Getting Started
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Low Carb Diet Rules
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Level One Foods
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Level Three Foods
Daily Routine

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Organizing Your Kitchen
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Insulin Resistance
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Insulin Resistance
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First Sign Diabetes
Glycemic Index
Cinnamon Helps Type 2       Diabetes WebMD

The Glycemic Index

A new tool for assessing foods and its effect on blood sugar is called the glycemic index. Understanding this concept is essential for the low carb dieter. The glycemic index or GI is a system where food is ranked according to its effect blood glucose levels. Low GI foods produce only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels. The official web site for the glycemic index and international GI database is located at the Human Nutrition Unit, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences, University of Sydney.

Glycemic Load and Index Values
for Common Foods

Values from the glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) values were taken from the Glycemic Index database for common foods. Keep in mind that GI/GL is just one tool. Other aspects of food, like vitamin, mineral, fiber, and phytochemical content, are also very important.
This table uses white bread as the reference for glycemic index.

50 grams of White bread (3 1/2 slices)
has a glycemic index of 100. It was used as
the reference food.

How much do common food items weight at 50 grams?

3-1/2 slices of white bread = 50 grams. GI = 100

All Purpose Flour
3/8 cup = 45 grams
1/2 cup = 60 grams, GI =  70
Cake Flour
1/2 cup = 50 grams,  GI = 70  
White Sugar
1/4 cup = 55 grams GI = 97  
Brown Sugar
1/4 cup = 50 grams,  GI = 97

An average sized baked potato GI = 121

*Fiber grams are based on the same serving size (generally, a typical serving for that particular food) from which glucose load was determined.

This list explains why white flour, white and brown sugar, white bread and potatoes are eliminated from this diet.