Low Glycemic Eating

What is it?
The glycemic index of food is a ranking of foods based on their immediate effect on blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. Carbohydrate foods that breakdown quickly during digestion have the highest glycemic indexes. Their blood sugar response is fast and high. Carbohydrates that breakdown slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream, have low glycemic indexes.

What is the significance of Glycemic Index?
Low GI means a smaller rise in blood sugar and can help control established diabetes

Low glycemic index foods can be mixed with modest quantities of high glycemic foods without losing their hunger reducing effect. The purpose of the chart is not to have you eliminate those nutritious choices from your diet. Instead, balance the foods that are "less desirable" by eating them with foods that are "desirable."

A low glycemic food plan can be beneficial to:

What should I eat to stay low-glycemic?
The basis of your diet should be low-glycemic fruits and vegetables.  Most fruits are rated as low-glycemic and can be enjoyed even if you plan to lose weight as a key objective to your total health plan.  The only fresh fruits and vegetables that do not qualify as low glycemic are watermelon (the only high-glycemic fruit currently indexed), apricots, bananas, cantaloupes, mangos, papayas, paw paws, pineapples, raisins, and sultanas.  There are all rated as moderately glycemic and are acceptable in limited amounts when you want to avoid then in you are initially focusing on taking off excess fat.
All legumes (most beans) are low-glycemic, as are green vegetables.  Most yellow and orange vegetables are rated moderate on the index, but some, if consumed in their natural state, are low.  However, pumpkin is high.
White potatoes are the worst vegetables on the glycemic index. Eliminate white potatoes from your diet all together, especially if you want to lose weight.
For snacks, eat fruit, nuts or seeds.  Are you surprised to find nuts listed? Nuts are an ideal snack in the glycemic indexing plan, whether you want to lose excess fat or nor.  Nuts contain protein amino acids that are good for the human body.  Cashews, peanuts and especially almonds – all in their natural state and eaten in moderation because of their calories and fat content – are excellent between-or after-meals treats if eaten as recommended.  Your body needs ample protein to succeed on becoming lean.
Since there are no carbohydrate in meat, fish or fowl, none of the glycemic index charts list these foods.  By contrast, daily products, through primary composed of protein, do contain fat and some milk sugar.  Since all sugars are carbohydrates, dairy products are listed on the GI charts.  Remember, you need some good fat and protein, but consume in moderation. (www.becomehealthynow.com)
The Human Nutrition Unit at the University of Sydney has been at the forefront of glycemic index research for over a decade and has tested dozens of foods as an integral part of its program. Jennie Brand Miller (JBM) is the senior author of International Tables of Glycemic Index published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1995.