Glycemic Index Help

What is considered a high glycemic index and what is low? I know 100 is pure glucose. But what would be high and low for someone with diabetes?

Is a high Glycemic Index diet essentially the same thing as the diabetic exchange diet? Been told to go on a strict GI diet, which is low on bad carbs. Is that the same as a diabetic diet?

Can we stay at a balance by eating things with high and low glycemic index level at the same time? Do we have to eat only things with a high glycemic index to get rid of the negative effect of insulin or can we stay balanced anyway if we include carbohydrates with high and low level of glycemic index into a meal at the same time?

How can I tell if a food has a high-glycemic-index by looking at the nutrien facts or the ingredients?

how high glycemic index (GI) food induces diabetes & low GI food prevents diabetes? recent studies shows that eating two much high GI food can induce diabetes and a diabetes can be controled by consuming low GI food.i want to know the details physiological mechanism of these fact.how does high GI food induces diabetes and low GI controls?

Books on organic eating and low glycemic index foods? My husband and I are trying to switch to an organic diet as well as trying to stay away from high glycemic index foods. Does anyone know of a good book that contains unbiased information on both of these topics?

What foods are high on the glycemic index?

Im planning to try to lose weight with a"slow carb diet" that restricts carbs which have a high glycemic index such as bread, pasta, rice.. all the goods ones. I'm hoping to lose weight, speed up my metabolism, reduce my fat percentage and hopefully stay at my goal weight. I think this seems like a diet that I can do but after I have lost the weight and begin eating a not so restricted diet how do I not gain the weight back? do i just watch my caloric intake and maintain a healthy diet from then on or will i have to just live my life all slow carb?? also how do you know if you've sped up your metabolism or not? to see the diet go here http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/04/06/how-to-lose-20-lbs-of-fat-in-30-days-without-doing-any-exercise/ ( i will be exersicing also even though this diet doesnt require it)

Why do certain high protein, low carb foods have low glycemic index but HIGH INSULIN INDEX? This idea perplexes me. Here's a quote from Wikipedia that I am having trouble grasping: "Rather than relying on blood glucose levels, the Insulin Index is based upon the insulin response to various foods, and seems to be more promising than either the Glycemic Index or the Glycemic Load. The primary reason for this is that certain foods (e.g., lean meats and proteins) seem to cause an insulin response despite there being no carbohydrates present. Additionally, other foods seem to cause a disproportinate insulin reaction for its carbohydrate load."

Are sprouted corn tortillas low in the glycemic index? I buy my at Whole Foods, I am determined finally to? lose weight but it's hard giving up tortillas, I'll be watching those carbs carefully and I know that corn is high on the glycemic index, any experience on this? thank you.

Where does soda fall on the Glycemic Index? where is a large list of foods with Glycemic Index numbers? thanks I'm asking as Creatine is supposed to be taken with foods high on the Glycemic Index to better absorb the supplement.

glycemic index? Explain the Glycemic index (GI). Define what it is meant by the terms ‘ high Glycemic index’ (High GI) and ‘low Glycemic index’ (Low GI).

is "Honey Bunches of Oats" Cereal a low glycemic index or High gi?? If it's high, what's a better alternative? Thanks!

Is Bean Vermicelli high or low in Glycemic Index. Is it as good as whole wheat? Or as bad as refined Whilte?

What fruits are especially high in calories and fructose? Is it true that pineapples, grapes, watermelon and pears aren't *as* healthy as apples or oranges because they have such a high glycemic index and are high in fructose. Should I avoid them if I want to reduce my caloric intake?

Glycemic Index Question? I'm confused on how my professor worded this on the homework assignment. I'm familiar with the glycemic index. I also know that a lower glycemic index is better for you. When he says 'Least Favorable' does he mean the choice with the highest glycemic index (since lower is more favorable?) So far, I think it's baked potato. Baked potatoes are pretty starchy and high on the GI. However, I might be misinterpeting the question. Any suggestions are appreciated. ----------------------------------------------------- In a person with type 2 diabetes, which of the following foods would ordinarily promote the LEAST favorable glycemic effect? a. chocolate b. ice cream c. baked potato d. baked beans

Where can I find a food database with glycemic index and potassium? I need to find foods that are high in potassium but low on the glycemic index scale. I have been searching and haven't come up with a database that allows this search. Any suggestions?

