Food to avoid for pre-diabetic people

[NW-Bound]

Spurred by a post by tmm99 in the thread "How do we get fat", where she talks about food causing her blood sugar to spike, I want to repeat the info I provide in a new thread to highlight it as a community service.

The info I want to share is the chart showing the glycemic index of several common food items, as published by the Harvard Medical School.

See: Glycemic index and glycemic load for 100+ foods - Harvard Health.

Beans generally have a low glycemic index. Food made with flour baked at a high temperature has very high glycemic index, often approaching that of pure sugar. Examples include French baguette, corn flakes, oatmeal, pretzels, pizza, baked potato... Very, very bad for diabetes!

As for rice, short-grain sticky rice is among the worst. The best rice is Uncle Ben converted rice (not Uncle Ben instant rice).

My fasting blood glucose was up to 102, and when I heeded the above chart to reduce the bad food and increase the good ones, it is now back to the 90s. Note that I did not cut any item out, and merely eat less of the bad ones.

Note that glycemic index is usually measured with the test subjects eating just one food item at a time. The above chart does not show the effect of eating a combination of items. I ran across another Web site that shows that while white rice is bad, fried rice is much better. Apparently, the oil in fried rice reduces its glycemic index. So, eating carb along with fat is good for you.

 

[ivinsfan]

This chart shows one of my pet peeves in food, that low calorie yogurt with fruit and flavoring has almost triple the index of full fat ice cream. I like full-fat yogurt and can almost never find single serving sizes in my store. The low-cal offerings outnumber the full fat by at least 50 to 1.

 

[NW-Bound]

Yes, I forgot to mention a surprising result in the chart. That is ice cream has a lower glycemic index than many other food types, and premium ice cream is even better. That's fat at work for you.

 

[NW-Bound]

This chart shows one of my pet peeves in food, that low calorie yogurt with fruit and flavoring has almost triple the index of full fat ice cream. I like full-fat yogurt and can almost never find single serving sizes in my store. The low-cal offerings outnumber the full fat by at least 50 to 1.

Actually, ice cream and low-fat yogurt have roughly the same glycemic index (38 for premium ice cream, and 33 for yogurt).

However, they somehow show the serving size of ice cream as 50 grams, and that of yogurt as 200 grams. So, that boosts up the glycemic load of yogurt.

I have been ignoring the 2nd and 3rd columns, and only look at the 1st one.

 

[ivinsfan]

50 grams is 1.76 oz...how is that a serving of ice cream?

200 grams is 7.05 oz a single serve yogurt is about 5.3 oz.

Do any of these dudes from Harvard go out into the real world...who ever ate 1.76 oz of ice cream and then stopped.

A 200 gram serving of unflavored whole milk yogurt has 11 sugars in it and 5.3 no fat flavored can have anywhere from 15 to 20 depending on the brand. Some of them are really sweet.

 

[audreyh1]

Actually, ice cream and low-fat yogurt have roughly the same glycemic index (38 for premium ice cream, and 33 for yogurt).

However, they somehow show the serving size of ice cream as 50 grams, and that of yogurt as 200 grams. So, that boosts up the glycemic load of yogurt.

I have been ignoring the 2nd and 3rd columns, and only look at the 1st one.

Yeah - they are playing games with the the glycemic load as they are picking portion sizes.

That has nothing to do with the glycemic response, but only points out that you need to be careful of the total glycemic load, not just the index.

Yes, the first column is what ultimately matters, but portion sizes matter too if you're tying to manage your blood sugar response.

 

[ivinsfan]

It's from Harvard, so it must be right!!

 

[NW-Bound]

Given the same caloric intake, a food with a lower glycemic index is better than one with a higher index for diabetes prevention.

So, how does one know the intake is the same? Well, if he/she does not gain weight while changing the diet to the better food, then the caloric intake is the same. If you gain weight, then eat less. I never need to weigh my food or measure anything.

Again, I only look at the 1st column.

