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                                  Glycemic Index & Foods
      What is the Glycemic Index?
      Not all carbohydrate foods are created equal, in fact they behave quite differently in our bodies. The
      glycemic index or GI describes this difference by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on our
      blood glucose levels. Choosing low GI carbs - the ones that produce only small fluctuations in our 
      blood glucose and insulin levels - is the secret to long-term health reducing your risk of heart disease 
      and diabetes and is the key to sustainable weight loss.
      Glycemic response in healthy adults
      Use our free GI database to find the GI value of your favourite carbohydrate foods that have been 
      tested over the past 25 years from all around the world. You can also check the glycemic load (GL) and 
      grams of carbohydrate per serve. If you want to dig a little deeper, you can see where and when foods 
      were tested and whether the test subjects were healthy or had diabetes. Our database is the most 
      comprehensive GI resource on the web.
                MENO CLINIC - GYCEMIC INDEX & FOODS  |  MENOCLINIC.COM
          Visit the GI Newsletter for the latest on world GI research
          September 2006 - Success Stories
          Amy kills two birds with one stone. ‘I weighed in at 320 lbs and I am only 5’ 7” (giving me a scary BMI 
          of 50) – yes, I had trouble walking and even getting out of bed! Essentially all I had to do was exchange 
          my quickly digested carbs for more slowly digested ones...I have to say I couldn’t believe it...In a little 
          over a year I lost 118 pounds...
          What are the Benefits of the Glycemic Index?
          Eating a lot of high GI foods can be detrimental to your health because it pushes your body to ex-
          tremes. This is especially true if you are overweight and sedentary. Switching to eating mainly low GI 
          carbs that slowly trickle glucose into your blood stream keeps your energy levels balanced and means 
          you will feel fuller for longer between meals.
               •   Low GI diets help people lose and control weight
               •   Low GI diets increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin
               •   Low GI carbs improve diabetes control
               •   Low GI carbs reduce the risk of heart disease
               •   Low GI carbs reduce blood cholesterol levels
               •   Low GI carbs can help you manage the symptoms of PCOS
               •   Low GI carbs reduce hunger and keep you fuller for longer
               •   Low GI carbs prolong physical endurance
               •   High GI carbs help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise
          How to switch to a Low GI Diet
          The basic technique for eating the low GI way is simply a “this for that” approach - ie, swapping high 
          GI carbs for low GI carbs. You don’t need to count numbers or do any sort of mental arithmetic to 
          make sure you are eating a healthy, low GI diet.
               •    Use breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran
               •    Use breads with wholegrains, stone-ground flour, sour dough
               •    Reduce the amount of potatoes you eat
               •    Enjoy all other types of fruit and vegetables
               •    Use Basmati or Doongara rice
               •    Enjoy pasta, noodles, quinoa
               •    Eat plenty of salad vegetables with a vinaigrette dressing
          Summary
               •    Do not eat high glycemic foods alone
               •    Do not eat high glycemic foods as a snack
               •    Adding protein to high glycemic foods lowers the glycemic index
               •    Make a list of low glycemic foods you enjoy for snacks
                          MENO CLINIC - GYCEMIC INDEX & FOODS  |  MENOCLINIC.COM
                                      High Glycemic Foods
             Hamburger               Pineapple              Wheat bran               Popcorn
             Broad Beans              Carrots             Shredded wheat            Kaiser rolls
              Semolina             Angel food cake          Melba toast             Corn chips
             Shortbread           Grape nuts cereal        White potato               Honey
               Raisins                Croissant             Life savers              Cherrios
         Macaroni and cheese     Puffed wheat cereal        Dried fruit            French Fries
              Rye flour          Stoned wheat thins       Graham crackers            Pumpkin
       High-fiber crisp rye bread    Soft drinks              Bagels                 Waffles
           Cream of wheat              Candy               Watermelon              Cocoa Puffs
              Life cereal          English muffin             Donuts               Rice Krispies
              Rice Cakes          Corn Chex cereal          Corn Flakes             Rice Chex
           Brown Rice pasta       French Baguette        Tofu frozen desert       Vanilla wafers
                                   Moderate Glycemic Foods
              Macaroni             Romano beans              Linguine              Baked beans
           Instant noodles           Green peas                Corn                 Chocolate
                Yams                  Kiwifruit               Banana                Buckwheat
           Special K cereal        Sweet Potatoes           Potato chips             Mango
         Fruit cocktail, canned   Spaghetti, durum          Sweet corn             Orange juice
           Bran Chex cereal        Rice vermicelli           Blueberry             Pizza, cheese
                                       Low Glycemic Foods
              Soybeans                Cherries                Plums                 Grapefruit
                Barley              Kidney beans             Peaches               Green beans
               Lentils              Black beans              Apricots               Chickpeas
             Lima beans               Rye rice                Apples               Navy beans
                Pears               Corn, hominy           All bran cereal       Black-eyed peas
        Spaghetti, whole wheat         Grapes               Raspberries            Blackberries
             Strawberries              Celery                 Peppers                Oranges
             Mushrooms              Butter beans             Rice bran
                 MENO CLINIC - GYCEMIC INDEX & FOODS  |  MENOCLINIC.COM