Glycemic Index and YOU-- What do you need to know? FYI!

When I was at my most sick in January of this year, I was having these weird spells-- almost like fainting-- where I became dizzy, listless, overwhelmed, and stared into space until they passed. Sometimes, when I was driving, I would suddenly be so exhausted i though I would pass out-- or fell asleep on my desk, literally on my keyboard. A glucose tolerance test made me sick as hell at the time, but showed no major abnormalities. I was probably what they are calling "pre-diabetic" or having an insulin resistance syndrome. I was starting to have some of the PCOS/diabetes signs like skin tags, discolored skin, ovarian cysts, increased hair growth, etc. I've been feeling a lot better since changing my diet-- and one thing I am reading up about a lot is the concept of Glycemic Index. As most people know, carbs are sugars inside our bodies. Some carbs cause small fluctuations in our insulin and blood sugar levels-- those are said to have a Low Glycemic Index (aka complex carbs.) Many processed foods have a much higher glycemic index-- that is, they immedicately convert to sugar and cause sudden spikes in blood sugar levels followed my harsh lows (simple carbs.) Who should care about glycemic index? Anyone trying to lose weight, anyone with blood sugar stability issues, women with PCOS, people who have that spiking and crashing sensation I was having in January. By getting the glycemic index down, we consume foods with "staying power", ones which will release energy in a metered way throughout the day. Look into it! It's really kind of neat to know-- especially if you are feeling sick or symptomatic like I was. Now, since I eat less of everything but *especially* less processed stuff, things have improved markedly! ****NOTE: Eating half a cake was NOT part of this concept, believe me! ;)**** Just for the heck of it-- here's some foods and their glycemic index rating. 0 would be water-- and 100 would be glucose, and everything else falls somewhere in between:

LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX FOODS (55 or less) (choose most often vvv)

Skim milk Plain Yogurt Soy beverage Apple/plum/orange Sweet potato Oat bran bread All-Bran™ Converted or Parboiled rice Pumpernickel bread Al dente (firm) pasta Lentils/kidney/baked beans Chick peas   MEDIUM GLYCEMIC INDEX FOODS (56-69) (choose more often vv) Banana Pineapple Raisins New potatoes Oatmeal Popcorn Split pea or green pea soup Brown rice Couscous Basmati rice Shredded wheat cereal Whole wheat bread Rye bread HIGH GLYCEMIC INDEX FOODS (choose less often v ) Watermelon Dried dates Instant mashed potatoes Baked white potato Parsnips Rutabaga Instant rice Corn Flakes™ Rice Krispies™ Cheerios™ Bagel, white Soda crackers Jellybeans French fries

Good post! Of course I have read lots of this...first time being with Sugar Busters diet.   I realized in my twenties that white items, especially crackers, pasta, wonder bread made my body go OFF.  To this day I have a hard time eating one serving of things like that! I could not tolerate them  before I knew anything about glycemic index, the hippies at the health food store where i lived advised that i was "allergic" and needed to wean off that kind of food. Too bad I was forced to buy many white items being on such a crappy budget with a lazy good for nuttin husband.  We lived in a ghetto basically, the stove didn't work half the time or would fill the aprtment with smoke.  I cooked out of an electric skillet lots, so there went the concept of brown rice.  Plus my family at the time would not eat stuff like that.  I am so grateful that more healthful products are so readily available.  More importantly, I am grateful that I can afford to cook it. My DH and I spend as much for two of us to eat monthly than we did with all four kids at home. We buy high quality food.  Ironic, isn't it, when kids are home, who can afford to keep them in fresh berries or good yogurts and cereal (providing they would even eat that stuff?)

Wow and wow......thanks, I needed that and it will help me while helping mother plan out her diabetic plan as well. I'm with Neecee on the wish I had been able to afford to eat like I do now all these years, my daughter and I might not be fighting this obesity battle now if things had been different.  I know you can't go back and change it, but maybe it will stick with youngest daughter when she goes out into the world.

Isn't that sort of a demented sign of progress-- that in America, poverty can cause obesity? As much as I loved shopping at the dollar store, I feel sooo much better now that I don't eat junk anymore....although one day I may snap and go off and entire bag of nacho cheese Doritos and some french onion dip... -S.