Diabetes and the Glycemic Index

There is no doubt that type 2 diabetes is an epidemic in North America. Every year the number of people with this disease rises dramatically – and it does not appear to be slowing down.
How can we protect ourselves against this trend?
It is only with the vigorous application of the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness.
Essential #4 encourages us to eat nutritiously. This requires a little education concerning the difference between a nutritious food and an “empty calorie.” Much of the information about the way particular foods impact diabetes is found in the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load.

Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load
Several years ago a group of researchers decided to create a chart based on the impact of carbohydrates on a person’s blood sugar. This would help people with diabetes select foods that would have the least impact on their disease.
The Glycemic Index (GI) measures the impact of foods on blood sugar when compared to pure sugar: glucose. The higher the GI number, the greater the impact on blood sugar and the worse a food was supposed to be for a person with diabetes. Later, the GI was used as a tool for weight loss and cardiovascular health.Glycemic Load is a way of refining the information of the Glycemic Index to find a truer nutritional value for food. For instance, the Glycemic Index may rate the carbohydrate value in a food as very high. This would seem to make the food unacceptable for people who want to restrict sugar. The Glycemic Load gives us a more global value of your food beyond sugar content.Glycemic Load takes into account the fiber, fat and water content of a food.
Let’s take the example of parsnips:
Parsnips are creamy-colored root vegetables in the carrot family. They are delicious and have therapeutic value as well. Parsnips have a GI rating of 97, compared with pure glucose at 100. That would seem to make parsnips “bad” – unacceptable as a healthy carbohydrate source. However, parsnips contain so much fiber and water, as well as protein and fats, that they have only a tiny impact on the total load of carbohydrates (the Glycemic Load). Because of their protein and fat, they help keep your appetite satisfied for so long that you may even eat less at your next meal. So, parsnips are really very healthful despite their high GI number. Potatoes have become taboo in most low-carb diets. Yet, potatoes have attributes similar to parsnips. They are good for you as long as you don’t deep-fry them and load them with bacon, sour cream, gravy, cheese and other high-calorie, high-fat condiments.Compound carbohydrates – the true “bad” carbsThough many fruits and vegetables are high on the Glycemic Index they are “good” complex carbs because they are low in Glycemic Load. Refined starches, such as pastries, pastas, pudding and pancakes, as well as gravies and similar sauces are a different story.
These foods: Contain low amounts of water and fiber
Contain high amounts of “bad” carbohydrates and bad fats
Quickly turn to sugar in your bloodstream
Trigger insulin and inflammation
Increase your risk of heart disease, obesity and diabetes These are truly sources of “bad” carbohydrates. They are examples of “compound” carbohydrates: foods which have been processed beyond recognition from their original whole food sources. They are never good in any amount.
Diabetes epidemicIn conclusion, the way to place yourself in the lowest risk category for type 2 diabetes is to eat whole foods which minimally impact your blood sugar. But that’s not all; did you know that stress alone may cause diabetes? Breathing deeply breaks the cycle of stress. And, since type 2 diabetes and obesity are related, getting enough sleep is essential. Add in the lessons from all 10 Essentials and you have a bulwark of protection against the epidemic of type 2 diabetes.