Book recommendation for Glycemic Index list?

awelmore

I am interested in tracking the GL of foods and am looking for a good book with foods listed with their GL. Any recommendations?

JaceyMarieS

Your topic states Glycemic Index, but you then state you're looking for GL (glycemic Load) There is a difference http://diabetesmanagement.insulitelabs.com/index.php?q=glycemic_index.php


I can't recommend a book, as I never found GI particularly helpful in controlling my BG. Different foods affect different people differently, so rather than relying on a standard list, it might be more helpful for you to use a glucometer and create your own index.

Technique for eating to your meter:

Establish your target range for blood sugar levels.(http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045621.php) Commit to keeping your blood sugar under this level.
Test right before eating. Log the reading.
Test again one hour after your first bite, and log the reading along with what and how much you ate. This is assumed to be about the highest peak - the spike - from the meal.
Test a third time two hours after your first bite. This is hoped to show your blood sugar dropping back to roughly what it was before the meal. If it is, you're showing a good second phase insulin response. If it is not, you should continue testing until you find your blood sugar beginning to drop.

Analyzing these readings along with the foods you've eaten enables you to see which foods have the worst effect on your blood sugar, so you can avoid consuming them in the future.

It's fair to give each meal a second chance, in case there could be an outside influence on the elevated reading, but after two or three experiments, it is wise to avoid or sharply restrict the foods which drastically spike your blood sugar. After several weeks of extensive testing this way, you'll have compiled a personalized list of foods you can eat safely, for the most part. Not saying things don't change, and foods which were safe at one time could become troublesome later (and thankfully, the reverse as well), but for the most part, eating to your meter is an excellent way to control diabetes and keep side effects at bay.

This can also be used to test individual foods such as fruits and things you suspect are going to spike you, but you'd like to know if perhaps you can eat small amounts.

awelmore

Thanks, I stand corrected on my typo.

I have actually been a diabetic for 7 years and my current A1c is 5.8. So I do know something about how to control my BG. I was looking for more info on the glycemic load and glycemic index and just thought that someone might have found a good reference book on the subject.

BigGuy47

I don't have a book recommendation, but here are a couple Glycemic load tables.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm

http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm

JaceyMarieS

Thanks, I stand corrected on my typo.

I have actually been a diabetic for 7 years and my current A1c is 5.8. So I do know something about how to control my BG. I was looking for more info on the glycemic load and glycemic index and just thought that someone might have found a good reference book on the subject.

I'm sorry if I have offended you. I do consider GI, GL and even nutrition guides on products helpful in that they might help me decide what MIGHT be a good food or a good portion.

The problem is that the Glycemic Index is derived by feeding 10 non-diabetic test subjects 100 grams of a particular food and then averaging out their increase in blood sugar. They use 10 because the results ARE variable. So even without diabetes you could be at the high or low end of the GI range for a certain food. And just because you are at the high end for say rice, does not mean that you might be at the low end for, say, apples. Add to that that we rarely eat a food by itself--and when you combine carbs with protein and fat and fibers in differing amounts, that affects just how much and how quickly your blood glucose will be affected. Plus, Google and compare a few different GI lists. Even the same food by different manufacturers will have a different GI and GI load. Also, information for many foods is not available. Because the testing methodology is laborious, there are many foods that have not been put through the process of determining GI/GL. In addition, many variables can impact the results, including the ripeness of fruits and preparation methods such as raw vs cooked.



Glycemic Load, which factors in the grams of carbs as well as the GI is perhaps a more useful concept. However, there's all that additional math (a 4 letter word for me!) to calculate GL ... (grams of carb) x (glycemic index) = X / 100. And again, there's a lot of variation. Stats can be manipulated (lies...damn lies...and statistics) but a meter doesn't.

Everyone is different. The GI index can be used as a guide for what you can TRY to eat, but isn't the 'bible' that some treat it as. This is why eating to the meter is the best option. If you spike from the food, then don't eat it. (Or try eating less of it...or combining it differently)

Maybe it was just me, but I became frustrated when I saw a list of food that I was "supposed" to be able to eat and then I was unable to hit my blood sugar targets, which admittedly are lower than yours. I had a similar experience eating the 45-45-45-15-15 recommended by so many dieticians. According to my meter, I do much better eating 10-15-20-5-5. Since my last 2 A1c's have been 5.2 and I'm no longer using medication, it's just simpler and more effective for me to "eat to my meter".

GetFitChristie

If you're interested in learning more about Glycemic Index eating and trying it to see if it helps, I highly recommend "The G.I. Diet" by Rick Gallop... there are several related books (like "The GI Diet Express for Busy People) all by Gallop.... it uses a really easy method to explain GI eating, helpful charts you can cut out and carry with you for grocery shopping... I can't say that it helps me a lot in managing my blood sugar, but it's definitely an easy read, easily understood, and easy to implement....

djshari

I think many of the Atkins books have it. I've picked up a few at Goodwill and one had a lot of detail but I can't remember which one. The diabetes specific atkins book I just got has columns with "eat regularly", "eat moderately" and "eat rarely" that falls along those lines but doesn't give specific numbers.

awelmore

Thanks for all your help! I will check it out!

Snooozie

Interesting reading so bumping !