Diabetes diet and glycemic Index.

A healthy diabetes diet plan majorly depends on the carbohydrates, sugars and the amount of fats and fibers taken by the diabetic. Glycemic Index is a way through which we can keep a check on the amount of carbohydrates we take in and this determines the effect of blood sugar levels, which is crucial for a diabetes diet plan. In diabetes, the blood sugar level is high and it is important to include foods in aour diabetes diet which trigger the least rise in the blood sugar levels. Foods low in Glycemic index count do just this, that is, raise the blood sugar levels at the slowest possible rate. A glycemic index of about 50 to 55 is considered to be moderate and foods below the glycemic index of 50 help manage blood sugars better post meals and are considered the most recommended for diabetes diet. Foods with glycemic index of more than 60 or 70 should be avoided by diabetics as they trigger increase in the blood sugar levels at a very fast rate. Glycemic Index can only be determined of foods which contain carbohydrates. Therefore, fats and meat cannot have a glycemic index.

Food groups with Low GI value: less than or up to 55:

- Low fat dairy products.

- Whole grain breads, muesli and cereals.

- Fruits (Like kiwi, apple, orange, grapefruit, berries, pears, peaches, apricots, etc.)

- Legumes, lentils and beans.

- Nuts and dried raisins (Peanuts, walnuts, cashew nuts).

- Pasta, spaghetti, ravioli, noodles.

- Vegetables (like carrots, sweet potatoes, cucumber, mushrooms, broccoli, cabbage, all kinds of greens etc)


Factors that affect Glycemic Index:
There are factors that affect the glycemic index of a food and hence we need to alter our glycemic index food selection based on these criteria.

- Cooking- Duration and method.

- Ripeness of the fruit or vegetable: The Glycemic Index value of a fruit or a vegetable increases as the food becomes riper.

- Processed and canned food: Processed food is always expected to have high GI value than non-canned, non-processed food.

- Variety: Different varieties of food, example rice, have different GI values.

0 Response to "Diabetes diet and glycemic Index."

Post a Comment

powered by Blogger | WordPress by Newwpthemes | Converted by BloggerTheme