How to Use the Glycemic Index of Food to Help Control
Symptoms of Diabetes
Just what is the glycemic index of a food? It is a way to measure
the speed with which glucose from a given carbohydrate food enters your
blood stream. In other words, with a high glycemic index food such as
potatoes, the food is quickly digested and absorbed into your blood
stream causing a rapid increase in blood sugar. On the other hand, a
very low glycemic index food such as chicken breast without the skin
would cause a very small, sustained increase in blood sugar level.
Use this link for handy
FREE
glycemic index list to print out or save on your computer
A food that is low on the glycemic
index list moves into the
blood stream in a much more gradual way which avoids unhealthy spikes
in blood glucose levels. Thus, it is better to regularly eat low
glycemic index food rather than high glycemic foods in terms of keeping
your blood sugar level even. Often the lowest glycemic index foods also
are high in nutrients and fiber.
Here are some low glycemic index foods
Most high protein meats, eggs and dairy products as well
as fats and oils are near 0 on the glycemic index. Only processed
animal products with carbohydrates added such as bacon and lunchmeats
will measure on the glycemic list.
Some very low glycemic foods contain excessive amounts of
fat such as fatty beef, pork and lamb, some poultry such as duck and
goose and dairy products such as cheese, butter, full fat yogurt, sour
cream and full fat milk. It is best to choose low glycemic index foods
that do not contain large amounts of saturated fat. That means you
should choose poultry white meat rather than dark meat (also avoid the
skin which is fatty), lean cuts of meat and low-fat/non-fat dairy
products. Don’t forget fish, which can be very healthy.
All fruits and vegetables are lower on the glycemic index
list
when they are raw. Cooking breaks down the cell walls and allows the
food to be digested faster, raising the index level.
Some Types of Low Glycemic Index Food to Avoid
The combination of high fat and high carbohydrate content
in foods is a very unhealthy, craving inducing mixture. Be sure to
avoid this combination found in foods such as ice cream, French fries,
hamburgers (with bun), doughnuts, croissants and potato chips.
All fats have an extremely low glycemic index but eating
excess fat is not necessarily healthy. The best fats for
regular consumption are olive oil and flaxseed oil. In
particular, olive oil is not only good for salad dressings
but also is good for cooking because it does not degrade
at high heat. Be sure to keep all oils refrigerated to
prevent rancidity.
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