Low glycemic foods are food products that have low glycemic index or GI. The glycemic index refers to the relationship between carbohydrates and blood sugar. Carbohydrate-rich foods that releases glucose rapidly into the bloodstream after they are quickly digested are considered as high GI foods. Carbohydrates in food that are broken down or digested at a slower pace and release glucose gradually are called low GI foods.
Low glycemic foods are becoming increasingly popular when their connection to weight loss was discovered. Health experts introduced it as the healthy way to lose weight without starving yourself. One of the popular weight loss programs, the South Beach Diet, is actually a form of GI diet.
Why Experts Support the Low GI Diet
- The Food Glycemic Index
- The GI and Weight Loss Connection
- GI Diet and Disease Prevention
1. The Food Glycemic Index
If you want to start a GI diet, check out the food glycemic index first. Food products are classified, based on their GI levels, into three groups: low GI, medium GI, and high GI. Low Gi foods are those whose GI are 55 and below. Medium GI foods are those whose GI range between 56 and 69. Foods with GI of 70 and above are considered as high GI foods.
Low GI foods take longer to digest; these include fruits and vegetables except for watermelon and potatoes, whole grain foods, legumes, milk, yogurt, muesli, porridge, fructose, and foods that are low in carbs.
Medium GI foods include sweet potatoes, table sugar, hamburger bun, white pita, whole wheat food items, beetroot, blueberry muffin, honey, and basmati rice.
High GI foods include corn flakes, baked potatoes, bran, watermelon, croissants, white brand, cereals, white rice, pretzels, donuts, and most breakfast cereals. You may have noticed that each time you eat these foods, you easily feel hungry again soon afterwards. This is because they are rapidly digested.
Several more extensive lists can be found online.
2. The GI and Weight Loss Connection
Based on the glycemix index list, nutritionists advice people to lean more towards the low GI foods than the high GI foods. Although eating high GI foods do have some benefits, such as providing a sudden rush of energy when it is needed, the low GI foods have greater benefits for the body.
The low GI foods make you feel full and satisfied for a longer period of time. If you are trying to lose weight, this means you won’t feel hungry all the time, which means you won’t be snacking a lot. The GI diet is said to be the enemy of crash diets wherein you starve yourself, so it is highly recommended by doctors. It is also better than taking appetite suppressants, which simply does not make you feel hungry but does not satisfy your body. The low GI diet satisfies your body with less food.
Aside from a list of low glycemic foods, you should also look for free GI diet meal plans online. These meal plans already tell you what to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. The entire plan for the day includes foods with low GI but still constitutes a healthy diet that meets the nutritional requirements of the body.
3. GI Diet and Disease Prevention
Aside from helping with weight loss, a GI diet can also help prevent various diseases. Several scientific studies have shown that individuals who maintained a low GI diet for several years had lower risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes and coronary heart disease. This is because both these diseases are caused by high glucose levels or repetitive spikes in blood glucose following certain meals. But without high GI foods that suddenly release high levels of glucose into the blood, the blood glucose remains stable and these diseases are prevented.
A study conducted by the University of Sydney, Australia, also showed that people who ate cereals and white bread for breakfast for a long time increases their risk of getting diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
This is why the GI diet is recommended by several recognized medical organizations such as the American Diabetes Association.
The Low GI Diet and Eating Out
In this fast-paced world, a large number of people now prefer to go eat out at restaurants than prepare meals at home. In such cases, simply pick out menu items with low GI.
So when you’re in a chinese restaurant, best order steamed or stir-friend dishes based around vegetables or lean meat. Noodles are also great, except for fried noodles. In an Italian restaurant, fettucine, spaghetti, and macaroni are low GI pasta. You should also go for tomato-based sauces rather than cheese or cream based ones.
To maintain a diet of low glycemic foods even when eating out, you just have to know what to order.