The glycemic index (GI) is a scientific research tool used to rank carbohydrate foods according to their effect on blood glucose levels after eating. Low GI foods are slowly digested and absorbed and so produce only small fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin levels. By contrast, high GI foods are rapidly digested and absorbed, producing a more pronounced fluctuation in blood glucose levels.

The glycemic index (GI) ranks carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100 as follows:

• Low GI foods = GI less than 55

• Intermediate GI foods = GI between 55 and 70

• High GI foods = GI greater than 70

Low-GI foods have proven health benefits, such as improving both glucose and lipid levels in people with diabetes (type 1 and type 2) and helping control appetite and delay hunger for weight control. Adopting a low GI eating pattern has also been shown to reduce insulin levels and insulin resistance.

For people with diabetes, the recommendation is to make low to intermediate GI foods the focus of their day-to-day diet. It isn’t necessary to exclude all high GI foods, provided lower GI foods are the mainstay of the diet.

Lower GI grain-based foods:

As a general rule, low GI carbohydrates tend to be less processed forms of carbohydrates. As such, many wholegrain foods have a lower GI ranking. Some lower GI grain-based foods to enjoy as part of a nutritious diet include:

Breakfast cereals:

√ Choose high-fibre breakfast cereals based on oats (e.g. porridge oats and muesli), barley and bran

√  Sprinkle rice bran or oat bran over the cereal

Breads:

√ Opt for wholegrain breads, especially heavily grained Bürgen-style breads

√  Try heavy rye (black breads) and pumpernickel

√  Try pita bread as an alternative to sliced bread

√  Enjoy sour dough or stone ground flour breads

√  Try raisin toast or fruit loaf

Lunch and dinner meal accompaniments:

√  Opt for Doongara or Basmati rice

√  Enjoy a wide range of pastas and noodles

√  Add barley to soups, stews and casseroles

√  Regularly eat corn (on the cob or as loose kernels)

√ Incorporate buckwheat and quinoa (both pseudo-cereals) into your weekly meals

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