The Skinny on Low Glycemic Index Foods

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If you’re interested in starting to eat foods low on the glycemic index and are looking for where to start, you have come to the right place. The beauty of the low glycemic index food diet is that you can eat almost anything you like but just make smarter choices so that your blood sugar levels are stabilized and you are not reaching for that candy bar minutes later. Any diet which would day you can eat humongous portions of French fries and chocolate cake and still lose weight is probably a scam. However the science behind low glycemic index foods make sense and many doctors even approve it for people with diabetes, other insulin issues, simple obesity as well as those suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome, more commonly known as PCOS.

Food Diary

Keep a food diary of what you normally eat for a week so that you get started on the right foot. If you graze all day instead of having three square meals, then jot each and every snack down. Once you’re done, that look up the glycemic index or GI value of the food on websites or books that you may have. In this article we have included some sample GI values to help you chose low glycemic index foods. Once you have the GI values figure out, try to cut back on 70+ foods and incorporate more under 50 point value foods into your diet. If there is something that you are really craving, try to offset it by adding lime juice or vinaigrette dressing that lowers the GI value and could make a medium value food in to a low glycemic index food

Quick Facts About the Glycemic Index

Foods that have a high glycemic index (gi) increase the sugar levels in the body rapidly while low glycemic index foods slowly increase the body;s sugar levels.
Eating low glycemic foods could help you lose weight. Properly done, you can sustain energy levels for a longer time period while eating less.
The response to a food with a particular glycemic index varies among individuals, depending on factors such as age, health, metabolism, etc.

Some Examples of Low Glycemic Index Foods

In the fruits and vegetables category, cherries are known to be the lowest on the fruit glycemic index of foods with just 22 points. Other good choices are grapefruits, prunes and pears. Household staples like apples, bananas and oranges range in the middle and high GI value fruits that should be cut down on include dates (103), watermelon and fresh pineapple.

Mushrooms, broccoli cabbage and carrots are a mere 10 points on the GI index and therefore easily qualify as low glycemic index foods. Apart from a few high point values like pumpkins and parsnips, most other veggies are good for you – just like your mother always told you. In the dairy aisle, try to stick to yogurt and skim milk as they qualify as low glycemic index foods as compare to ice creams and whole milk varieties.

Our goal is to provide you with the best information possible on living better through a low glycemic index diet. Please check back often as new posts are always being added.

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