The Glycemic Index Explained

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Putting the glycemic index into practice

Chocolate is not a good swap for carrots!

Low GI, high GL, swapping rice for sweet potato... All of these figures and rankings can seem a little confusing at first. It's important to remember that GI and GL are simply tools to use for controlling your blood sugar levels and carbohydrate intake.

Try our tips for some simple ways to make the switch to low GI foods:

• Don't worry about exact GI values. Instead consider whether the food falls into the low, medium or high GI category. For example, a food with a GI of 40 is as suitable a choice as a food with a GI of 30 - they're both low GI
• Consider which food will give you the most nutritional value, as well as the GI rating
• Remember portion size - low GI foods can still be high in fat
• It's okay to eat some moderate and high GI foods. Try to combine them with low GI foods to reduce the overall GI rating of the meal
• Use the GI ratings to make food swaps. Swap a high GI food for a low GI food - such as sweet potatoes instead of potato, basmati rice instead of white rice, and so on

Related articles :

• Carbohydrates and Diabetes: Breaking it down

Related links :

• The Glycemic Index
• Low GI Recipe: Birchjalna Muesli
• Low GI Recipe: Hearty Apple & Cinnamon Porridge
• Low GI Recipe: Tangy Chickpea Dip
• Low GI Recipe: Cracked Wheat and Vegetable Pilaf
• Low GI Recipe: Orecchiette with Minted Lentils and Feta
• Low GI Recipe: Bean Moussaka
• Low GI Recipe: Mushroom and Tomatoes with Steak
• Low GI Recipe: Mushrooms, Beef & Bok Choy Stir-Fry

References :

This article was compiled in consultation with CalorieKing.com.au experts and in reference to the following sources:

____ ‘Carbohydrates and Sugars,’ American Heart Association , American Heart Organization

____ ‘Diet, Glycemic Index, and Health,’ Harvard Women’s Health Watch, Feb. 2002

Brand-Miller, Foster, Powell, ‘International Table of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values:2002,’ American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , July 2002: pp 5-56

Brand-Miller, Hayne, Petocz, Colagiuri, ‘Low-Glycemic Index Diets in the Management of Diabetes: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials,’ Diabetes Care: 26:2261-2267, 2003

The Glycemic Index, http://www.glycemicindex.com/

'The Glycemic Load Concept', The Glycemic Index Foundation of South Africa

Willet, Manson and Liu, ‘Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load, and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes,’ American Journal of Clinical Nutrition:76 (1) 274s-80s, July 2002

Last updated: November 3rd, 2005