If Jasmine white rice has a higher glycemic index than Glucose tablets, why can't you use it to treat lows?

Know anythig about the glycemic index? I've been watching television and hearing how you can use a glycemic index to avoid those high glucose foods like bread and rice cakes if you may be susceptible to diabetes. What are some examples of foods that are LOW and HIGH on that Index?

Where can I find a site showing categories of the glycemic index of foods(low, moderate, high)?

What is the calorie count/ glycemic index of inositol? I'm taking inositol in high doses for anxiety, and I'm trying to find out 1) how many calories per gram in inositol and 2) the glycemic index of inositol. I've searched all over the internet for this information without luck, so I'm hoping someone else will know the answer to one or both of these questions. Thanks in advance!

We have high, medium and low figures in glycemic index. Is the same logic applicable for glycemic load also?

Why does boiling pasta longer than 4-7 minutes increase the pasta's glycemic index rating? I just got home from Whole Foods, where I had gotten papardalle pasta (among other things, of course). On the package, it says: "The more you cook your pasta, the higher the glycemic-index rating. Please test your pasta frequently, and become accustomed to eating pasta al-dente, as they do in Italy". I searched on the internet and found sites that say that the GI rating increases with more boiling, but none say why? I would have thought it would be the opposite, thinking that the starches would boil out of the pasta the longer it boiled?

How can dates have a higher GI (glycemic index) than glucose? Dates are rated with a GI of 103 while glucose (the reference) is rated as 100. My guess so far are that the dates may be high in fructose content and that might have a faster induction rate into the blood. (I remember hearing that high fructose corn syrup or 'glucose/fructose syrup as it seems to be called in the uk' has an incredibly rapid affect on blood sugar.) I am mainly interested because I am about to make a date wine using them as the main ingredient.

Does high fructose corn syrup have a different glycemic index from crystalline fructose from corn? This is an important question when cooking/baking for a diabetic. I'm looking for anyone who can provide scientific data, reasons, etc. I was looking to use fructose from fruit, but now all I can find in the stores is fructose from corn. I've seen plenty about the glycemic effect of high fructose corn syrup (not good for diabetics) and about the glycemic effect of crystalline fructose from fruit (good for diabetics). But, I can't seem to find anything specific about the glycemic effect of crystalline fructose from corn. Does anyone have any data or references? I'm really just looking for a scientific or authoritative source on the glycemic index for crystalline fructose made from corn. Thanks to Peachy for the first answers. Apologies for not being clearer about my question.

Should i look at Glycemic load or glycemic index?gestational diabetes at 20 weeks? Hi all, I am 20 weeks pregnant and i failed the glucose screening test.They are going to test me if i have diabetes with another blood test in a weeks time.I thought of making some food adjustments, but i am confused seeing GL and GI.Which should be considered by me.I thought i can eat a banana with my BF as its high in nutrients and has a medium glycemic load.But its glycemic index is high.Please share what you feel is more important for me who has a high possibility of having gestational diabetes

Bread with a low glycemic index? I have switched to whole wheats & high fiber but it's still doing a number on a my blood sugars. I need a low glycemic index bread that dosn't require a 20 mile trip to some specialty store and yet still tastes like a bread. Whole wheat pasta hasn't helped much either.

What is the glycemic index value of V8 vegetable juice? I'm worried that because it is processed it will be higher than just vegetables.

Confused about Low Glycemic index foods? Some websites say pasta is high GI and others say it's low GI. Which one is is?? I only eat whole wheat pasta because it's a good source of protein in my vegetarian diet and I eat is as a staple.

