The glycemic index, abbreviated GI, was first introduced to help diabetics better manage their blood sugar levels by predicting the glycemic impact of carbohydrate-containing foods. This concept is helpful to understand the influence of foods over your blood sugar levels whether your have diabetes or not. The higher the GI, the sharper the rise in your blood sugar levels. Low GI carbohydrates will result in a small and smooth increase in your blood sugars after eating.
Hypoglycemia
People with diabetes may experience hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar levels, because of the blood sugar lowering medications or insulin they take. However, people without diabetes can also experience hypoglycemia. This type of hypoglycemia is called reactive hypoglycemia. It usually occurs because these people secrete too much insulin in response to high glycemic foods, which makes their blood sugar levels crash within a few hours. Hypoglycemia is defined by blood sugars below 70 mg/dL and is characterized by feelings of hunger, shakiness, dizziness, weakness, sleepiness, confusion, sweating, anxiety and difficulty speaking.
Blood Sugar Levels
The glycemic index of a food determines how much it can influence your blood sugar levels. If you choose high GI foods, your blood sugar levels will peak and trigger the release of large amounts of insulin which will later make your blood sugar levels crash. High GI foods increase the risk of experiencing hypoglycemia by causing large variations in your blood sugars. On the other hand, low GI foods will help keep your blood sugar levels more stable, preventing sharp rises and crashes. By regulating your blood sugar levels, low GI foods can help you avoid other hypoglycemic episodes.
Glycemic Load
The glycemic load is another concept similar to the glycemic index that can benefit people experiencing recurrent episodes of hypoglycemia. While the GI reflects carbohydrate quality, the glycemic load integrates both the concept of carbohydrate quality and quantity. You can calculate the glycemic load of a serving of food by multiplying its available carbohydrate content, in grams, with its GI and dividing by 100. Lowering your glycemic load can be achieved by choosing more low GI foods and replacing some carbohydrates with low-carb foods, such as protein or fat. Low glycemic load diets are also associated with more stable blood sugar levels, which can help you prevent hypoglycemia.
Foods To Avoid
A high GI food is defined as having a GI value of 70 or higher and should be avoided to reduce your risk of experiencing an hypoglycemia. Avoid potatoes in all forms, whether they are mashed, baked, boiled or fried, because they have GI values ranging between 73 and 85. Instant white rice, white bread, bagels and breakfast cereals like cornflakes, puffed wheat, puffed rice and bran flakes should also be avoided because of their high GI.
Low GI Foods
A low GI food is defined by a GI value of 55 or lower and should constitute the foundation of your carbohydrate choices. Medium GI foods have a GI value between 56 and 69 and can be included with moderation. A good way to stick to low GI foods is to select unprocessed whole foods. Examples include non-starchy vegetables, most fruits, large oat flakes, steel cut oats, sourdough bread, stone-ground whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, brown Basmati rice, legumes, milk and yogurt.
