Losing weight sustainably is the promise of the low GI diet. A diet that emphasizes fruits and vegetables because they have a low GI and are an excellent source of antioxidants. We tell you more!

Low GI diet: our advice to get started

The glycemic index (GI) is an ally to eat better, but to do this you need to understand what the glycemic index is and how to use it in the development of your meals. In this article we are going to give you some quick tips on how to adopt a Low Glycemic Index diet.

Understanding the glycemic index:

The glycemic index is how quickly a food raises blood glucose (blood sugar). This index is a new way of classifying carbs based on their quality, not size, as opposed to the "simple carbohydrate" - "complex carbohydrate" classification. Foods that contain carbohydrates that are broken down quickly during digestion have a glycemic index higher, meaning that when ingested, the blood glucose response is rapid and massive, while foods that contain carbohydrates that break down more slowly have a low glycemic index, with glucose being released more gradually into the bloodstream, which has many benefits for your health.

Low Glycemic Index Diet

In order to preserve your health in the long term and prevent certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease, it is advisable to adopt a diet with a low glycemic index.

Our consumption of carbohydrates represents between 40 and 55% of our daily intake (grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, tubers and added sugars), so it is important to be able to identify them and choose them well.

Let's see how it goes. First, you need to be able to identify the glycemic index of a food. This glycemic index is calculated on a scale of one hundred, one hundred being the value of glucose. Below 55, the glycemic index is considered low; between 56 and 69 it is moderate; and above 70, it is high. When foods withhigh glycemic index are ingested, the pancreas secretes large amounts of insulin into the bloodstream, causing a spike in insulin, which promotes fat storage and over the long term can lead to diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

As part of a balanced diet, we recommend that you eat as much variety as possible while favoring foods with low or moderate glycemic index. By no means should you remove carbs from your diet, but learn to choose them well.

Low GI diet: some tips

It is important to change your diet gradually starting with the changes that require the least effort and setting small, achievable goals.

Start with breakfast, which is a very important meal of the day because it allows you to recharge with nutrients after the fasting period that is the night. Consider eating a fruit as its high fiber content will lower the glycemic index of your meal. Then eat low GI cereals such as whole grain bread, barley, rye. Add a protein source, seeds or nuts and yogurt or plant-based milk.

At lunch and dinner always choose low or moderate GI starchy foods accompanied by plenty of vegetables and animal or vegetable protein. Eating raw vegetables during your meal will lowerthe glycemic index of it, think about it by incorporating a small salad on the side.

Snacks are often high in calories and low in nutrients, which is why it is interesting to choose snacks with a low glycemic index like fruit, raw vegetables, yogurt, nuts, hummus, ...

And finally, list the foods you usually eat and identify those with a high glycemic index. Then replace them with lower glycemic index foods. Here are some examples:

• Replace white bread with whole grain or cereal bread.
• Most processed grains have a very high GI. Compare them! Very often, in organic stores there are alternatives like chestnut pops.
• Opt for basmati rice, which has a much lower glycemic index (58) than white rice (83) or brown rice (76)
• Make your own cookies by replacing the white flour with wholemeal flour and the white sugar with cane or coconut sugar (you can halve the amount of sugar in your recipe).

List of foods and their glycemic index

Here are some foods listed in a table and classified according to Pr Jennie Brand-Miller.

Now you're ready to adopt the Low Glycemic Index Diet.

If you want to know more, I recommend the book "The glycemic index, an ally for better eating" by Pr Jennie Brand-Miller. It's a very easy read and has plenty of recipes to get you started!