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Glycemic Index Diet Food
The Glycemic Index is a measure of carbohydrates.
Glycemic Index Diet Food refers to food with a low glycemic index.
The glycemic index refers to the effect that the carbs have on our
blood glucose levels.
When we eat high glycemic index carbs, our blood glucose level rises
and remains high while our body processes the food.
When we eat food with a low glycemic index, our blood sugar rises only
by a small amount. When we eat low glycemic index foods our energy
level is more constant and we feel fuller for longer.
Scientists have shown that eating carbohydrates with a low glycemic
index encourages weight loss and is better overall for weight
management and our health.
Foods that are low on the Glycemic Index therefore are great diet foods.
Scientific research has shown that these are also much better for
people who suffer from diabetes.
Foods that are low on the glycemic index are wholegrains like oats,
barley and bran.
Potatoes are ranked high on the glycemic index and as such as not a
good glycemic index diet food, even if you skip the butter and sour
cream.
Pasta, on the other hand, is ranked low and so switch from potatoes to
pasta if you are in the mood for some comfort food, but eat pasta with
tomato sauce, not with heavy, creamy sauce.
However, don’t use this knowledge as an excuse to over do it. You still
need to count overall caloric intake if you want to be sure of
maintaining or losing weight.
Glycemic index diet foods, such as whole grains and pasta, have been
shown to have a secondary effect of continuing to produce their
benefits in the body even if the next meal you eat is not necessarily
rich in low glycemic index foods. So it is worth trying to incorporate
foods low on the glycemic index every meal.
The great part about this fact is that if your diet is rich enough in
low glycemic index foods, you don’t have to eat them to the exclusion
of all other carbohydrates.
So what are
glycemic index diet foods?
Most fruit, vegetables and legumes are classified as low glycemic
index, along with whole grains. Not all vegetables rank low however.
Potatoes, parsnips and sweet potatoes have a higher GI so be careful
with quantities if you eat these.
Remember, a food has to be a carbohydrate in order to have a glycemic
index. Refined sugars, white flour and other highly processed carbs are
high glycemic index, whereas unprocessed sugars, such as raw cane
sugar, rank lower.
Since meat, poultry, cheese and other proteins don’t contain
carbohydrates, you can’t measure the glycemic index in these foods.
Good fruits and vegetables to eat include apples, pears, citrus fruits,
pineapple, papaya, apricots, plums and peaches.
Also very low on the glycemic index are lentils and chickpeas and all
kinds of beans. Most kinds of nuts, including peanuts, are also low GI
foods, but these are also high in fat, so include them in your diet but
eat them in moderation.
Philip Kustner
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The
information found in and throughout The 7 Habits of Weight loss
(www.7habitsofweightloss.com) is not intended as a substitute for the
advice or treatment that may have been prescribed by your physician.Information
found here should NOT be construed as definitive or binding medical
advice and is NOT intended to diagnose, prescribe, nor endorse any
brand of products or services. Always seek the advice of your physician
or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new weight loss or exercise regimen or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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