The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of foods based on their potential to raise blood glucose.

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1 What is the Glycemic Index? The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of foods based on their potential to raise blood glucose. Why is the level of blood glucose important in regards to eczema? A high blood glucose can cause the body to become inflamed, resulting in breakouts of eczema, acne, psoriasis, and a variety of other skin afflictions. Other side effects of a high blood glucose (an increase in blood sugar) include, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, hyperglycemia, fatigue, migraines, fatigue and drowsiness. How do the foods impact the blood glucose? The impact a food will have on a blood glucose level can depend on many factors. For example, ripeness, cooking time, fiber and fat content, blood insulin levels, and recent activity. Because of this, the glycemic index is not to be used always in isolation. However, most people can use the glycemic index as a general guide to determine which foods cause a spike (high rise) in blood glucose. How do we determine which foods to eat? The glycemic index ranks foods from Foods ranking 1-50 are considered "low" and won't raise your blood sugar as fast compared to foods ranking which are considered "high". If you don't want to see an increase in your blood glucose, and are trying to prevent outbreaks of eczema, then an easy way is to consider eating foods ranked 50 or lower. Here are some tips to get you started: 1) Limit high sugar (ranking 50+) FRUITS to 1 serving per day. Fruit juices should be kept to a minimum during the Flawless Program as they are stripped of all fibers and high in sugar that can quickly raise blood glucose. 2) Eat VEGETABLES often as they have a low sugar content. However, some of the more "starchy" vegetables like white potatoes should be eaten in smaller amounts as they are higher on the index. 3) Avoid ALL HIGHLY REFINED GRAINS, including white and wheat flours, white breads, bagels, crackers, cereals, chips, pretzels, etc. Commercially baked processed goods such as cakes, cookies, pancakes and waffles should also be avoided. 4) Proteins (red meats, chicken, fish, eggs, etc.) and good healthy fats such as those found in avocados, coconut oil, butter, extra virgin olive oil and fish should be eaten in large amounts. These cause little to no raise in the blood sugar level, and as long as they aren't processed are good for you to eat. 5) Sugary drinks spike your insulin levels high. Stick to water or carbonated water (without sugar).

2 6) Keep in mind that just because a food is low on the glycemic index doesn t necessarily mean that it s healthy. Further, eating an unhealthy excess of food that is low glycemic index may increase your blood glucose. Moderation is key. The glycemic index should be used as a general guide, not as a rule book. Note: For the sake of knowledge, foods in the form of PASTA, BREAD, and DAIRY are included. However, during The 30-day Flawless Program, it is best advised to AVOID these. If you are looking for a food that isn t included in the list below, it is encouraged to do your own research online to determine the index of that food. Click this link to search for ANY food on the Glycemic Index:

3 Glycemic Index of Common Foods 1-50 LOW (CONSUME) MEDIUM (EAT SOMETIMES) HIGH (AVOID) Sugars Stevia 0 Low Xylitol 7 Low Agave Nectar Low Brown Rice Syrup 25 Low Raw Honey Medium Lactose 46 Medium Raw Sugar 65 High Turbinado 65 High Glucose/Dextrose 100 High Table Sugar 80 High Grains, Rice Barley 48 Low Barley, Cracked 50 Medium Barley, Rolled 66 High Cornmeal, Boiled 69 High Couscous 69 High Millet 71 High Rice, long grain, white 56 Medium Rice, short, white High Rice, brown High Fruits Apples, whole 38 Low

4 Apricots, raw 57 Medium Apricots, dried 31 Low Banana, underripe 30 Low Banana, overripe 52 Medium Cantaloupe 65 Medium Cherries 22 Low Dates 103 High Grapefruit 25 Low Grapes 49 Medium Kiwi Fruit Medium Mangoes 51 Medium Oranges 51 Medium Papayas 59 Medium Pears 42 Low Pineapple 66 High Plums 53 Medium Raisins 64 Medium Strawberries 40 Low Watermelon 72 High Vegetables Broccoli 10 Low Cabbage 10 Low Lettuce 10 Low Mushrooms 10 Low Onions 10 Low Red Peppers 10 Low Carrots 49 Medium Green Peas 48 Medium

5 Corn, fresh 60 Medium Beets 64 Medium Pumpkin 75 High Parsnips 97 High Yam 37 Low Potatoes, sweet 44 Low Potatoes, canned 65 High Potatoes, skinned, mashed 70 High Potatoes, fried 75 High Potatoes, red, skinned 88 High Beans and Peas Channa Dal 8 Low Chickpeas, dried 28 Low Kidney Beans, dried 28 Low Lentils 29 Low Lima Beans, frozen 32 Low Yellow split peas 42 Low Chickpeas, canned 42 Low Blackeyed peas 42 Low Baked beans 48 Medium Kidney beans, canned 52 Medium Soups Tomato 38 Low Lentils 44 Low Black bean 64 High Pea 66 High

6 Dairy Yogurt, without added sugar 23 Low Yogurt, sweetened 33 Low Whole milk 31 Low Skim milk 32 Low Bread Bread, white High Bread, whole wheat High Muffins, Cakes, Pancakes Average High Pasta Fettuccini, egg 32 Low Spaghetti, whole wheat 37 Low Spaghetti, white 38 Low Spiral pasta 43 Low Cappellini 45 Low Linguine 46 Low Macaroni 47 Medium Rice vermicelli 58 Medium