What is the Glycemic Index (GI)?The glycemic index ranks foods on how they affect our blood sugar levels. This index measures how much your blood sugar increases in the two or three hours after eating.
The glycemic index is about foods high in carbohydrates. Foods high in fat or protein don't cause your blood sugar level to rise much.
A lot of people still think that it is plain table sugar that people with diabetes need to avoid. The experts used to say that, but the glycemic index shows that even complex carbohydrates, like baked potatoes, can be even worse.
When you make use of the glycemic index to prepare healthy meals, it helps to keep your blood sugar levels under control. This is especially important for people with diabetes, although athletes and people who are overweight also stand to benefit from knowing about this relatively new concept in good nutrition.
Recent studies of large numbers of people with diabetes show that those who keep their blood sugar under tight control best avoid the complications that this disease can lead to. Most experts agree that what works best for people with diabetes—and probably the rest of us as well—is regular exercise, little saturated or trans fat (partially hydrogenated oils), and a high-fiber diet.
The recommendations to exercise and eat more fiber and less saturated and trans fats is excellent advice—as far as it goes. The real problem is carbohydrates. The official consensus remains that a high-carbohydrate diet is best for people with diabetes. However, some of the experts, led by endocrinologists like Dr. Richard K. Bernstein, recommend a low-carbohydrate diet, because carbohydrates can raise blood sugar to dangerous levels.
But not all carbohydrates act the same. Some are quickly broken down in the intestine, causing the blood sugar level to rise rapidly. These carbohydrates have a high glycemic index
Below I have included on this site the Glycemic Index plus the glycemic load diet. On this page you will find a basic index with foods rated as Low glycemic, Medium, High and Very High. On the next page of this site you will find the Glycemic Load chart.
The Free Glycemic Index Chart
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Fruits
Apple ……………..medium
Apricots …………..medium
Avocado ………….med/high
Banana ………….med/high
Blackberries ……...low
Blueberries …….....low
Cantaloupe …….....low
Cherries …………...low
Cranberry Sauce ...high
Dates ……………...high
Figs (raw) ………....high
Grapefruit ………....low
Grapes………...…..medium
Guava……………...medium
Honeydew melon ...low
Kiwi fruit…………...low
Mango……………..med/high
Nectarine ………....medium
Lemon or Lime …..medium
Orange …………....medium
Papaya …………...high
Peach ……………..low
Pears ……………...low
Pineapple ………...low
Plum ……………....low
Prunes …………….medium
Raisins……………..high
Raspberries………..low
Strawberries……....low
Tangerine……….....medium
Watermelon……….medium
Vegetables
Alfalfa sprouts…….low
Artichoke………….low
Asparagus………...low
Bamboo shoots…..low
Bean sprouts……...low
Beets (canned)…...medium
Bock choy………...low
Broccoli…………...low
Butternut Squash...medium
Brussels sprouts…low
Cabbage…………...low
Carrots………….….high
Cauliflower………...low
Chili pepper………..low
Celery……………...low
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Vegetables, continued
Cucumber…………low
Collards……………low
Corn………………..high
Eggplant………….. low
Endive…………….. low
Green beans……… low
Hummus………….. low
Kale……………….. low
Leeks……………… low
Lentils…………medium
Lettuce……………. low
Mushrooms………. low
Mustard greens….. low
Onion……………… low
Okra……………….. low
Parsnips………….. high
Parsley……………. low
Peas, green……medium
Pickles, dill……….. low
Pickles, sweet……. high
Poi…………………..high
Radish………………low
Salsa…………..….. low
Sauerkraut………… low
Snow peas………… low
Spinach……………. low
Summer squash........medium
Swiss chard……….. low
Turnip root…………. low
Turnip greens……... low
Tomato…………….. low
Zucchini……………. low
Breads / Starches
Bagel, plain………...high
Bagel, sweet………. high
Biscuit……………… high
Bread crumbs……... high
Bread sticks……….. high
Bread, white………...high
Bread, wheat………. high
Bread, low cal……... high
Bread, rye…………...high
Bread, pumpernickel. high
Bread, French…….... high
Buns……………….... high
Buns, reduced cal…. high
Cornbread…………... high
| Breads / Starches, continued
Croissant…………….high
Croutons, plain………high
Croutons. Seasoned..high
Dinner rolls………….. high
English muffin………. high
Pita pocket………….. high
Buckwheat………….. medium
Bulgur wheat……….. medium
Grits…………………. high
Cornmeal…………… high
Couscous…………… high
Egg noodles………… high
Flour, wheat………… high
Flour, rye……………. high
Hominy……………….medium
Kashi………………… medium
Macaroni……………. medium
Millet………………….high
Muffins, blueberry….. high
Noodles……………… medium
Oat bran…………….. high
Oatmeal…………….. medium
Pancakes…………… high
Pasta………………… medium
Popcorn……………. very high
Potato, baked……. very high
Potato, mashed…… very high
Potato, red, new…… medium
Rice cakes, plain… very high
Rice, brown……… med/high
Spaghetti, wheat…med/high
Sweet potato………med/high
Stuffing……………… high
Taco shell……………medium
Tortilla, corn…………medium
Tortilla, flour…………high
Waffles……………….high
Yam………………….med/high
Beans
Baked beans……….med/high
Black beans…………medium
Kidney beans………..medium
Lima beans…………..medium
Navy beans…………..medium
Pinto beans…………. medium
Refried beans………. medium
White beans………….medium
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