Fats and Fibers in your Food Determine your Blood Glucose Level

Blood glucose level is a measure of how much glucose (the cell-utilized end product of all carbohydrates) is in our blood, it is determined by how much glucose is introduced into blood externally or internally. Then what is the relation between fats, fibers and blood glucose?

Unless you ingest native food like table sugar or butter, almost all foods are naturally or artificially blends of the macro-nutrients- carbohydrates, proteins, and fats- and by virtue, how fast these foods deliver glucose is determined by their carbohydrate content, how complexed is the food, and finally how fast the stomach extracts glucose to be delivered to the blood

Glycemic Index measures how much glucose is produced from a certain food INSIDE the stomach compared to table sugar as the standard highest glucose producing food. Examples of foods having high glycemic index are sugars, refined grains made from flour, fruits and root vegetables. Glycemic index was formerly used to measure how high that food raises blood sugar, as table sugar raises blood glucose very fast, but when we compare it to Carrots that has a considerable glycemic index, we find that Carrots raises blood glucose far slower than sugar.

Foods with high content of fibers like Vegetables and fruits takes sometime to deliver its content of glucose.The high-fat meal slows the gastric emptying and slows the delivery of glucose into the blood stream, and this is clinically tested and proven. These findings led the nutrition scientists to develop a new measure to rank foods regarding their blood glucose raising effect called Glycemic Load, which tells you how fast a food raises blood glucose levels.

Implementing the glycemic load gives us a clear picture of how great and fast our blood glucose level would be after eating a certain food.
Carrots has GI of 47 and a GL of 10.
Potatoes has a GI of 57 and a GL of 45.
Air-popped popcorn, has a glycemic index of 72, and a GL of 8.
Macaroni has a GI OF 23, and a GL of 47.

If you add a tablespoonful of oil (e.g. Olive,Canola...) to your favored plate of green salad to make a snack, it would make you feel satiety while you are eating a very healthy food according to all health recommendations.
In general, Use your own common sense and eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and other seeds. Avoid the refined carbohydrates... foods made with extracted sugars, flour, white rice or milled corn products.

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Glycemic Index ( GI ) Food List

From this glycemic index food list we can see that most of the vegetables, most of beverages, and most of the low fat dairy products have low ratings on the glycemic index. Most of the bakery products, breads and biscuits have medium or high ratings on the glycemic index.Repeated revision of the list makes you taste the type of food glycemic index.

Low Glycemic Index ( Rating below 55 )

Vegetable and Beans :
Artichoke .............................................. 15
Asparagus.............................................. 15
Broccoli ................................................. 15
Cauliflower ........................................... 15
Celery ................................................... 15
Cucumber ............................................ 15
Eggplant ............................................... 15
Green beans ........................................ 15
Lettuce, all varieties ........................... 15
Peppers, all varieties .......................... 15
Snow peas ............................................ 15
Spinach ................................................. 15
Young summer squash ...................... 15
Tomatoes ............................................. 15
Zucchini ................................................ 15
Soy beans, boiled ................................ 16
Peas, dried ........................................... 22
Kidney beans, boiled .......................... 29
Lentils green, boiled ........................... 29
Chickpeas ............................................. 33
Haricot beans, boiled .......................... 38
Black-eyed beans ................................ 41
Chickpeas, tinned ................................ 42
Baked beans, tinned ........................... 48
Kidney beans, tinned ......................... 52
Lentils green, tinned .......................... 52

Fruits & Root Crop :
Cherries .............................................. 22
Grapefruit .......................................... 25
Apricots (dried) ................................ 31
Apples ................................................. 38
Pears ................................................... 38
Plums .................................................. 39
Peaches .............................................. 42
Oranges .............................................. 44
Grapes ................................................ 46
Kiwi fruit ............................................ 53
Bananas .............................................. 54
Carrots, cooked ................................. 39
Yam .................................................... 51
Sweet potato ..................................... 54

Pasta :

Spaghetti, protein enriched ............... 27
Fettuccine ............................................ 32
Vermicelli ............................................. 35
whole wheat ......................................... 37
Ravioli, meat filled .............................. 39
Spaghetti, white .................................. 41
Macaroni .............................................. 45

