Glycemic Index

What is the GI? The glycemic index (GI) is a scale from ____________ that ranks carbohydrate-rich foods by how much they raise blood ____________ levels.  Some carbohydrate foods are digested quickly, and others more slowly.  ____________and glucose have been given the highest possible rating of 100 on the _______________because they raise blood glucose levels _________ and _________ than most other foods.  

Health benefits of lower GI foods They are often higher in ______. High fiber foods help you feel _____ and are important if you’re trying to lose or maintain your __________. They may improve blood ___________ levels, which is important for preventing ______________________. They raise blood glucose __________, which can improve your blood glucose levels after a meal. Research has shown that eating mostly high GI foods increases the risk of type 2 ____________. 

What is the GI of your favourite foods? The GI ranks foods that are mostly made of ______________. This includes grain products, fruit, milk, yogurt, starchy vegetables and ___________. Foods such as meat, fish, poultry, cheese, nuts, seeds and most vegetables have very ________ carbohydrate and are not ranked on the GI scale.

Table 1 Low Glycemic Index foods (55 or less) Include some of these foods in each meal or snack, but go for _______ choices where possible. If you want to lose weight, you'll also need to watch your _______ sizes. That means sticking to small servings of ________ and bread.

Food GI Roasted and salted peanuts 14 Low-fat yoghurt Cherries 22 Grapefruit 25 Pearl barley Red lentils 26 Whole milk 27 Dried apricots 31 Butter beans Fettucine pasta 32 Skimmed milk Apples 38 Apple juice, unsweetened 40 All Bran 42 Chick peas, canned Peaches Porridge made with water Oranges 44 Macaroni 45 Peas 48 Baked beans Carrots, boiled 49 Special K 54 Banana 55 Sweetcorn

Table 2 - Medium Glycemic Index foods (56 to 69) You may include a _______ of these foods each day, but again limit portion __________ if you want to lose weight.

Muesli, non toasted 56 Boiled potatoes Sultanas Pita bread 57 Basmati Rice 58 Honey Digestive biscuit 59 Cheese and tomato pizza 60 Ice cream 61 New potatoes 62 Coca cola 63 Apricots, canned in syrup 64 Raisins Shortbread biscuit Couscous 65 Rye bread Pineapple, fresh 66 Cantaloupe melon 67 Croissant Shredded wheat Mars bar 68 Weetabix 69 Whole meal bread

Table 3 - High Glycemic Index foods (70+) Swap these foods for those with a _____ GI value or eat them together with a low GI food. Having a baked potato with baked beans, for example, will lower the __ value of that whole meal.

Mashed potato 70 White bread Watermelon 72 Swede Bagel Branflakes 74 Cheerios French fries 75 Coco Pops 77 Jelly beans 80 Rice cakes 82 Rice Krispies Cornflakes 84 Baked potato 85 Puffed wheat 89 Baguette 95 Parsnips, boiled 97 White rice, steamed 98

Dangers of sugar Is sugar a sweet old friend that is secretly plotting your ____________? There is a vast sea of research suggesting that it is. Science has now shown us, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that sugar in your food, in all its myriad of forms, is taking a ________________ toll on your health. Sugar is loaded into your soft drinks, fruit juices, sports drinks, and hidden in almost all ____________ foods—from bologna to pretzels to Worcestershire sauce to cheese spread. And now most infant ___________ has the sugar equivalent of one can of Coca-Cola, so babies are being metabolically poisoned from day one of taking formula. Excessive sugar intake increases your risk for deadly conditions such as ______ disease, _________ disease, and ____________.

Sugar is so _______, according to doctors from the University of California, that they recommend regulating it like ___________ and ___________ in order to protect public health. In a report published, they contend that sugar is contributing to 35 __________ deaths worldwide each year due to obesity and diseases like diabetes, heart disease and ___________.

Excess sugar is linked to changes in ___________, increased blood pressure, liver damage, ___________ and ____________. High blood sugar levels, caused by eating too many sugary foods, have also been linked to cancers of the ___________, skin, uterus, urinary tract and ____________.