>Why is a food's glycemic index so important?
>
>Is is very important to monitor the  glycemic index of various foods  even
>if one is not diabetic?

(taken from http://www.4betterhealth.com/highcarb/html/glycemic_index.html)
The glycemic index is defined as the surface under the blood sugar curve
after ingesting a particular carbohydrate during a nominal amount of time.
It is expressed as a factor in percent of the response for glucose.
The higher the GI, the more significant effect this food will have on your
blood sugar.
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[aside: i know NeanderThin people wouldn't eat all these carbs, i just
included them in the list for comparison]

pure glucose (sugar) 100
white bread 95
baked potato 95
honey 90
carrots 85
chocolate bar 70
corn 70
white rice 70
banana 60
peas 50
dry beans 30
fresh fruit 30
fructose 20
green veggies, tomatoes, lemon, mushrooms <15


hth, JoAnn.