Why do peanuts have a low glycemic index? 1. they are high in sugar and low in the other complex carbohydrates 2. they are low in sugar and high in other digestible carbohydrates 3. they are high in both sugars and other digestible carbohydrates 4. they are high in fat and low in digestible carbohydrates 5. they are low in fat and high in digestible carbohydrate

How do I calculate the glycemix index of a food? I am a borderline diabetic and my doctor has given me a list of foods I can eat and also which to stay away from. Basically, I have to eat foods that do not have a high glycemic index - but there are some foods that don't fall into either category on my list and I was wondering how to calculate what is ok and what isn't - obviously high sugar foods are no no's. But there are some foods that are more difficult to determine and I don't want to be calling my doctor every single time I have a question - that can get very expensive as well as tiresome. For instance, I cannot eat white bread or even whole wheat , but there are some low carbohydrate breads that are high in fiber - are these ok? Can someone please tell me if there is a specific formula to calculate the glycemic index of a food? Thank you.

Are the "Nectar Bars" or "Lara Bars" low glycemic treats? I noticed that the Clif's Nectar Bars say that they are low glycemic but the truth is that their main ingredient, dates, ranks very high on the glycemic index. Can somebody help me here? Thanks

Does oatmeal lower Glycemic Index with water or soymilk? And does Pinole (mexican powder made of ground chia seeds high in omega 3 and I think fiber) and cinnamon powder affect it also?

Glycemic index on diabetics differs from healthy individuals? ? Hello, I have been trying to avoid high GI foods from my diet and the other day I saw a food with a GI listed and then it said *when tested on diabetics. I know that glycemic response varies from person to person, but in general, do diabetics have a lower GI response? Thanks, Cana

GI and freezing of dried foods, particularly legumes.? Hello, I was wondering whether or not dried legumes that have been dry frozen (as their moisture is very low, they can't become frosted or suffer from cold burns) would have a lesser amount of resistant starch when cooked? I've heard that rice, because of it's easily accesible starch, has a high glycemic index. Does freezing play a part in GI of a food? Thanks, Av

For diabetes and hypoglycemia: what is the difference between the glycemic index vx. glycemic load of foods? I've been studying the glycemic index to find low carbohydrate foods that metabolize slowly. I'm not diabetic, but with hypoglycemia I know that I could become diabetic. I'm confused now by the conflicting information I'm getting about the glycemic index not being a true indicator of how our blood sugar levels respond to carbohydrates. For instance, carrots supposedly have a higher GI rating than most vegetables, but react differently in our bloodstream than the same amount of carbs from refined bread or sugar would. Any information would be greatly appreciated. By the way, hypoglycemia is not a problem for me, I rarely experience it since I have avoided sugary foods for years.

Does the chemical phenylalanine affect the hormone androgen in some way, whether directly or indirectly? I beleive that rises in androgen cause acne. As I was trying to link chocolate with acne, I found that chocolate does not have a high glycemic index (which causes rises in androgen). However, chocolate seems to cause acne in myself as well as people I know. So, I was wondering if the chemical, the "love hormone", phenylalanine somehow causes androgen levels to rise.

What are some good post workout foods that digest quickly after weight-lifting.? I've done some research and says that I should eat something high on the glycemic index. Should I eat a bagel or something that I don't normally eat because I have a strict muscle building/toning diet. What I eat is a banana, brown rice with tuna after training. P.S. Please don't say Whey protein because I get acne from that.

Number of GI in Low and high GI foods? wat is the glycemic index of low and high GI foods? like how big of a GI do low GI foods have, and how big of a GI do high GI foods have?

I follow a Low-fat, low-GI, low-sodium diet, and I'm worried about my micronutrients...? By strictly getting only 10% of my calories from fat, and generally not consuming food with high glycemic index, most of my meals are based in legumes and grains. I also try to eat at least a fruit every day and lots of tea. Do you think that there is something lacking in my diet? I'm worried about micronutrients. Can you suggest improvements, keeping the three lows in it?

