Friday, February 20, 2009

Diabetic: Know the glycemic index of the food you eat (blood sugar)




Many still thinks that table sugar or anything with it, for example soft drinks is the worst kind of food for diabetic person. There are, however others as bad or worse than table sugar. I was surprised when the doctor of my uncle (who is diagnose with diabetes) said that watermelon is one such example watermelon is my favorite fruit I'm glad that I don't have diabetes, I can eat all watermelon I like.

The doctor also said that what is important is to adjust the diet of a diabetic person to mange the weight because there is a close relationship between the incidence of diabetes and greater body weight. The doctor also said that diabetic people has to look closely at the glycemic index (GI) of the carbohydrates in the food they eat. It is important for people who are diabetic, to keep the blood sugar under control. The glycemic index of food in each 50g of carbohydrates is a measure of the food's ability to elevate blood sugar in the two or three hours after eating. Some are broken down more quickly in the intestine than the others, causing the blood sugar level to rise rapidly, and sometimes to dangerous levels. These carbohydrates have a high GI. Carbohydrates that are low in GI enter the bloodstream slowly and are the preferred type. They provide sustained energy and help maintain stable blood sugar levels. However he also said that do not eat this food too much, too much of anything is unhealthy. Eating an excess low GI food could cause an increase in body weight. Also stick to a low fat diet and exercise regularly.

Below are list of foods categorized according to glycemic index (GI):

Foods High in GI

white rice
raisins
white bread
watermelon
honey
cheerios
cornflakes
cooked carrots
cane maple and corn syrup
baked potato
glucose

Foods with Moderate GI

whole wheat bread
apple juices
bananas
sweet potato
brown rice
corn
popcorn
grapes
oatmeal
spaghetti/noodles
orange and orange juices

Foods with Low GI

barley
grapefruit
kidney beans
lentils
green peas
milk and milk products
pears
yogurt
plums
figs
peanuts
peaches
apples



2 comments:

Unknown said...

I love melons too...
Than God I don't have diabetes! sigh...

pchi said...

wow! very exhaustive list

thanks for this info

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