With low glycemic diets, you have the best way to attain normal blood sugar levels, achieve healthy body composition and lose excess body fat.
This is why so many people are still talking about it even though they were first introduced over 20 years ago!
But what exactly are low glycemic diets?
They are diets based on the selection of foods from the low end of the Glycemic Index scale. The Glycemic Index (GI) scale was created by scientists as a way of comparing foods according to the type of carbohydrates found in them.
Before the Glycemic Index was used to create diabetes meal plans, dietitians compared carbohydrate foods by placing them into two categories: simple sugars and complex sugars.
Scientists soon realized that this was far too simple of a way of looking at them, and it didn’t help those with high blood sugar levels attain normal levels either.
And frankly a diabetes meal plan based on this method was misguided.
A Scientific Discovery
Once researchers tested foods for the rise in blood sugar it caused after the food was eaten, a whole new world of science opened up to them.
One-half of a grapefruit raised the blood sugar level half as much as a slice of whole grain bread!
A baked potato raised the blood sugar twice as high as a piece of chocolate!
And ice cream and yogurt had Glycemic indexes about half that of jasmine rice!
As they kept testing foods, they began creating a Glycemic Index list, which gave a rating to all carbohydrates.The higher the GI of a food, the greater the rise in the blood sugar level after that food was eaten. The lower the GI of a food, the lower the rise in the blood sugar level.
By concentrating on building a diet based around foods that were low on the GI list, you could create Low Glycemic Diets, and not only feel better, but possibly show significant improvement in your health and blood sugar levels. This is key for you diabetics out there.
Get Organized
One of the first things to learn about Low Glycemic Diets and the GI is how to categorize foods. I found that being organized simply increases the likelihood of achieving success.
Get familiar with which of the foods you eat have a glycemic index and then group those foods into categories. Low, medium and high GI.
Only foods with carbohydrates are rated on the Glycemic Index. This includes breads, pasta, fruits, beans, starchy vegetables, milk and dairy products, candy, chocolates, pastries, pies, cookies and other desserts.
Fats or proteins on the other hand usually don’t contain even a smidgeon of carbohydrate, so they are rated 0 on the Glycemic Index. No effect on blood sugar levels.
Some foods may contain fat and carbohydrate like peanuts and cashews. Any food that contains carbohydrate is rated on the Glycemic Index
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