How to Supplement with Low Glycemic Index

When it comes to low-carb diets, many people believe that carbohydrates are not good for health and should be avoided, especially for people who want to lose weight. However, you need to know that there are many types of carbohydrates and each will have a different effect on the body. The Glycemic Index (GI) was created to help us assess these effects. To supplement with foods with a low Glycemic Index, you need to focus on adding whole, unprocessed foods, including fruits and non-starchy vegetables.

Table of Contents

Understanding Glycemic Index

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Understand what the Glycemic Index (GI) is. The Glycemic Index is a scale that ranks foods according to how much they raise the glycemic index. Usually, the GI scale is a comparison to another food, such as glucose alone. ^{[1] X Trusted Source American Diabetes Association Go to Source}

Carbohydrates are ranked according to how they affect blood sugar levels. The higher the GI of foods, the more they affect blood sugar and insulin levels. When the carbohydrates in a food raise blood sugar, that food is considered a high GI. Foods with a low GI do not have a large effect on blood sugar levels, often in the middle GI group. ^{[2] X Research Source}
In fact, the GI is measured by feeding 10 healthy adults (vegetarians) and having their blood sugar checked periodically. The GI is based on averages. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Understand who will benefit from the Glycemic Index. This scale is mainly for people with diseases such as diabetes. Using the GI is very helpful for women with PCOS because their bodies are often resistant to insulin. This syndrome makes a woman’s body resistant to the effects of insulin, causing prolonged high blood sugar and eventually diabetes. Adherence to a low GI food-based diet can significantly reduce hyperglycemia in these subjects. In addition, the GI is also useful for people who want to reduce their carbohydrate consumption or want to lose weight. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Eat low GI foods to feel full. Low GI foods are absorbed more slowly, so they will keep you feeling fuller and fuller for longer. Therefore, these foods will help control cravings. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Looking for food to supplement

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Check out the Glycemic Index (GI) table to identify low GI foods. The easiest way to find low GI foods is to check the Glycemic Index. The GI table gives you information on many low GI foods. ^{[10] X Research Source}

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Focus on adding whole grains. Whole grains fall into the “complex carbohydrates” category and are nearly always lower GI than processed foods. Whole grain bread or pasta, oatmeal, muesli, barley, and lentils all have a low GI. ^{[11] X Trusted Source American Diabetes Association Go to Source}

Beans are also in the low GI group. For example, black beans, navy beans, and kidney beans all have a GI of about 30. ^{[12] X Trusted Source Harvard Medical Schop Go to source}

Claudia Carberry, RD, MS

Nutritionist

Claudia Carberry is a licensed dietitian specializing in kidney transplantation and counseling for weight loss patients at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She is a member of the Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Claudia received her MS in Nutrition from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 2010.

Claudia Carberry, RD, MS
Nutritionist

Combine complex carbohydrates with proteins. According to registered dietitian Claudia Carberry, “Whole-grain carbohydrates are the best choice when you’re following a low GI diet. You need to choose carbohydrates that are rich in fiber and eat them with protein.”

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Eat non-starchy fruits and vegetables. Although some fruits have a high GI, eating non-starchy fruits and vegetables is considered a safe way to supplement low GI foods. ^{[13] X Research Source}

For example, watermelon, grapes, and bananas have a relatively high GI (72, 59, and 62, respectively). ^{[14] X Trusted Source Harvard Medical Schop Go to Source}
Grapefruits, apples, peaches, pears and oranges all have a GI of less than 50. Grapefruit’s GI is the lowest (25). ^{[15] X Harvard Medical Schop Trusted Source Go to Source}

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Eat less processed foods. The more processed the food, the higher the GI. ^{[16] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

This rule, of course, applies to foods in the case of a comparison between whole-grain bread versus white bread, and whole fruit versus fruit juice. ^{[17] X Trusted Source Harvard Medical Schop Go to Source}

Incorporate low glycemic index foods into your diet

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Choose whole grains for breakfast. If you like to eat cereal (hot or cold) in the morning, you should choose cereals with a combination or mostly whole grains, such as oats. In addition, many cold cereals also include whole grains. You can add a little fresh fruit with a low GI like peaches to the cereal. ^{[18] X Trusted Source Harvard Medical Schop Go to Source}

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Do not eat instant food. Instant foods like instant rice often have a high GI, so you should only eat homemade foods. ^{[19] X Research Source}

Instead of eating instant rice, you can cook your own brown rice or long grain rice as they both have a lower GI. ^{[20] X Trusted Source American Diabetes Association Go to Source}

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Choose whole grains over processed foods. For example, you should choose whole wheat bread instead of white bread, whole wheat pasta instead of regular pasta. These foods have a lower GI. ^{[21] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source} You can prepare these foods as usual and in moderation.

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Do not use prepackaged foods as snacks. For example, instead of chips, you can eat nuts; Or eat fruit instead of cookies. ^{[22] X Research Source}

Chickpea cream sauce is also low GI and high in protein. Chickpea cream sauce can be eaten with low GI vegetables like celery or bell peppers. ^{[23] X Research Sources}

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Focus on adding fiber-rich foods. High-fiber foods have a lower GI. You should read product labels carefully to know which foods have enough fiber. It is necessary to add 25-30 g of fiber per day. ^{[24] X Research Source} Whole grains are often high in fiber, so they help regulate blood sugar better. The higher the fiber content in the food, the lower the effect on blood sugar.

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Combine protein with carbohydrates. Even when adding low-GI foods, you should combine them with high-protein, low-fat foods (like fish) to help keep you fuller longer and lower the GI of your meal. ^{[25] X Research Sources}

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Limit foods with a high GI. Foods with a GI of 70 or higher are considered high GI.

Find out which low GI foods (0-55) can replace your favorite high GI foods, like using zucchini noodles instead of regular noodles. Substituting with low-GI foods will help you enjoy your favorite foods while not raising blood sugar levels.
For medium GI foods, you should limit foods with an index of 56-69 and not necessary. Only foods should be kept and consumed in moderation. As such, you can enjoy your favorite foods by consuming mid-GI foods in the healthiest way. For example, use fresh peaches instead of canned peaches.

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Incorporate non-starchy fruits and vegetables into each meal. Vegetables and fruits are high in fiber, which reduces the impact on blood sugar levels. Concentrate on foods with shells/seeds, such as berries. These fruits are the richest in fiber and rich in nutrients. Vegetables are all high in fiber, but cruciferous vegetables in particular have the most benefits. Meals should be made up of at least 1/2 non-starchy vegetables and fruits. You can try preparing a salad of fresh vegetables, along with garnishes like bell peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes, or a combination of fresh apples, peaches, and pears. ^{[26] X Trusted Source American Diabetes Association Go to Source}

Advice

Consult your doctor or dietitian if you want to determine the optimal total GI per day.
While eating foods with a low GI is necessary to improve your health, it is important to remember that it is still possible to eat high GI foods from time to time; however, it should be compensated at the next meal to reduce the total GI of the day.

Warning

The Glycemic Index is not perfect. In fact, food combinations can change their Glycemic values ^{[27] XTrusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to the source} , especially foods high in protein and fat. Food combinations significantly reduce the effect of a high GI on blood sugar. For example, eating natural almond butter with bananas helps balance out the effects of bananas (high GI) thanks to the protein and fat in almond butter.

Steps

Understanding Glycemic Index

Looking for food to supplement

Incorporate low glycemic index foods into your diet

Advice

Warning

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