Glycemic Index Health Video

Video Transcript

DR. CATHERINE STALLWORTH: Hi. I am Dr. Cathy Stallworth, and I would like to talk to you about glycemic index and glycemic load. These are two fairly sophisticated sounding words to actually explain a very simple concept. And that concept is if you consume foods that are high in carbohydrates that are rapidly digested by the stomach and rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream they can cause a spike in your blood sugar. Why is this important? If the blood sugar becomes elevated, it requires a spike in insulin and your blood sugar can be out of control. So we always recommend that people with diabetes watch their carbohydrate intake. And another way that you can now do this is to consume foods that are low in the glycemic index. It is also important because some people who have hypoglycemia or low blood sugar have this problem because they consume carbohydrates and sugars that are high in glycemic index. They get the spike in insulin to try to help the body absorb the glucose and then you get a rebound drop in blood sugar. What are some foods that are high in glycemic index? Well, it is surprising. Certainly, table sugar is high in glycemic index, but believe it or not, it is not as high as some other starches and carbohydrates. So for instance, a bagel, this is a serving of a bagel. A bagel is higher in glycemic index than table sugar. Other foods that are high in glycemic index include things like white rice, ice cream, macaroni and cheese. All the things that so many of us love to eat. While I am on this subject, let me touch on portion sizes. Our portion sizes, particularly in the United States have become very, very distorted. So here I have on my plate a sample of a fairly typical portion size for Americans. These are actually two portion sizes of macaroni and cheese, two portion sizes of mashed potatoes, two or more portions of a meat. Most fruits and vegetables are considered low in glycemic index. There are obviously some exceptions. White potatoes are high in glycemic index. Carrots are more in the moderate range. Milk is low in glycemic index. Legumes or beans are also low in glycemic index. If you are struggling with problems regulating your blood sugar, consider consuming a diet that is primarily plant-based with some lean meats, watch your portions and avoid the white starches.