The Glycemic index is a way to rank carbohydrates according to how they behave in our bodies. Foods that have the least effect on our insulin and blood sugar levels have a very low glycemic index. Foods that send our blood sugar sky high then lead to a crash a few hours later, have a very high glycemic index.
For people with diabetes, a low glycemic index diet is crucial to help control the disease. It also helps in weight loss because foods with a low glycemic index are those that are digested slowly and therefore since they are absorbed slowly, they help delay hunger.
Should I pay attention to the glycemic index?
There are a variety of books that explain how to carefully measure the glycemic index of your foods and there are at least a handful of low glycemic index diets. Certainly if you have diabetes, you have to pay attention to your blood sugar levels. I suppose if you like math, then by all means calculate away.
But honestly, are you really not aware of which foods will send your blood sugar into the sky and which foods provide sustained energy? I strongly suspect that you know you should eat fruits, vegetables and legumes and that you should avoid chips, white bread, etc. There’s no surprise there. But neither is this diet a harmful way to eat–in fact striving for a sustained amount of energy throughout the day is a great way to eat.
Some Tips on Eating a Low Glycemic Diet
* Eat a low processed cereal for breakfast.
* Try to eat a fruit or vegetable with every meal.
* Choose dense, whole kernel grains. (So have a sandwich on multi-grain bread rather than white bread.)
*Replace potatoes with sweet potatoes.
*Combine the healthy with portions of unhealthy. If you must have baked potato for example, eat a large healthy pile of broccoli to go with it.
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