Low GI Life Plan

The glycemic diet is formed from the glycemic index (GI).

If you’re not diabetic or have normal blood-sugar numbers, you may be unfamiliar with the glycemic index.

For those of us who have to constantly measure or be vigilant with our blood-sugar levels, the glycemic index is an important tool.

The glycemic index was created in the 1980s to help people manage and prevent diabetes.

It ranks food based on the amount of time it takes glucose to get into the bloodstream.

Those foods which release glucose rapidly have a higher GI; those that release glucose more gradually generally have a lower GI.

Lower GI scores are better because foods that release glucose quickly can cause spikes in blood-sugar.

This diet contains a mix of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

It focuses on carbohydrates that are lower on the glycemic scale.

The diet is built upon the belief that too many carbohydrates from the wrong sources can cause the body to produce too much insulin.

Excess insulin can cause side effects like  low energy levels and  hunger.

On this diet, 40 percent of your total calories come from unrefined carbs like whole-grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Thirty percent of your calories will come from lean protein sources like fish and eggs.

The remaining 30 percent of your diet will consist of healthy fats like avocados, olive oil, and nuts.

The goal of the meal plan is to include each type of food in every meal so you create balance and prevent wild swings in blood sugar levels.

This diet is proven to be an effective way to lose weight in the long term.

No, it doesn’t promise rapid weight loss like some diet plans.

Yet, precisely because you don’t remove any food groups and maintain a good ratio for each, you can expect the weight to stay off.

Researchers have found that those who ate foods that had a high glycemic load (which includes refined grains, starches, and sugars) gained more weight than those who ate foods with a low glycemic load (foods such as nuts, dairy, and certain fruits and vegetables).

Other research has shown that going lower on the glycemic index (GI) scale will help you lose weight.

Researchers found that the best diets for weight loss were high in protein-rich foods like fish, nuts, and yogurt, which helped prevent weight gain.

Avoiding refined grains, starches, and sugars further helped, as did replacing all meat consumption with other protein-rich foods like fish,eggs and cheese.

The glycemic index diet goes beyond calories; it encourages you to look at the way foods are digested and metabolized in your body and what impact that has on your body weight and how full you feel after eating.

Use a glycemic index list as a weight-loss tool by selecting low-glycemic foods or balancing out a high-glycemic food choice with a lower-glycemic one.

Use the information in the glycemic index list below to add healthy benefits to your food choices.

GI Of Popular Foods

The Shopper’s Guide to GI Values: The Authoritative Source of Glycemic Index Values for More Than 1,200 Foods (The New Glucose Revolution Series)

Despite this slight variation the index provides a good guide to which foods you should be eating and which foods to avoid.

The goal for weight loss on the glycemic index diet is to consume mostly nutritious low-glycemix foods and incorporate medium- and high-glycemic foods rarely.

The glycemic load takes into consideration both the glycemic index of a food and the amount of carbohydrate in the portion of food eaten.

The glycemic load is calculated by multiplying the glycemic index value by the number of grams of carbohydrate, then dividing by 100.

In general, a serving of food with a glycemic load of 1—10 is considered to have a low glycemic load.

11—19 is a medium glycemic load.

and 20 or higher is a high glycemic load.

For those with diabetes, you want your diet to have GL values as low as possible.

The Glycemic Index Range is as Follows:

Low GI = 55 or less Medium GI = 56 – 69 High GI = 70 or more

Breakfast Cereal Low GI All-bran (UK/Aus) 30 All-bran (US) 50 Oat bran 50 Rolled Oats 51 Special K (UK/Aus) 54 Natural Muesli 40 Porridge 58 Medium GI Bran Buds 58 Mini Wheats 58 Nutrigrain 66 Shredded Wheat 67 Porridge Oats 63 Special K (US) 69 High GI Cornflakes 80 Sultana Bran 73 Branflakes 74 Coco Pops 77 Puffed Wheat 80 Oats in Honey Bake 77 Team 82 Total 76 Cheerios 74 Rice Krispies 82 Weetabix 74 Staples Low GI Wheat Pasta Shapes 54 New Potatoes 54 Ravioli 39 Spaghetti 32 Tortellini (Cheese) 50 Egg Fettuccini 32 Brown Rice 50 Buckwheat 51 White long grain rice 50 Pearled Barley 22 Yam 35 Sweet Potatoes 48 Instant Noodles 47 Wheat tortilla 30 Medium GI Basmati Rice 58 Couscous 61 Cornmeal 68 Taco Shells 68 Gnocchi 68 Canned Potatoes 61 Chinese (Rice) Vermicelli 58 Baked Potatoes 60 Wild Rice 57 High GI Instant White Rice 87 Glutinous Rice 86 Short Grain White Rice 83 Tapioca 70 Fresh Mashed Potatoes 73 French Fries 75 Instant Mashed Potatoes 80

