The Glycemic Index (GI) of a food is a measure of how much blood sugar level rises after eating a given amount of that food. The lower the GI of a given food, the lower will be the rise in your blood sugar. Your pancreas will not be called upon to release insulin as fast, and several benefits accrue: better control of blood sugar levels, a decrease in appetite, better weight control, and a lower risk of developing full fledged diabetes.
As a reference point, the Glycemic Index of table sugar is 64 (not very good), and for some foods it can exceed a real-bad 130 (dates, French baguette and, yes, non-dairy tofu frozen desert).
Here are some examples of the good, the mediocre, and the bad (note: this is only a guideline; for the actual values of many foods, click here):
Low Glycemic Index foods, 55 or less, good: Milk (skim or fat), plain yogurt, legumes (lentils, kidney beans, chick peas), soy beverages, certain fruits (apples, plums, grapefruit, oranges, berries), oat bran bread, pumpernickel bread, slow cooked oats (oatmeal), whole grain pasta (al dente is better, believe it or not…).
Medium Glycemic index foods, 55-69, mediocre: Banana, pineapple, raisins, new potatoes, split pea or green pea soup, brown rice, All-Bran™, shredded wheat cereal, whole wheat bread, rye bread.
High Glycemic index foods, 70 or more, not so good): White bread or bagel, white potatoes, parsnips, rutabaga, instant rice, certain cereals (Cheerios™, Corn Flakes™, Rice Krispies), french fries, ice cream, table sugar, jelly beans, watermelon, naturally sweetened sodas.
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