 

[audreyh1]

50 grams is 1.76 oz...how is that a serving of ice cream?

200 grams is 7.05 oz a single serve yogurt is about 5.3 oz.

Do any of these dudes from Harvard go out into the real world...who ever ate 1.76 oz of ice cream and then stopped.

A 200 gram serving of unflavored whole milk yogurt has 11 sugars in it and 5.3 no fat flavored can have anywhere from 15 to 20 depending on the brand. Some of them are really sweet.

50 grams of carbohydrate is the standard amount used to measure the glycemic response of any given food. It has nothing to do with with portion sizes.

Who knows what they were dreaming when they picked the portion sizes to calculate glycemic load.

 

[NW-Bound]

Knowing that tmm99 is of Japanese descent, I like to mention another thing.

In surfing the Web for info on diabetes, I ran across several published papers and presentations by American doctors regarding diabetes among Japanese Americans. They discovered that their patients were diabetic at a much lower BMI than Caucasian Americans. Typically, a white person has to be obese before he gets diabetic, but a Japanese American can be trim and still diabetic.

This is interesting because the indigenous Japanese do not have the same problem. So, they said that it had to do with the American diet effect or lifestyle on the Japanese people.

For what it's worth...

 

[Sunset]

Knowing that tmm99 is of Japanese descent, I like to mention another thing.

In surfing the Web for info on diabetes, I ran across several published papers and presentations by American doctors regarding diabetes among Japanese Americans. They discovered that their patients were diabetic at a much lower BMI than Caucasian Americans. Typically, a white person has to be obese before he gets diabetic, but a Japanese American can be trim and still diabetic.

This is interesting because the indigenous Japanese do not have the same problem. So, they said that it had to do with the American diet effect or lifestyle on the Japanese people.

For what it's worth...

Ok, but I don't see donuts on that list so they must be fine to eat

 

[harley]

I think the thread should be renamed "Pre-diabetic people should avoid food".

 

[NW-Bound]

I think the thread should be renamed "Pre-diabetic people should avoid food".

Gee! Look at the GI for peanuts, for example. A super low 7! One can eat peanuts all day long and gets fat, but not diabetes.

And you can use this chart to allow yourself to eat ice cream, but only the premium type (GI of 38), not Safeway's specials (GI of 57).

Lots of food to eat. And leafy veggies have practically no starch or carb to bother measure, so they did not include them (do rabbits get diabetes?).

Ok, but I don't see donuts on that list so they must be fine to eat

Oh man, donuts must be off the chart the other side of veggies, so they exclude them.

By the way, did anybody notice the GI of 111 of baked russet potato? Given that the GI of pure glucose is 100, how the heck can something get absorbed into the bloodstream even faster than that?

And don't give Fruit Rollups to your grandchildren. Its GI is 99.

Another scary thing is corn flakes at 93. I never eat cereal or corn flakes, so perhaps that's what saves me. When I eat breakfast, and that is very rarely, I go for the good stuff like eggs and bacon. None of this sweety stuff.

 

[MRG]

Yeah - they are playing games with the the glycemic load as they are picking portion sizes.

That has nothing to do with the glycemic response, but only points out that you need to be careful of the total glycemic load, not just the index.

Yes, the first column is what ultimately matters, but portion sizes matter too if you're tying to manage your blood sugar response.

Even when there the same their not.

I probably eat too much ice cream. A serving of ice cream is 1/2 cup according to the USDA. For regular ice cream that's about 65 grams for ~150 calories. Ben and Jerry’s a half cup is 107 grams for ~300 calories.

What is a serving weight, volume, calories? Interesting.

 

[haha]

Maybe 20 percent of newly diagnosed T2 diabetics are slim at diagnosis. It is beginning to appear that type 2 is not necessarily a homogeneous group. Some have high insulin output and high insulin resistance and these tend to be fat. Some are slim, and they tend to have an insulin synthesis deficit.

