Glycemic Index Eating Tips:
Some Eating Tips for the Glycemic Index
There are a number of ways to get started on the glycemic index diet.
The first thing you'll need to do is get a copy of a glycemic index (GI) food chart to use for reference. There are many GI chart resources available freely on the Internet so you'll be able to simply print those out and stick them on your fridge.
If you're a diabetic or hypoglycemic taking medications to help manage your blood sugar levels, you'll also need to inform your doctor that you'll be trying the GI diet, or integrating some of the GI principals into your eating plans.
This way your doctor can help monitor your blood sugar levels and adjust your medications as needed.
Diabetics who take insulin regularly will need to keep a close eye on their blood sugar levels too.
Now here are some simple tips for trying the glycemic index food charts in your daily eating plans:
1. Realize there is almost always an alternative food choice.
If you happen to like having oatmeal for breakfast, you can lower the glycemic load and speed of blood sugar impacts by eating old fashioned cooked oatmeal instead of instant. You can try sweet potatoes, or yams, instead of white potatoes. Try boiled white potatoes instead of baked, and try pumpernickel or whole grain breads instead of white.
2. You don't have to avoid most high GI foods; you simply need to eat them in moderation.
Eating smaller food portions will help lower the GI load on all foods, and only eating high GI foods occasionally will help minimize the overall impact those foods have on your everyday blood sugar levels.
3. Think in terms of meals instead of foods.
If you choose to eat a food which has a higher GI rating, you can help minimize the overall impact on your blood sugar levels by having lower GI foods in the same meal. So if you want to have instant oatmeal for breakfast for instance, you can help balance it out a bit by sprinking some fiber bran on top and having strawberries.
Adding proteins, fiber, and good fat food sources can lower the overall GI load of your meal too, as can adding acidic foods such as lemons or vinegar. These foods help reduce the speed at which carbohydrates are absorbed into your body, thus creating a more gradual rise in blood sugar levels instead of quick high ones.
4. Realize that the glycemic index is a guideline to help you.
It's not a set-in-stone diet that says what you can or cannot have. Some foods are very high in nutrition even though they may have a moderate to high GI rating. Don't avoid those foods, just eat them in smaller portions. You need the nutrition they provide.
This article on glycemic index eating tips continues here.
Click Here to share this page with your friends, website visitors, ezine readers, social followers and other online contacts.Disclaimer: Throughout this website, statements are made pertaining to the properties and/or functions of food and/or nutritional products. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and these materials and products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Health & Beyond Online
P.O. Box 755
Earl, NC 28038-0755Contact Us
License, Terms of Use, and Privacy PolicyClick here for Other Chet Day Websites
H&B Online and Content © 1993-2009 by Chet Day
