As a diabetic, planning what to eat and when is incredibly important – What you eat will have a direct impact on your blood sugar level, and keeping this under control is vital if you want to manage your diabetes successfully.
Thankfully, there are plenty of tools and resources available to help you plan your diet effectively.
One tool that’s particularly useful is the “glycemic index”. Here’s what you need to know about it, and how to get started:
The glycemic index (GI) is a measure used to describe how quickly a food raises your blood sugar level after you eat it. It’s a scale from 0 to 100.
High GI foods are foods that you digest and absorb quickly, causing a rapid spike in blood sugar level – White bread, sugary drinks and candy are examples of high GI foods.
Low GI foods are foods that you digest and absorb more slowly, resulting in a slower and more gradual increase in blood sugar level – Whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes are examples of low GI foods.
A variety of factors affect a food’s GI rating. These include:
For example, foods that are high in fibre usually have a lower GI because the fibre slows down the digestion and absorption of the carbohydrates.
High GI foods:
Medium GI foods:
Low GI foods:
To measure the glycemic index (GI) of a food, a specific amount of that food (containing 50 grams of carbohydrates) is fed to a group of people and their blood sugar levels are monitored for the next 2 hours – This is done in a clinical setting (e.g. a hospital or research facility) under controlled conditions.
At a different time, the same group of people are also fed a ‘reference’ food (such as glucose or white bread).
The effect of the reference food and the test food are then compared. The reference food is assigned a GI value of 100. The GI value of the test food is then calculated as a percentage of the reference food’s GI value – This is done by taking the area under the curve of the blood sugar response to the test food and dividing it by the area under the curve of the reference food's blood sugar response. This gives a value between 0 and 100.
As a diabetic, knowing a food’s glycemic index (GI) lets you make more informed decisions about what you eat, and how much of it you eat. This is because a food’s GI value gives you an idea of how quickly it can raise blood glucose levels.
Foods with a high GI can cause your blood sugar level to spike rapidly. This is a problem, because over time high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels and nerves, leading to serious complications (such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and neuropathy).
Foods with a low GI are broken down more slowly, so your blood sugar level increases more gradually. This gives you more time to address it, and take medication (e.g. insulin) to lower it again if needed. And by managing your blood sugar level better, avoiding spikes and high blood sugar levels, you reduce your risk of complications.
Here are some common Indian foods which have a high GI value (70 or over):
Here are some common Indian foods which have a medium GI value (between 56 and 69):
Here are some common Indian foods which have a low GI value (between 40 and 55):
Here are some common Indian foods which have a very low GI value (between 25 and 39):
Here are some common Indian foods which have an extremely low GI value (less than 25):
Knowing a food’s glycemic index (GI) can be useful for managing diabetes. However, there are some drawbacks to relying only on foods’ GI values when planning a diabetic-friendly diet.
Here are some of the limitations and drawbacks of the glycemic index:
When making dietary decisions as a diabetic, understanding foods’ glycemic index (GI) value can be useful – Low GI foods are better for diabetics, giving you a greater chance of successfully managing your blood sugar levels and reducing the risk of complications.
However, it's important to keep in mind that the GI values of foods can vary depending on a number of factors (including the preparation method). And bear in mind, everyone’s different and the impact of your diet is subjective – How a food affects your blood sugar level can vary, and will depend on things like your insulin sensitivity, level of physical activity, and other foods you ate at the same time.
When planning a healthy diet, you also shouldn’t focus solely on your foods’ GI. You need to consider additional factors as well, like how much fibre, fat, and protein they contain, as well as vitamins and nutrients.
If you’re keen to prepare a healthy diet plan it’s a good idea to talk to a specialised healthcare professional, like a diabetes educator or a nutritionist. They can help you develop a customised diet and diabetes management plan, tailored to your unique needs and goals.
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