And of course T1s tend to be thin until they receive insulin treatment, which often makes them fat. But it does keep them from dying.
Ha


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[Bamaman]

I hate to burst your bubble, but a 102 blood sugar is not high. I get nervous and jumpy if my blood sugar goes into the 90's.

If you're interested in living a healthier lifestyle, start living by monitoring your carb. intake. That means eating more greens and avoiding more whites. Try to avoid breads, potatoes and sweets. And try to avoid the midnight snacks. But popcorn's a good filler upper.

It's nice that the carbs. on every grocery item are noted on the labels. But you've got to consider that many servings are unrealistic--on the low side.

I find most meals our family eats are in the 50 carb. range. My downfall is the ice cream.

 

[tmm99]

I just looked at my lab work from a few years ago when my doctor said I was probably pre-diabetic - My fasting blood sugar was 99 where the normal range was 70-100 (I guess I was actually within the normal range.....!!! I reacted very badly to this news then because it was before ACA, and I was afraid no insurance company would cover me if I ever lost my work insurance.) One after that was 91. I have gotten 99 a couple of more times since though...(still within the normal range, but very close to falling off...)

Then I moved to Canada. My lab sheet states the pre-diabetic range starts at fasting glucose of 108, with A1C of 6.0 Why such a huge difference between US and Canada? I do not know. No wonder my new doctor in Canada says I am fine. (My highest fasting number is still 99.) I still want to lower my numbers though (especially no spike over 140 any time if I could help it.......)

As for glycemic indexes, I no longer look at them - I look at the glycemic load which seems to be easier for me to understand, but even then, I still test them, because I think everyone reacts differently to food - Black beans are God sent for me, but I cannot eat lentils, or black eye peas. Pinto beans marginal and chickpeas good. Bakes potatoes are evidently out (I don't eat them) but french fries do not raise my BS much at all (maybe 20 points) if consumed with protein/fat.

Anybody ever tried mung bean noodles? (Make sure it has no yams or tapioca in them; just mung beans) About zero effect on my BS (but it's very high in carbs so it's not a diet food.)

 

[skyline]

I'm pre-diabetic and had looked into this quite a bit a few years ago. After making some adjustments (some hard, some easy, but most surprisingly easy to get used to), I was able to get my fasting blood sugar down into the 80's.

Some thoughts - the body doesn't absorb sugar water as fast as some foods because it lacks substance - it doesn't need to 'attack' the sugar water to break it down, it knows the liquid will get absorbed soon enough. When you eat certain foods like baked potatoes and certain types of white rice, your body goes to work trying to break it down quickly, releasing lots of digestive enzymes and ramping up fluid absorption. So that's how you end up with foods with GI > 100.

Also, eating pretty much anything with added protein or fat will lower your GI (but obviously not your GL). So if you really need to eat some white rice or white rolls, make sure you're having some meat or tofu with it, as that will at least reduce your GI shock. Also why premium ice creams (with more milk fat) usually have lower GI than discount ice creams (although added sugar obviously plays a big part too)...

 

[tmm99]

Oh one more thing - Anybody interested in bread with low glycemic load?
Alvarado Street Bakery Lifestyle Bread
I cannot find this in Canada, but I have found something similar and it works about the same. It to me is a very tasty bread. I used to buy this at Sprouts or Whole Foods (better price at Whole Foods.) If you cannot find this particular bread, you can just get their Sprouted Whole Wheat Bread. My understanding is that Lifestyle Bread and Sprouted Whole Wheat Bread are one and the same - they just changed the name/package to appeal to the glycemic load conscious folks.

 

[Katsmeow]

My fasting blood sugar was under 100 but I had an A1C in the pre-diabetic range about a year and a half ago. What worked for me to get it back to the normal range was to get a meter and test my blood sugar after eating various foods. And, it had a lot to do with portion size as well.

I basically found the foods that tended to raise my blood glucose higher than I wanted it to be then I avoided those foods. In some instances, I found that I could eat them in small quantities.

