The GI number of foods change if they are cooked certain ways or grown in different areas. Following are a couple of examples: Raw carrots = a low GI number of 16 but boiled carrots = a high GI number of 92; a baked russet potato from the US = a high GI number of 111 but a baked russet potato from Canada = a medium GI number of 56.
Foods that have a high GI (Glycemic Index) number, 70 or above, raise blood sugar levels quickly. Foods with a medium GI, between 56 and 69, will have a medium effect while low GI foods, 55 and below, will have a low effect.
Legumes are low-glycemic foods and should be a part of every diabetics diet. Use as an entree, side dish or on salads but be sure to have them on your menu almost daily. Get creative. You will discover it is very easy to work them into your daily diet.
Potatoes are high-glycemic foods and should be used sparingly in a diabetics diet. Limit to a few times a week and always eat them with a good protein food. Diabetics should never have hash browns for breakfast, french fries for lunch and mashed potatoes for dinner! You will not be able to control your blood sugar if you eat like that. That would be like asking for future diabetic complications.
Recent research has shown it is important for diabetics to understand the GLYCEMIC INDEX and how it can affect their blood sugar. The glycemic index is a number that indicates how much and how quickly blood sugar increases after consuming a food containing carbohydrates. Many researches now say this is the important number for diabetics to be concerned about when planning their meals.
High-glycemic foods (foods with a higher glycemic index number) cause blood sugar to take a drastic jump. Low-glycemic foods are easier for the body to absorb and therefore they raise blood sugar levels much more slowly.
Dr. Gerald Bernstein, MD, a past president of the American Diabetes Association and an endocrinologist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, has stated, "There is no question that it's important for diabetics to pay close attention to the glycemic index of foods they eat."
Usually foods that are considered low-fat, high-fiber and are generally recommended in diets for watching one's weight and over-all general good health are low-glycemic foods. Starchy and/or processed foods are generally considered high-glycemic foods. But is can get confusing. As with most things, there are exceptions to the rules. For instance, an orange has almost half the number of watermelon. An orange has a glycemic index of 43 while watermelon's is 72. The AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION lists low-glycemic foods as 55 and under and high-glycemic foods as 70 and higher.
Research on the glycemic index is fairly new. Expect much more research and published results in the future.