Glycemic Index

[starsign]

Yesterday while searching for some low carb recipes I came across some sites on glycemic index. I have downloaded some charts & lists. It seems that low glycemic foods are OK with diabetics.

Thought I should first ask you guys before doing anything.

[Shanny]

Well, the low-glycemic folk will TELL us it's okay for diabetics, but it really isn't. Best thing you can do is test each food according to our eat-to-your-meter technique and see if any of them are right for you.

Our goals with LCHF are to avoid completely any spikes in our blood sugar, thus preventing any damage to our bodies caused by high blood sugar. The only thing the glycemic index tells us is how high or how long these foods will spike us. That is at odds with our purpose of eliminating any spike at all.

[BobIA41]

Shanny is correct!  When I was reading about the glycemic index and glycemic load, I started following it and thought I was on the right path.  About a year later, I found out that the glycemic index was harming my health.  After long discussions with David Mendosa and a few other writers, I have found I do better when I use it as a guide only and if my meter approves then I mark the food as safe and eat a small quantity with other foods and I do okay.  Low carb/high fat generally does so much better that I have made that my lifestyle of choice. 

Do be very careful of the glycemic index listings and just because the glycemic index is toward the low side does not mean that it is good for you.  Sometimes the glycemic load part can do things that we don't need.

[bigskygal]

Totally agree with both Shanny and Bob.  The most successful way of controlling our bg is eating to the meter. You can try some of the GI foods but test, test, and test. You will probably need to test farther out than just 2 hours too to catch the full length of the spike.  Personally, I don't want any kind of spike so stay away from the GI foods.

[Kelly]

I saw some articles on this too.  I was wondering if it worked.  Guess I got the answer here. I am so glad I found this place!!!

[skb]

The only thing the glycemic index tells us is how high or how long these foods will spike us. That is at odds with our purpose of eliminating any spike at all.

Absolutely correct. We are not concerned when the glucose will hit us, but that it will. The GI is an irrelevant number for diabetics. Your meter will always tell you the truth.

[walkerwally1]

Yeah, like everyone else has said.  The GI sounds like a really great tool but in practice it just doesn't work for diabetics.  One of the problems is that you have to assume that a certain type of food will have the same effect on everyone.  It doesn't work that way, the amount of carbs one person can tolerate varies a lot from one person to the next.  They keep trying to come up with one size fits all ideas and it just doesn't work that way.

[rocky]

so this is another of those humbug being promoted
yes eat to the meter seems the best approach

[Maggie]

I guess I can write off another handy method. I thought it was probably all about the same. Good to know the truth though, even if its hard to swallow. 

I should try to get here more often. I always learn something.

[Kelly]

I agree Maggie, from what I read I thought it would be an easy path to follow. I guess I just need to stay on the lc/hf wagon and not look for some magical plans.

[bigskygal]

Sadly Kelly, there is no magic pill or potion.  We just have to do the work and stay on the lc/hf plan

[starsign]

Thanks everyone for the replies & making me understand

*zuuuppp* (sound of star zipping her mouth) 

[Sweety]

  Starsign, if you/we don't ask questions, who will.
I've read somewhere on the forum, that the only dumb question is the one that hasn't been asked. So please don't zip your mouth. Ask away. Nice to be back.