Glycemic Index
The Glycemic index measures how fast a food is likely to raise your blood sugar. This can be helpful. For example, if your blood sugar is low and continuing to drop during exercise, you would prefer to eat a carb that will raise your blood sugar quickly. On the other hand, if you would like to keep your blood sugar from dropping during a few hours of mild activity, you may prefer to eat a carb that has a lower Glycemic index and longer action time. If your blood sugar tends to spike after breakfast, you may want to select a cereal that has a lower Glycemic index.
The numbers below give that food's Glycemic index based on glucose, which is one of the fastest carbohydrates available. Glucose is given an arbitrary value of 100 and other carbs are given a number relative to glucose. Faster carbs (higher numbers) are great for raising low blood sugars and for covering brief periods of intense exercise. Slower carbs (lower numbers) are helpful for preventing overnight drops in the blood sugar and for long periods of exercise.
Note that these numbers are compiled from a wide range of research labs, and often from more than one study. These numbers will be close but may not be identical to other Glycemic index lists. The impact a food will have on the blood sugar depends on many other factors such as ripeness, cooking time, fibre and fat content, time of day, blood insulin levels, and recent activity. Use the Glycemic Index as just one of the many tools you have available to improve your control.
LOW GI | MEDIUM GI | HIGH GI | |
(< 50) | (50 - 75) | (> 75) | |
| Fruits | Fresh or dried: Apples, oranges, grapefruit, tangerine, pears, apricots, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, peaches, prunes, watermelon, cranberries, etc. | Fresh bananas, pineapple, mangos, kiwis, grapes, dates, figs | Dried bananas, candied fruits |
| Apple juice | All fruit juices, except apple | ||
| Vegetables | All lettuces, spinach, cucumbers, fresh corn, green and yellow string beans, raw carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, rapini, peas, mushrooms, etc. | Boiled or roasted patatoes, beets, cooked carrots, corn (popped and canned) | French fries, fried vegetables, chips, instant mashed patatoes |
| Milk Products | From cows, sheep, or grains almonds, soy, rice, oats: milk, cheeses 35% fat or less, buttermilk, yogurts | From cows, sheep or grains (almonds, soy, rice, oats) : creams and cheeses 35% fat or more, including ice creams and custards | None |
| Breads & Pastries (breads, bagels, croissants, cakes, pizza crusts, crackers) | None | All breads and pastries, refined and non refined (non-refined being lower on the Glycemic Index and nutritionally superior) | Waffles, sweet and salty munchies (pretzels, chips, caramel corn, etc.), corn chips, hamburger and hot dog buns made from refined grains |
| Pasta (spaghetti, fettucine, macaroni, shells, vermicelli, etc.) | All pasta, whole or multigrain, made from any non-refined grains | All pasta made from any refined grains | None |
| Rice & Grains | None | All cereals, refined and non refined (non-refined being lower on the Glycemic Index and nutritionally superior) made from any of the above-mentioned grains. Also, triticale, Kashi, hemp and muesli cereals | All sweetened cereals made from refined grains |
| Wild rice | White and brown Basmati rice, Jasmine rice, long grain white rice | Minute rice | |
| Legumes | Alfafa, lentils (brown, red and green), beans (red, Mung, black, white, Pinto, chick, lima, Aduki, black-eyed, Great Northern, etc.), peas (yellow and green), etc. | Boston-type baked beans | None |
| NUTS & SEEDS (whole and in butter) | Peanuts, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, soy, sunflower seeds, etc. | Cashews, macadamia, coconut, sesame (tahini) | None |
| OTHER | None | Honey, soft drinks, sucrose, white sugar | Soft drinks added with maltodextrin |
