Another health hot topic, the Glycemic Index. Here is a brief explanation for our Lee’s Summit Personal Training clients/community.
What Is the Glycemic Index?
Glycemic index is a number. It gives you an idea about how fast your body converts the carbs in a food into glucose. Two foods with the same amount of carbohydrates can have different glycemic index numbers.
The smaller the number, the less impact the food has on your blood sugar.
55 or less = Low (good)
56- 69 = Medium
70 or higher = High (bad)
For a diet with a lower glycemic load, eat:
More whole grains, nuts, legumes, fruits, vegetables without starch, and other foods with a low glycemic index
Fewer foods with a high glycemic index, like potatoes, white rice, and white bread
Less of sugary foods, including candy, cookies, cakes, and sweet drinks
You can still eat foods with a high glycemic index. Just enjoy them in smaller portions, and offset them with nutritious, low-glycemic index foods when you do.
What value constitutes a low glycemic index?
A low glycemic index (GI) refers to a GI value of 55 or less. Low-GI foods include most fruits and vegetables, whole or minimally processed grains, beans, pasta, low-fat dairy products, and nuts.
Foods with a GI of 56 to 69 come under the category of moderate-GI foods. They include potatoes, white rice, corn, couscous, and breakfast cereals such as Mini-Wheats and Cream of Wheat.
High GI means a GI of 70 or more. Foods with high GI include white bread, cakes, doughnuts, cookies, rice cakes, most crackers, bagels, croissants, and most packaged breakfast cereals.
List of Low Glycemic Index Foods
GLYCEMIC INDEX OF COMMON FOODS
FATS
Olive Oil 0
Avocado 10
Peanuts 15
Walnuts 15
Almond 15
Cashews 25
MEATS
Beef 0
Chicken 0
Lean Pork 0
Tuna 0
Salmon 0
Turkey 0
Cooked Sausage 34
VEGETABLES
Broccoli 15
Brussel Sprouts 15
Squash 15
Cauliflower 15
Cucumber 15
Sweet Pepper 15
Tomato 30
Carrots 30
CARBOHYDRATES
Black Beans 30
Quinoa 35
Whole Wheat Pasta 40
Whole Grain Cereal 45
Wild Rice 45
Tortilla Corn 49
Pasta 50
Brown Rice 50
Basmati Rice 50
Yellow Potato 58
Long Grain Rice 60
Couscous 60
Old Fashion Oatmeal 60
Rice Noodles 65
Sweet Potato 65
Bread Wheat 70
White Rice 70
Instant Oatmeal 74
Bread White 75
Instant Rice 85
Red Potato 88
Sticky Rice 90
White Potato 90
FRUITS
Grapefruit 22
Cherry 25
Strawberry 25
Raspberries 25
Blackberry 25
Blueberry 25
Pear 30
Apricots 34
Orange (fresh) 35
Grapes 45
Banana 48
Kiwi 50
Mango 56
Papaya 60
Dried Fruits 60
Raisins 65
Pineapple 66
Watermelon 75
This blog post on Glycemic Index is a follow-up to my blog post on Diabetes Medications for Weight Loss. Be sure to check it out for some information on this topic.
In good health,
Molly Wichman
Life Transformations Personal Training
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash