Whole Health for your Whole Body – Diabetes

Pharmacy Services

At Calgary Co-op Pharmacy, we provide personalized diabetes services to meet your needs. Our certified Diabetes Educators are trained to provide one-on-one education on nutrition, weight management, and medications. Creating a tailored care plan for diabetes management takes just 15-60 minutes at your local Calgary co-op Pharmacy.

What is Glycemic Index

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a scale from 1 to 100 that ranks carbohydrate-containing foods by how much they raise blood glucose (blood sugar) levels when compared to a standard food such as glucose or white bread.

High GI foods, such as white bread and sugar have a score of 100 and raise blood sugar levels higher and faster. These foods may lead to sudden spikes in blood sugar levels.

Low GI foods, such as whole grain products, lead to smaller and slower rises in blood sugar levels.

Balanced Plate

Adding proteins and healthy fats to your plate help lower the overall GI of your meals and provide you with more balanced nutrition. As a rule of thumb, half your plate should be vegetables, a quarter meats or alternatives, and a quarter grains and starches. To further balance your plate, swap high GI foods for a higher fibre, lower GI options. A balanced diet that contains low GI foods may help you;

• Control your blood sugar level – Low GI foods are digested slower and release sugar into the blood slowly, which can help control your blood sugar levels after a meal.
• Lower your cholesterol levels – low GI foods are often higher in fibre, which can help reduce cholesterol levels in the blood, lowering your risk of heart disease.
• Appetite Control – the extra fibre in low GI foods helps us feel full longer, which can help us lose or maintain weight.

Everyday Low GI Swap

Vitamins & Supplements

Vitamins and supplements are a great option to help you get all your nutrition and support your heart health. At Calgary Co-op, we have a wide selection of both traditional and natural choice vitamins and supplements.

Not sure which you could benefit from? Talk to our Pharmacists.