White rice & couscous, GI index problem

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-16-2003
White rice & couscous, GI index problem
7
Wed, 12-03-2003 - 10:49pm
I was reading through the SBD glycemic index and am confused (p.70-74). Couscous has a higher GI than white rice, instant rice and parboiled rice, yet it is advocated heavily throughout the menus. Also, how can a hamburger bun be lower than whole wheat bread ,white bread and plain bagels? On the same topic, how can fettuccine be so much lower than whole grain spaghetti and brown rice pasta? Why aren't we including these items in our meal plan????? Am I missing something?
Avatar for maw602000
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 12-04-2003 - 8:25am
Hi, The GI index of foods is very tricky, even my doctor can't explain to me much about it. I thinks its farely new here, compare to other countries.I have two web sites marked in my favorites that I can give to you,maybe it will help you understand. The web site is

http://www.calvin.biochem.usyd.edu.au/GIDB/searchD3.htm & http://www.glycemicindex.com/

Hope this helps, Maryann

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-21-2003
Thu, 12-04-2003 - 9:37am
Great sites Maryann, thanks!
Merry Christmas
Cleo the Fox TerrierSam the Black Lab
Mel
MelMel
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-16-2003
Thu, 12-04-2003 - 10:13am
The websites were interesting, but I'm still confused as to the discrepancy in what the SBD book says versus the GI ratings listed in the book! It says lower GI is better and then goes on to recommend the higher GI foods over the lower GI foods! Help, anyone?
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-08-2003
Thu, 12-04-2003 - 10:36am

Hi!

Maggie  

"Success is a journey, not a destination"

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-16-2003
Thu, 12-04-2003 - 1:48pm
Thank you! That did make sense. Even tho the GI is higher, the stomach has to work harder to get the sugar, making it a better choice. Got it!

I don't know about other SBD'rs, but I rarely get cravings, don't have diabetis, don't have hypoglycemic problems. I'm just trying to lose weight that doesn't want to come off due to post-menopausal body changes. I just want to eat healthier, cut down on my carbs and lose 10-15 lbs. The weight loss seems to be secondary to "curbing your cravings and your appetite". Let's hope that's the result as nothing else has worked!
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-28-2003
Thu, 12-04-2003 - 10:34pm
I'm right there with you- I only have 10-15 pounds to lose but nothing, I mean NOTHING has worked- until I started this diet. After the birth of my second child I found that I could not lose my last 10 pounds, and a few months ago I put on another 5. I am an avid exerciser and would run 6 miles a day while eating hardly anything- and I could not budge that scale! So frustrating....

I feel like I could be a spokesperson for this diet, or WOE, I am so thrilled and impressed with it. One of the biggest changes for me is making myself eat 3 meals a day- I don't think I realized how ravenous I was in the evening, and combined with a 'I deserve this plate of melted cheese on crackers" attitude, yhings were not going well.

I decided not to exercise for the first few weeks, but I picked up running again this week.

Good luck!

Polly
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-10-2003
Fri, 12-05-2003 - 12:58am
I've also wondered if Dr. A. puts recipes with couscous because one tends to eat less of it than of, say, pasta. His recipes are pretty much whole meals, with plenty of protein, fat, too, and veggies, either in the dish, or in a salad or other veggie side dish. But with pasta, people often have a different mindset... that the pasta is the main meal. So... I don't know, this was just an idea... but maybe he's steering us toward couscous instead of pasta, assuming that we won't have a tendency to want to eat a lot of it??

Jill K.