Dairy Foods
Yogurt low- fat (sweetened) ...................... 14
Yogurt low-fat (artificially sweetened)..... 15
Milk, chocolate ............................................. 24
Milk, whole ................................................... 27
Milk, Fat-free .............................................. 32
Milk, skimmed ............................................. 32
Milk, semi-skimmed ................................... 34
Ice-cream (low- fat) ................................... 50

Cereal Grains :
Pearl barley .................................................. 25
Rye ................................................................. 34
Wheat kernels .............................................. 41
Rice, instant .................................................. 46
Rice, parboiled .............................................. 48
Barley, cracked ............................................. 50
Beverages Soy milk ...................................... 30
Apple juice ..................................................... 41
Carrot juice .................................................... 45
Pineapple juice .............................................. 46
Grapefruit juice ............................................. 48
Orange juice ................................................... 52

Cereal Grains , Breakfast Cereals :
Pearl barley ................................................... 25
Rye .................................................................. 34
Wheat kernels ............................................... 41
Rice, instant ................................................... 46
Rice, parboiled ............................................... 48
Barley, cracked .............................................. 50
All-Bran .......................................................... 42
Porridge, non instant .................................... 49

Bakery Products & Breads :
Multi grain bread .......................................... 48
Whole grain .................................................... 50
Pound cake ..................................................... 54

Snack Food and Sweets :

Peanuts Low 15
M&Ms (peanut) ............................................. 32
Snickers bar ................................................... 40
Chocolate bar; 30g ........................................ 49
Jams and marmalade's ................................. 49
Crisps .............................................................. 54

Soups
Tomato soup, tinned ..................................... 38
Lentil soup, tinned ......................................... 44

=========

Intermediate Glycemic Index Food : ( Rating 55 - 70 GI )

Bakery Products & Bread :
Danish pastry ................................................ 59
Muffin (unsweetened) .................................. 62
Cake , tart ...................................................... 65
Cake, angel ..................................................... 67
Croissant ........................................................ 67
Pita bread, white ........................................... 57
Pizza, cheese .................................................. 60
Hamburger bun ............................................ 61
Rye-flour bread ............................................ 64
Whole meal bread ......................................... 69

Cereal Grains & Breakfast Cereals :
Rice, brown .................................................... 55
Rice, wild ........................................................ 57
Rice, white ..................................................... 58
Barley, flakes ................................................. 66
Taco Shell ....................................................... 68
Oat bran ......................................................... 55
Muesli ............................................................. 56
Mini Wheats (wholemeal) ............................ 57
Shredded Wheat ........................................... 69

Bakeries & Breads :
Danish pastry .................................................. 59
Muffin (unsweetened) .................................... 62
Cake , tart ......................................................... 65
Cake, angel ....................................................... 67
Croissant ........................................................... 67
Pita bread, white ............................................. 57
Pizza, cheese .................................................... 60
Hamburger bun ............................................... 61
Rye-flour bread ............................................... 64
Whole meal bread ........................................... 69

Biscuits :
Digestives ......................................................... 58
Shortbread ....................................................... 64
Water biscuits .................................................. 65
Ryvita ............................................................... 67


Fruits & Root Crops :
Fruit cocktail .................................................... 55
Mangoes ............................................................ 56
Apricots ............................................................. 57
Apricots (tinned in syrup) ............................. 64
Raisins ............................................................... 64
Pineapple .......................................................... 66
Potato, boiled ................................................... 56
Potato, new ....................................................... 57
Potato, tinned ................................................... 61
Beetroot ............................................................ 64
Potato, steamed ............................................... 65
Potato, mashed ................................................ 70

Snack Food and Sweets :
Popcorn ............................................................. 55
Mars bar ........................................................... 64
Table sugar (sucrose) ...................................... 65

Pasta :
Spaghetti, durum wheat ................................. 55
Macaroni cheese .............................................. 64

Dairy Products :
Ice-cream (low- fat) ........................................ 50
Ice-cream .......................................................... 61

Soups
Black bean soup, tinned .................................. 64
Green pea soup, tinned ................................... 66

==========

High Glycemic Index Food ( Rating Higher than 70 )


Bakery Products & Breads :
Waffles .............................................................. 76
Doughnut .......................................................... 76
White bread ..................................................... 71
White rolls ........................................................ 73
Baguette ........................................................... 95

Biscuits
Wafer biscuits .................................................. 77
Rice cakes ......................................................... 77

