About Low-Gi foods

When it comes to identifying healthy eating habits, Low Gi foods is one of the biggest
challenges. You ought to understand what glycemic index means and differentiate between foods
with a high and low index. There is currently much information about Low Gi foods on the
internet, ranging from examples of foods and preparation methods. We provide you with all the basics information on healthy eating ideas, and low Gi foods are no exemption.

Low Gi, also referred to as a Low Glycaemic diet, is an eating plan that involves swapping high
GI foods for other alternatives like green vegetables, raw carrots, kidney beans, among many.
These are foods with a number of 55 or lower Indexes. Low Glycemic foods are based on the
fact of the glycemic index, which measures how fast a carbohydrate is converted into sugar by
your body.

This article will help you find all the basic information you need to know about low glycemic
foods. We do not forget about planning, shopping, and cooking of Low Gi foods; therefore,
below is a list of some recommended low Gi foods to buy:

Examples of Low Gi foods

Soy Products
Kidney Beans
Honey
Wholemeal Bread
Potatoes
Short grain rice

We take you through the significant Health Benefits of low-Gi foods:

Help in Losing weight or maintain a healthy weight – Eating Low Gi foods will help you
control your weight. Low Gi foods tend to reduce your blood sugar and insulin amounts,especially if you have type 2 diabetes.
Low Gi foods also reduce your chances of contracting cancer, heart diseases, among
other lifestyle diseases.
Low Gi foods will improve your cholesterol levels hence reducing the risks of heart
diseases.
Appetite control – Eating low Gi foods will increase your blood glucose absorption and
insulin reaction, making you feel hungry, thus giving you the urge to eat.

Factors That Affect the GI of a Food

A number of factors can influence the GI value of a food or meal, including:

The type of sugar: It’s a misconception that all sugars have a high GI. The GI of sugar actually ranges from as low as 20 for fructose to up to 107 for maltose. Therefore, the GI of food partly depends on the type of sugar it contains.
Structure of the starch: Starch is a carbohydrate made up of two molecules, amylose, and amylopectin. Amylose is difficult to digest, whereas amylopectin is easily digested. Foods with a higher amylose content will have a lower GI (2Trusted Source).

How refined the carbohydrate is: Processing methods such as grinding and rolling disrupt amylose and amylopectin molecules, raising the GI. Generally speaking, the more processed food is the higher its GI (2Trusted Source).
Nutrient composition: Both fat and acid slow down the rate at which a food is digested and absorbed, resulting in a lower GI. Adding fats or acids, such as avocado or lemon juice, will lower the GI of a meal (3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).

Cooking method: Preparation and cooking techniques can change the GI too. Generally, the longer a food is cooked, the faster its sugars will be digested and absorbed, raising the GI.
Ripeness: Unripe fruit contains complex carbohydrates that break down into sugars as the fruit ripens. The riper the fruit, the higher its GI. For example, an unripe banana has a GI of 30, whereas an overripe banana has a GI of 48 (5Trusted Source).

What do high Gi foods do in relation to diabetes?

High GI foods break down very quickly causing blood glucose levels to rise sharply. People with diabetes refer to sharp rises in blood sugar levels as ‘spikes’ in blood sugar. Furthermore, for those who produce their own insulin, high GI foods can force the body to try to produce a surge of insulin to counteract the quick acting carbohydrates and a common consequence of this is a feeling of hunger within 2 to 3 hours, which can leave the dieter craving more food. For people with diabetes, this can be particularly dangerous as the ability of the body to control blood glucose levels is reduced or non-existent.

Here are some simple tips to follow that will help you start or achieve a low Gi diet: To find out more on how to benefit from eating low glycemic foods, read this information.

You should eat non-starchy vegetables, beans, and fruits like apples, pears, and peaches.
Eat less -processed grains such as brown rice or whole grains like millet and wheat
berries.
Instead of eating starchy white potatoes and white rice, consume sweet potatoes or
whole-grain pasta.
Eat healthy proteins like beans and fish or poultry with removed skin in most servings.
Eat foods with low-fats like nuts, olive oil, and avocados and take them in moderate
quantities. Reduce your consumption of saturated fats and use unsaturated fats.
Reduce added sugars in your diet.
Do not skip your breakfast.

Getting started on a low glycemic diet can be challenging. We, therefore, take you through
major steps to follow:

First, you need to make smarter Low Gi choices of food. You can do this by first
consulting your physician on your glucose levels.
Check out the Low Gi guide on the internet or through your physician and learn how it
works.
Make a list of major carbohydrates you eat regularly.
Research on the value of each carbohydrate using the low glycemic index guide.
Highlight and get rid of High Gi foods in your diet and replace them with low Gi foods.
Start the habit of consuming low Gi foods.

Having gone through a list of Low Gi foods and understood its health benefits to your body, you
can use the outlined steps to follow if you are a beginner and enjoy your journey on a low
glycemic eating plan.

Find out more information on low glycemic index foods and why you should follow a low GI
diet by reading this information.