What do you think of my thoughts on metabolism, blood sugar, and diet? Hear me out on this. Yeah if you know the stuff I post you know this is going to get long. Settle in. I'd like this question answered seriously by serious people. It's my intention to one day write a fitness self-help book. I'd like to know what I'm talking about, not just for the sake of being informed, but because I'd be giving advice to be people from which they'd be making decisions on their lives. Naturally I feel a responsibility. I suppose one could argue that this is not the place one should form their ideas for that sort of thing; and yet one can't argue that this is a place that forms ideas, and, more specifically, ideas of mine will be formed here, regardless. Ugh. The luck I've been having I asked this question in Diseses & Conditions>Diabetes (I'm like, hey, these guys no about blood sugar and such). I guess I should have posted it at an earlier time of day because my lone response was a guy spamming weight-loss berries from Oprah (no really). I posted it on Diet & Fitness, and it didn't even show up on the Diet & Fitness page! (Apparently that's been happening with Y!A lately. That and I think my long question broke it.), and then it happened again. So anyways, fourth time the charm? The thinking on the glycemic index these days is that a high post-ingestion blood sugar spike is a bad thing, because the parts of one's metabolism that convert metabolisables into body fat work hardest when there's an abundance to work with. The reason being that in evolutionary terms the best way these nutrients can be kept is deposited as fat, not swirling around in the blood stream, which can't maintain anywhere near as high an energy density (duh) especially since excessive blood sugars have toxicity issues and must be excreted from the body. Basically the body is rushing to convert this stuff to fat while there's still a bunch of it before it all gets flushed out. I have the notion there's more to this story though. Nutritionists talk about how low glycemic foods, give you much more energy down the line than high glycemic foods of equal calories, because, for whatever reason, the blood sugar profile of these foods is less a graph with a high spike and a rapid descent into low blood sugar, and more a low spike followed by a very shallow drop over time of moderate blood sugar, which keeps you feeling energetic and full of spunk. Most metabolisable nutrients have been given the O.K. in this regards. Proteins, fats, complex carbohydrates may not be equals, but are at least far better for you than simple sugars. Now there are some things that really bother me about that. What's going on is we are given two values, the Glycemic Index, and the number of calories in food, and that's supposed to tell us everything. Just to give an example if you have a high glycemic index food with a certain amount of calories, then you know two things. You know your blood sugar is probably going to be real high after you eat that food and you know the potential metabolisable energy that your body can extract from that food. Well suppose you want to make a graph of what that would do to your blood sugar over time. What you have is the peak value of that graph and the area that should be under the graph's line. You know what? That leaves alot undefined. You could have high blood sugar plateaued for a short time that then crashes like nobody's business. You could have an immediate steep decline in blood sugar. Or, you could have a quick drop in blood sugar, with moderately elevated blood sugar for some time after. You really don't know. This problem is helped even less since there's alot we don't know about these values that we're supposed to know. The Glycemic Index is not a measure of the immediate effect on blood sugar by each metabolisable nutrient in each category. It is not produced by calculations based on the chemical characteristics of fructose, or Omega-3 fatty acids. It is an empirical measurement of the effect of specific FOODS, that contain a variety of metabolisables, on blood sugar. In a way it is a composite measurement of the combined effects of every nutrient, and even the physical makeup and texture of a given food. And as I've suggested, nutritionists would help us out alot to try and track the effects of foods on the blood sugar over time. Of course, there's reasons why that's easier said than done, and perhaps even less scientific than what we're talking about in the first place. The lasting effect of foods is sometimes lost in the background (or more than background) noise of people's fat's contributions to their blood sugar. And such data over time would require fasting, before and for the duration of the tests. And we don't know calories the way we think either. Maybe you already know that there is not a one to one to one relationship between the number of calories that we chew and swallow, the number of calories that end up as blood sugar, and the number of calories that end up as body fat. Not everything that goes into your mouth is destined to go on your hips. But, did you know it's not just because your body isn't set to turn everything it gets into body fat, and it's not just because of the Glycemic Index? What we're dealing with is a theoretical number. In theory, if your body put some real effort into it, it could pry every calorie loose from that granola bar. But, I don't think it will come even close to doing that. So what, you ask? After all that just means even less calories to worry about than you thought. O.K. Let's go back to the whole nutritionists say low glycemic index foods are good because they make you have more personal energy to take you through your day thing. You say, so I'm down on energy, that'll just encourage my body to burn some fat instead. I may feel down, but I'll feel better when I'm fit. Besides that I'm fairly certain that I've seen studies that say that starving your body whatever way you do it is not a sound strategy for lasting fitness, I still have to think that's flawed. You have to take this in the context of what that means for the parts of your body that regulate your body fat. From that perspective if blood sugars are always low that's all the more reason to convert metabolisables into fat when there's a spike in them. Whenever that spike may be. To my thinking, for obesity the problem here is not high, medium, or low blood sugar levels. It's the jumping up and down, and the steep rises and falls of the blood sugar levels. Even complex carbohydrates could be bad to this line of thinking. Sure they might not spike your blood sugar very much, but what then? How long does that last? And, how steep is the crash? That's really what largely got me thinking on these ideas in the first place. Complex carbohydrates have been lauded for how they have low glycemic index, because it's hard for the body to convert them from food to blood sugar. My reaction to that was, that doesn't mean complex carb's are good for you because they have a low glycemic index due to their low impact on blood sugar. That means complex carb's have next to no effect on blood sugar ever so their low glycemic index is worthless. They'ra just another kind of a starvation diet. And, my hunch is that since complex carbohydrates are cut from the same cloth as simple sugars they are suspect. I mean there are lots of dieticians, especially sports dieticians, who will tell you that carbohydrates are still an important part of your diet. My point is they're not an essential part of your diet. You can't live without proteins, or fats. You can live without carb's. The closest thing they're is to a nutrient carbohydate is dietary fiber (certain kinds of complex carb's), and even they're not essential, even though yes you should include them in some way, especially if you're trying to get your cholesterol levels under control. But, I suppose given the information we really have we can't any more certainly point the finger at complex carbohydrates, proteins, or fats. (But simple sugars? Oh yeah.) Actually officially, and I believe this is the position the british governemnt still stands by, the purpose of Sir Walter Raleigh's expedition was exploration. Which although I'm sure that was a priority, I think the main interest of his journey was flagrant piracy. I mean the guy sacked a convent. As for the potato, I'm fairly certain when it was brought back it was considered a botanical oddity, and wasn't actually eaten until later. Oh and as for the obesity epidemic don't forget air conditioning. People don't sweat the way they used to. And thank god for that. And on exercise yeah I'm definitely going to tell be people that exercise before diet is the key to fitness, though diet enables exercise. You gave me alot to think about. I'll do some more research. Also did this question ever show up on the front page? Do you know?

