Intelligent Eating: Carbs, Fiber, and the Glycemic Index

REPOST from former blog My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©

February 24, 2020

“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art” is attributed to the 17th century French nobleman, François de la Rochefoucauld. 

Many days I feel like I need to go back to college and get a PhD in advanced science or biology, in order to make a grocery list! It’s complicated trying to figure out what raises my glucose levels, and how I should fashion my plate with carbs, protein, fruits, and vegetables. 

Humanity has been breaking bread together since time began.  But between counting carbs, reading for fiber, and trying to understand what a low glycemic load means, and if I am following it correctly, I am left wondering what, if anything, I should eat!   

It is so complicated when trying to understand glycemic index and glycemic load.  You may or may not have even heard the term glycemic index.  Before my Type 2 diagnosis, I had heard of it, but had no idea what it meant until I read up on it.  

Image:  Le nozze di Cana, Michael Damaskinos   1561 – 1570

It is so complicated when trying to understand glycemic index and glycemic load.  You may or may not have even heard the term glycemic index.  Before my Type 2 diagnosis, I had heard of it, but had no idea what it really meant until I read up on it.

The lower the load, the less carbohydrates a food has, the higher the load the higher the carbohydrates.  The good people at the University of Sydney created a detailed rating system by assigning a number to foods that contain carbohydrates, according to how much each food increases your blood sugar.  I know that I have to eat some carbohydrates, because carbs are what my body converts to use as fuel. And by eating foods that have a lower glycemic load, the result is that my body will be much less likely to have large (and/or sudden) spikes in glucose. 

Glycemic Index ratings are:

• Low GI: 1 to 55
• Medium GI: 56 to 69
• High GI: 70 and higher

Click HERE for the Glycemic Index of foods. 

There are three types of carbohydrates that I need to understand, so that I can learn to “eat intelligently.”  Starch, sugar, and fiber are what I need to consider when making food choices.  

Types of carbohydrates
Image: My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©

Fiber is a "good carbohydrate" because your body doesn't break down and digest fiber, so it does not turn into glucose.  Learning this has helped me in my daily carb consumption and counting.  When reading labels while shopping, I can subtract the fiber from the total carbs listed, in order to determine the net amount of carbs that could affect my glucose.  To help me remember which fibers are "good fibers" I created a visual to remind myself of the good carbs, so that when I make my shopping list, I don't stray, and end up eating something that will make my glucose levels skyrocket.  (As you can see, I like graphics and charts.  🙋🏼‍♀️   Visual learner here.)

Good Fiber infographic
Image: My Type 2 Diabetic Life ©

I am working very hard to test my glucose levels before I eat, and then a couple of hours after I eat.  This way I can determine if something I am eating is causing my glucose to spike. I still am having issues with random spikes, though on days when I drink lots of water, it seems to help. But some foods just really spike my glucose levels.

I know this is a lot of information to DIGEST.  (Yes, that’s a pun!)  But learning about glycemic load and about fiber as carbs, has really helped me.  I got on the scale this morning, and since November 13th, I have lost a total of 23 pounds!  None of my clothes really fit anymore, but in a good way!  

Thanks for stopping by to read the blog.  I would love for you to subscribe and follow along, as I document my journey.  If you have questions or comments, please post them in the comments section below.  Live well!      

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