Medicaton and prediabetes

durhamjen, my understanding of the difference on high and lower GI for potatoes is to do with the starch content. So new potatoes are much lower GI than old fluffy potatoes (used for baked or jackets). Same for rice- risotto (sticky rice) is much higher than basmati- again to do And again for oats, large oats have less GI than small ones.

An acquaintance of mine with type 2 regularly has readings in the high teens. When she was admitted to hospital recently her reading was (allegedly) 28!

Granjura, the GI content of potatoes depends on how you cook them as well as the type of potato. The GI range is from 56 to 89. Highest GI values are in those freshly boiled and mashed or instant mash, if anyone still has that. The difference is in the structure of the starch. I've never understood why basmati rice is lower than other rices, apart from the fact that sticky rice does not have the starch washed away.

The higher the GI of your diet, the greater the risk of type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is often only diagnosed after the pancreas is worn out, and cannot maintain enough insulin production to normalise blood glucose. Eating a low GI diet can improve the function of the pancreas and improve glycaemic control and can therefore prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. There have been lots of studies worldwide to show that a high GI diet makes people almost twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
Apparently following a low GI diet can be as effective at lowering blood glucose as taking tablets, and it can also help to prevent the onset and progression of diabetes complications.
Low GI foods can minimise the peaks and troughs in blood glucose. Being slowly digested and absorbed, low GI foods reduce the demand for insulin.

Agreed- just wanted to point out that cooking and the type both affect the GI content. For cooking, it also makes a huge difference to the GI if you wash pasta and rice in cold water AFTER cooking and reheat.

And brown rice and pasta are lower GI than white.
Jeanie, I have just read the list of foods you do not eat, and you have put yourself on a low GI diet without knowing it.
A slice of fruit loaf would be a low GI cake.

Surely, rather than messing about with GI all the time, many of these foods are simply better avoided or only eaten on rare occasions?

Why would anyone want to eat fruit loaf anyway?

I'm trying to lower the sugar in my diet, which wasn't high by many standards anyway. I've eaten brown rice, pasta and bread for years, eat meat about twice a week, fish twice and other meals are veg. I walk for an hour a day so was fed up to discover my blood sugar levels are creeping up. The pancreas and auto immune conditions are at its root I suppose, but Anya - I'd love a slice of toasted fruit loaf with a cup of tea right now

Why is it messing about?
Having lived with a type 1 diabetic for over 45 years, it's second nature to read food labels, and I still do it now, even though he died over three years ago.
If a diabetic eats high GI food on even rare occasions, s/he could end up in hospital.

Anyway, I was mentioning the GI Vegetarian book to Eloethan, whose husband has been warned he might get type 2 diabetes even though he is underweight and is vegetarian.
It's a useful thing to think about in that case. Nobody has to bother about GI if they do not want to.

I'm going to read about GI durhamjen. I'm not overweight, diet exactly as advised by the practice nurse (well almost exactly, the chocolate and cakes are no longer part of my life), exercise etc but my pancreas is feeling it's age it seems.

What on earth to you mean by 'messing about with GI'??? All foods have a GI value- so understanding which have a higher value, and how to make better choices, cook in a way that lowers the value, etc- is surely the way to go. Not talking about cakes and sweets here either, which indeed should be for very special occasions- but even then, choosing a pud or cake with low/er GI makes sense. It's hard enough being a young diabetic, without having to eat such a limited and restricted diet anyhow. Where fo you put the line at what foods should be avoided or not? Very insensitive it seems and shows little understanding of the issues.

Am I wrong then? Wouldn't it be simpler to give high sugar and high carb foods a miss ( except on rare occasions) ?

It's not insensitive to ask up the question, but perhaps some people are over sensitive when it comes to their diet, especially if they have had type 1 diabetes from an early age and have had to give up most foods that others are allowed - that I can understand.