Why are american parents making their children obese? Are they just trying to please their children with all kinds of sweets and fats. And they don't care about the health consequences? Or are they simply ignorant about health and good nutrition? Here is what one scientific article says about obesity among american children: "Our current Western food environment has become highly 'insulinogenic,'" Lustig says, "as demonstrated by its increased energy density, high-fat content, high glycemic index, increased fructose composition, decreased fiber, and decreased dairy content." "In particular, fructose (too much) and fiber (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin," he adds.... "The concept of personal responsibility is not tenable in children. No child chooses to be obese," he says. "Furthermore, young children are not responsible for food choices at home or at school, and it can hardly be said that preschool children, in whom obesity is rampant, are in a position to accept personal responsibility." http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060811192215.htm

Sports drinks..? I'm doing an essay on the possible negatove effects of sports drinks and have come across some research about the fact that sports drinks contain carbohhydrates/ sweeteners etc with high glycemic index which is said to be bad for the body but I can't find any actual proper info on whether these high glycemic foods increase fluid loss which is why they're bad or... any ideas?

Biology HW; Numbers mean how many letters are in the word? 1. the main function of carbohydrate in the body is to provide _____ (6) 2. _____ is produced by the pancreas when blood glucose levels are high (7) 3. _____ is produced by the pancreas when blood glucose levels are low (8) 4. production of new glucose from protein (15) 5. excess glucose may be stored in the liver or muscle as _____ (8) 6. _____ will reduce the glycemic response (5) 7. to generate energy; glucose is metabolized through _____ _____ to produce carbon dioxide, water and energy in the form of ATP. (8,11) 8. _____ starch will have a high glycemic index. (7) 9. immediately after a meal, blood glucose levels will _____ (8) 10. a ranking of how specific food affect blood glucose compared with the response of a reference food of similar carbohydrate content is called the _____ _____ (8,5) 11. hours after a meal, blood glucose levels will _____ (8) 12. fruits and legumes tend to have a _____ glycemic index (3) 13. the body may use surplus glucose to synthesize _____

