Fast Absorption vs. Slow Absorption Carbohydrates?

Sugars or starches? Which carbohydrates are best?

It all depends. For sustained energy, you want to eat carbs that are absorbed slowly. Of course, as a diabetic or pre-diabetic, you want to stay away from carbs that are absorbed fast.

But which carbs are which? Enter the GI (glycemic index) --a method of ranking foods based on how quickly they raise blood sugar levels. Basically, the higher the GI number, the faster the rate of absorption... The lower the GI number, the slower the rate of absorption.

However, you may be surprised about which foods rank high or low. For example, white potatoes are absorbed faster than white sugar (sucrose). Yet, if you are simultaneously eating foods that contain fat, fiber, or acids, any carbohydrate absorption is slower and the real GI, lower.

Who said carbohydrates are simple?

Rule of thumb for diabetics and pre-diabetics: A GI of less than 55 is OK. A food with a GI greater than 55 is marginal. A food with a GI greater than 70 is not OK.

Carbohydrate Table

SLOW ABSORPTION          -55

MED ABSORPTION         55-70

FAST ABSORPTION            70+

Fructose

23

Sucrose

65

Glucose

100

Lactose

46

Honey

58

Maltose

105

Apple

38

Pineapple

66

Dates

103

Cherries

22

Banana

55

Watermelon

 72

Peas

48

New potato

62

Baked potato

 93

Carrots

49

Sweet corn

55

Pumpkin

 75

Spaghetti

41

Taco shells

68

Short grain white rice

 72

Pumpernickel bread

51

Pita bread

57

Bagel

 72

Oatmeal (old-fashioned)

49

Shredded wheat

67

Raisin Bran

 73

Yogurt (flavored low-fat)

33

Ice cream (10% fat)

61

Gatorade

 78

Popcorn (light microwave)

55

Power bar

58

Pretzels

 83

Sponge cake

46

Angel food cake

67

Waffles

 76

Oatmeal cookie

55

Quaker granola bar

66

Rice cakes (plain)

 82

Twix cookie bar

44

Skittles fruit chews

70

Jelly beans

 80

GI ratings based on glucose = 100     Source: The Glucose Revolution. (Marlow & Co., 199

       

 

Alkaline Forming Foods & Self Acidity Test

The Effect of Body Acidity on Health - Excess body acidity (acidosis) is thought to be the first step towards premature aging, interfering with eyesight and memory, and creating wrinkling, age spots, dysfunctioning hormone systems, and a host of age related phenomena.

Acidosis in the pancreas. If you suspect that your pancreas may be acidic from eating too many acid forming foods over a long period of time (many diabetics do), and thus, is inhibiting your pancreas' ability to produce insulin sufficiently, or is destroying the insulin receptors on your cells, you may want to review a brief Self Acidity Test.

If you have no idea whether or not your body is acidic, or exactly how serious the problem may be... Then, below you'll find a link where you can access a Self Acidity Test that was developed by Dr. Theodore A. Baroody. We believe it's worth a few minutes of your time. Just click on the link directly below.

Click Here For Self Acidity Test

Alkaline Forming Foods - We've also included below a list of some foods considered to be alkaline-forming, and thus, helpful to people with a consistently acidic pH level in their body.

Almonds, Aloe Vera, Apples, Apricots, Bee Pollen, Buckwheat, Cabbage, Cantaloupe, Celery, Carrots, Cucumbers, Dates, Dulse, Poached eggs, Figs, Grapefruit, Honey, Lettuce, Millet, Parsley, Raisins, Peaches, Fresh red potatoes, Pineapple, Soy products, Sprouted seeds, Cooked spinach, Turnip tops, Wakame Miso Soup, Azuki beans, Rice, Mineral water.


*Note -If you drink the acidic citrus juices from lemon, lime and grapefruit, you will trigger the pancreas to dump bicarbonate into the intestine for digestive purposes. But there is an added advantage, in that you will neutralize some of the excess acidity, leaving your body in a healthier state with less acidity to excrete.
You can add these acidic citrus juices to your daily drinking water. You can also add some apple or orange to sweeten the mix, if you wish. (Buy citrus juices made from organically grown fruit, if at all possible.)

