A good guide to good carbs: The glycemic index

Also: Two ways to dodge diabetes; Cities can learn lessons about diabetes from rural areas Share with a friend » | Unsubscribe »

June 20, 2013

A good guide to good carbs: The glycemic index In this report, you’ll learn about the components of a healthy diet for people with diabetes, as well as how to work with a dietitian, how to develop a meal plan, and how to fit physical activity into your schedule. You will learn how to recognize portion distortion, make wise choices while dining out, and stay on track with your weight-loss plan. Best of all, we’ve included 40 original recipes so you can put this advice into practice — starting today. If you have diabetes, you know all too well that when you eat carbohydrates, your blood sugar goes up. The total amount of carbs you consume at a meal or in a snack mostly determines what your blood sugar will do. But the food itself also plays a role. A serving of white rice has almost the same effect as eating pure table sugar — a quick, high spike in blood sugar. A serving of lentils has a slower, smaller effect. Picking good sources of carbs can help you control your blood sugar and your weight. Even if you don’t have diabetes, eating healthier carbohydrate-rich foods can help ward off a host of chronic conditions, from heart disease to various cancers to, well, diabetes. One way to choose foods is with the glycemic index (GI). This tool measures how much a food boosts blood sugar. The glycemic index rates the effect of a specific amount of a food on blood sugar compared with the same amount of pure glucose. A food with a glycemic index of 28 boosts blood sugar only 28% as much as pure glucose. One with a GI of 95 acts like pure glucose. High glycemic foods result in a quick spike in insulin and blood sugar (also known as blood glucose). Low glycemic foods have a slower, smaller effect. Using the glycemic index Using the glycemic index is easy: choose foods in the low GI category instead of those in the high GI category (see below), and go easy on those in between. •  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, corn, white rice, couscous, breakfast cereals such as Cream of Wheat and Mini Wheats. •  High glycemic index (GI of 70 or higher): White bread, rice cakes, most crackers, bagels, cakes, doughnuts, croissants, most packaged breakfast cereals. You can see the values for 100 commons foods and get links to more at www.health.harvard.edu/glycemic. Swaps for lowering glycemic index Instead of this high-glycemic index food Eat this lower-glycemic index food White rice Brown rice or converted rice Instant oatmeal Steel-cut oats Cornflakes Bran flakes Baked potato Pasta, bulgur White bread Whole-grain bread Corn Peas or leafy greens For more on healthy diet essentials plus information on managing (and avoiding) Type 2 diabetes, buy Healthy Eating for Type 2 Diabetes by Harvard Medical School. Share this story: Digg Facebook Twitter

News and Views from the Harvard Health Blog Cities can learn lessons about diabetes from rural areas City dwellers often think of rural America as a throwback to past "good old days." But when it comes to obesity and diabetes, people living outside urban areas offer a frightening glimpse of the future. Read more.

This special health report will help you better understand and manage your diabetes. It includes detailed, updated information about medications and alternative treatments for diabetes, and a special section on weight-loss strategies. Two ways to dodge diabetes Given the epidemic of diabetes sweeping the United States and many other countries, it can seem as though developing diabetes is inevitable. Not so. A landmark clinical trial called the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) showed that a healthy diet and regular exercise can prevent type 2 diabetes. This three year study found that people who lose 5% to 7% of their weight and exercise about 30 minutes a day can reduce diabetes risk by more than half. The Look AHEAD study also showed that losing weight and exercising can be a powerful way to fend off diabetes. The trial compared lifestyle changes (portion-controlled diets with prepared meals and moderate-intensity exercise for at least 175 minutes a week) with simple diabetes education. After one year, people in the lifestyle group had lost an average of 8.6% of their body weight, compared with 0.7% in diabetes education group. With the combination of weight loss and exercise came improvements in blood sugar, blood pressure, and HDL (good) cholesterol. Later follow-up showed that these improvements extended over the first four years of the study. What’s more, the lifestyle changes also improved quality of life, based on questionnaires designed to assess the Look AHEAD participants’ physical and mental health. The greatest gains were physical changes — for example, compared with the control group, people in the lifestyle group were more fit, felt more vital, and had less body pain. They also reported feeling less depressed. Losing weight and exercising are simple ways to avoid diabetes. But they can be hard to do. If you’re ready to make some changes to avoid the life-long consequences of diabetes, talk with your doctor. Together you can create a manageable plan that increases your chances of success. For more information on preventing, diagnosing and managing diabetes, buy Diabetes: A plan for living, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School. Share this story: Digg Facebook Twitter

Featured in this issue Healthy Eating for Type 2 Diabetes Featured content: • Understanding diabetes • The first-line treatment: Weight loss • The elements of a healthy diet • Meal-planning basics   ... and more! Click here to read more » Diabetes: A plan for living Featured content: • Recognizing the symptoms • Monitoring blood sugar • Weight-loss strategies for diabetes • Alternative treatments for diabetes   ... and more! Click here to read more »

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