Anybody want to join in my committment to eating more healthfully? I was just reading an article online about how rampant type 2 diabetes in the US is. My uncle actually has type 1 (insulin-dependent diabetes which used to be referred to as 'juvenile diabetes' but adults albeit rare can get type 1 as well) and my aunt on the other side of the family has type 2 ('adult onset' but kids who are overweight can get it as well). The article mentioned that potatoes, namely fries as the example was when asked by the fast food worker 'if you want fries with that' to say no due to the high glycemic index (which tends to make the blood sugar quickly spike and then drop which can put one in more danger of type 2 diabetes). I love potatoes btw :) It also mentioned that white bread has a high glycemic index as well and that those simple carbs, that tend to spike the blood sugar high and then plummet can put someone at risk for type 2 diabetes. It got me very worried, and I'd like to make a (com)pact with myself and whomever wants to join :) Thanks

Why can't I lose weight? i usually have around 800-900 calories a day. my diet is fresh produce (nothing high on the glycemic index or containing fat), most days i take a protein supplement, and some steamed vegetables. i work out on average about 3 times a week for 40 minutes, otherwise it's light aerobic/cardio exercise as my lifestyle is moderately active. i recently cut out the high glycemic index fruits like mangoes so that i would lose more weight. i only did that a week or so ago so could it be too soon to see any actual weight change? what do i do?! I weigh around 135 lbs. it varies. my bmi's 21.5. If I eat more, won't I just gain weight? I weigh around 135 lbs. it varies. my bmi's 21.5. If I eat more, won't I just gain weight? still don't get how i could possibly eat more and not gain. some of these answers are ridiculous, ive had a history of anorexia and you must be crazy to think my diet is comparable to that of someone who eats 10,000 calories a day or requires additional exercise...but thank you to everyone who actually helped. i'm 5'7, not 4'...but i appreciate your advice, it was some of the most thorough i got. i'm just very scared about eating more. nyluv...you're insane...you clearly didn't read my background information. im a vegan and former anorexic. thanks anyway, i think the girl before you had the best answer.

How can i stop my OCD and bad eating habits? Every day i say, ok this is the last time i'm going to do a ritual - yet OCD always takes over and i cave in. Same with eating. (i am diabetic) i am supposed to avoid high glycemic index foods but get hungry - tell myself 'ok this time - then that's it. no more unhealthy eating." Yet, i cave in. Do i have no self-discipline or what? When will i ever draw the line and say STOP? p.s. i'm on my own so don't have someone to help me w/ this

Banana? Instead of bread?better for diet? Hi there. I've been on a low-carb diet for about a year...but i became tired of having low-energy (even though i lost weight) and i exercise pretty much daily; so it became a problem....Anyway i just started eating whole-grain bread (and have kindof been going overboard with it...oops) and its given me energy; but now I'm getting headaches. I was wondering if u guys thought a banana would be a good alternative instead of the bread??-also I'm afraid of eating banana Bcause it packs so many carbs and has a high-glycemic index.....what do you think? thanks

What's Wrong With Me (10 Points Best Answer)? Ok, I'm in the 10th grade, and I'm 15. In school, or in general, whenever we learn something I try to really analyze it down to as simple as it gets. Most people I know don't do this, they're fine with just learning something and then remembering it. But, if I learn something, like electrons have a negative charge, I want to know why. Then I get a basic explanation. Then I want a deeper explanation, like what causes it, etc. I know that may seem normal, but it never ends..I keep wanting more explanations for the explanations I get. I don't have time at all to actually find out the answers, but that's my way of thinking, and it's kind of annoying when to me because I never find out, and I feel like I don't really get it, more like I just memorized a fact. Is this normal..? Lol, am I even smart if I don't really know all the explanations down to the core and just know random facts? If there are explanations I'll get them, but people never really give me an explanation as far as it goes. Like, I've researched a lot about diet and fitness, so if I learn that a carbohydrate with a high glycemic index is beneficial after a workout, I know that it's because it causes an insulin spike, I know why the insulin spike is caused, and I know why an insulin spike is good at some times. Ok, I still feel kind of stupid though, because in school we're basically just memorizing some things then applying them, we don't really learn the reasons behind a lot of things. Especially in math, I'm good at what we learn and applying it, but sometimes when my teacher explains it I don't get the reasoning at all. And we don't even get the reasoning behind everything.

