Understanding the Glycemic Index - For Diabetics

If you are diabetic, then your doctor, or dietician, will have discussed the glycemic index, and how important it is to eat foods that are low in this listing.

The gfi is a measure of the effect that carbohydrates have on blood sugar levels. A carbohydrate food, which breaks down quickly during the process of digestion, releases glucose rapidly into the blood stream, has a high GI.

Low gi foods break down slowly, and release glucose slowly into the bloodstream. Whether you have diabetes, or not, foods with a low index score have important health benefits.

A Doctor at the University of Toronto developed the glycemic index of food, during research into the best diet for people with diabetes. Foods which are low on the scale are not only slower in the digestive system, but also take the load off the liver.

A lower glycemic response means the body needs less insulin. A food, which is seventy or more, is high in the list. You may be surprised to find that cereals like Rice Krispies, and Cornflakes were rated as high.

Between fifty-six and sixty-nine is considered medium, and fifty-five or less, is low. You will be equally surprised to find the index number of vodka, beer, and alcohol is low, but this is because there are no carbohydrates in vodka. Fruits and vegetables all have low ratings.

If you are diabetic and need to eat a low GI diet, then there is a good deal of information available on the Internet. There are many websites, which display a comprehensive food listing.

This is especially useful as some foods, for example carrots and rice, have a large range of values. This varies according to the way you prepare the food, and is also because of natural botanical differences. Another example is the musa paradisiaca (banana). Research has shown that the carbohydrate content of bananas depended on how ripe they were.

On one website I found a table to calculate values, and a free calorie chart. There were ideas for recipes for those times when you need to create something special, and even a shopping list. You can save a lot of time, and frequent visits these websites, by making a printed copy of the food list. You can then refer to this guide whenever you want.

The gi diet has been incorporated into some of the top weight loss diets, such as the South Beach, and Atkins. This is because when your body digests foods, which are low on the index ratings, you feel fuller for longer. This allows you to eat fewer calories without the hunger pangs.

Body builders also use knowledge of the GFI in a product called weight gainer 1200, to feed muscle.

Obesity is a major factor in diabetes, so it is interesting to note that when you add a food from the low index chart to your meal, it lowers the level of the whole meal. Additionally research has shown that a 1000-calorie low index diet facilitates greater weight loss in obese adults with high insulin secretions.

If you are still confused about all this, you may like to consider buying software, the GI diet meal planner. This software doesn't show you how to calculate the values, but does it all for you.