Glycemic Index and Balancing Meals

Glycemic index or GI calculates how a food containing carbohydrate increases blood sugar. This is very important in balancing meals. Foods are rated or evaluated based on their comparison to a “reference food” which is either a white bread or a glucose – low, medium and high GI.

The effects of Glycemic index (GI) of a food

To achieve the ideal glucose level, know the glycemic index of foods. In this way, balancing meals is easier. It is found that fiber and fat can lower the GI of a food. Generally, the more processed or cooked a food is, the higher its GI – ripeness or storage time, processing (that is why juice has a higher GI than whole fruit, mashed potato than baked potato, stone ground whole wheat bread than whole wheat bread), cooking food (or how long a food is being cooked) and variety (the long grain white rice that has been converted has a lower GI than brown rice and short-grain white rice has a higher Glycemic Index compared to brown rice).
It is important to plan your meals with GI. You can even use GI to do balancing meals. For example, when you take high-GI foods, you can also eat those with low GI so as to balance your meal.

Facts about GI

The value of GI stands for the type of carbohydrate in a food but has nothing to do with the carbohydrate amount eaten. For managing weight and glucose levels, portion sizes plays a big role still.

The GI of a food varies when eaten alone or if taken with other foods.
Most nutritious foods have higher GI than those which have little value. Oatmeal has higher GI than chocolate.

There is no perfect diet plan for a diabetes. Knowing glycemic index of foods can help in balancing meals. The best thing to do is follow a customized meal plan that considered personal preferences, goal, blood pressure, weight management, cholesterol and triglycerides levels to achieve the target glucose level.

Balance your meal

To be able to balance your meals, know these foods and their GI. Some foods with carbohydrates which Gis are low include legumes (such as kidney beans and lentils), dried beans, veggies that have no starch, whole grain breads, most fruits, cereals (barleys, rye bread, all-bran cereal and whole wheat bread).
Fats and meats do not contain carbohydrates.