Should I follow a low GI diet? I'm looking to lose about 25 lbs, but usually I just achieve this by exercising and eating right or what I thought was right until I came across the Zone Diet. I like to eat corn, peas, and whole what bread, but the site told me I was doing this completely wrong! All of these items have a high glycemic index. My grandmother died of diabetes, so I am ultimately at risk for diabetes. I'm starting to wonder if I should start a low GI diet, forsaking some of my favorite fruits and vegetables forever... Apparently it has a lot of health benefits? I'm not a bad eater and I can control my eating habits more or less. I don't go crazy and run 10 miles if I eat some dessert after dinner, but I don't stuff my face with sweets either. However, the GI diet, I think would be very hard for me because I am Chinese and Chinese people eat a lot of pork and rice... Just a note: I usually do NOT eat pork. I eat a lot of white meat (chicken/fish), but I do consume rice often.

Whats best for weight loss- a focus on high protein or high fiber? Tips for stomach fat/big appetite? I have a huge appetite (part of my culture is big portion sizes) and gain all my weight in the stomach. Therefore I REALLY rely on filling foods and strategy in my diet. The glycemic index seems to work for me (keeping insulin low, etc.) but any other suggestions? 5'6'' female with 35 inch waist (BAD) and weigh 140 lbs. Thanks a lot!

What is a good, i.e. 100% assimilable, protein drink for building muscle? I have recently begun using the Total Gym for the purpose of loosing weight and gaining strength - I gained quite a bit of weight during acupuncture school. I am looking for a good source of protein that has a high assimilation rate, low glycemic index, is vegetarian, and does not contain artificial sweetners. I located a brand of whey protein, can not remember the name, that is 100% assimilable but it has Aspartame as a sweetner. Aspartame is not that good for the body and I would prefer not to ingest artificial sweetners at all if ppossible. I am not interested in becoming a bodybuilder. I just want to get a bit healthier. I am not a strict vegetarian by any stretch of the imagination. Due to religious practices, I fast from all animal products periodically throughout the year. Other times I definitely lean toward being a carnivore.

Which diet is best for people with PCOS or insulin resistance? People say that low-carb diets are good, but I'm not the best low-carb dieter. Also, low-carb diets don't seem very healthy to me, they are often high in saturated fats and you don't get enough nutrients. But they also say Low glycemic index diets are good, and I can easily go one one of those. I want to lose between 10 and 15 pounds. Because I have insulin resistance it's hard to lose and maintian weight.

Any low GI dessert ideas? I find it impossible to find any low GI (glycemic index) dessert ideas. I am insulin resistant, and my blood glucose goes up very easily and quickly, so it is impossible for me to eat even "sugar free" type desserts and treats, because they are all high in other things like wheat flour and corn syrup that make blood sugar go up. If anyone has any links, recepies they made themselves, or any other info, it'd be really appreciated. Thanks!

I'm trying to trick my body/metabolism. Am i doing this right? I was usually eating very healthy. controlled portions about 4 or 5 times a day. 6 bottles of water and doing cardio and some strength training. But nothing is helping and i've been binging out of control. So i decided to try and trick my body. very little water, eating as much fat and bad carbs (i.e. high on the glycemic index) rarely veggies. done so for about 4 days. but when i switch over i want it to be a shock to my system so that i see results. nothing white (rice, potatoes, sugar, etc). back to my 6 bottles of water. many leafy greens and lots of cardio and weights. do you think this will trick my body into losing weight? HELP. I'm lost.

Healthiest bread? I love, love, LOVE bread. But I'm trying to watch my carbohydrate intake and I know bread (especially white) isn't exactly low in carbs! So I was wondering, what type of bread has the lowest glycemic index (is that the correct term?) and is highest in nutrients? (Low in calories would be a plus, too ^.^). Thanks so much!

