How a Glycemic Index Diet Plan Works
Glycemic index diet plan – glycemic index is being used to measure the effect of a certain food in your blood sugar level. Foods with a GI value of 55 and less are considered as low GI foods. Foods with a value of 56 to 69 are moderate GI and high GI for those with a value of 70 and above. These values make it easier for people to devise their own glycemic index diet plan.
Prevent Complications…
Glycemic index is beneficial for researchers as well. Foods with high GI value can have great effect on the levels of your blood sugar, thus causing it to spike and the opposite happens with foods that has low GI value. For diabetics, foods with low GI value are high recommended as this can prevent complications with their current health condition. This is also beneficial for those who are suffering from obesity and those who are simply trying to lose weight or maintain a normal weight.
Glycemic Load…
However, when you are devising your own glycemic index diet plan, it would be necessary to look into the foods glycemic load as well. Glycemic load is the measurement of the amount of foods consumed at a given time. For example, watermelon has a GI value of 72. If you are to multiply it by 150 and divide it by 100, the result would be the glycemic load of the food. If you ate watermelon with a GI value of 72 and an amount of 150 grams that would be equivalent to 108 and that is very high.
Glycemic Index Value…
When devising your own glycemic index diet plan, make sure that you follow the general rule. If the GI value of the food is low, then the glycemic load would be low as well. The foods that you eat when trying to control your blood sugar level, as well as the foods that you eat when trying to lose weight should be the same. Some of the foods that you can include in your glycemic index diet plan include fruits, green leafy vegetables, beans and full sprouted grains.
Food Preparation…
Take note that the preparation of the foods that you include in your glycemic index diet plan can also affect the GI or the GL value of a certain food. For example, if you eat raw vegetables, your body will have a hard time breaking it down. This means your blood sugar will not rise for a certain period of time. The GI rating would be higher if you steam the veggies as they can be digested easily.
Reduce Weight…
If you are trying to reduce weight, then make sure that you consume foods with very low GI value alone. However, before and after working out, make sure that you consume foods with moderate GI value. Following a glycemic index diet plan can help you maintain normal levels of insulin in your body and prevent your blood sugar levels from spiking. However, before coming up with your own GI plan, make sure that you consult your physician first to determine if it would be beneficial for you or not.
