Diabetics who are familiar with the glycemic index have an easier time discerning how certain foods will affect their blood sugar. The principle of the glycemic index is based on a 1 to 100 scale, with pure glucose being 100. A food GI is measured by how much it will raise blood sugar in a 2 hour span.

The glycemic index (GI) underlying theme is a low-sugar, high-fiber, plant-based diet. Most GI lists categorize foods into three groups: Low (less than 55), Medium (55-69), and High (over 70) GI foods. Low GI foods will stimulate the least blood glucose and are presumably better to eat. Vegetables generally are low GI. Foods with lots of sugar have higher values. The GI theory is not cut and dry. Certain factors will skew results, for example: eating protein. Protein will slow the abortion of glucose into the blood. This rule also holds true for fat.

Curious how a low glycemic diet might work for you? Fifty50 wants to help you achieve optimal blood sugar control. They have created a step-by-step experiment that shows how a high glycemic meal will affect a blood sugar, in relation to a low glycemic meal. Check it out and see for yourself is this GI thing is worth mastering.

Hollywood star Halle Berry appeared on NBC's Today Show show this morning for an interview with host Matt Lauer. Lured into discussing the possibility of her eventually having children, Berry (40) stated that being diabetic means she may not be up to the challenge of a pregnancy. She expressed interest in eventually adopting a child instead. Berry was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1989.

This is interesting, because there is in fact no reason why diabetic women should not be able to manage pregnancy -- assuming they stay healthy and keep tabs on their blood sugar levels. Okay, maybe Berry was using her condition as a convenient way to avoid discussing something so personal on national TV. Hey, I don't blame her at all! Also, she may be experiencing diabetes-related health complications that she chooses not to disclose. In any case, I hope her comments don't mislead too many people into thinking that having diabetes is going to compromise major life decisions, like whether or not to bear a child. The fact is, it doesn't have to.