You may ask, what is the glycemic index? A couple of years ago, I asked the same question. The glycemic index is the meassue of how much food (in the form of carbohydrates ) will increase a person's blood sugar level. The higher the number measures, the worse the food is for you. A high glycemic index gives a quicker, higher rise in blood sugar. These items with the high index, break down very quickly in the digestive tract. The lower index products are broken down slower in the digestive tract. they give a slower more even rise in blood sugar.

Eating foods with a high glycemic index leads to obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, strokes, cancer, and diabetes.

How does this apply to people with diabetes? Foods with a low glycemic index, will help your blood sugar lower and more even keel. The lower index foods will reduce the risk of diabetes, as well as the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cancer.

When a diabetic person eats a high glycemic index food, it triggers a rapid rise in blood sugar level. In a normal individual, the pancreas quickly releases a large amount of insulin to cover the rise in glucose. The insulin quickly cleans up the excess glucose, and the blood sugar level often drops lower than our normal level. Shortly thereafter, we feel hungry again, creating a cycle which can lead to obesity and diabetes. Lower glycemic index foods keep the stomach fuller, because they are broken down slower.

A lower glycemic index diet can help us lose weight, and improve on the body's sensitivity to insulin. An advantage of a high index intake, is it refuels carbohydrates after exercise. But, this is not true in diabetics, because the levels of blood glucose don't go down to start with.

So, low glycemic foods keep you fuller longer. They prolong physical endurance. they give a slower, more stable, rise in blood sugar after eating. They help people lose weight.

Low carbohydrate diets ( Metabolic Diet, Atkins Diet, and others ) are reflective of this lower glycemic index. There are other factors in a healthy diet. Fiber content, the total amount of carbohydrates, How much fat and what kind of fats, we are using, should be considered.

Carbohydrate are give a glycemic index to show the rate glucose is released into the blood. Lower is slower and better for your body. you should switch to a low glycemic index, specially if you have diabetes. You can get all the necessary information at your local bookstore or on the internet. I will leave you with a few examples to help you improve on your diet.

-Eat breakfast cereals with oats, barley or bran.

-Eat only, whole grain breads ( preferably with the seeds still in it ).

-Reduce the amount of white potatoes you eat, although the skins are good fore you.

-Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, excluding potatoes.

-Eat salads, and use a vinaigrette dressing on them.

Happy eating and good health to you.