The glycemic index, or GI for short, is implemented by people with diabetes to rate how carbohydrates in certain foods will impact their blood sugar levels.

Foods and beverages provide your body with the carbohydrates that fuel your body. The glycemic index is used to measure whether these foods will cause your blood glucose levels to raise slowly or rapidly over a time frame of usually 2 hours.

Low GI foods gradually release glucose into the blood stream, as they break down slowly. As these foods are digested more slowly, they keep you feeling full for longer.

A dietician should be consulted if you are diagnosed as diabetic. He/she will provide you with the right instruction to follow the diet. Continue reading →

The glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) are tools used to help inform people with diabetes what foods they should be choosing, to help keep their blood glucose levels in check.

The glycemic index measures how fast your blood sugar levels rise after eating particular types of food. Some low GI foods cause your blood sugar level to rise slowly, while others – high and medium GI foods – cause them to rise more rapidly.

However, this measurement does not take into account the portion sizing of the food, or total sugar ‘load’. This is where the glycemic load table comes into play. The glycemic load is used to give a more practical indication of the affect the foods, in given quantities, will have on your blood sugar levels. Continue reading →