June 10, 2004:
Bananas on The South Beach Diet™

Good news! You can now eat a medium-sized banana as part of Phase 2 of The South Beach Diet™.

Why the change? In reviewing the 2002 International Table of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load, a 4-ounce medium (120 gram) banana has a low glycemic index and an intermediate glycemic load — making it an acceptable fruit for Phase 2 .

Here's what this all means: Although the glycemic index (GI) of a food is helpful information in choosing which foods to eat, it is only one part of the picture. The effect a food has on blood sugar levels depends on both the amount of carbohydrate as well as the glycemic index of that carbohydrate, which together is known as the glycemic load (GL).

For this reason the latest international table of the GI ranks foods based on both the GI as well as the GL. The GL better reflects a food's effect on your body's biochemistry than either the amount of carbohydrate or the GI alone.

Many foods can be misrepresented by just looking at their GI. Other nutrients in a food must also be considered. Good carbohydrates are nutrient-dense, slowly digested (usually due to a higher fiber content), and have a low to intermediate GI and GL. Whole fruits offer fiber, vitamins, minerals, and plenty of phytochemicals.

Since bananas vary in size, they had previously been listed as "avoid" or "eat rarely" on The South Beach Diet™. However, with the more complete picture offered to us with the combination of GI and GL, as well as the nutritional contribution of the banana — a fruit packed with fiber, vitamin C and B6, and potassium — we are pleased to offer a medium banana as a fruit choice beginning in Phase 2.

As always, continue to monitor your response to the fruits as you reintroduce them.

In reviewing and investigating the GI and GL (and the constant evolution of information), we strive to update you and provide you with the tools and information to help you make appropriate food choices.