Low Glycemic Diet

A low glycemic diet, stressing the consumption of foods low on the glycemic index, can help to lower blood sugar levels, reduce the risk of some forms of heart disease and can aid in weight loss. Carbohydrates that do not raise a person's blood glucose levels too much, too fast are considered the more desirable foods to eat on a low glycemic diet. Desirable components of a low glycemic diet include whole grains, vegetables (minus the potatoes), fruits and beans. The eating of fruits is preferred over the drinking of juices. Most breads are to be avoided in this diet, including many that are sold as "whole wheat" bread and actually contain very little percentage of whole grain and fiber in the recipe.Proteins and fats are ignored as components of the diet plans because they do not affect the blood sugar levels. More information about the components of this type of diet is given below. Diets that follow this regimen include the The New Glucose Revolution Diet,Sugar Busters, the Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet

Good Foods for a Low Glycemic Diet

The following foods have a low to medium glycemic index rating and are good to have as main aspects of a low glycemic diet. 

• Whole grain/wheat products - most commercial bread products do not have significant whole grain content. If you can grind your own grain and make the bread, you will know the difference between a real whole grain bread vs. the commercial breads. If you make your own bread, you can grind your own whole wheat flour and rye flour. Rye flour has a lower glycemic index than wheat.
• Brown rice
• Oatmeal - besides having a low glycemic index, oatmeal has other positive physiological effects such as lowering cholesterol.
• Legumes - peas and beans, consider using more peas and beans as substitutes for
• Unsweetened yogurt - fruited yogurts are higher in sugars
• Most vegetables - fresh is always better than canned. Corn has a high glycemic index, however. Cooked carrots have a high glycemic index.
• Most fruits - canned fruits in syrup should be avoided. Fresh fruits have a lower glycemic index than cooked fruits. Avoid the juices because there is usually added sugar.

Foods to Avoid on a Low Glycemic Diet

• Potatoes - very high on the glycemic index.
• White Rice - about as bad as eating potatoes.
• Refined flour products - includes most of the "whole wheat" breads on the commercial market. Stay away from the pancakes, biscuits, and donuts.
• Candy
• Soda - Diet sodas, of course, have no calories and a low glycemic count.
• Raisins - Eat more fresh grapes.
• Cooked carrots - Eat them raw in salads because cooking them releases a large amount of simple sugars which boost the glycemic index.
• Ripe bananas - Bananas that still have a little green on the peel are low to moderate on the glycemic index, but fully ripe bananas are very high.
• Overcooked pasta - Cook the pasta to "al dente" to minimize the simple carbohydrateconversion so you can eat healthier.

A Low Glycemic Diet and the Glycemic Index

There are many ways to lose weight, but the low glycemic diet is a very-often used diet for losing weight and it has been designed specifically for use by diabetics. Avoiding extreme insulin reactions in response to foods that cause spikes of glucose is one of the goals of this diet. Drinking energy drinks while exercising is given as an example of what should be avoided, because the body uses this energy drink as energy and you don't use stored calories in your body and lose weight. One of the interesting facts is that you can combine a low GI food with a high glycemic food to make it have a lower GI impact on blood sugar levels.