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Thank you for all the answers and information and websites, here is my summary of what I learnt and followed by a list of websited suggested that I found helpful. then finally folowed by some extracts of the more interesting e-mail replies.
Thanks so much Christina
The glycemic index is a way to rank different types of carbohydrate (such as pasta, rice, or cereal) according to their effect on blood sugar levels. Popular with people wanting to lose weight, increase their energy levels, or protect their health, use of the glycemic index has increased over the last decade.
Researchers have found food such as potatoes traditionally defined as a complex carbohydrate - actually led to a rapid rise in blood sugar. Some foods high in simple carbohydrates appeared to digest more slowly, leading to a gradual elevation in blood sugar.
The glycemic index refers to the immediate rise in blood sugar that occurs after you eat a food high in carbohydrate. Foods that digest rapidly lead to a fast release of glucose into your blood stream. These are known as high glycemic index foods. Foods that digest more slowly release glucose into your blood gradually, and are known as low glycemic index foods.A glycemic index list assigns a numerical value to a food. This value indicates how much and how rapidly 50 grams of its carbohydrate content will raise blood sugar levels, compared to 50 grams of a reference food (glucose or white bread). The reference food is given an arbitrary value of 100.
Simply put, high levels of insulin make it less likely that your body will use stored fat as a fuel source [3,7,8]. Some evidence that this is the case comes from a recent study completed at England's Loughborough University Eight subjects received either a high or low glycemic index meal three hours prior to exercise.
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Web Sites
http://diabetes.about.com/library/mendosagi/nmendosagi.htm
http://www.dietitian.com/carbos.html
http://www.matol.com/products/o2k/giindex.htm
http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/articles/glycemicindex.htm
http://www.glucoserevolution.com/
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Extracts from E-mail Replies.........
1.The glycemic index is not so much a measure of how much sugar is in foods
as it is a measure of how quickly the carbohydrates in a food raise your
blood sugar levels, which is what prompts your body's insulin response to
deal with the sugar. Especially for diabetics, eating in a way that keeps
sugar levels more or less even rather than spiking can be a great
help. And I can see where it would be useful for the rest of us too.
The book (The G I Factor) notes that people should eat as many vegetables as
they possibly can. On the other, it seems like it actually pushes a
high-carb diet with lots of whole grain bread and pasta. While there is
some recognition that gluten-intolerant people exist, the tables in the
back of the book deal much more with various brand names of wheat bread
than with rice bread, and quinoa
(Judy Haight)
2. It basically is a gf diet since carbs are contained mostly in grains.(Ann Sokolowski )
3. The glycemic way of eating is very similar to the atkins diet as it promotes low carbs but allows the "good" carbs in your diet. A similar diet that is the craze now is the South Beach Diet which talks alot about the glycemic index of foods.
This is a very excellent way of eating and is great for the celiac AND diabetic especially.
I have been following this type of diet for almost 2 months. In the first week I dropped 8 pounds AND it was from around my middle. I did not feel bloated and irritable anymore. I have continued to lose 13 pounds altogether so far. I have also reduced my insulin by 1/3 in the morning and evening and have totally eliminated my noon time shot.
It consists of low fat meats, cheeses vegetables AND fruits.....but the right kinds with the good carbs that won't raise your blood sugar. The foods that are not allowed are things such as corn, carrots, watermelon, bananas........potatoes, white rice, breads, pastas. The foods allowed are such as beans, broccoli, cauliflower, squash, apples, strawberries, berries, sweet potato, brown rice, whole grain bread (which I of course don't eat).
A typical day for me is:
Breakfast: High protein shake made with fat free half and half.
Snack: cottage cheese with peppers and tomatoes
Lunch: Chef salad with oil and vinegar dressing
Snack: Apple with peanut butter
Dinner: Cod fillets/tarter sauce, broccoli, cucumber and tomato salad with vinegar dressing.
Snack: Ricotta cheese with vanilla and cinnamon.
(Lauren)
4. It was not a low carb diet, it was a diet that emphasized low to moderately glycemic carbohydrate foods, which help regulate blood sugar levels. I had to give up things like white rice bread and baked potatoes and go with brown rice products, eliminate sugar as much as possible, pay closer attention to fruits and veggies I ate, etc. I can tell a huge difference in how I feel. But I did not eliminate carbs from my diet-the source I was using didn't even suggest that (http://www.mendosa.com/wolever.htm). All it takes is one baked potato or a sugared soft drink now and I can tell a real difference-low energy, drowsiness, problems sleeping, etc. I think its really more of a healthy eating diet, emphasizing more whole grains and less processed food to keep blood sugar levels from spiking up and down.(Jeannine Kantz)
5.Low glycemic diet is always a tricky thing with CD. In fact, the glycemic
level of food is directly linked to glucose, fructose, starch and any other
form of sugar. It's true that ALL DIABETICS SHOULD FOLLOW THIS DIET. It's
the same thing for them as for us with gluten. The reaction is not the same
but it destroys the body as much as CD.
The problem is that our food is based on products containing a very high
glycemic level. We often talk about corn and maize flour and starch, rice
flour, potato flour and starch... All of them have a high glycemic level.
Alcohol has also a high glycemic level.
Does that mean that you have to stop eating bread, potatoes, rice, and that
you have to stop having fun with a glass of wine? No. What you have to do is
to choose what you eat it with.
Personally, I don't eat much of all of these high glycemic level products. I
eat my cereals (sweet corn cereals) with my toasts (corn bread) every
morning. I eat it with some proteins to be sure to make my day. On lunch
time, I have meat with veggies and milk. Sometimes, I take a juice or a
soda. I try to avoid this last one. On dinner, I try to have as less as
possible of rice and potatoes.
If you want to replace the potatoes and the rice, eat more of veggies and
fruits. Try to quit putting sugar in your coffee. Avoid dessert when
possible or eat a fruit. Take brown rice instead of white rice (white rice
contains more starch than brown, if you don't like the taste, add some
Tabasco sauce). Replace regular white sugar by raw sugar (not brown sugar
but not-refined sugar) or, even better, fructose (can now be found in any
Canadian grocery store). Also, avoid beer (we have GF beers in Canada).
Instead, drink wine. Red if you don't mind... At least one glass a day but
not more than 1 or 2... You'd become alcoholic. (Alex)
6. "The Good Carb Cookbook" byWoodruff about the glycemic index foods.
I have done a little reading re the glycemic index and feel that is a better way to go than carb
counting. It does not rule out eating carbs in any form(including
wheat, etc) but does guide people on using carbs according the way carbs
raise the blood sugar .
"The Good Calorie Diet" by Philip Lipetz also seems to have some info on
glycemic index.
Nurses magazines have lately had some info also. Ask the reference people
in your library to help you.(Barb)
*Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the CELIAC List*
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