The Glycemic Index and Diabetes

When a person eats a food which contains carbohydrates, like bread or vegetables, their blood sugar rises. Interestingly enough, however, is that not all carbohydrates raise blood sugar at the same rate.

How high the blood sugar rises three hours after eating a carbohydrate is known as its "glycemic index."

Armed with this information, you can make better choices about they types of foods -- especially carbohydrates -- that you are eating, to help avoid blood sugar spikes.

Food for thought: the simpler the carbohydrate, the more rapid the spike, since the body does not have to expend much time or energy to break it down.

So, if given the choice between eating a chocolate kiss and a piece of fruit, the fruit will take longer to process and therefore cause less of a spike than the chocolate., and will therefore have a lower glycemic index!