people, I had lots of mistaken notions about how food causes blood sugar to rise. I thought sweet foods like ice cream did it, but I was wrong. Ice cream averages about 50 on the glycemic index and instant mashed potatoes rate 86. Once I knew the glycemic index, it was easy to see why some meals made me pass out and others didn’t.

For a while, I ate nothing but peanut butter (14) and milk (27). Slowly, I began to feel better and I added other foods.

The glycemic index has gotten a lot of publicity but still causes confusion in the minds of many. This is in large part because many popular diet books misrepresent the glycemic index. The best information about the glycemic index can be read in books by Jennie Brand-Miller, a PhD from Australia. She’s authored several books along with researchers Thomas M.S. Wolever, MD, PhD, Stephen Colagiuri, MD, and Kaye Foster-Powell, MS.

Knowing the glycemic index helped me create meal plans that kept my blood sugar stable. As my body became used to blood sugar stability, I noticed that I was simply less reactive. In other words, my body could better handle foods high on the glycemic index.

I also worked hard to reduce the stress in my life. Meditation, relaxation, visual imagery all were techniques I used to relax.

It’s been years since I was diagnosed and I’m happy to report that I rarely have problems anymore. However, if I let the stress build up and get lazy about what I eat, the familiar dizziness and exhaustion quickly remind me that the glycemic index is extremely important information to know.

Lorraine Grula
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/learning-the-glycemic-index-saved-my-life-90202.html

The low glycemic index diet is based on a theory that eating foods which score lower on the glycemic index will help you to not only lose weight but also manage diabetes if you suffer from that disease and possibly stave off other related health conditions such as heart disease.

The glycemic index came out in the 1980′s originally as a way to help diabetics better manage their diets. The index was designed to rank foods according to how fast they cause the blood sugar levels in the body to rise within a few hours of eating them. Because the pancreas must release insulin in order to help return excess levels of blood glucose, or blood sugar, to normal it was conceived that the ranking of foods could help diabetics better gauge the effects specific foods would have on their bodies.

If they were able to know which foods would raise their blood sugar levels they would then be able to avoid or eat little of those foods and therefore keep their blood sugar levels in check. After awhile it was discovered that the low glycemic index diet could also help individuals to lose weight as well. Today, it has become one of the most popular diets around and many famous diets, including the South Beach diet are based on the idea of a low glycemic index diet.

According to the low glycemic index diet foods are ranked on a scale of 0 to 110. Foods that rank with a score of 55 or lower on the scale are considered to be low on the glycemic index. Those foods which rank from 56 to 69 fall in the moderate category while those foods that are scored at 70 or above are considered to be ‘high’ glycemic index foods. High GI foods are believed to raise blood sugar levels the highest after consuming them and should therefore be avoided are eaten in small amounts.

Foods which are allowed on the low glycemic index diet include nuts and seds, yogurt, milk, vegetables, fruits, etc. The types of foods which commonly rank highest on the glycemic index include caffeinated beverages such as coffee and sodas, desserts and candy.

Beyond managing weight loss and blood sugar levels for the purpose of diabetes the low glycemic index diet also has many other advantages as well such as an increased alertness and energy level. Individuals who find they are frequently tired and lethargic in the afternoon may notice they no longer feel that way when on the low glycemic index diet. This is because it has been shown that diets which are high in high carbohydrates frequently result in a lack of energy in the afternoon.

Individuals on the diet have also noticed thy tend to feel less stressed out on this diet and also have a general improvement in their mood. Unlike other diets the body is also frequently able to retain more muscle with the low glycemic index diet. This is especially important when you are dieting and trying to lose weight. Many people find that while on this diet their bodies begin to feel trimmer even before they have actually lost a significant amount of weight. This is due to the body storing fat more efficiently, resulting in a retention of muscle over fat. Since muscle weighs more than fat you may feel trimmer and notice your clothes fitting looser without losing as much weight as you might expect.

Finally, individuals who have found they have difficulty losing weight in the stomach area are often delighted with the results of the low glycemic diet because it enables them to tone of their tummy area more quickly than with other diets.

Wesley Atkins
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/losing-weight-with-the-low-glycemic-index-diet-110347.html

I’m confused on how my professor worded this on the homework assignment. I’m familiar with the glycemic index. I also know that a lower glycemic index is better for you. When he says ‘Least Favorable’ does he mean the choice with the highest glycemic index (since lower is more favorable?)

So far, I think it’s baked potato. Baked potatoes are pretty starchy and high on the GI. However, I might be misinterpeting the question.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

—————————————————–
In a person with type 2 diabetes, which of the following foods would ordinarily promote the LEAST favorable glycemic effect?

a. chocolate
b. ice cream
c. baked potato
d. baked beans

Think about what type 2 diabetes is and what you want to happen after eating. High GI foods will cause a rapid increase in blood glucose levels where low GI will cause a slower rise in blood glucose. So yes, for a person with type 2 diabetes, it is less favourable to have a meal that is high GI due to the effect it will have on blood glucose levels. I also think baked potato is the answer.

Low GI foods aren’t always better, high GI foods do have advantages in certain situations ie. sports competitions etc.

I’m confused on how my professor worded this on the homework assignment. I’m familiar with the glycemic index. I also know that a lower glycemic index is better for you. When he says ‘Least Favorable’ does he mean the choice with the highest glycemic index (since lower is more favorable?)

So far, I think it’s baked potato. Baked potatoes are pretty starchy and high on the GI. However, I might be misinterpeting the question.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

—————————————————–
In a person with type 2 diabetes, which of the following foods would ordinarily promote the LEAST favorable glycemic effect?

a. chocolate
b. ice cream
c. baked potato
d. baked beans

Think about what type 2 diabetes is and what you want to happen after eating. High GI foods will cause a rapid increase in blood glucose levels where low GI will cause a slower rise in blood glucose. So yes, for a person with type 2 diabetes, it is less favourable to have a meal that is high GI due to the effect it will have on blood glucose levels. I also think baked potato is the answer.

Low GI foods aren’t always better, high GI foods do have advantages in certain situations ie. sports competitions etc.

please indicate websites on which low glycemic index and low glycemic load dishes are available. these dishes are useful in diabetes and other type of cardio vascular diseases
thanks
anu

http://www.glycemicgourmet.com/low-gi-recipes.html

http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/lowglycemicfoodlist.htm