Foods Low on the Glycemic Index

A food's low glycemic index value is used to help a person monitor the blood sugar level. Foods with high index values are not good for our health because they are normally rich in sugar and fat. Foods that have low carbohydrate content can reduce the glucose level in the blood effectively. It can also help to prevent heart disease and diabetes. In addition, it reduces your appetite so that you don't eat often. Foods that are low in carbohydrates will not cause the insulin level in the body to rise quickly. The glucose level in the blood will rise slowly so that you don't feel hungry within a short time frame. You will feel energetic and have more motivation to lose weight.

In evaluating a foods low glycemic index, each food is assigned a value. Foods that are assigned the value 55 and lesser are low glycemic foods. Foods that have values in between 55 - 70 are considered as intermediate rated GI foods. Foods that have values higher than 70 are high index foods. You can mix both low and intermediate rated foods in your diet. To find out the value of each food, you can reference each foods low glycemic index. Foods that are fatty and sugary must be eliminated from your diet. Eating too much will cause your body to accumulate excess fat and become unhealthy.

If you want to maintain a diet of foods low on the glycemic index, you should eat lots of vegetables. Vegetables that have low GI value include green peas, cabbage, mushrooms, tomatoes, carrots, and etc. Bread such as bagels and white bread are rich in carbohydrate so they are not good for our health. You don't have to completely eliminate the food with high GI in your diet. You can eat them once in a while so that your health won't be affected. A healthy breakfast should consist of foods such as muesli, porridge, bran, oats, puffed wheat, mini wheats etc. If you want to eat snacks, you should eat snacks that have lower ratings in the index including sponge cake, hummus, walnuts, raisins, cashew nuts, fruit muffin, Ryvita and honey. Pretzels and donuts are no good for health because they contain lots of sugar.

Many websites contain lists of foods low on the glycemic index. Many foods low glycemic index are published online and there are lots of differences. You can reference different websites and gradually increase your meal variations and food selections. If you are not sure which food should be included in your diet, you can ask your doctor to give you advice or find a good GI guide.