Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load

The Glycemic Load is a better measure of how much our sugar level will rise with food (and our insulin level) than the Glycemic Index.   The Glycemic Load takes into account the usual size of the food in question, so it a more realistic measure.

Low GI (we want this)  <= 55
Low GL (we want this) <= 10

High GI (we hate this) >= 70
High GL (we hate this) >=20

You don't have to be diabetic to care about this stuff.  In fact, you may have good levels of sugar in your blood work and still have a problem.  Your sugar level could be OK because your insulin is high to keep things right.  Problem is, when your insulin is high, your body is working too much, and in this case, it tires, and the day may come when your body says, you know what? I'm tired or releasing all this insulin to keep up with your sugar.  I'm done.  And then you become diabetic.

I wish doctors checked insulin levels with the general blood work, but I don't think they do.

Here is some info on the most common foods (or at least the most common to me).  BTW, different sources may have different GL for the same food, but the range (low, medium, high) is consistent.

BREAD

ALL wheat breads have a high GI and GL (whole wheat bread has a higher one that wheat bread, which is not that bad).  When it comes to bread, the ones with the lowest GLs are:

Buckwheat Bread (10)
Pumpernickel Bread (5)
Rye Bread (Whole Wheat) (8)
Oatbran Bread(9)

Gluten free bread is good too.

RICE

I love rice! (I'm from Valencia, so no wonder), but it is not so healthy.

Brown rice has a lower GL than white rice, BUT, studies show that it also has more toxins than white rice, because those toxins are on the part that gets removed when it is processed.  Sooooo my option is to still eat white rice but reduce the amount and increase the amount of what I eat with the rice, like garbanzo beans or whatever.  Compromise...

To make things a little bit better, choose Basmati rice over other types.  It's a little bit lower.

PASTA

Another unhealthy option but soooo good.  So it seems that if you are going to eat pasta anyway, whole wheat spaghetti is one of the best options (16). It's not low, but it's not high either. Fettuccine (eggs) is even better.

Amazingly enough, couscous has a higher GL than spaghetti (23 vs 16, wow)..

Quinoa is pretty healthy and it has a GL of 13, which is not bad.

FRUIT

Bananas have a GL of 16, which is a little high.  Apples have a GL of just 6, which is awesome. And interesting since apples are sweeter than bananas. Anyway.  Other fruits with low GLs are grapefruit, orange, peach, pears, and watermelon.

VEGETABLES

WOOHOOOO!!!!! Everything here is good EXCEPT potatoes and corn.  Still WOOOHOOOOO.

Sweet Potato is better than potato.  Much better.

BEANS

And more good news.  Here again, pretty much everything is good!!!

OTHER

Dark Chocolate: IT'S GOOD!!!!
Almond Milk: IT'S GOOD!!!


To learn more:

http://www.mendosa.com/
http://nutritiondata.self.com/

To live by

Not really 100% the way I operate, but working on it.

Live the present. Don't worry about the storm that may or may not come and ignore the present sunshine.

Focus on the positive. Never mind the potholes on the road while you are driving though the most beautiful places.

Everybody can make a difference. You can get better at whatever one step at a time. You may not be able to help everybody, but you can help somebody. "If you think you're too small to make a difference, you've obviously never been in bed with a mosquito." Even pennies add up.

The past should not ruin your present. The past is behind you, don't stumble on it. Revisit only to learn or to enjoy past memories.

Don't be a control freak, but take some control. You can't control everything, but you can try to improve whatever situation you are in.

Don't assume other people's motives. Maybe there is a very good explanation for what is bothering you. Maybe if you knew, it would not upset you. Don't assume, ask.

Trick your body into thinking it is/can. Your body doesn't really know the difference between a real having fun and an imagined having fun so the biological response is the same for both. Since happiness improves health, why not fake it if need be.

Choose your thoughts and manage them.  Your feelings come from your thoughts, and though sometimes thoughts (bad ones) pop in your head unannounced and uninvited, you can always kick them out.  If you control your thoughts, you will control your feelings.  And you can do it.

Don't feel guilty for whatever is going well in your life. Yes, other people are very unhappy and have many problems. And others seem to have everything going for them. That has nothing to do with you. You deserve to be able to enjoy the good things in your life. We are not here to collect sacrifice badges.

Whoever you are today, whatever you do, you can be somebody better tomorrow. Nobody can go back and start a new beginning but anyone can start today and make a new ending. Just remember that If you don't change direction you will end up where you are headed.

Don't make a permanent decision based on a temporary emotion. Think twice before you speak, before you act.

You don't have everything, but you have a lot. Don't forget to enjoy what you have because you can't stop thinking about what you don't have. Be grateful for what you have.

Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.

Use common sense. Common sense doesn't mean be fearful to an excess. Too many of us are not living our lives because we are living our fears. Try to keep a common sense approach.

Appreciate what you have now before time forces you to appreciate what you used to have Don't be sad because you miss what you used to have. Enjoy what you have now because you may lose that too.  Don't waste your time creating your own misery.

Keep an open mind about people, ideas, etc. Don't be the ignorant that rejects things he/she knows nothing about. Listen, you may learn something. Any person you find can teach you something.

Compete only with yourself. You don't have to be better than others, but you should try to improve what you are, just for you.

Put your ego aside, it's not that important. When you are going to do something, take a step back and ask yourself, am I doing it just for an ego boost?  if so, maybe instead of doing it try to find out what you need the boost in the first place.

Just be loyal to yourself first. Don't do things just to please people. You can't please everybody and you should not. the first person you owe loyalty to is YOURSELF.

Surround yourself with what makes you happy. Set aside time to do what makes you happy.

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My favorite quotes

Don't let Your Fears Stand in the Way of Your Dreams

It's your interpretation of the facts that makes you angry.


Worry is a down payment on a problem you may never have.


Is my worrying going to change the outcome?


Practice non-attachment.


Don't let someone else's opinion become your reality.


Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but everybody can start today and make a new ending.


Don't make a permanent decision based on a temporary emotion.


Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.


Don't stumble over something behind you.


Don't skip stopping for gas because you are too busy driving.


Reduce your needs.


Relax, you were never in control.  Never will be.


Don't fee the need to be right.


Let your life just flow.


The sun never tells the earth "you owe me".


Don't live the moment focusing on what will come next.  Enjoy your present.


Surround yourself with what you like.


Discontinue deciding what others should or should not be doing.


You are one thought away from being at peace.


Live each activity like it could be the last one.  You will find renewed enthusiasm.


What would your self old person tell you today?


Know when you've had enough.


Ask what's true, not who else believes it.


Real tragedies will come. Don't live imagined ones.