Using the Glycemic Index (GI) to Choose Carbohydrate-Rich Foods

Excerpt taken from 10 Steps to Healthy Eating – author Leslie Beck RD

(Leslie Beck is a Canadian registered dietitian, a leading Canadian nutritionist and author of several nutrition books.  Leslie also writes a weekly nutrition column in The Globe and Mail and is a regular contributor to CTV’s Canada AM.)

To choose carbohydrate foods that do not cause large increases in blood sugar and insulin, practice the following:

• Use the table below to include at lease one low GI carbohydrate choice per meal, or base two of your meals each day on low GI choices.
• Keep in mind that not all high GI foods are unhealthy, nor should they be avoided.  Carrots have a high GI but are an excellent source of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that may protect from lung cancer.
• Keep in mind, too, that by the same token, not all low GI foods are good for you.  Ice cream may have a low GI, but it’s full of saturated fat and calories.
• Pay special attention when you choose breads and breakfast cereals, since these foods can contribute the most to the high Glycemic load of your diet.
• Avoid eating high GI foods as snacks, since they can trigger a low blood sugar reaction and hunger.
• Include acidic fruits in you diet.  Fruits that are more acidic have a low GI and will help lower the overall GI of your meal.
• Use salad dressings that contain vinegar or lemon juice; the acidity will help reduce the GI of your meal.
• Combine a high GI food with a low GI food to get a meal with a medium GI value.

Here’s a list of foods ranked by their GI value; < 55 = low GI, 55 – 70 = medium GI: > 70 = high GI.  Use this table to plan your meals.

Posted by: Jean Hamilton, 3rd year post-op Roux-en-Y Gastric By-pass patient who has maintained a 300+ pound loss and author of A Fat Girl’s Butterflies: A True Story of Extreme Weight Loss. – www.wlspublishing.com

Related posts:

1. Carbohydrates & Glycemic Index – Made Simple So, before you pick a diet or start eliminating some...
2. The Skinny On Carbohydrates – To Eat or Not! There is a LOT of miss information out there on...
3. How Much Should We Be Eating? Society today has become such a Super-Size It place, that...