Carbs Blood Sugar Guide

Inside this guide

CARBS & BLOOD SUGAR SPIKES Nutrition Reference  Educational Use It is not just which carb you eat, but what you eat it with. Page 1 Carbs and Blood Sugar: Fast vs Slow Which carbs spike glucose, which don't, and how fibre and protein flatten the curve Not all carbs behave the same. Some send blood sugar up quickly, others release it slowly. The speed depends on the type of carb, how it is processed and cooked, the portion, and what you eat it with. This guide sorts common Indian carbs into fast, medium and slow, then shows how fibre and protein reduce spikes, with examples you can use today. Values are approximate glycemic index (GI) figures, where 70 and above is high, 56 to 69 medium and 55 or below low. 1. What Decides How Fast Carbs Hit Beyond the food name Why this matters: How quickly a carb raises blood sugar depends on more than the food name. Knowing these factors helps you make better choices without cutting carbs out. FACTOR WHAT HAPPENS WHAT TO DO Type of carb Simple sugars and refined starches break down fast. Complex carbs in whole foods break down slowly. Choose whole, minimally processed carbs most of the time. Processing Polishing, grinding and puffing remove fibre and make starch easier to digest, so sugar hits the blood faster. Whole grains over flour, flour over puffed or instant products. Cooking and ripeness Overcooked, mashed or very ripe foods digest faster. Al dente and less ripe foods are slower. Don't overcook rice or pasta, and choose just-ripe fruit. Portion size (glycemic load) The glycemic index (GI) ranks how fast a carb raises sugar. The glycemic load (GL) also counts the amount eaten. A small portion of a high-GI food can have a lower impact than a large portion of a medium one.…