Fruits & Root Crop :
Watermelon ..................................................... 72
Potato, mashed ............................................... 70
Chips ................................................................ 75
Potato, micro waved ...................................... 82
Potato, instant ................................................ 83
Potato, baked ................................................. 85
Parsnips .......................................................... 97

Snack Food and Sweets :
Corn chips ...................................................... 74
Jelly beans ..................................................... 80
Pretzels .......................................................... 81
Dates .............................................................. 103

Cereal Grains & Brakfast Cereals :
Millet .............................................................. 71
Golden Grahams ........................................... 71
Puffed wheat ................................................. 74
Weetabix ........................................................ 77
Rice Krispies .................................................. 82
Cornflakes ...................................................... 83

Golden Grahams ............................................ 71
Puffed wheat .................................................. 74
Weetabix ......................................................... 77
Rice Krispies ................................................... 82
Cornflakes ....................................................... 83

Pasta :
Rice pasta, brown ........................................... 92
Broad beans ..................................................... 79

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Glycemic Index Food

Glycemic Index of food is one of its most important traits.

*** What is Glycemic Index
The glycemic index is a conventional measure of how quick a food can raise our blood sugar. Foods are given a rating from 0 to 100 on the glycemic index with glucose in the highest position.
The more the simple sugar - such as glucose, sucrose or starch - a food contains, the higher is its glycemic index rating, and vice verse, where food containing complex carbohydrate increases blood sugar slowly, and thus it has a low glycemic index rating.
If we are to assist weight loss or control diabetes we should be concerned about glycemic index of food we eat.

*** How does our bodies respond to different Glycemic Index ratings :
There are individual variations in response to different types of food with different glycemic index ratings. Factors controlling the body response to glycemic index may be divided into two sets:
* Factors related to the body includes:1- Age 2- Activity level 3-Time of the day when eating 4-Insulin activity 5- Body metabolism

* Factors related to food include :
1- Amount of fibers, fats and proteins in a food.
2- Ratio of carbohydrates to fats and proteins in a food.
3- How refined is a food,i.e. a food contains less fibers.
4- How processed is a food (are fats leaked out or added to a food, since fats slow down gastric motility).

The response of the body to glycemic index is determined by the carbohydrate form and content in a food on the one hand, and how quickly the intestines deliver glucose to the blood on the other hand.The intestines are the fixed element for 1 person and the changeable one is the food entering it.

The food either contains simple or complex carbohydrates. By simple we mean that carbohydrates are simply digested, and complex carbohydrates are indigestible.
If we look at the chemical structure of both starch (simple) and cellulose (complex), we find that the building unit is one and the same molecule (glucose), yet the way these building units are linked to each other determines its stereo shape, and consequently their reaction to enzymes. Animals including humans can only digest simple carbohydrates (starch), while complex carbohydrates (cellulose) can only be digested by bacteria, which digests cellulose for the ruminant animals, and then the animal digests bacteria.

Besides the low content of the complex, they have another property that affects glycemic index of a food, that is their ability to absorb a good deal of water which makes them move in an apathetic lagging pattern, and this in turn makes them:
1- Deliver their trapped digestible content slowly.
2- Consume calories along their way inside the digestive canal (that is what happens with negative calorie foods)

Food that contains starch, like pasta , white bread, and Potatoes will rate high on the glycemic index. More ratings for foods that contain simpler sugars such as soft drinks, sweets, candies,chocolate bars..etc
Foods that contain complex carbohydrates like whole grains, Rye bread, breakfast cereals (which are based on wheat bran, barley, and Oats),fruits, Lentils, Soybeans, baked beans...etc. have low glycemic index ratings.

The complex carbohydrates with low glycemic index may not necessarily be present in food as is in nature, rather it can be admixed with other types of food as made by some food manufacturers, and this incurs a new property to the food known as glycemic load , yet this is another story.

How to utilize Glycemic index :
1- If you appreciate what is in this article (hopefully you dig it), then you will find that glycemic index may be a helpful planning tool, specially when you watch your body response to types of food with different glycemic index ratings.
2- Low glycemic index food will release glucose over a longer period of time, and you will feel less inclined to eat, because energy is slowly released into the blood stream, a good tool for those planning to lose weight.
3- High glycemic index food is good for raising low blood sugar after intense exercising, whereas low glycemic food is good for maintaining blood sugar levels for longer periods of exercise.
4- A diabetic person can use glycemic index in conjunction with other meal programs to assist in managing diabetes.

LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX = 55
INTERMEDIATE GLYCEMIC INDEX = 55 - 70
HIGH GLYCEMIC INDEX = MORE THAN 70.

Stop cravings with GI Diet at eDiets.com

South Beach Diet Aid

This is your aid for evaluating South Beach Diet, if your are feeling you need some hints or tips on how to form your own overview.

South Beach Diet is founded by a cardiologist - Dr Agatston - who has designed a diet for patients with heart diseases, but they lost significant amounts of weight as a side effect pf this diet. Dr Agatston describes it as your plan to eat the right carbs and the right fats to lose weight and protect your heart.

Cutting Carbs and Ketosis :
It is based on the same theory underlying the Atkins diet but with some modifications, i.e. Ketosis, in which we force the body to maintain blood glucose - the energy store of the brain -, by synthesizing glucose inside the body from fat and protein stores, rather than waiting for external supply which is arbitrarily determined by appetite and sateity feeling.
Ketosis occurs when the blood glucose levels fall down the normal levelwithout external supply of glucose. to induce ketosis, you should cut out all carbswith high glycemic index - that pours high glucose amounts in the blood quickly - leading to increased blood glucose concentration.
South Beach Diet severely restricts carbs during the first 2 weeks, before it gradually re-introduce those carbs with low glycemic index. It also recommends unsaturated fats in place of saturated fats.

South Beach diet breaks the vicious circle of carbs--> Insulin--> hunger--> carbs, by allowing foods with low glycemic index such as pasta, pulses, and porridge, and these slowly release glucose into the blood, providing a steady supply of energy and you feel satisfied for longer time rather than carving carbs with high glycemic index which release more Insulin that forces you to carving more carbs and so on.This is the first modification of Atkins' which completely restricts carbs.

FATS : they should be mentioned by Dr Agatston as a cardiologist, thus he replaces saturates with monounsaturates such as olive oil and nuts.

THE PLAN is divided into 3 phases which starts with banning most carbs except low glycemic vegs such as Broccoli and Cabbage, and the focus is on eating lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs, low fat cheese, some nuts and olive oil, the second stage allows low glycemic carbs including most fruits, whole grain cereals, and pasta , and the third and the last phase allows a larger variety of foods to stay on for life. The phases are based on a combined time and weight loss schedule.The full details of the plan are better given by the South Beach Diet people themselves.
South Beach Diet claims the result is that you can lose 8- 13 lb in the first 2 weeks, and once you enter the second phase you can expect to lose 1-2 lb/week.

THE PROS :

# The diet takes the heart health in consideration, you can eat a lot of delicious foods if you limit saturated fats and trans fats.

# No major groups of food are eliminated.
* You can 'de-junk' your diet and cut down on carb rich foods ( white bread, sugary cereals, and sweets).

# No starving or fasting involved:
* You can have more energy and do not get tired if you start eating the low glycemic index way.
* You won't get hungry after you stop eating sugars,white flower,high glycemic index white rice, and potatoes.
* You can stop craving for high sugar foods after you stop eating them.

# Dieter compliance:
* The diet follows the basic principles of healthy eating and, the list of the low glycemic index foods involves a wide variety of nutrients.
* You can twist between its phases, cheat a little and a few weeks back on phase one.
* You can avoid phase 1, and start on phase 2, and get one of the better diets available.
* You get a true new life style through South Beach Diet.

THE CONS :
# The first 2 weeks of extreme carb restriction requires serious willpower and may leave you weak and wobbly.
# You will not get your recommended fruit and veg each day, and you miss out on some vitamins,minerals, and fibers.
# South beach diet does not fully cater for people who do not or cannot eat dairy. It bans soy in phase 1.
# Most of the 8-13 lb lost in phase 1 are likely to be water loss ( No one explains how).
# Some experts do not necessarily agree that you should completely ban all high glycemic foods, because glycemic index changes considerably when foods are eaten together.
# Most nutrition experts are less happy with the recommended weight loss. They see that you lose no more than 2 lb/week for good health, and this contradicts the large weight loss in the first 2 weeks.
# Most nutrition and fitness experts believe it is impossible to lose weight from just one part of your body, arguing losing weight specifically from midriff.
# Few experts argue with a diet that recommends cutting down on processed carbs and swapping foods rich in saturates for those containing mono-unsaturated fats.


The bottom line that South Beach Diet is a good alternative if you can escape its cons and stick to its pros.