Diabetes Education - the Connection Between Insulin and the Glycemic Index

If you have diabetes, it can sometimes seem like a challenge to eat healthy foods without hours or days of advanced planning. After all, chances are good that you have learned that it's important for you to consume sugar-free or low-sugar foods in lieu of foods that are high in carbohydrates or sugars. However, with a little education and exploration, it is possible for you to eat healthily from all of the food groups in the food pyramid without too much effort.

Here are a few things that you need to know about the Glycemic index and its relationship to insulin:

What is the Glycemic index?

The Glycemic index is a metric for measuring the impact that certain foods have on the body. All carbohydrates can be ranked on the Glycemic index. To get a ranking, scientists study the correlation between foods and how long it takes the body to metabolize those foods. Foods with high levels of carbohydrates rank high on the Glycemic index. For diabetics, these high rankings indicate that those foods should be avoided - especially as bedtime nears.

Here's a simple explanation of why high-carbohydrate meals can be dangerous, according to Sugar Busters: "After ingestion of 50 to 100 grams of glucose during a high-sugar meal, insulin levels usually become very elevated and can remain elevated for several hours. Eating high-carbohydrate meals three times a day and at bedtime can cause insulin to be elevated for eighteen out of twenty-four hours. The pancreas needs a rest, and so do fat cells." (Sugar Busters p. 59)

As a diabetic, your body already struggles to produce enough insulin (or to make your insulin sensitive) to break down sugars. However, when you load your body with high-carbohydrate foods, the diabetic problems are only magnified.

Some high-carbohydrate foods to avoid

To make it easier on your body to break down foods, it's wise to avoid some foods that are high on the Glycemic index. Here are some of those foods that you may want to try to eliminate from your diet altogether:

Common foods with a Glycemic index of 75 or more, according to Sugar Busters:

• White bread (95)

• French bread (95)

• Instant rice (90)

• White pretzels (85)

• Rice Cakes (80)

• Rice Crispies (80)

• Corn (75)

• Corn chips (75)

• Graham crackers (75)

• Regular crackers (75)

• White bagel (75)

• Total cereal (75)

• Cheerios (75)

• Puffed wheat (75)

• Cornflakes (75)

Of course, there are alternatives to all of these foods, which you can consume in order to quench your appetite and be sure that you're still getting enough carbohydrates to stay energized throughout the day. You may also be able to find low-sugar or sugar-free alternatives to your favorite sweets.

Sources:

http://imtypefree.com/diabetes-diet-guidelines-and-the-Diabetes-food-pyramid.html

http://shop.imtypefree.com/Sugar-free-Desserts-and-Sugar-free-Candy-s/82.htm

­Sugar Busters­; by H. Leighton Steward, Morrison C. Bethea, M.D., Sam S. Andrews, M.D., and Luis A. Balart, M.D.; 1995