Even if you're not diabetic, managing your blood glucose levels by avoiding foods that make them spike is a prudent way to eat. Consuming foods that increase your blood glucose levels can adversely affect your health and cause physical symptoms such as light headedness, nausea, mental confusion and involuntary muscle tremors. If you are diabetic, choosing foods that lower your blood sugar can be a life-saving choice. Foods fit into three general food groups: carbohydrates, fats and proteins. While carbohydrates can cause blood sugar levels to skyrocket, fats and proteins can offset glucose levels and help stabilize them. Start by learning about the foods you most enjoy, then make it a point to learn how others fit into your diet plan.
About Blood Sugar Levels
Blood sugar starts out as carbohydrate in the food we eat. After digestion in the small intestine, glucose enters the bloodstream where it targets major organs, muscles and other body tissues. Under normal conditions, the body has its own way to regulate how much glucose is in the blood. However, if there is a shortage of insulin (as in the case of type I diabetes) or the body cannot use glucose (in type II diabetes) blood glucose levels can remain high, causing a number of serious complications like kidney failure, nerve damage and blindness. The key to managing blood glucose levels is eating carbohydrates that don't cause blood glucose levels to spike.
The Glycemic Index
One of the easiest ways to lower your blood glucose levels is by referring to the glycemic index (G.I.). The glycemic index is a convenient way to rate carbohydrates by how quickly they cause blood glucose levels to spike. Foods that are rated below 54 are low on the glycemic index. Foods that rate between 55 and 70 are medium G.I. foods. Foods rated over 70 are considered high G.I. foods. The goal is to choose low G.I. foods or balance high G.I. foods with foods that rate lower. For instance, plain yogurt has a low G.I. of 14. Dates are rated high at 103. Eaten together, they balance each other out. See Resources below for additional G.I. ratings of popular foods.
Other Foods
A number of other foods can help lower your blood sugar levels. Some rate low on the glycemic index, while others have high concentrations of fat and fiber, known to reduce blood sugar levels. Avocados are frequently banned from most diets limiting calories because they are over 60 percent fat. However, they are also rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C and E. The fat and protein in avocados help to offset high G.I. carbohydrates. Cherries make an excellent menu choice for two reasons: they have a G.I. of 22 and they are high in fiber, another food ingredient that slows blood glucose spiking. Many forms of nuts are also good ways to lower blood glucose because they contain fat and protein. Good choices include almonds, cashews, pecans, peanuts and macadamia nuts.
