The diabetes glycemic index was developed in the 1980s by researchers who were looking for a way to help diabetics deal with monitoring and controlling blood sugar levels. Since that time, the diabetes glycemic index has gone on to help not only diabetics, but also those looking to closely monitor blood glucose levels around the world. The glycemic index (aka ‘GI’) system works by calculating what foods have the highest and the lowest impact on blood sugar levels. This valuable tool is then used to help diabetics and others determine what foods they can and cannot eat.

Through using the diabetes GI, it is possible for diabetics to finely tune their diets so as to avoid foods that may cause spikes in their blood sugar levels. One of the reasons that the diabetes glycemic index works is that it is able to take out much of the guesswork that would otherwise exist for diabetics. By doing so it assists people who are looking to avoid the peaks and valleys associated with high GI foods.

Many of the foods at the top of the GI are one’s that most diabetics know to avoid, such as white bread. But other foods, such as watermelon may not be as well known. This is where the GI comes in. The diabetes glycemic index helps diabetics in other ways, as it shows in details what foods can be consumed. Often this can be a bit counter intuitive, as these foods may be sweet or even contain a large amount of fat. Most fruits are low on the index, yet it would be easy to conclude otherwise, due to the fact that they obviously taste sweet. Fat is often vilified, but healthy fats such as those found in nuts, avocado and coconut products (such as coconut oil and coconut milk) all rank usually rank low on the index and are thus fine for consumption.

Another area where the diabetic GI is very helpful is that it instructs diabetics in how they can make better carbohydrate choices. Using the GI will show diabetics alternatives to foods like white rice and white bread. A quick look at the GI will show that brown rice is lower than white rice on the index. There are many bread alternatives, such as rye, that one can use instead of white bread, which scores very high on the diabetes glycemic index.

The bottom line is that the GI is a remarkably valuable tool for diabetics. It can guide them toward safe and healthy choices and away from high index foods. The diabetes glycemic index can help guide diabetics and others to better health. Most of the foods that are low on the index are also foods that are very healthy. Fruits, vegetables and nuts are generally the lowest of all the GI foods, with some notable exceptions. By including these low GI foods into your diet, it is truly possible to improve your overall health.

People with type 2 diabetes always have questions about fruit. Will it raise your blood sugar levels? Is it alright to have fruit in the morning? Does fruit juice raise your blood sugar levels faster than whole fruit? The truth is it depends of many factors.

The excuses for not eating enough fruit runs along the lines of those for not eating sufficient vegetables and not finding time to exercise. Actually in this fast paced world, fruit is really ideal… there’s no preparation, just wash and eat! How many times have you bought apples and just left them to rot preferring to eat those potato chips, crackers or candy?

Once your choice of fruits was small… apples, oranges, bananas and a few summer fruits. Now you can find so many exotic fruits… don’t be afraid to try something new. You can eat them in place of juice or dessert. Berries particularly freeze well which means you can always have healthy fruit-snacks in the house. Or buy out of season, frozen berries… they last a lot longer than fresh berries.

How many servings of fruit for you each day?

This may seem like a lot to you, but somewhere between three and five pieces. One serving is roughly equivalent to:

• one medium or half a large apple, pear or orange
• one cup of grapes, strawberries, raspberries or cherries
• 1/2 cup canned fruit packed with no sugar added or unsweetened fruit juice
• two smaller fruits such as plums, apricots or kiwi fruit
• 1/4 cup dried fruits

The effect of the various fruits on your blood sugar level depends on:

• the form it takes, eg. is it juice without fiber that you drink quickly, or an apple that takes several minutes to eat?
• whether you eat the fruit with your meal, or alone as a snack
• the glycemic index of that particular piece

As a rule, fruit does not raise your blood sugar level faster than many other sources of carbs. However, some when eaten alone can raise your blood sugar fast… the glycemic index ranking list will help you here. A piece of fruit eaten in the afternoon can just give you enough energy to get through until dinner.

The bottom line is fruit is a source of energy, vitamins, minerals and fiber and should not be missed. You need to eat several pieces, between three and five, every day.