 

[tmm99]

I'm pre-diabetic and had looked into this quite a bit a few years ago. After making some adjustments (some hard, some easy, but most surprisingly easy to get used to), I was able to get my fasting blood sugar down into the 80's.
.

Wow, bringing your FBS down to the 80's from being pre-diabetic is quite impressive! What is the biggest thing you have done that made the huge impact (beside combining carbs with meat, etc)? I am all ears.

 

[photoguy]

Thanks for posting the link.

Some surprises for me in that list. For example, it shows white bread the same as whole wheat. Similarly brown/white rice are basically the same but Uncle Ben's is way lower (~70 for white/brown but only 38 for Uncle Ben's). I thought Uncle Ben's was just cooked white rice that's dried again. Chickpeas are at 10, but canned in brine are at 38.

Note that glycemic index is usually measured with the test subjects eating just one food item at a time. The above chart does not show the effect of eating a combination of items.

My brother-in-law is a type I diabetic and when he was recovering from a heart attack, he was put on a diet of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. ALthough 2 of 3 components are pretty bad, as a whole it kept his blood sugar levels very constant (he has a continuous monitor).

Apparently, the oil in fried rice reduces its glycemic index. So, eating carb along with fat is good for you.

So I guess the next time I have a baked potato I should slather it in butter and sour cream. And I can go back to eating my homemade white bread as long as I put enough butter on it

Anybody ever tried mung bean noodles? (Make sure it has no yams or tapioca in them; just mung beans) About zero effect on my BS (but it's very high in carbs so it's not a diet food.)

Not noodles but I used to live on mung bean pancakes: Mung Bean Pancakes (Bindaetteok) recipe - Maangchi.com . I have no idea what it does for my blood sugar and unfortunately I've never seen it in a restaurant so I can only get it from home cooks. They do use white rice in the recipe though.

Do any of these dudes from Harvard go out into the real world...who ever ate 1.76 oz of ice cream and then stopped.

A serving is 1/2 tub for me. Usually I eat it until I start getting too cold. And I like the cheaper non-premium brands as it's easier to scoop out.

 

[ivinsfan]

The comments here remind me again that the majority of people posting here are outside the norm of our society.

I know many people
with blood sugar problems. Yet the comments I hear at large, are my Doc said I might be pre-diabetic, me "What is your fasting blood sugar?". Oh I don't remember, it was kinda high.He said I should try to cut back on sugar and if it's still high in 6 months, I can go on pills.

Someone in their 40's already on the oral pills," My doc said I could lose some weight and focus on what I am eating and that could work for me. I told him just put me on the shots, I don't want to worry about everything I eat."

A Type 2, been on shots for a least 5 years and having terrible sugar spikes and control problems, "I looked on line and found out I could eat cheese because it doesn't bother your sugars number much" This person is single and eats fast food probably twice a day.

Interacting with all you sane people on-line is making me less tolerant of the knobs. It's getting harder and harder to just listen and say Good Luck. What I really want to say is "get a clue why don't you?

 

[eytonxav]

What worked for me to get it back to the normal range was to get a meter and test my blood sugar after eating various foods. And, it had a lot to do with portion size as well.

I basically found the foods that tended to raise my blood glucose higher than I wanted it to be then I avoided those foods. In some instances, I found that I could eat them in small quantities.

+1 while GI/GL are good guidelines, individuals may find some foods affect them more than others, despite where they fall on the Indexes. If you have the patience to test, this is probably the best way to go.

 

[audreyh1]

Thanks for posting the link.

Some surprises for me in that list. For example, it shows white bread the same as whole wheat. Similarly brown/white rice are basically the same but Uncle Ben's is way lower (~70 for white/brown but only 38 for Uncle Ben's). I thought Uncle Ben's was just cooked white rice that's dried again. Chickpeas are at 10, but canned in brine are at 38.

The steam processing on Uncle Ben's rice creates a hard outer coating on each rice grain that slows their digestion, hence much lower GI than regular rice.

That steaming process also forces many of the the vitamins from the bran into the starch, so it's nutritionally superior to white rice.