Do you know what’s hiding in your favorite foods, affecting your blood sugar levels and diabetes management? What if you get a tool to manage your diabetes? Let us introduce you to a powerful tool to take control of your diabetes ‘Glycemic Index’. It measures how quickly foods raise blood sugar levels. In this blog, let’s know the relation between glycemic index and diabetes and its impact on diabetes.
What is Glycemic Index?
Well, the glycemic index (GI) is a measure used to describe how quickly a food raises your blood sugar level after you eat it. It’s a scale from 0-100. So, now let’s understand the high glycemic foods and low glycemic foods.
How does GI affect Diabetes?
When you eat high glycemic index foods, your blood sugar levels increase suddenly, and this can be challenging for people with diabetes. So, now the question arises what are high GI foods? Let’s understand this.
High GI foods- High GI foods are foods that digest and absorb quickly. Basically, there is a sudden increase in blood sugar level. Foods like white bread, sugary drinks, sweets, candies are examples of high GI foods.
Low GI foods- Low GI foods are foods that digest and absorb slowly. There is a slower and gradual increase in blood sugar level. Examples of low GI foods include whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes.
The Impact of High GI foods on Diabetes Patients
Well, if you have diabetes then consuming high GI foods regularly can have severe consequences on your health. Let’s see what happens when you indulge in high GI foods.
Blood sugar spikes: High GI foods cause sudden increase in your blood sugar levels.
Increased insulin resistance: Regularly consuming high GI foods can lead to insulin resistance, making it harder for glucose to enter cells.
Cardiovascular disease: High GI foods raise the risk of heart conditions, high blood pressure and stroke.
Obesity: High GI foods often lead to overeating and weight gain.
Increase diabetes complications: It also increases diabetes related complications like nerve damage, kidney disease and vision problems.
The Solution!
So, the solution is to focus on low GI foods including:
- Vegetables
- Whole grains
- Legumes
- Nuts and seeds
- Also, read labels and choose products with lower GI
- Cook at home using fresh ingredients
- You can also consult a dietitian or healthcare professional for personalized guidance
Conclusion
Understanding glycemic index and its impact on diabetes can make you aware about food choices. Moreover, adding low GI foods into your diet helps you to manage your blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of complications.
