Low Glycemic Index (GI) diet plan was originally developed by Dr. David J. Jenkins and his team to find out the ideal foods for people with diabetes. Due to its numerous benefits, a lot of people have started following this diet as a preventive measure against diabetes and other related diseases. In this article, we will try to understand the underlying concept of GI.
Everything that we consume has an effect on us. Our body needs carbohydrates for a source of energy and these are also essential in carrying out the necessary tasks. There are various foods with varying carbohydrate levels. The GI helps in determining the rank of carbohydrates based on their ability to raise blood-sugar levels in the body. As per the GI, one should try to include foods low in GI to avoid conditions such as diabetes, obesity and other cardio-vascular diseases. In the past few decades, we have seen a rapid increase in the number of cases of diabetes and obesity, so it is high time that we realize the importance of eating the right kinds of foods. The GI also helps people know about the low Glycemic foods for diabetes.
Low GI diet foods aren’t broken down as quickly as foods high in GI, so they offer a sustained source of energy. The body digests these foods slowly reducing the craving for food which results in lesser consumption of calories. In a GI diet, every food is given a rating or an index number which is in the range of 1-100. Foods rated higher than 70 have high glucose levels, those between 56-69 are moderate and those below 55 are categorized as low.
Low GI Foods Help in Weight Loss?
It is widely believed that foods low in GI release required amounts of sugar in the body, which helps us with a steady supply of energy and prevents us from eating too many meals. In our everyday lives, it is often seen that even after having a sumptuous lunch, we often feel the desire to munch on a snack or something sweet. This is because the intake of foods with high GI cause the blood sugar levels to rise in the body for a short period and leaves you hungry and lethargic after some time. Naturally, we head straight to the refrigerator and end up having a high calorie snack or dessert. When this activity is repeated, the chances of becoming overweight and obese increase.
Low GI Diet Foods
People who want to follow a low GI diet are advised to eat foods which have a GI of 55 or lower. Below is the list of foods that can be included in your daily diet as per GI.
| Food | Glycemic Index (GI) |
| Yogurt (sweetened) | 14 |
| Peanuts | 15 |
| Artichoke | 15 |
| Asparagus | 15 |
| Broccoli | 15 |
| Cauliflower | 15 |
| Green beans | 15 |
| Spinach | 15 |
| Tomatoes | 15 |
| Soya beans, boiled | 16 |
| Peas, dried | 22 |
| Cherries | 22 |
| Milk, chocolate | 24 |
| Pearl barley | 25 |
| Spaghetti, protein enriched | 27 |
| Lentils green, boiled | 29 |
| Soya milk | 30 |
| Apricots (dried) | 31 |
| Chickpeas | 33 |
| Rye | 34 |
| Spaghetti, whole wheat | 37 |
| Apples | 38 |
| Pears | 38 |
| Tomato soup, tinned | 38 |
| Wheat kernels | 41 |
| Spaghetti, white | 41 |
| Peaches | 42 |
| Porridge made with water | 42 |
| Oranges | 44 |
| Macaroni | 45 |
| Green grapes | 46 |
| Carrots, boiled | 49 |
| Kiwi fruit | 52 |
| Banana | 55 |
| Sweetcorn | 55 |
Low GI Diet Plan – Pros & Cons
The low GI diet has many advantages for you. It gives an individual the complete know-how about how a certain food would be impacting his body. A GI diet isn’t as strict as some other diet-plans, and acts as a preventive measure for an individual so that obesity and other related issues are kept at bay. Some advantages of low GI diet are :
- A low GI diet is very easy to follow. Unlike other diet-plans, you don’t need to count the number of calories consumed.
- The low GI diet offers various alternatives to people as if the food that you like falls in the high or the moderate category (greater than 55), then you can always choose an alternative food which falls in the low category.
Low GI diet has had to face some criticism as well, as a section of analysts has pointed out that low GI diet is harmful to health as it encourages consumption of those foods which are hard to digest. Let us take a look at some disadvantages of low GI diet food.
- Critics claim that it is difficult to determine the GI of a food accurately, so food that has been categorized as a low glucose food can easily be a moderate or a high glucose food.
- There are certain foods which are normally considered as unhealthy, like chocolate bars, but these have a lower GI than some vegetables.
- The low GI diet plan gives you the information about the components of a meal, but it is difficult to know the GI of the whole meal, which makes understanding what to include in the diet a bit difficult.
These were some of the disadvantages of the low GI diet tool. Although, low GI diet is not the best diet plans yet, but following this diet plan religiously can help prevent various ailments and help achieve a healthy body. Most of the reviews also point out to the fact that this diet plan is one of the easiest to follow and it gives people a flexibility to include different foods in their diet. So, if you are planning to follow a diet, a low GI diet plan can be the one for you.
