Posts Tagged ‘low gi foods’
The glycemic index was developed by a group of Canadian researchers in the 1980s that were attempting to make life a little easier for diabetics by keeping their blood sugar levels from fluctuating. The end result was a very useful tool that is referred to as the food glycemic index or “GI” for short.
The food glycemic index enables users to look at almost any food and instantly see a number that will tell them how much that food will impact their blood sugar levels. Obviously, this tool takes out much of the guesswork involved in the process and has no doubt saved lives.
One of the major ways that the index has impacted individuals is that it has changed the way that users shop for food. Armed with the GI, users can make safer and smarter choices built around the knowledge of how much their blood sugar levels will be changed by a given food.
Shopping can still be tricky, of course. But with the food glycemic index, choices can be a bit less murky. However, without a photographic memory or a copy of the GI in hand, there are still some general rules that can be followed to help shoppers may better food buying decisions.
The easiest way to shop for low GI foods is to stick with as many fruits and vegetables as possible. This may seem like an obvious point, but it bears repeating. If one studies the index for even a moment, it quickly becomes obvious that the superstars of the index are fruits and vegetables. As a result, one of the easiest moves someone looking to eat on the low side of the food glycemic index can make is to keep the bulk of their shopping in the fruit and vegetable category.
By opting for fruits and vegetables, one naturally reduces one’s reliance on processed food and the sugar and white flour it often contains. Food based on white flour should be avoided; other picks such as rye and oatmeal are far better choices. By selecting breads and other carbohydrates that are lower on the food glycemic index, one can take a massive step toward avoid many of the high GI foods.
Sugar is obviously a high GI food and avoiding it should be your priority. One clear way of doing this is to pass on the soda and sugary packaged drinks. A good alternative is to make your own juice with a juicer at home. Fruits and vegetables are low on the food glycemic index. By juicing at home, you will know that no sugar has been added to your juice. While this may be time consuming, consider juicing enough juice for the entire week. Of course, this does mean buying enough fresh fruits and vegetables while at the store. There are lots of great juicing recipes so you should never feel limited.
With a little planning, a good cookbook and a juicer you can reduce the amount of foods you eat that are high on the food glycemic index. Shopping is where the entire process begins. With a little forethought, you can shape your meals and your diet in advance.
Jonathan is main contributor and co-creator of the new Glycemic Index info based web-site: <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="”http://the-glycemic-index-guide.com”>http://the-glycemic-index-guide.com/””>http://the-glycemic-index-guide.com . Get lots more info there on the <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="”“>http://the-glycemic-index-guide.com/food-glycemic-index/””> Food Glycemic Index and also check out our free 10-part mini-eCourse, “Glycemic Index Secrets”, it might be all you’ll ever need (and did I mention it was free!!) Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/shopping-and-the-food-glycemic-index-1715793.html
The glycemic index is a valuable health and nutrition tool that can be used in a wide-variety of ways. The GI can be used to help one make smarter choices while eating out or even when dining in. For those who are looking to keep their blood sugar levels from spiking, using the index is an absolute must. When eating at home, low glycemic index recipes are a surefire way to make sure that you will avoid the dangers and highs and lows of spiking blood sugar levels. Fortunately, this is quick and simple. In fact, even if you don’t cook, you can incorporate more low GI foods into your diet.
Low Glycemic Index Recipes by Way of Soups and Salads
Even if you don’t know your way around the kitchen, you can always make a salad. Salads are loaded down with healthy and nutritious greens that your body is craving. After eating them for just a few days, you will start to wonder why you haven’t been eating more of these vitamin packed wonders.
Just as salads take full advantage of the GI, the same can be said of soups. There are many soup recipes that are also low glycemic index recipes. Soups are an easy and potentially tasty, way to bring additional low GI foods into your every day food experience. Soups rich in beans and vegetables are a way to significantly increase the amount of food that you eat that is low on the GI. Consider adding ample amounts of spices, such as red pepper, sage and other nutrient rich spices to increase both the favor of your meal and its nutritional value.
Cookbooks are obviously the place to go when looking for low glycemic index recipes, but some cookbooks will be much better than others. Vegetarian and vegan cookbooks are more likely to have good low GI recipes than most other cookbooks. In particular, vegan cookbooks, due to the fact that so much of a vegan diet revolves around fruits, vegetables and nuts, are a fantastic idea for anyone seeking low glycemic index recipes.
The Power of Cookbooks
Vegetarian and vegan cookbooks often are loaded with recipes that use good, healthy fats. These are the fats you will find in coconuts, avocados and nuts. By properly utilizing these healthy fats you will be able to keep many of your food cravings as bay and have a nutritious and healthy meal at the same time. When looking for low glycemic index recipes, take full advantage of what these cookbooks have to offer.
Soups and salads are just two of the many ways that one can eat more food, which is low on the index. Vegan and vegetarian cookbooks are full of low GI recipes that will truly help anyone who is looking to avoid high GI foods. With a little time, patience and research, it is definitely possible to eat a diet richer in low GI foods. Low glycemic index recipes are out there… and there are recipes for all tastes and all types of dieters!
Jonathan is main contributor and co-creator of the new Glycemic Index info based web-site: <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="”http://the-glycemic-index-guide.com”>http://the-glycemic-index-guide.com/””>http://the-glycemic-index-guide.com . Get lots more info there on <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="”“>http://the-glycemic-index-guide.com/low-glycemic-index-recipes/””> Low Glycemic Index Recipes and also check out our free 10-part mini-eCourse, “Glycemic Index Secrets”, it might be all you’ll ever need (and did I mention it was free!!) Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/how-to-create-low-glycemic-index-recipes-more-choices-than-you-think-1667417.html