The Glycemic Index

[katepoet]

This information is gathered from the Sugar Busters books and from other sources. It's about eating using the glycemic index to guide your food choices. My husband and I both lost weight on this without cutting calories. His blood sugar and triglyceride counts went from stroke level to normal in six weeks.

If you are going to eat something decadent like cheese cake, 20-30 minutes before hand take a capsule of cod liver oil or some other omega 6/omega 3 fatty acid. The oil will coat your stomach, slowing digestion and minimize glucose spike and the resulting insulin spike.

Avoid products with high fructose corn syrup as it will trick your body into thinking you are hungrier than you are and you will eat more. Sugar from sugar cane is actually the safest sweetener when used in moderation - very few people have allergic reactions to it. It does not cause problems at the blood-brain barrier. So if you want something to sweeten your coffee, just use a little sugar and stay away from all the artificial sweeteners.

(I am not a doctor or nurse - just a person struggling to be well. I am the director of LISS - Lyme and Immune System Support group - and spend a lot of time reading and learning.)

Glycemic Index
Avoid High, Eat Low to Moderate

Also Avoid Refined Sugars
and Refined White Flour

Grains, Breads, and Cereals
High
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, white flour 75
Puffed Wheat 75
Cornflakes 70
Corn Meal 70
White Rice 70
Taco Shells 70
Cream of Wheat 70
Shredded Wheat, white flour 70
Melba Toast 70
Millet 70
Grape Nuts 65
Whole-Wheat Crackers 65
Nutri-grain Cereal 65
Stoned Wheat Thins 65
Regular Pasta 65
Couscous 60
Basmati Rice 60
Spaghetti, white 60

Moderate
Pita bread, regular 55
Rye Sourdough 55
Wild Rice 55
Brown Rice 55
Oatmeal 55
Special K 55
Muesli, no sugar added 55
Whole-Grain Pumpernickel 50
Cracked-Wheat Bulgar bread 50
High % cracked-wheat bread 50
Whole Rice 50
Oat and Bran bread 50
Sponge Cake 45
Pita Bread, stone-ground 45
Wheat Grain 45
Barley Grain 45
Whole-Grain pasta 45
All Bran, no sugar added 45
Whole Meal Spaghetti 40

Low
Rye grain 35

Vegetables
High
Baked Potato 95
Parsnips 95
Carrots 85
French Fries 80
Beets 75

Moderate
Sweet Potato 55
Yams 50
Green Peas 45
Black-Eyed Peas 40

Low
Dried Beans, Lentils 30-40
Pinto Beans 40
Green Beans 40
Chick Peas 35
Lima Beans 30
Black Beans 30
Butter Beans 30
Kidney Beans 30
Soy Beans 15
Green Vegetables 0-15

Fruit
High
Watermelon 70
Pineapple 65
Raisins 65
Ripe Bananas 60

Moderate
Mango 50
Kiwi 50
Grapes 50
Plantain Banana 45
Pears 45
Peaches 40
Plums 40
Apples 40
Oranges 40

Low
Apricots, dried 30
Grapefruit 25
Cherries 25
Tomatoes 15
Apricots, fresh 10

Dairy Products
High
Ice Cream, Premium 60

Moderate
Yogurt, with Added Fruit 35
Milk, whole >30

Low
Milk, skim <30
Yogurt, Plain, No Sugar 15

Miscellaneous
High
Maltose (as in Beer) 105
Glucose 100
Pretzels 80
Honey 75
Refined Sugar 75
Moderate
Popcorn 55
Low
Nuts 15-30
Peanuts 15


Glycemic Index -
Acceptable Foods

Meats
(Trimmed or Skinned)
Lean Beef
Lamb
Pork
Veal
Antelope
Rabbit
Goose
Alligator
Chicken
Turkey
Quail
Venison
Fish
Shellfish
Pheasant
Partridge
Elk
Dove
Duck

Vegetables
Artichokes
Asparagus
Beans
Bell Peppers
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Celery
Cucumbers
Dill Pickles
Eggplant
Hearts of Palm
Lentils
Lettuce
Mirliton
Mushrooms
Okra
Onions
Peas
Radishes
Spinach
Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Turnip Greens
Watercress
Zucchini

Fruit
Apple
Apricot
Avocado
Berries
Cantaloupe
Cherries
Dates
Grapefruit
Grapes
Honeydew
Kiwi
Lemon
Lime
Mango
Orange
Peach
Pears
Plum
Pumpkin
Satsuma
Tangerine
Tomato

Dairy Products
Milk
Cheese
Egg
Yogurt
Cream
Butter

Grains and Cereals
Whole-Grain Products (without dextrose, maltose, honey, molasses, brown sugar, or corn syrup)
Whole-Grain Breads
Whole-Grain Pastas
Whole-Grain Brown Rice
Wheat Bran
Oat Bran
Natural Grains
Oatmeal

Miscellaneous
Nuts
Seeds
Spices
Garlic
Chocolate (60% or Greater Cocoa)
Tabasco Sauce
Coffee
Tea
Sodas - Artificially Sweetened
Fruit Juices (100% Juice)
Olive oil, Canola Oil
Peanut Butter - without Added Sugar
Fruit Jelly - without Added Sugar

[Mandy]

Great information, i am sure a lot of people will benefit from it

[Janet]

This is all listed in the South Beach Diet book. Pretty interesting, but hard to follow for a long time, I thought.

[judy]

Thanks Kate. That really breaks it down well! I'm going to print that out and hang it up in my kitchen.

Janet, it's not hard. That's what WW is all about - substituting good food for not so good food. It just becomes a habit, and you can eat a food that's not so great if you're careful with everything else that day.

For example, if I go to a party, I eat whatever I want. I keep the portions small because I can eat more different foods if I don't fill up on one. Then I pick back up on eating right the next day or so. It's a little hard to get right back because fat is addictive for me. As long as I get back on track within a week, I'm okay.

I also have a cheeseburger deluxe every 2 or 3 weeks. Thin is nice; no junk food is insane!

[katepoet]

We've been following it for years now. I simplify it mentally by saying no high fructose corn syrup, and change all yellow and white foods to orange and brown (that aren't meat).

White rice = brown rice, white pasta = brown pasta, white potatoes = orange potatoes, no corn or carrots except in small quantities with other foods.

Use healthy fats - butter in small quantities, and sunflower oil instead of corn or canola (which is a synthetic molecule). And having some fat in a meal slows digestion and helps you lose weight.

That's about it.