Glycemic index ( GI )of a food is the increase in blood glucose ( above fasting glucose) 2 hours after ingestion of a constant amount of food divided by a reference food( usually glucose).
To make this easy to understand, if the GI of a particular food is 72, this means that 72% of the ingested food is converted to glucose within the body after 2 hours of consumption.
GI reflects the rate at which carbohydrate is absorbed and digested by the body. Try to aim for low GI food combined with medium or high GI food rather than have more of high GI food. Whatever be the diet chosen, the dietary management has to be combined with physical activity for maximum benefit. A diet which suits one person may not suit all. It is advisable to see which food increases the sugar levels by checking the sugar levels after each food ( this is painful, but this can help to decide which food suits a person).
Low GI food stuff with the GI levels
Yoghurt low fat 14 Milk chocolate 24 Multi grain bread 48 Broccoli 15 Spaghetti 27 Parboiled rice 48 Celery 15 Skimmed milk 32 Carrot juice 45 Bell peppers 15 Fat free milk 32 Jams and marmalade 49 Spinach 15 Apple 38 Low fat ice cream 50 Tomato 15 Plum 38 Orange juice 52 Soya beans boiled 16 Pears 38 Kiwi 53 Artichoke 15 Apricots dried 31 Banana 54 Asparagus 15
Black beans 41 Sweet potato 54 Cauliflower 15 Boiled lentils 29 Egg plant 15 Boiled kidney beans 29 Lettuce 15 Green beans 15 Peanuts 15 Cucumber 15
Medium GI food with their GI levels
Oat bran 55 Rye-flour bread 64 Rice, brown 55 Apricots (tinned in syrup) 64 Fruit cocktail 55 Raisins 64 Spaghetti, durum wheat 55 Macaroni cheese 64 Popcorn 55 Beetroot 64 Muesli 56 Mars bar 64 Mangoes 56 Black bean soup, tinned 64 Potato, boiled 56
Cake , tart 65 Mini Wheats (wholemeal) 57 Potato, steamed 65 * Table sugar (sucrose) 65 Apricots 57
Barley, flakes 66 Potato, new 57 Pineapple 66 Digestives 58 Rice, white 58 Croissant 67 Pizza, cheese 60 Ryvita 67 Hamburger bun 61 *Ice-cream 61 Whole meal bread 69 Shredded Wheat 69 Muffin (unsweetened) 62 Potato, mashed 70
High GI food with their GI levels
White bread 71 Broad beans 79 Golden Grahams 71 Jelly beans 80 Millet 71 Pretzels 81 ** Watermelon 72 Rice Krispies 82 White rolls 73 Potato, micro waved 82 Puffed wheat 7 Cornflakes 83 Corn chips 74 Potato, instant 83 Chips75
**Potato, baked 85 Rice pasta, brown 92 Doughnut 76 Wafer biscuits 77 ** Rice cakes 77
Dates 103
** low in calories and highly nutritious
* empty calories
