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Everyone knows that blood sugar control is essential for health, especially for people with diabetes and those middle-aged and older adults who need to pay attention to their diet.
But what you may not know is that our daily staples — like steamed buns, rice, and noodles — have different effects on blood sugar.
Why do these seemingly ordinary foods have such a big effect on our blood sugar? It all has to do with the carbohydrates in the food, which are the "culprits" of blood sugar fluctuations.
Effect of staple foods on blood sugar
We need to understand carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy in food, and it is broken down into glucose in the body, which directly affects blood sugar levels.
The so-called glycemic index (GI) is a measure of how quickly food causes blood sugar to rise: the higher the GI value, the faster the blood sugar rises.
For example, refined flour products usually have a higher GI, which explains why sometimes we feel hungry or tired shortly after eating bread or steamed buns – blood sugar rises and falls quickly.
Glycemic properties of different staple foods
Manshu: Usually made from fine white flour, which has a relatively high GI value. This means that eating steamed buns may cause blood sugar to rise rapidly. If it is a whole-wheat steamed bun, because it contains more fiber, the rate of sugar rise will be slower.
Rice: The rate at which rice rises in sugar should not be underestimated, especially white rice. It also usually has a higher GI value, but the GI value varies between different types of rice, such as glutinous rice and long-grain rice. The GI value of glutinous rice is higher than that of long-grain rice, which is why the blood sugar response is particularly obvious after eating glutinous rice products.
Noodles: The rate at which noodles rise in sugar varies depending on the ingredients and methods used to make them. For example, traditional pasta usually uses refined white flour and has a higher GI, while noodles made with whole wheat or multigrain have a lower GI.
Practice advice: How to choose and match staple foods to stabilize blood sugar
After understanding the glycemic properties of different staple foods, it is especially important to choose the right staple food for you and mix it correctly. It's not just about choosing foods with a low GI, it's about how to control your blood sugar response through a reasonable combination of foods to help keep your blood sugar stable.
Choose staple foods with a low GI
Low GI foods have the advantage of releasing glucose more slowly, which can help avoid sharp fluctuations in blood sugar levels. For example, whole grains such as whole-grain bread, oats, and buckwheat have a lower GI than foods made from refined flour.
When choosing rice, consider long-grain brown rice, which has a lower GI than white rice, because the fiber in brown rice slows digestion and thus lowers the glycemic response.
Reasonable combination of protein and fat to reduce postprandial blood sugar spikes
By increasing your intake of protein and healthy fats, you can further slow down the digestion of carbohydrates and reduce the spike in blood sugar after meals.
Pairing lean meats, fish, or soy products with staple foods not only increases feelings of fullness, but also helps stabilize blood sugar levels. At the same time, adding healthy fat sources such as olive oil and nuts is also a great way to lower your GI value.
The importance and methods of postprandial blood glucose monitoring
Monitoring blood sugar after a meal is a straightforward way to understand an individual's reaction to a particular food, and it can help an individual adjust their daily diet. Using a blood glucose meter to regularly monitor blood sugar levels after meals, especially when trying new food combinations, can give you a better understanding of which food combinations are most effective for blood sugar control.
A diary that records food intake and blood sugar levels is also a useful tool that can help track and analyze the relationship between long-term eating habits and blood sugar control.
Through an in-depth analysis of the glycemic rate of staple foods such as steamed buns, rice, and noodles, we can see that the proper selection and pairing of staple foods is essential to maintain stable blood sugar levels.
By choosing foods with a low GI, making the right mix of protein and fat, and regularly monitoring blood sugar after meals, we can effectively manage and control blood sugar levels to maintain good health. Applying this knowledge in the daily diet can not only help with blood sugar management in diabetic patients, but also help prevent the occurrence of diabetes and its related complications.
Choosing and matching staple foods is not only a part of disease management, but also an important strategy to promote a healthy lifestyle.
Finally, do you have any experiences and opinions that you would like to share?