I love bread.  No, that’s an understatement.  I could live on bread.

glycemic index bread

Unfortunately, bread doesn’t always love me.  Most breads found at grocery stores are made from highly refined flours (“enriched”).  The breads are digested so rapidly that they cause a huge spike in blood sugar – which is exactly what we’re trying to avoid when following a low GI diet.  It’s also why you feel so hungry so quickly…  And is partly to blame for me eating 3/4 of the loaf…  by myself.  At one sitting.  Oops.

Luckily, you can follow a glycemic index friendly diet and still enjoy the pleasure of bread.  It’s not a carb restrictive diet like Atkins or phase I of South Beach, the glycemic index is a nutrition plan that picks the right kinds of foods that keep you energized, feeling full, and avoid huge spikes in insulin and blood sugar from the digestive process.

Which breads are GI friendly?!

Two words – whole grain.  Actually there are a number of varieties of stone ground and and other higher density grain varieties that are excellent as well.  See below for a short list and check out our glycemic index chart.

low gi bread

• Whole grain bread.  Look for real whole grains, not enriched or simple “whole wheat”.  The more grains and as ’seeds’ or ‘particles’ the better.  In general this slows the digestion and allows for a lower GI score.
• Rye bread.  I actually really like rye bread.  It’s great for sandwiches, and like whole grain it contains ‘bits’ of grains which allows for a low GI score of 50.
• Sourdough bread.  The slower fermentation process used with sourdough and it’s acidity levels make it a much better choice than white or enriched wheat.  The thicker crust and organic acidity make for a great mix.
• Soy breads.  Some soy breads are really good – others are a more acquired taste.  Worth a shot – you might love it.
• Pumpernickel and whole wheat pita bread.  These are also high in fiber, and have some good versatility in baking or as a side dish.

lower gi bread

You can find many of these at your local grocery stores, but take care to check the label.  A lot of bakeries are also catching on and riding the healthier whole grain wave of breads.

Even a small change from white bread (yep, I love it too – but switching to these was much easier than I thought) to whole grain bread may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.  See study from the American Diabetes Association involving the glycemic index and bread & dietary fiber.

The general rule is to not only look for whole grain breads, but you want the bread to be modestly grained – meaning not finely refined and ground.  Simply put, even whole grain bread isn’t always low GI – if it’s ground to a fine dust and contains few or no visible, coarse grains – it’s going to have a higher GI content.

So ‘look for the grains’ – literally.  Visually inspect the bread before you buy it.

Now I’m hungry…  !

If you’re interested in learning more or beginning a glycemic index diet, our readers recommend eDiets (online GI diet program).  Save 25% off Coupon.

Among my friends growing up was a girl with Type I diabetes.  She stood out because even the most miniscule amount of sugar wasn’t allowed anywhere near her mouth . . . not cake at birthday parties . . . not a small candy bar after a softball game . . . and certainly not a drop of soda at anytime.  While such strictness undoubtedly helped control her condition, I have to wonder how the rigidity played on her quality of life.

All people with diabetes should “eat healthy,”  yet those with Type 1 diabetes also must measure the quantity, type and timing of their food choices – simply ensuring they eat their daily quota of fruits and vegetables won’t cut it.  Focus on blood glucose and insulin levels is key.

You see, most foods are broken down into glucose by digestive enzymes. The glucose is then absorbed from the intestine into the bloodstream. The hormone, insulin, then takes the glucose from the bloodstream to either use or store for later.  People who do not have diabetes will produce just the right amount of insulin to cope with the rise in blood glucose that occurs after a meal.

People with Type 1 diabetes, however, are unable to produce insulin; instead they must inject it into their bodies.  To keep their blood glucose level close to normal after eating, they must inject just the right amount of insulin to deal with the food they’ve eaten. The injection should be timed right, so that the insulin arrives in the bloodstream at the same time that the glucose is absorbed into their blood-streams.

Too little insulin (for the amount of glucose coming from the digested food) results in very high blood glucose levels or hyperglycemia. Too much insulin (or not enough glucose coming from the digested food) spurs low blood glucose levels or hypoglycemia.  Every food morsel must be balanced, weighed and measured.

Since my grade school days, there have been many advances in blood sugar monitoring and insulin delivery. Knowledge of proper diets have, unfortunately, lagged behind.

Most doctors and dietitians agree that careful monitoring of glucose levels is key to minimizing complications from the disease. The standard diet given to both children and adults is based on a diabetic carbohydrate exchange list which has been shown to be ineffective as many children and their parents struggle to understand or follow the guidelines.

The Glycemic Index diet has proven to be far more effective.  Simply, the Glycemic Index (GI) is a ranking of foods on a scale from 0 to 100 based on the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating.

The group of foods primarily responsible for the rise and fall in blood glucose levels after a meal are carbohydrates. The Glycemic Index provides a ranking of how quickly carbohydrates in food are digested by the body, compared to pure glucose which has a ranking of 100 percent. When carbohydrates are quickly broken down, high levels of glucose are released into the bloodstream very soon after a meal. Some examples of these foods (which have rankings of 70 percent or more) are white breads, potatoes, cornflakes and white rice.

Conversely, foods that contain carbohydrates that break down slowly, and release glucose gradually into the bloodstream, have a low GI (a ranking of 55 percent or less). Examples of low GI foods are most fruits, rolled oats, whole-wheat pastas, basmati rice and legumes. Medium GI foods have a ranking of between 56 and 69 percent.

Studies have shown that the GI diet is an effective user-friendly way of controlling diabetes.   For example, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that children who followed the low GI diet enjoyed more stable blood sugar levels, fewer episodes of hyperglycemia and generally better quality of life than their counterparts following the CHOx diet.

In addition, a small study published in the issue of Diabetes Care shows that a low Glycemic diet leads to better blood glucose control in children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes.  Researchers found that the youngsters’ blood glucose levels were in their target range 66% of the time when they were eating low-GI meals but only 47% of the time when eating high-GI meals—a notable difference. The children also required less insulin.

Moreover, a new study has found that eating a high glycemic index (GI) diet may cause faster progression to type 1 diabetes in those people with a genetic predisposition.

Researchers at the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes in Colorado studied whether dietary glycemic index are associated with the progression of islet autoimmunity to type 1 diabetes. Islet autoimmunity occurs when the body develops antibodies to the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas — it is just one step away from Type 1 diabetes.

Investigators studied eating habits of 89 children seen as genetically predisposed to diabetes.  The results published online in the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, found that 89 children developed islet autoimmunity and 17 subsequently developed type 1 diabetes.

While GI levels were not related the development of islet cell autoimmunity, eating a high GI diet did result in a faster progression to type 1 diabetes in children who already had islet autoimmunity.

For these reasons, the GI diet can help prevent the onset of type I diabetes, and definitely make afflicted children healthier with excellent quality of lives so they can even enjoy some occasional birthday cake.  For more information, consult glycemic index chart to better understand food interactions and hidden glucose values.