GI DIET FOODS

Getting familiar with GI diet foods (Glycaemic Index) is your secret weapon to help reduce body fat!! To understand why, we must first explain how the GI works.

Carbohydrates are our main source of energy. When we eat them, they must be broken down in to glucose before it is used to give us energy. The GI ranks carbohydrates effects on blood sugar (blood glucose) levels.

Foods are ranked between 0 – 100. The slower that carbohydrates are converted to blood sugar, the lower that food item is ranked. Obviously then, the higher ranked carbohydrate foods convert quickly to blood sugar.

Now here is the key bit of information that will make the GI your secret weapon. Carbohydrates foods that take longer to convert to blood sugar (lower ranked on GI) help to control appetite and hunger. If the only thing you take out of this discussion is that point, then you have done very well indeed! This is of high importance to you during weight loss because you will be on a restricted calorie meal plan. And what happens when you eat less calories in a day than what you would burn up? You tend to get a little hungry! If you can control your hunger, it will make your weight loss plan that much easier!

As an added benefit, low GI foods are generally great choices from a nutritional standpoint.

How do I stick to low GI?
A rough guide is to use most of you carbohydrates for the day on as many wholegrains, vegetables, and fruit as possible. These foods are also high nutritional value bringing with them many health benefits.

When selecting foods for your meal plan, please refer to the list of GI diet foods table below to determine their GI ranking.

Is it ever good to eat high GI foods?
Most of us will benefit from a low GI diet. However, you can incorporate high GI foods. If you do decide to add foods that have a high GI just make sure you have a smaller portion. A good guide is to mix half and half with low and high GI foods. Keep high GI foods to a maximum of 2 meals per day.

If you are involved with high levels of strenuous exercise, instead of having a low GI snack it is a good idea to consume high GI foods immediately following exercise to replenish energy stores.

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