Bread Low GI Soya and Linseed 36 Wholegrain Pumpernickel 46 Heavy Mixed Grain 45 Whole Wheat 49 Sourdough Rye 48 Sourdough Wheat 54 Medium GI Croissant 67 Hamburger bun 61 Pita, white 57 Wholemeal Rye 62 High GI White 71 Bagel 72 French Baguette 95 Snacks & Sweet Foods Low GI Slim-Fast meal replacement 27 Snickers Bar (high fat) 41 Nut & Seed Muesli Bar 49 Sponge Cake 46 Nutella 33 Milk Chocolate 42 Hummus 6 Peanuts 13 Walnuts 15 Cashew Nuts 25 Nuts and Raisins 21 Jam 51 Corn Chips 42 Oatmeal Crackers 55 Medium GI Ryvita 63 Digestives 59 Blueberry muffin 59 Honey 58 High GI Pretzels 83 Water Crackers 78 Rice cakes 87 Puffed Crispbread 81 Donuts 76 Scones 92 Maple flavoured syrup 68 Legumes (Beans) Low GI Kidney Beans (canned) 52 Butter Beans 36 Chick Peas 42 Haricot/Navy Beans 31 Lentils, Red 21 Lentils, Green 30  Pinto Beans 45 Blackeyed Beans 50 Yellow Split Peas 32 Medium GI Beans in Tomato Sauce 56

Vegetables Low GI Frozen Green Peas 39 Frozen Sweet Corn 47 Raw Carrots 16 Boiled Carrots 41 Eggplant/Aubergine 15 Broccoli 10 Cauliflower 15 Cabbage 10 Mushrooms 10 Tomatoes 15 Chillies 10 Lettuce 10 Green Beans 15 Red Peppers 10 Onions 10 Medium GI   Beetroot 64 High GI Pumkin 75 Parsnips 97 Fruits Low GI Cherries 22 Plums 24 Grapefruit 25 Peaches 28 Peach, canned in natural juice 30 Apples 34 Pears 41 Dried Apricots 32 Grapes 43 Coconut 45 Coconut Milk 41 Kiwi Fruit 47 Oranges 40 Strawberries 40 Prunes 29 Medium GI   Mango 60 Sultanas 56 Bananas 58 Raisins 64 Papaya 60 Figs 61 Pineapple 66 High GI Watermelon 80 Dates 103 Dairy Low GI Whole milk 31 Skimmed milk 32 Chocolate milk 42 Sweetened yoghurt 33 Artificially Sweetened Yoghurt 23 Custard 35 Soy Milk 44 Medium GI Icecream 62

 

Glycemic Load Table

By choosing low-glycemic foods, you’ll naturally eat fewer calories, feel fuller for longer, and lose weight.

When you follow a low-glycemic lifestyle, you’re not always eliminating the foods you enjoy.

If you enjoy your food choices, you’re more likely to continue with this healthier way of eating.

Strive to maintain an even carbohydrate intake at meals .

GI: How to succeed using the Glycemic Index diet (Collins Gem)

Choose foods that are higher in fiber and monounsaturated fat, enjoy seafood that contains beneficial omega-3 fatty acids more often, and decrease the amount of saturated fat, trans fats, cholesterol, and sodium that you consume.

Fortunately, low-glycemic fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains already meet these heart-healthy nutrition guidelines, so simply incorporating a variety of these low-glycemic foods into your diet each day can help protect you from heart disease.

Lettuce is a very low glycemic index food more so than any other food!

Knowing which foods to eat before, during, and after exercise based on their glycemic index level helps people maximize their energy and recovery time.

The human body digests and metabolizes low-glycemic foods slowly, thereby providing a continued amount of energy for working muscles.

Start your day with a breakfast that’s built on lower-glycemic foods to provide longer-lasting energy and wake up your brain.

Serve a low-glycemic breakfast cereal (such as rolled oats), top it with some fruit, and pour a glass of goats milk for a balanced, low-glycemic breakfast that’ll give you sustained energy throughout the morning.

Food cravings occur for many reasons, both physiological and psychological, but one core cause of food cravings is erratic blood glucose levels.

When your body’s blood glucose levels go through high spikes throughout the day, you can wind up feeling hungry hence the unwanted yet nagging food craving.

Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that are overloaded with high-glycemic foods can also send your blood glucose levels sky-high.

To keep your food cravings under control, choose low-glycemic foods for your meals and snacks,match these foods with protein and monosaturated fat sources.

Hummus Beiruti Recipe: Hummus Beiruti is a Lebanese version of Hummus that adds a copious amount of garlic, bringing a touch of spice to it. Drizzled with olive oil, this dish is mainly paired with wholegrain Pita bread.

Two food groups are generally safe to eat in greater amounts when you want to lose weight: vegetables and fruits.

These foods (particularly vegetables) contain lower calorie levels and lower glycemic loads than most other foods.

