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For some reason, whenever we drink something, we ignore the calories of the drink. A small 4 oz. glass of juice has the same calories as a serving of fruit but whole fruit will be digested more slowly. This is because it takes longer to eat it & has more fiber than juice - fiber helps slow digestion. So go ahead and enjoy 2 to 3 pieces of fruit throughout the day. Fat free diary products, such as skim milk & fat free yogurt, are also absorbed fairly quickly. But you should still have at least 2 servings from this group every day. Dairy foods are the best source of calcium & will help you maintain bone health & prevent osteoporosis. A good rule of thumb for absorption rates is: "The lower the fat content, the faster the foods is absorbed." This does not in any way, shape or form mean that I am suggesting you go on a high fat kick. In fact, you will soon see I advocate just the opposite. I am merely trying to explain food absorption in the easiest way I know how. The trick to planning a meal is to make it "well-balanced". This means having foods from the different food groups at the same time. When you do this, the combination of foods will give a slower rise to your blood sugar. Think of the colors blue & red. When you use each color separately, you get 2 distinct colors. When you combine them, the overall effect is purple. The same is true with food. If you eat an orange & a chicken breast separately, they will effect your blood sugar differently - the orange will cause your glucose level to rise much faster than the chicken breast. Then eaten together, the protein & fat in the chicken slows the absorption of the sugar in the orange. See chart below. The result: a slower, smaller rise in blood sugar.
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