Finding low glycemic foods

iRun4wine
iRun4wine Posts: 5,126
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
Does anyone know of a good website/resource for finding low glycemic foods? I have found various lists on the internet, but I'm wondering about how to figure out the glycemic index of foods I have at home. For example, chocolate crunch rice cakes by quaker. I have just been googling every food individually, but that often leads to sorting through a lot of information and it's very time consuming, and I often come up empty!

I guess I'm used to typing the food in MFP and getting all the info. I need right away, but how can I do this to find out a glycemic index? Thanks :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • tabstattooed
    tabstattooed Posts: 143
    http://www.lowglycemicdiet.com/gifoodlist.html

    http://www.glycemicindex.com/

    http://www.glycemicgourmet.com/low-glycemic-food-list.html


    try these. hope it helps

    tammy
  • iRun4wine
    iRun4wine Posts: 5,126
    Yea, I've seen those website, but thanks! :smile:

    I don't know how to find the GI for certain brands or specific foods, that's all... I'm new to this whole low GI foods thing :ohwell:
  • tabstattooed
    tabstattooed Posts: 143
    hmmmm ok here is another route.....cut out everything that tastes good......there ya go!!! lol

    my dr put me on low gi foods....gave me the FIFTY 50 listing.......and another list and told me to eat off of it.....no name brand foods were listed. I guess you should just know what your eating.

    does that make sense?
  • tabstattooed
    tabstattooed Posts: 143
    the way I understood it is that you eat the lower gi foods....no brands involved....you avoid this but eat that.....did you go through the lists?

    I would not start it until you find out for sure if that is what is wrong. you do need to check your blood glucose. I am reactive hypoglycemic...my blood sugar spikes then bottoms out....my neice is type 1 diabetic and I have learned some things from her....like milk goes into the blood stream steady, where pizza has peaks and valleys.....so I go up and down with pizza....milk stays steady and I dont go low in the night....

    you need to avoid food with a GI over 70.....try to eat only those under 55

    Now look up the Glycemic Index for each food on your list. If you can't find a particular food listed, consider the foods ingredients. If they are all highly processed (refined white flour, sugar, corn syrup) rank the food HIGH. If the food has some processed and some unprocessed ingredients, rank it a MEDIUM. If almost all the ingredients are in their natural state, rank the food as LOW. This is a good rule of thumb, but it's not exact. Also, overcooked foods will tend to have a higher GI than undercooked foods. This is especially true for pasta, vegetables, grains, and cereals.

    the above was from FIIFTY 50,

    so are you looking for certain brands of food to eat? I dont think it comes down to that, I think you have to know the ingredients and go from there.
  • bwilbur77
    bwilbur77 Posts: 2
    I don't have much to add to what Tammy said, but I am interested in figuring out how to convert low glycemic foods to sugar in my MFP diary. I am mildly diabetic so no bad sugars, but some fruits are OK. Unfortunately whatever fruit I put in the diary it blows my sugar way over my limit. I'm pretty anal so I want to stay within my diet but that means I can't eat fruit.

    Any help? same with carbs. I'm supposed to be eating 50% carbs, but man that blows my carbs, my fat and my sugar way over. It's counter-intuitive but I am new at this. I just found out 2 weeks ago.
  • July24Lioness
    July24Lioness Posts: 2,399 Member
    Wow, your diabetic and a doctor or nutritionist has you eating 50% carbs??? That is awfully high for a diabetic.

    I am also diabetic. Carbs are 5-10% of my daily food intake. Fat and protein are 1 and 2 respectively.

    As far as fruits, I eat berries (the lowest GI), melons and apples, pears, cherries. Keep it to a serving a couple of times a week.

    Check out this article too.............

    http://diabetes.about.com/od/nutrition/qt/locarbdiabetes.htm
    A Low-Carb Diet Shown to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes
    Study Proves Very Low Carb Diet is Effective
    By Debra Manzella, R.N., About.com
    Updated: March 20, 2009


    Does a low-carb diet really help control or even reverse type 2 diabetes? According to a study from Duke University, a very low-carb diet (20 grams or less a day) gave participants better blood sugar control and more effective weight loss than participants who followed a low-glycemic reduced calorie diet.

    Eighty-four people with obesity and type 2 diabetes took part in the study. During the study, both groups also had the supportive benefit of group meetings, nutritional supplementation and an exercise program. After 6 months, the low-carb group had lower hemoglobin A1c results, lost more weight, and 95% were able to reduce or even totally eliminate their diabetes medications. The reduced calorie group did lose weight, and 62% of them were also able to reduce or eliminate their medications, but the low-carb diet group had better overall results.

    "It's simple," says Eric Westman, MD, director of Duke's Lifestyle Medicine Program and lead author of the study. "If you cut out the carbohydrates, your blood sugar goes down, and you lose weight which lowers your blood sugar even further. It's a one-two punch."

    The low-carb diet used in the study is very restrictive on carb intake, with participants eating under 20 grams of carbs a day. This may be difficult for many people to stick to, but as Dr. Westman says, "This is a therapeutic diet for people who are sick," says Westman. "These lifestyle approaches all have an intensive behavioral component. In our program, people come in every two weeks to get reinforcements and reminders. We've treated hundreds of patients this way now at Duke, and what we see clinically and in our research shows that it works."

    Keep in mind that there is more to these results than just diet. Both groups also exercised regularly as well. Diet combined with exercise is the cornerstone of diabetes management. Before starting any diet program, please talk with your doctor, or healthcare provider.

    Source:

    (Jan. 5, 2009). Low-Carb Diets Prove Better at Controlling Type 2 Diabetes . Retrieved February 19, 2009, from DukeHealth.org Web site: http://www.dukehealth.org/HealthLibrary/News/low_carb_diets_prove_better_at_controlling_type_2_diabetes
    I don't have much to add to what Tammy said, but I am interested in figuring out how to convert low glycemic foods to sugar in my MFP diary. I am mildly diabetic so no bad sugars, but some fruits are OK. Unfortunately whatever fruit I put in the diary it blows my sugar way over my limit. I'm pretty anal so I want to stay within my diet but that means I can't eat fruit.

    Any help? same with carbs. I'm supposed to be eating 50% carbs, but man that blows my carbs, my fat and my sugar way over. It's counter-intuitive but I am new at this. I just found out 2 weeks ago.
  • bwilbur77
    bwilbur77 Posts: 2
    Thanks for the awesome info.

    My doc didn't perscribe 50%. I read that online in more than one place. Check out::
    http://www.diabetic-diet-secrets.com/

    That's 50% low glycemic carbs, 30% poly/mono fats, and 20% lean protein.

    He says it works for Type II.

    I'll try the berries/cherries.
  • iRun4wine
    iRun4wine Posts: 5,126
    Thanks everyone. I'm not trying to diagnose myself or change my eating plan without talking with the Doc first, just trying to get through the day until I can see the Doc. I know low GI foods have a less intense effect on blood sugar levels, so common sense told me to try that. I purposely ate low GI all day yesterday and felt much, much better. For now, my temporary plan is to find what works (as of right now it's low GI foods) and stick with it until I see the doctor :wink:
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