Because I understand the glycemic index and glycemic load I no longer fear eating fruit. It has been life-changing for me. No more guilt and fear when I enjoy an apple. Read on…
Glycemic Index
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quick various foods increase your blood sugar. On the glycemic index scale, food ranks between 0 and 100. Pure sugar or glucose has an index of 100. Food with a glycemic index of 29 boosts blood sugar only 29% as much as pure glucose. On the other hand, food with a glycemic index of 95 acts like pure glucose.
Thanks for reading Master Your A1C! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
Foods that are higher in carbohydrates have a higher GI. Foods high in fiber or fat have a lower GI. In contrast, foods with a low glycemic load (10 or less) won’t cause major spikes in blood sugar because they have fewer carbohydrates per serving. Examples include non-starchy vegetables, nuts, and low-fat dairy products.
GI will tell you how high your blood sugar could rise when eating a certain food. It does not, however, tell you how high your blood sugar will rise after eating a certain food.
This is where the glycemic load comes into play.
Glycemic index ranges:
- Low glycemic index (GI of 55 or less): Most fruits and vegetables, beans, minimally processed grains, pasta, low-fat dairy foods, and nuts.
- Moderate glycemic index (GI 56 to 69): White and sweet potatoes, white rice, couscous.
- High glycemic index (GI of 70 or higher): White bread, most crackers, bagels, cakes, doughnuts, croissants, and most packaged breakfast cereals.
Glycemic Load
Now, to make this article more interesting, let’s throw in glycemic load (GL).
Eating healthier carbs can help you control your blood sugar along with a host of chronic conditions that come with having uncontrolled blood sugar.
GL gives you a more accurate picture of how food impacts your blood sugar levels. As you read earlier and warrant repeating, GI tells you how high your blood sugar could rise, and GL tells you how high your blood sugar will indeed rise after eating a certain food.
The glycemic load is based on the glycemic index but uses a standard portion size rather than 100 grams of carbohydrate. Use this formula to calculate the glycemic load of your food:
GL = (GI x the amount of carbohydrate) divided by 100. See example below:
Therefore, if an 8-ounce glass of skim milk containing 12 grams of carbohydrate has a glycemic index of 46, the glycemic load is: 5.52 and is low.
GL = 46 x 12 ÷ 100 = 5.52 is a low glycemic load. Enjoy your glass of milk.
Let’s take an apple. An apple has 25 grams of carbohydrates, a glycemic index of 30 a glycemic load is 7.5. and is low.
GL = 25 x 30 /100 = 7.5 is a low glycemic load. Enjoy your apple.
Do this for your food and enjoy.
Glycemic load ranges:
- Low = 10 or less
- Medium = 11-19
- High = 20 or more
Most fruits, for instance, have a high GI, but low GL.
To get a clear picture of the effect of food on your blood sugar, download the guide on Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values.
On that chart you will find the GI and GL of thousands of foods to assist you in controlling your blood sugar and mastering your A1C.
Remember, the lower the glycemic load for food, the lower the rise in blood glucose after it is eaten.
It’s important to understand how the food we eat affects our body. For diabetics, choosing food carefully is important to keep us healthy.
HWB
Thanks for reading Master Your A1C! Subscribe to receive new posts
Thanks for reading Master Your A1C!