As for the calorie factor, a whole cup of raw vegetables or a half cup of cooked vegetables is, on average, a mere 25 calories. That’s a lot of food for such a small calorie amount!

On the fruit side of things, most fruits tend to have a low-glycemic load, and one small piece averages out to 60 calories. Sure, that’s not as low as the veggies, but it’s still lower than many other food groups.

Of course, you can’t pursue weight loss and health without taking a look at all the foods you consume, including your protein and fat sources.

Some examples of lean-protein sources are skinless chicken breasts, lean cuts of beef and  eggs, fish  and soy foods like tofu.

Believe it or not, fat is healthy when it’s the right kind and when you consume it in moderate amounts.

Omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish, chia seeds, and flax seeds (among other foods) are essential for good health.

Look for unsaturated fat sources, specifically oils, seeds, nuts, nut butters, olives, and avocados.

Do your best to limit saturated fats like butter and cream, and avoid trans fats like hydrogenated oils.

 

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Eating the right amounts of low-glycemic fruits and vegetables along with portion-controlled low-glycemic starches is great, but if you’re pairing those foods with excessive amounts of butter, oils, or high-fat meats, your hard work may all be for nothing. Pay attention to your portion sizes!

Low-glycemic foods can become high-glycemic foods if you eat too large of a serving.

The low-glycemic status of many foods is dependent on you consuming the right portion size, meaning if you eat more than that amount, your glycemic load will add up.

So if you eat two servings of pasta rather than one, you wind up with a higher glycemic load for that whole meal.

More food equals more calories.

Adding more calories with large portion sizes will defeat your efforts at weight loss quickly.

Whether or not your calories are coming primarily from low-glycemic foods, eating too many of them raises your insulin levels and causes you to gain weight.

Portion sizes are probably one of the biggest culprits in weight gain.

People are eating larger portion sizes than ever these days, a fact that correlates directly to the rate of weight gain in many countries.

Glycemic Index Diet Plan

The Gl Cookbook and Diet Plan: A Glycemic Load Weight-Loss Program with Over 150 Delicious Recipes

 

Eat more of the Following Carbohydrate Foods

All green vegetables including broccoli, courgettes/zucchini, green beans, kale All white vegetables including cauliflower, white cabbage, mushrooms, radishes All salad vegetables such as lettuce, cucumber, peppers, tomatoes Whole fruits such as apples, cherries, grapefruit, pears, plums, oranges, strawberries, peaches Pulses such as lentils, chickpeas and dried beans Seeds such as linseeds/flax, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame and hemp Nuts such as almonds, brazils, walnuts, pine nuts, macadamias and peanuts Plain yoghurt High fibre, unsweetened cereals High fibre, whole grain bread * Sweet potatoes * Whole wheat pasta * Brown basmati rice, buckwheat grains, quinoa, bulgur wheat, pearl barley *

* whole grains, starchy vegetables and some fruits are in between on the GI scale – treat them cautiously until you know you can include them in your diet and still lose weight

Cut out or Severely restrict the Following Carbohydrate Foods

Starchy vegetables such as parsnips Fruit yogurts and desserts high in sugar such as imitation mousse Fruit juices White bread, baguettes, bagels Cream crackers, white rice cakes Iced cakes and pastries, filled biscuits/cookies, doughnuts Scones, crumpets, waffles Sweet pies Fruit canned in syrup Breakfast cereals containing sugar Baked and mashed potatoes, chips/fries White rice Corn and rice pasta Pizza High sugar jams/jelly Crisps/chips and other potato- and corn-based snacks Fruit drinks containing added sugar Fizzy drinks containing sugar Sweets/sugar candy and chocolate bars/chocolate candy Thickened soups Table sugar Ice cream containing glucose syrup or high levels of other sugars

Swap these higher GI foods…	… for these lower GI foods
Refined sugary cereal	Old-fashioned oatmeal porridge
Cornflakes or rice krispies	All bran or muesli
White bread sandwich	Whole grain / granary bread sandwich
Baked potato	Basmati rice, wholegrain rice or sweet potato
White rice	Basmati rice or wholegrain rice
Biscuits/cookies	Small handful of nuts, or raw vegetable sticks
Cola or other regular fizzy drink	Caffeine free herbal tea (or better still, water)
Sweets/sugar candy	Apple or pear or other low GI fruit
Fruit-filled chocolate bar	Plain dark chocolate (70% or more cocoa solids)
Jam/jelly or marmalade on toast	Egg on toast
Curry with rice	Curry with chickpeas or lentils
Rice cakes	Oatcakes
Pretzels	Walnuts

Follow a meal plan that is tailored to a healthy lifestyle and helps achieve goals for stable blood glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides levels, blood pressure, cholesterol and weight management.

For more great Health and Nutrition Tips refer to the website positivehealthwellness.com.

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