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Glycemic Index................??Huh??

Glycemic Index................??Huh?? (post #57135)

chiffonade on Sat, 01/26/2008 - 20:47

Diet

OK, I'm confused. I have heard for years how "whole wheat" is better for a person than "whole grain." Now I'm reading conflicting information. Ideally, I'd like a site that lists how foods measure up to the Glycemic Index.

Does anyone here live by the "GI"? Which foods do you embrace and which do you avoid?

BF's cholesterol has gone down significantly and he's lost weight but was told to avoid foods high on the GI.

Any light that can be shed here would much appreciated! TIA.

"Sandra Lee is the Culinary Anti-Christ and I am the Anti-Sandra Lee. The precious moments you may take to measure a level cup of flour are NOT wasted time!"

Chiffonade

*You're a REAL person, eat REAL food."

Chiffonade

(post #57135, reply #1 of 11)

by shoechick in reply to chiffonade [original] on Sat, 01/26/2008 - 21:05

South Beach diet is based on the GI Index

The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. ~St. Augustine

(post #57135, reply #2 of 11)

by chiffonade in reply to Anonymous [original] on Sat, 01/26/2008 - 22:50

That is an excellent reference! There's so much information available about the SBD. Thanks very much!

"Sandra Lee is the Culinary Anti-Christ and I am the Anti-Sandra Lee. The precious moments you may take to measure a level cup of flour are NOT wasted time!"

Chiffonade

*You're a REAL person, eat REAL food."

Chiffonade

(post #57135, reply #3 of 11)

by DeannaS in reply to chiffonade [original] on Sat, 01/26/2008 - 23:32

Coincidentally, I JUST got back from the library with a book about glycemic index. Low and behold my favorite shredded wheat is a HIGH gi food, despite being totally whole wheat. Huh.

I've only thumbed through it at the library. But, if there's a specific food you want me to look up, holler and I'll look it up.

"As for butter versus margarine, I trust cows more than chemists." - Joan Dye Gussow

(post #57135, reply #4 of 11)

by KentD in reply to Anonymous [original] on Sun, 01/27/2008 - 02:39

I Googled "glycemic index" and found...
http://www.glycemicindex.com/
They have a nice database of foods. For example, cereals gives a long list. Cheerios has an index of 70, Rice Chex is 89, Just Right is 60. Special K is in the list 3 times, but 1 is a larger serving. But of the two 30g servings, 1one is 54, the other 84. That is odd.
I have read that foods in combination can affect the GI.
I used to eat a bunch of chips at lunch, along with my sandwich. I discovered that if I way back on the chips, I did not get sleepy after lunch. I started using the small Ziploc bags made for snacks.

"Shared pain is lessened, shared joy is increased." -Callahan, Spider Robinson

(post #57135, reply #5 of 11)

by chiffonade in reply to Anonymous [original] on Sun, 01/27/2008 - 14:12

Low and behold my favorite shredded wheat is a HIGH gi food, despite being totally whole wheat. Huh.

This is what I find so befuddling. Here I am, confident that whole wheat products are good for you and now I'm completely confused. I always looked for "whole wheat" vs. "whole grain" because there's no telling what "grains" are falling under "whole grain" in a product. ((Sigh))

"Sandra Lee is the Culinary Anti-Christ and I am the Anti-Sandra Lee. The precious moments you may take to measure a level cup of flour are NOT wasted time!"

Chiffonade

*You're a REAL person, eat REAL food."

Chiffonade

(post #57135, reply #6 of 11)

by AnnL in reply to Anonymous [original] on Sun, 01/27/2008 - 15:37

Actually, that web page the KentD linked to indicates that cereals based on oats, barley and bran are lower GI. Wheat must digest quicker than those and therefor is higher GI.

It's all so complex.

Ann
"The elders were wise. They knew that man's heart, away from nature, becomes hard; they knew that lack of respect for growing, living things, soon led to lack of respect for humans, too." Chief Luther Standing Bear, Lakota Sioux

(post #57135, reply #9 of 11)

by chiffonade in reply to Anonymous [original] on Sun, 01/27/2008 - 17:33

It's all so complex.

You said it, girl.

"Sandra Lee is the Culinary Anti-Christ and I am the Anti-Sandra Lee. The precious moments you may take to measure a level cup of flour are NOT wasted time!"

Chiffonade

*You're a REAL person, eat REAL food."

Chiffonade

(post #57135, reply #7 of 11)

by DeannaS in reply to Anonymous [original] on Sun, 01/27/2008 - 16:17

Yah, I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but from my skimming, it definitely seems like other grains are preferable on the GI diet. It's odd, though, because oatmeal ALWAYS makes me hungry again really quickly and I get the crashy feeling from it, whereas shredded wheat keeps me feeling full for hours. Go figure.

There's a whole section on why high GI foods aren't a bad thing for people that exercise a lot, though. That's cool to see, since I'm totally a carbaholic.

"As for butter versus margarine, I trust cows more than chemists." - Joan Dye Gussow

(post #57135, reply #8 of 11)

by chiffonade in reply to Anonymous [original] on Sun, 01/27/2008 - 17:33

There's a whole section on why high GI foods aren't a bad thing for people that exercise a lot, though. That's cool to see, since I'm totally a carbaholic.

It's not for me - I'm with you...A total Carboholic (and proud!) and I do lots of exercise. It's for BF. It was recommended by his doctor to start observing a low GI diet. This is going to throw a wrench into our cooking style because I'm a big pusher of WW products and I've gotten him off butter and onto olive oil. His cholesterol went down in deca-points but this GI thing is going to pose a challenge. We're going to need two whole pantries!

"Sandra Lee is the Culinary Anti-Christ and I am the Anti-Sandra Lee. The precious moments you may take to measure a level cup of flour are NOT wasted time!"

Chiffonade

*You're a REAL person, eat REAL food."

Chiffonade

(post #57135, reply #10 of 11)

by Pati in reply to Anonymous [original] on Sun, 01/27/2008 - 19:56

I agree about oatmeal. I always get hungry quickly after eating a bowl. However, something to note is that the more processed the oatmeal the faster it is digested. Instant is quickest to digest, then quick-cook, then regular, then steel-cut.

(post #57135, reply #11 of 11)

by DeannaS in reply to Anonymous [original] on Sun, 01/27/2008 - 21:42

The most processed we ever have in the house is regular, old-fashioned. I've done steel cut, too. Those stay with me a little longer at least. I think most of that instant stuff is pretty nasty.

"As for butter versus margarine, I trust cows more than chemists." - Joan Dye Gussow

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Glycemic Index................??Huh??