Glycemic Index Diet Plan
The Glycemic Index Diet Plan offers a variety of health benefits as well as helping with weight loss. But It is still about your calorie balance- what you eat and burn and the nutrition value of the foods, so you need to combine a low GI diet with regular exercise.
Lean protein, healthy fats, unprocessed complex carbs are all part of a healthy Glycemic Index Diet Plan. The great thing about it is no foods are specifically excluded — you are allowed to choose from a wide variety of tasty and nutritious foods.
Quality, not quantity, of carbohydrates is what counts in a GI Diet. You will not eat highly processed foods like white bread, cookies and biscuits but will replace them with whole grains, vegetables, pulses and fruits.
The purpose is to keep your blood glucose levels stable and increase your energy by choosing the correct type of carbs, keep you feel full longer and help you lose weight.
Foods that are high in glycemic index value cause a sudden spike in your blood sugar and they leave you feeling hungry and tired when the sugar levels drop in a short period of time; while foods that are low in GI generally give you ongoing energy and help you feel full longer. You don’t get bad sugar highs and lows with low GI meals.
The Basic Rules of a Glycemic Index Diet Plan:
• Do not consume too much of processed foods as they are low in fiber and high in GI.
• Choose whole grains such as brown rice, buckwheat and quinoa instead of potatoes and white rice.
• Increase intake of legumes, nuts and seeds and most vegetables andfruits.
• Keep your cooking as fresh, natural and raw possible.
• Eat more pasta and brown or basmati rice than potatoes. • Choose lean meat and low fat dairy products in order to keep intake of saturated fat low, although protein and fats are free foods as far as GI is concerned.
• Overall glycemic value of your meal is what counts. Focus on eating more of foods that will help stabilize your blood sugar levels. Potatoes’ GI value will be lower if accompanied by lean chicken or salad with olive oil and lemon juice dressing.
• Double size portion will have a higher glycemic index value than your normal single size portion, and double the calories.
Low GI Breakfast:
• Continue eating your cereal in the morning, just need to choose the low GI varieties such as porridge with a bit of honey or All Bran cereal. High sugar cereals or corn flakes are quite high in GI.
• Have low fat yogurt with fresh fruits- apples, plums, peaches or oranges.
• Drink unsweetened and fresh orange or vegetable juice.
• Whole grain or rye bread rather than white or whole meal bread.
Skipping breakfast is a good way to lose weight?
Low GI Lunch:
• Low sugar and salt baked beans, but beware of aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame and maybe stevia.
• Vegetable soup with legumes.
• Whole grain or rye bread sandwich with lean chicken, meat or fish with salad.
• Grated or sliced raw vegetables.
• Baked sweet potatoes.
Low GI Dinner:
• Salad- lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomotoes and peppers with lemon juice and vinegar dressing.
• Steamed vegetables.
• Whole meal pasta with lean beef bolognese.
• Chilli con carne with chickpeas and different beans.
• Chicken and vegetable stir fry with garlic, ginger and chili sauce.
• Pan-fried salmon with canellini bean puree.
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Things You Should Not Do After Meals
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