Glycemic Index

My brother sent me a site today about the Gylcemic Index- which is basically a scale to measure how fast carbohydrate foods break down and their effect on blood glucose. Here is a chart:



Essentially: the longer a food takes the breakdown, the slower the glucose enters the bloodstream, and the longer we feel satiated. Low GI foods also help with weight loss since they keep your insulin levels stable, and so the body doesn't promote fat storage. Here is a list showing some of the foods and their GI score.



You can read more about the Glycemic Index and what foods to eat here.

If I were to recommend a diet, I would recommend the Mediterranean diet. According to the Mayo Clinic, it is based on eating foods from plant sources: fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. You should be basing your meals around fruits or vegetables, while trying to include a whole grain at every meal.

*Note: check food labels on grains. Only 100% is really 100%. Whole wheat means nothing, unless the first ingredient listed is whole grain or wheat. Wheat flour means white flour. The first three ingredient constitute most of the product, so make sure wheat, white, or enriched flour is not listed there. (Real whole grains can be hard to find: Trader Joe's carries a great organic whole grain bread you can try until you find other brands.)

There is also a focus on healthy fats. Nuts are eaten in small amounts. Olive oil (use extra-virgin, it comes from the first pressing of the olives) is consumed in small amounts daily. Fish is consumed at least twice a week. There can also be consumption of poultry, but red meat should be eaten sparingly, perhaps once or twice a month. Instead of salt, use herbs and spices to flavor your food (I love Mrs. Dash!). The best part: you can drink red wine every day and get great heart-healthy antioxidants! Of course you only get the health benefits from a small amount: 5 oz or less a day for women. And of course...be sure to exercise! (this can even just be walking more, playing with the dog, or finding a physical activity like tennis or biking that interests you- make working out fun!)


Even if you don't follow this diet perfectly, try following it for the most part and it will keep you slim and much healthier. Just try to make most of the foods you eat fruits, vegetables and whole grains, with healthy fats from nuts and fish thrown in.

Check out some great Mediterranean Diet Recipes here!

(Photos: diabetic-diet-secrets.com, fitnesstrainingroom.com, gustolab.com)