The Facts About Low Glycemic Diets

We all know there are many, many, MANY diet plans on the market right now. Low carb, high carb, high protein, you name it. By now, hopefully, you have learned to recognize the useful information and separate from the bad information to form your own diet plan. One such piece of useful information is the subject of our blood glucose levels.

The GI

You have all no doubt heard of the benefits of a low carbohydrate diet. According to the glycemicindex.com, however, simply eating less carbs may not be your best bet. The people at glycemicindex.com have developed the glycemic index, or GI, which measures the effect that different foods have on our blood glucose levels. Foods that rank low on the GI are "the secret to long-term health reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes and is the key to sustainable weight loss" (glycemicindex.com).

What are blood glucose levels?

So all this talk about blood glucose levels, and you may not even know what that is, or more importantly, what that means for your body. Having low blood glucose levels can reduce risk for heart disease, help control weight, reduce cholesterol levels, and even help you lose weight! Foods low on the GI reduce hunger, so you are full for a longer period of time.

What can I eat on a low glycemic diet?

Glycemicindex.com also offers great suggestions on foods that are low in GI carbs. Breakfast cereals that contain high amounts of oats, barley, and bran are low on the GI. You should also consider reducing the amount of potatoes that you eat, as potatoes are high in "bad" carbohydrates. As always, fruits and vegetables would be a wise addition to your low glycemic diet. Rejoice! Pasta is ok to eat on this diet! And finally, if you are going to eat a bread, choose one that is whole grain or sourdough.

Science Daily hails a low glycemic diet as "the most effective diet for weight loss and cardiovascular health...." A study on sciencedaily.com took 129 overweight people and put them on four different diets, two of which were low glycemic. The results of this study showed that participants in the low glycemic diets, especially women, experienced twice as much fat loss than the others.

Of course, as with any successful diet, exercise must be a large part of the routine. With the promise of lowered risk for heart disease, as well as weight loss, why would anyone not want to try a low glycemic diet?

Sources

http://www.glycemicindex.com/ Retrieved on January 17, 2008

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060726183614.htm Retrieved on January 17, 2008