Glycemic Index Tables: Not Just For Diabetics

I have known that I have diabetes type 2 for about 6 years now. The disease tends to run in my family as my mother and sister also have it. There's a possibility that more distant relatives may have or have had diabetes without knowing it. I have learned that the Diabetic diet (way of life, type of eating) is really a good one that everyone can enjoy and benefit from. I find it tasty and much more to my liking than the heavy meaty meals my hard-working farm family raised me to eat.

In learning about diabetic cooking, I became acquainted with the Glycemic Index. Carol Scheible on her website Best Diet Tips says: "The Glycemic Index (GI) is a numerical system of measuring how fast a carbohydrate triggers a rise in circulating blood sugar - the higher the number, the greater the blood sugar response. So a low GI food will cause a small rise, while a high GI food will trigger a dramatic spike. A list of carbohydrates with their glycemic values is shown below."

Carbohydrates are the energy providers our bodies need. They are not necessarily the horrible monsters we sometimes make them out to be. There are good carbohydrates and bad carbohydrates. The good ones tend to be better for us in a number of ways. Allen from his website, the Fit Doctor, writes, "Diabetics typically eat these foods [low GI foods] to help them regulate spikes in their blood sugar and to help them to be less dependent on insulin. In other words, diabetics often manage their disease simply by regulating the kind of carbohydrates they eat." Personally, I believe that this is the type of activity that all of us, not just diabetics, could engage in.

Carbohydrates in our blood increase the sugar presence. This results in an increase in energy. If you were driving a car it would not be as beneficial for gas mileage and wear and tear on the engine if there were drastic changes--bursts of speed to just puttering along. The body doesn't function as well if blood sugar levels spike then drop, spike then drop. It operates best with a continuous amount of energy output.

Thus the invention of the Glycemic Index. A simple chart of such an index can be found below. We can improve our heath by cutting back on foods high on the GI, and increasing intake of the foods low on the GI. Allen encourages us to eat more from the chart with the lowest GI. "Many of [these foods] have considerable fiber content and they require more calories to digest. As a result, these complimentary carbs not only give you more sustained energy over a longer period they also help you to develop a better daily 'burn" rate (as in calories) and ultimately aid in weight loss."

For best results in heathy eating, controlling your glycemic count, and in losing weight (if that is your desire), Allen as written a few suggestions.

1.  "Increase your consumption of foods that are low on the glycemic index and avoid those that are high on the list."
2.  "Cut back on refined flour and processed foods by avoiding the aisles of the supermarket." (Shop the perimeter of grocery stores. Increase your consumption of whole grains.)
3. "Avoid eating too many 'diet' foods." Allen contends that most diet foods are hype.
4. "Just eat fresher more colorful foods and more old-fashioned foods (slow cook oatmeal, lentils, barley, nuts) and lots and lots of green stuff."
5. "Eat more often from your own kitchen."
6. If you can't eat at home, become educated about the glycemic values and fiber content of the prepared foods you do eat.

Foods in the Low Glycemic Index category from 1-50:

Artichoke <15
Asparagus <15
Avocado < 15
Broccoli <15
Cauliflower <15
Celery <15
Cucumber <15
Eggplant <15
Green beans <15
Lettuce, all varieties <15
Low-fat yogurt, artificially sweetened <15
Peanuts <15
Peppers, all varieties <15
Snow peas <15
Spinach <15
Young summer squash <15
Zucchini <15
Tomatoes 15
Cherries 22
Peas, dried 22
Plum 24
Grapefruit 25
Pearled barley 25
Peach 28
Canned peaches, natural juice 30
Dried apricots 31
Soy milk 30
Baby lima beans, frozen 32
Fat-free milk 32
* M&M's Chocolate Candies, Peanut 32
Low-fat yogurt, sugar sweetened 33
Apple 36
Pear 36
Whole wheat spaghetti 37
Tomato soup 38
Carrots, cooked 39
* Mars Snickers Bar 40
Apple juice 41
All-Bran 42
Canned chickpeas 42
Custard 43
Grapes 43
Orange 43
Canned lentil soup 44
Canned pinto beans 45
Macaroni 45
Pineapple juice 46
Banana bread 47
Long-grain rice 47
Parboiled rice 47
Bulgur 48
Canned baked beans 48
Grapefruit juice 48
Green peas 48
Oat bran bread 48
* Chocolate bar, 1.5 oz 49
Old-fashioned oatmeal 49
Cheese tortellini 50
* Low-fat ice cream 50

Foods in the Medium category of the Glycemic Index (from 50-70):

Canned kidney beans 52
Kiwi fruit 52
Orange juice, not from concentrate 52
Banana 53
* Potato chips 54
* Pound cake 54
Special K 54
Sweet potato 54
Brown Rice 55
Canned fruit cocktail 55
Linguine 55
Oatmeal cookies 55
Popcorn 55
Sweet corn 55

Brown Rice 55
Canned fruit cocktail 55
Linguine 55
Oatmeal cookies 55
Popcorn 55
Sweet corn 55
Muesli 56
White rice 56
Orange juice from frozen concentrate 57
Pita bread 57
Canned peaches, heavy syrup 58
Mini shredded wheats 58
Bran Chex 58
Blueberry muffin 59
Bran muffin 60
Cheese pizza 60
Hamburger bun 61
* Ice cream 61
Kudos Whole Grain Bars (chocolate chip) 61
Beets 64
Canned apricots, light syrup 64
Canned black bean soup 64
Macaroni and cheese 64
Raisins 64
Couscous 65
Quick-cooking oatmeal 65
Rye crispbread 65
* Table sugar (sucrose) 65
Canned green pea soup 66
Instant oatmeal 66
Pineapple 66
Angel food cake 67
Grape-Nuts 67
Stoned Wheat Thins 67American rye bread 68
Taco shells 68
Whole wheat bread 69
Life Savers 70
Melba toast 70
White bread 70

Foods to be regulated because they are HIGH on the Glycemic Index (70 and above):

Golden Grahams 71
Bagel 72
Corn chips 72
Watermelon 72
Honey 73
Kaiser roll 73
Mashed potatoes 73
Bread stuffing mix 74
Cheerios 74
Cream of Wheat, instant 74
Graham crackers 74
Puffed wheat 74
Doughnuts 75
French fries 76French fries 76
Frozen waffles 76
Total cereal 76
Vanilla wafers 77
Grape-Nuts Flakes 80
Jelly beans 80
Pretzels 81
Rice cakes 82
Rice Krispies 82
Corn Chex 83
Mashed potatoes, instant 83
Cornflakes 84
Baked potato 85
Rice Chex 89French bread 95
Parsnips 97
Dates 103
Tofu frozen dessert 115

Another website that has a more thorough GI chart

*Foods that should be eaten in small amounts and not very often

Here's to a healthy lifestyle!