Glycemic Index

01 | Glycemic Index

The glycemic index of food is a ranking of foods based on their immediate effect on blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. Carbohydrate foods that break down quickly during digestion have the highest glycemic indexes. Their blood sugar response is fast and high. Carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream, have low glycemic indexes.

What is the significance of a Glycemic Index?

• Low GI means a smaller rise in blood sugar and can help control established diabetes
• Low GI diets can help people lose weight and lower blood lipids
• Low GI diets can improve the body's sensitivity to insulin
• High GI foods can help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise

How to switch to a low GI diet

• Breakfast cereals based on wheat bran, barley and oats
• "Grainy" breads made with whole seeds
• Vinegar and lemon juice dressings

In short, the goal should be to build a good plan including the low Glycemic Index foods. This way, hunger is minimized, and there is less of a tendency to "cheat" or overeat. Consequently, you can continue to lose body fat or maintain your weight - once the excess pounds have been lost.

Even for those whose main objective is not fat loss, foods that are low on the glycemic index will help alleviate mood swings and regulate energy levels.

Some points to ponder:

• Foods that stimulate insulin surges can cause people to eat 60-70% more calories at the following meal.
• People who consume foods relatively high in glucose (such as white bread, most commercial whole wheat bread, and raisins) eat an average or 200 calories more at the next meal than those who eat fructose (a sugar found in fruits).

Low glycemic index foods can be mixed with modest quantities of high glycemic foods without losing their hunger reducing effect.

The purpose of the chart is not to have you eliminate those nutritious choices from your diet. Instead, balance the foods that are "less desirable" by eating them with foods that are "desirable."

High glycemic foods:

• Elevate insulin and blood glucose
• Stimulate fat-storage
• Exacerbate hyperactivity
• Reduce sports performance

A low glycemic food plan is beneficial for:

• Helping balance blood glucose and insulin levels
• Reducing excess body fat levels
• Increasing sports performance
• Helps to regain the insulin sensitivity to glucose (repairs insulin resistance)

Low glycemic food plans focus on reducing ingestion of foods that elevate insulin and stimulate fat-storage. We can't totally eliminate high glycemic foods from our diet, but we can be aware of the glycemic reaction that foods have so we can make better choices.

Low glycemic food plans have been proven to reduce incidence of Type II diabetes and to help control Type I and II diabetes, hypoglycemia and hypertension. Low glycemic foods do not stimulate food-craving hormones like Neuropeptide Y and Lipoprotein Lipase. Stimulation of these hormones can cause chemically-triggered cravings for food and uncontrolled eating binges.

Obviously, low glycemic food plans can be followed for more than 7 days. You can create your own low glycemic food plan with many variations. Be sure to ingest enough calories per day to meet the needs of your own body. For optimum health, select a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, and foods daily. This helps assure an adequate intake of Phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals.

02 | List of GI Foods

Fruits

Food	GI Value
Cherries	22
Grapefruit	25
Prunes	29
Apricots, dried	30
Apple	38
Peach, canned in juice	38
Pear, fresh	38
Plum	39
Strawberries	40
Orange, Navel	42
Peach, fresh	42
Pear, canned	43
Grapes	46
Papaya	56
Banana	52
Kiwi	58
Fruit Cocktail	55
Mango	51
Apricots, fresh	57
Figs, dried	61
Apricots, canned	64
Raisins	56
Cantaloupe	65
Pineapple, fresh	66
Watermelon	72
Dates	103

Cereals

Food	GI Value
Pancakes	67
Waffles	76
All Bran with Fiber	38
Bran Buds	47
Oatmeal	49
Muesli	43
Oat Bran	55
Bran Chex	58
Raisin Bran	61
Cream of Wheat	66
Quick (One Minute) Oats	66
Puffed Wheat	67
Special K	69
Bran Flakes	74
Cheerios	74
Cream of Wheat Instant	74
Shredded Wheat	75
Grapenuts	71
Corn Chex	83
Corn Flakes	92

Vegetables

Food	GI Value
Broccoli	10
Cabbage	10
Lettuce	10
Mushrooms	10
Onions	10
Red Peppers	10
Carrots	49
Green peas	48
Corn, fresh	60
Beets	64
Pumpkin	75
Parsnips	97

Pasta

Food	GI Value
Spaghetti, whole wheat	37
Star Pastina	38
Fettuccini (egg)	32
Spaghetti, white	38
Spiral Pasta	43
Capellini	45
Linguine	46
Macaroni	47
Rice vermicelli	58

Rice & Grains

Food	GI Value
Converted, White	38
Brown	55
Long grain, White	44
Wild rice	87
Basmati	58
Aborio	69
Short grain, White	72
Instant, White	87
Glutinous (Sticky)	98
Barley, pearled	25
Buckwheat	54
Couscous	65
Cornmeal	68

Dairy Foods

Food	GI Value
Yogurt, artificially sweetened	14
Skim milk	32
Yogurt, sweetened	33
Whole milk	31
Ice cream, low fat	43
Ice cream, premium	38

Juices

Food	GI Value
Tomato	38
Apple	40
Pineapple	46
Grapefuit	48
Orange	53
Cranberry Juice Cocktail	68

Breads

Food	GI Value
Pumpernickel	41
Sourdough	53
Stone Ground whole wheat	53
Pita, whole wheat	57
Whole Meal Rye	58
Hamburger bun	61
Whole wheat (100%)	77
Croissant	67
Taco Shell	68
Bagel	72
White	70
Kaiser roll	73
Bread stuffing	74
French Baguette	95

Potatoes

Food	GI Value
Yam	37
Sweet	44
New	57
Canned	65
White skinned mashed	70
French Fries	75
Instant Mashed	86
Red Skinned, boiled	88
Baked	85

Soups

Food	GI Value
Tomato	38
Minestrone	39
Lentil	44
Black Bean	64
Pea	66

Beans & Peas

Food	GI Value
Chana Dal	8
Chickpeas, dried	28
Kidney Beans, dried	28
Lentils	29
Lima Beans (frozen)	32
Yellow Split Peas	32
Chickpeas, canned	42
Blackeyed Peas, canned	42
Baked Beans	48
Kidney Beans, canned	52