>For many years we have learned that Carbohydrates fall into two major categories: Simple ( including sugar, honey, and maple sugar) and complex ( including whole grains, starchy vegetables and legumes)
We have been encouraged to eat plenty of complex carbs and only moderate amounts of simple sugars.
This is where the Glycemic index comes into play.
Foods that have a low GI will prompt a moderate rise is blood glucose levels while foods with a high GI will cause our blood glucose levels to increase above the optimal level ( that is why it is so very important for Diabetics to watch their intake of high GI foods)
So what should you eat?
Carbohydrate rich foods with the low GI such as starches found in grains such as wheat barley and rice along with legumes such as split peas, lentils, dry beans such as pinto, kidney and black beans. You also need starchy veggies such as potatoes, winter squash and yams.
Your sugar should be found in natural foods such as fruits and dairy products.
Examples of low GI VEGGIES
spinach
turnip greens
lettuce Eggplant
Zucchini Onions
Artichokes Tomatoes
Asparagus Cauliflower
Okra Bell peppers
Cabbage Green peas
Celery Squash
Cucumbers
Dill pickles
Radishes
Broccoli
Onions
LOW GI Grains
barley buckwheat corn millet oats rice rye wheat
spelt and mutigrains such mutligrain breads
Fruits
Grapefruit apples prunes apricots apples pears plums
Strawberries oranges grapes
Starchy veggies – they have a little higher number in the GI but are good for you
yams carrots potatoes sweet potatoes beets
Legumes
Soybeans lentils garbanzo beans split peas navy beans pinto bean
Dairy
Yogurt ( low fat) skim milk
Sweeteners
agave