I do not think that wanting to stay alive and out of hospital is being oversensitive. It's being sensible. Unfortunately it often takes a few hypers and hypos for a diabetic to realise that, particularly a young diabetic.
It must surely be better for those who have been told that they are prediabetic to find out as much as possible about diet to try and head off diabetes, like Iam says.

A low GI diet is not the same as a low carbohydrate diet. Diabetics, like everyone else, need carbohydrates to balance the insulin they need. It's the type of carbohydrates that you eat that matters.
You replace the highly refined carbohydrates with less processed ones.

Actually a low carb diet is usually very low GI one as most of the other food groups eg fats and proteins are very low on the Glycemic Index Jen.

I've had great success lowering DH's blood glucose levels (he has been prediabete twice in the last 8 years) but helping him follow a low caeb diet, with his GP's approval.

If diabetics, especially type 2, cut a lot of tne crap carbs out of their diet then they ought to be able to lower their medication, and of course those with type 2 who are on insulin, have usually progressed to that through not controlling their diet in the first place.

Type 1 is much more complicated I agree.

Low carb is about the quantity of carbohydrates you eat. Low GI is about quality.If you just miss out carbohydrates, you eat a higher percentage of fat. Eggs and cheese do not have a GI value, but replacing bread with cheese is not healthy. The diabetic diet should be low fat as well.

'I don't think that wanting to stay alive and out of hospital is over sensitive' ....what on earth are you talking about Jen. Who said anything about that? Your statement is totally illogical, as usual.

Your thinking is hopelessly out of date Jen and I really CBA to continue discussing this with you any more

You'd better tell that to diabetesuk, then.

www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Enjoy-food/Food-and-diabetes/Glycaemic-index-and-diabetes/

Jen I was tired and grumpy last night so didn't mean to sound in any way unsympathetic but Diabetes UK has been criticised for not moving its thinking along to take in recent, and not so recent, research.

GIs were the 'in thing' 10+ years ago and yes, as a rough and ready guide they have their place, but Type 2 diabetes and obesity rates have continued to soar, despite what appeared to be sensible guidelines.

Fresh thinking is casting doubts on research in the 1950s and it is worth taking this into consideration.

I come into contact with a lot of T2 diabetics these days (who doesn't?) and there are those who have their conditioned managed solely through diet, those who have to take pills and those who have to inject. Their different attitude to their condition reflects their medication, or lack of.

So what's the latest research?

Point is Anya- underxtanding GI values is not just about 'crap carbohydrates' but all carbs and most foods. We can all agree that cutting very sugary foods makes sense, especially for those with pre, or Type I or II diabetes. But you still need to understand carbs in general, and giving up all carbs is NOT necessarily a good idea for most people.

So if you know that a small portion of basmati rice, washed and cooled after cooking and re-heated is low GI- why not have a small portion as part of a low GI diet. Same for a few small boiled NEW potatoes, or a small portion of pasta, again washed and cooled an re-heated- thus drastically cutting the GI content (+ of course the portion size). To follow a low GI diet for life via cutting all carbs is really not easy, and actually not necessary if you understand GI values properly. Educating yourself about such is not 'messing about' really.

I'm not telling anyone how to manage their diabetes Granjura and I'm assuming you, or someone close to you, have the condition and have it controlled only by diet? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

But there are many with T2D who struggle to understand what a carbohydrate is let alone understand GI values. And these are the ones who often cannot control their blood glucose levels. Simpler for them to cut out added sugars and cut back on breads, potatoes, pastas, etc. The message needs to be simple to get across.

I know your late DH had T1D jen and that is a very difficult condition to manage. Re the latest research have you tried googling it?

No, I do not need to. You were the one who told me I was out of date, so I assumed you knew what was up-to-date.
The last thing I did was a BITES course, six years ago. Before that it was Dafne.
My mother had type two. my sister has type two. So did her friend, so I do know a bit about type 2.
Her friend had to have a leg amputated. Not because she did not look after herself properly. She was a nurse, too, and knew about diet. She had one of her toes nicked by a podiatrist. After two years, her leg was amputated because of gangrene. She died five days later.