Obesity at all time highs - what happened, and what's to blame? It seems that people are really suffering with the need to be at healthy weight, and I think the odds are against them. I started to really check out nutrition labels, read about carbs, glycemic index and glycemic loads, and it looks like the best diet to follow is one that mirrors what people with diabetes can eat. What do you think? After starting to pay attention to what was really in the foods I was eating, I actually got irritated at finding how much garbage is really in some of the foods I "used" to buy. I also find that it's hard to find products with good ingredients, low-carb, etc...anyone else find this a problem too?

PCOS and Insulin Resistance? I have PCOS due to insulin resistance. I will start a glycemic index (GI) diet. I am not obese but I am overweight. The GI will be accompanied by daily exercises. I understand that the diet includes minimizing the carbohydrates intake. However, not all food labels mention the GI of the food. White bread, pasta, potatoes, are high GI foods. Other foods are not classified as high GI foods even though they have high carbohydrates content. I understand that the GI is determined based on (1) the carbohydrates content and (2) based on how fast the carbohydrates break down into glucose and delivered to the blood stream. My question is how do you determine if this food is high in GI and the other is not? Is looking at the carbohydrates content enough? If so, what carbohydrate content (per serving) should be considered as a threshold to consider the GI high? How can I resolve this dilemma with rule of thumbs or easy guidelines? Thanks all. I have tried metformin before and I had sever reactions/side effects. Therfore, I am looking now for other alternatives.

Is Lactose-free milk high glycemic? Because the lactose is already broken down into monosaccharides, galactose and glucose, before you drink the milk, aren't they more easily absorbed into the blood? Won't this increase blood sugar levels quickly over a short period of time causing an insulin rush, unlike regular milk which is lower on the glycemic index and releases smaller amounts of sugar over an extended period of time?

Dr. said to limit my carbs to 20 - 30g's a day...what can I eat?!?!? I went to the Dr. to be checked out for diabetes the other day. I don't have it, but she wants me to "diet" like a diabetic would, drastically limiting the amount of carbs I eat a day to 20 - 30 grams. She said that chicken, lean meats, red meats high in protein, peanuts, egg whites, and salads w/o dressing, croutons, and tomatoes were good, but what about breakfast food and all that? Can someone tell me how to read labels to better understand how many carbs I REALLY take in when I eat? Or maybe send me a link to reading labels better as well as the most updated version of the glycemic index? Seriously, I got a really vague desciption of what I can eat by just being told "proteins, and fruits and veggies low on the glycemic index". How the hell am I supposed to know what ones are low enough for me to eat?! I'd like to have a wide variety of things I could eat, rather than eating salads day after day. Any help whatsoever would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much! Just to clarify, I'm not some total junk food junkie, but I will admit that I am a total pasta and soup lover. I eat about 1,200 - 1,500 calories a day and walk regularly for at least an hour. I know what servings are, and eat equal to or less than the recommended amount on labels. And I'm not an athelete and i'm insulin resistant, so how can carbo-loading or a rant on the importance of carbs for energy really help me when I said they had to be limited?! You don't need like 60% of your daily food intake to be carbs in order to live, especially if you're diabetic or insulin resistant and your doctor says to lay off the carbs...

PCOS and Insulin Resistance? I have PCOS due to insulin resistance. I will start a glycemic index (GI) diet. I am not obese but I am overweight. The GI will be accompanied by daily exercises. I understand that the diet includes minimizing the carbohydrates intake. However, not all food labels mention the GI of the food. White bread, pasta, potatoes, are high GI foods. Other foods are not classified as high GI foods even though they have high carbohydrates content. I understand that the GI is determined based on (1) the carbohydrates content and (2) based on how fast the carbohydrates break down into glucose and delivered to the blood stream. My question is how do you determine if this food is high in GI and the other is not? Is looking at the carbohydrates content enough? If so, what carbohydrate content (per serving) should be considered as a threshold to consider the GI high? How can I resolve this dilemma with rule of thumbs or easy guidelines? Thanks all.