*One of the primary reasons why people with diabetes drink a product called Thrive from LurraLife for life is because THRIVE is an all-natural cardio health supplement that – as an added bonus – contains organic greens. The research-based formula contains Raw & Organic Greens, Thrive Cardio Longevity Blend, and Max Bioavailability Blend, which can deliver extraordinary health benefits, including age-proofing your heart and body.
 

What is the Glycemic Index?

 

 
Glycemic Index
Cereals Snacks Pasta Beans
All Bran 51 chocolate bar 49 cheese tortellini 50 baked 44
Bran Buds + psyll 45 corn chips 72 fettucini 32 black beans, boiled 30
Bran Flakes 74 croissant 67 linguini 50 butter, boiled 33
Cheerios 74 doughnuRule of thumb for diabetics and pre-diabetics:middlet 76 macaroni 46 cannellini beans 31
Corn Chex 83 graham crakers 74 spagh, 5 min boiled 33 garbanzo, boiled 34
Cornflakes 83 jelly beans 80 spagh, 15 min boiled 44 kidney, boiled 29
Cream of Wheat 66 Life Savers 70 spagh, prot enrich 28 kidney, canned 52
Frosted Flakes 55 oatmeal cookie 57 vermicelli 35 lentils, green, brown 30
Grapenuts 67 pizza, cheese & tom 60 Soups/Vegetables lima, boiled 32
Life 66 Pizza Hut, supreme 33 beets, canned 64 navy beans 38
muesli, natural 54 popcorn, light micro 55 black bean soup 64 pinto, boiled 39
Nutri-grain 66 potato chips 56 carrots, fresh, boil 49 red lentils, boiled 27
oatmeal, old fash 48 pound cake 54 corn, sweet 56 soy, boiled 16
Puffed Wheat 67 Power bars 58 french fries 75 Breads
Raisin Bran 73 pretzels 83 grean pea, soup 66 bagel, plain 72
Rice Chex 89 saltine crakers 74 green pea, frozen 47 baquette, Frnch 95
Shredded Wheat 67 shortbread cookies 64 lima beans, frozen 32 croissant 67
Special K 54 Snickers bar 41 parsnips 97 dark rey 76
Total 76 strawberry jam 51 peas, fresh, boil 48 hamburger bun 61
Fruit vanilla wafers 77 pot, new, boiled 59 muffins  
apple 38 Wheat Thins 67 pot, red, baked 93 apple, cin 44
apricots 57 Crackers pot, sweet 52 blueberry 59
banana 56 graham 74 pot, white, boiled 63 oat & raisin 54
cantalope 65 rice cakes 80 pot, white, mashed 70 pita 57
cherries 22 rye 68 split pea soup w/ham 66 pizza, cheese 60
dates 103 soda 72 tomato soup 38 pumpernickel 49
grapefruit 25 Wheat Thins 67 yam 54 sourdough 54
grapes 46 Cereal Grains Milk Products rye 64
kiwi 52 barley 25 chocolate milk 35 white 70
mango 55 basmati white rice 58 custard 43 wheat 68
orange 43 bulgar 48 ice cream, van 60 Drinks
papaya 58 couscous 65 ice milk, van 50 apple juice 40
peach 42 cornmeal 68 skim milk 32 colas 65
pear 58 millet 71 soy milk 31 Gatorade 78
pineapple 66 Sugars tofu frozen dessert 115 grapefruit juice 48
plums 39 fructose 22 whole milk 30 orange juice 46
prunes 15 honey 62 yogurt, fruit 36 pineapple juice 46
raisins 64 maltose 105 yogurt, plain 14    
watermelon 72 table sugar 64        

*Actually, the GI indirectly measures a food's effect on blood sugar. It actually measured the "area under the blood sugar curve" following a set intake of that carb.