I was so happy when I got my Daily Dish email this morning saying that medium sized bananas have been added to the acceptable fruit list for Phase II. Maybe you all knew this already but it made my morning so I thought I'd share.

When I think of what used to be a treat for me compared to what is now it really hits me that I've become a much healthier person with healthier attitudes!

Here's the email I got from The Daily Dish

Bananas on the Beach

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.

This has certainly made my day! I can eat my favorite fruit again!

Got my Daily Dish today, and guess what? We can have a medium sized banana in Phase 2!!! Can I tell you how happy that makes me??? :

Here's the text of the Daily Dish:

Bananas on the Beach

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.

Whew, what a relief. I am still in Phase I, but was disappointed to see that bananas were not recommended... If watermelon would be allowed, I would be in heaven.

thanks for sharing,
lisa z.

Ack, I was so excited that I posted this same info without finding your post first, Traci! Sorry about that! Ruth or Ellis, can you fix it? Sorry!

Beach... I was going to start a new thread about this, but I may as well just ask here:

Do you think getting a subscription to sbd[dot]com is worth the cash? I'm a bit strapped these days, but with this great info coming out, I'm wondering if perhaps I should try to scrape up the money.

Granted, it's so helpful when you guys put this stuff up here -- for that, I'm eternally thankful!

Have these changes been added to the updated food lists on the FAQ and whatnot?

They have not been added to the FAQ list. I may get time later. I just found out about this today! MODs just pop in and out as we can in odd moments of our real lives.

Threads merged.

Ruth -- I wasn't meaning the bananas, I just mean in general, if these Daily Dish updates are added to the lists.

Not being demanding, I swear!

Nope - we don't integrate the Daily Dish Updates with the lists. I guess we should. When things calm down, perhaps we will.
In the meantime, I'll copy the info into FAQ on it's own.

Hmm, if cheesecake were added I would be in heaven - although this is good news.

Kim, sorry, I just noticed this. The Daily Dish is free. You just sign up on the website. No cost, which is my kind of fee!

I have not joined the SBD website because of the money, but I have heard that it's not particularly helpful. You might do a search for the posts on this. They're in this forum, somewhere...