If you're one of the millions of diabetics that the American Diabetes Association estimates is learning how to manage your blood glucose, making wise nutrition choices is not only the key to staying healthy but it can literally save your life. Carbohydrates that cause your blood glucose to spike can cause serious complications such as kidney failure, heart disease, blindness and loss of limb. The good news is that there are a number of easy, effective ways to make good choices about what you eat. One of the most popular is the glycemic index.
The Glycemic Index
The glycemic index (GI) is a simple rating system that categorizes carbohydrates according to how quickly they cause your blood glucose to spike. Low-GI carbs are rated between 0 and 54. Medium-GI carbs are rated between 55 and 70, and high-GI carbs are rated over 70. The goal is to minimize the number of high-GI carbohydrates you eat, or learn how to balance them with either low-GI foods or those that are high in fat and protein. By averaging the GI of the carbohydrates you eat, you should be able to maintain normal blood glucose levels--between 70 to 110 mg/dl.
Low-GI Foods
Low-GI carbs are foods whose glucose enters the bloodstream slowly, having minimal impact on blood glucose levels. While you might suspect that some are rated low, like fettucini or vermicelli, others might surprise you. For instance, cherries rate low with a GI of 22. Apples average a GI of 38, and prunes have a GI of 15. You can mix these low-GI carbs with higher-GI foods to keep your blood glucose levels from spiking.
Medium-GI Foods
Medium-GI carbs rate between 55 and 70. You can eat these in reasonable amounts but should balance them with high- and low-GI carbs. Some healthy examples of medium-GI carbs are all bran types of cereal (51), pears (58), white basmati rice (58) and sweet potatoes (52).
High-GI Foods
High-GI carbs should be eaten in smaller quantities or mixed with medium- or low-GI carbs. They tend to cause the blood glucose levels to spike within 20 minutes after eating. Some common examples of high-GI carbs are dates (103), doughnuts (76), pretzels (83), frozen tofu dessert (115) and French baguettes.
If you find yourself in a position where it's impossible to make sound GI decisions, add some protein or fat to your meal. They'll help to offset how quickly the high-GI foods enter the bloodstream.
