Proper nutrition, as well as dietary programs for weight loss and exercise, is a complex, multilevel process that depends on many factors. One of the key points in this aspect is the feeling of satiety, which often prevents a person from sticking to a proper nutrition plan and achieving their goals. Cutting calories with fruits, vegetables and a variety of yogurts will not have the desired effect if a person does not feel satiated from the food. The lack of a feeling of satiety is in direct relation to the speed at which the body digests certain foods. In turn, the speed of digestion depends on the type and content of carbohydrates in the product and the level of glucose that enters the body with a particular food. The rate of absorption of nutrients in the body for a particular product is determined by the glycemic index.
This index was compiled in 1981 by Professor David Jenkins of American University. For 10 years, the professor studied the effect of carbohydrate products on the rise and fall of blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. As a result of the study, the professor found that not only sweets, but all other foods, particularly foods high in starch, affect blood sugar levels. This theory became the basis for the following medical and nutritional research.
Currently, the glycemic index values of foods are used with high efficiency in a variety of industries, including pharmaceuticals, medicine, sports nutrition and the food industry. The glycemic index of foods is most widely used by athletes and diabetics, who must strictly monitor their diets to keep their bodies in better shape. Proper nutrition on the basis of GI has become the basis of many modern diets of various orientation, including diets for professional athletes and diets for people who want to lose weight in the most comfortable way and without risks to health.
Glycemic Index for Weight Loss. How to choose low GI foods for weight loss
The GI diet is one of the simplest and most common. The basis of this diet for weight loss is to minimize the consumption of food with a high GI index, which favorably affects the level of sugar and the degree of satiety after a meal.
Biologically, the essence of this diet is to replace simple carbohydrates with their complex counterparts, since simple carbohydrates are characterized by rapid digestion and provoke a rapid rise in sugar levels. It is worth noting that sudden changes in glucose levels are precisely the main reason for the false sense of hunger after a meal. In addition, fast carbohydrates, which are contained in products with high GI levels, have a high degree of fat deposits, which appear primarily in the hips and abdomen. Complex carbohydrates have exactly the opposite mechanism of action: slow digestion, no sugar level fluctuations, long saturation of the body.
It is possible to distinguish between simple and complex carbohydrates by means of the glycemic index. This index shows the level of sugar increase relative to the eaten product. These indicators were calculated back in 1981 by David Jenkins and are contained in special tables that will be presented below.
It is optimal to choose foods with a zero index for the food plan. These foods include most types of cabbage, radishes, sweet peppers, chicken, turkey, lamb, tea, coffee, and most types of fish, including bream, cod and bass. In addition, zero index foods include almost all common types of oils and even mayonnaise.
Nevertheless, it is not recommended to use only zero-index products for weight loss either. The whole point of the diet is to reduce the index, not to reduce the index to zero, because glucose in moderate amounts is useful and extremely necessary for the body.
Among the stages of weight loss according to such a method are distinguished…
Direct weight loss
Concludes in the transition to a diet based on products with low GI. It is important that the portions are small in size. This stage lasts for several weeks, until the moment when the weight indicators are not fixed at some individual level.
Consolidation of the obtained effect
At this stage, it is allowed to consume foods with average GI values. However, consumption of foods with high starch content is highly discouraged. The second stage also lasts for several weeks.
Fixing the result
Simplification of the diet and the transition to a regular diet based on foods with medium and low GI values.
Basic rules of the GI diet
- Small consumption of meat and fish not before the second stage.
- Meals 5-6 times a day in small portions, where 3 main meals and some snacks.
- The last meal should be held no later than 3 hours before bedtime.
- Rejection of fatty foods and semi-finished products, regardless of their GI level.
- Consumption of as unprocessed foods as possible, as a rule, the processing of foods increases their glycemic index.
A list of low GI foods that will help you lose weight
The entire list of low GI foods is quite extensive. Nevertheless, for effective weight loss, you can limit yourself to the most common and available foods.
Table of weight loss foods with low glycemic index
Name/Index
Vegetables
- Parsley, basil 5
- Dill 15
- Lettuce 10
- Fresh tomatoes 10
- Fresh cucumbers 20
- Onions raw 10
- Spinach 15
- Asparagus 15
- Broccoli 10
- Radish 15
- Fresh cabbage 10
- Sauerkraut 15
- Braised cabbage 15
- Cauliflower stewed 15
- Brussels sprouts 15
- Leeks 15
- Salted Mushrooms 10
- Green peppers 15
- Red Pepper 15
- Garlic 30
- Raw carrots 35
- Green peas fresh 40
- Boiled lentils 25
- Boiled beans 40
- Eggplant caviar 40
- Green olives 15
- Olives 15
- Roasted cauliflower 35
- Sorrel 15
- Batat, sweet potato 50
- Eggplant 20
- Artichoke 20
- Celery 15
- Chili pepper 15
- Zucchini 15
- Ginger 15
- Rhubarb 15
- Spinach 15
Sweets
- Lactose 46
- Fructose 20
- Bitter Chocolate 22
Dairy products
- Skimmed milk powder 30
- Yogurt 0% 27
- Skimmed cottage cheese 30
- Pudding 43
- Fruit yogurt 36
- Whole milk 3% fat 27
- Natural Yogurt 35
- Soy milk ice cream 35
- Chocolate Milk 34
- Soy milk 30
Juices and drinks
- Pineapple juice 46
- Coconut milk 40
- Lemon juice without sugar 20
- Carrot juice 43
- Tomato juice without sugar 38
- Fresh squeezed orange juice 40
- Sugar free apple juice 40-50
Dried fruits
- Peanuts, salted, roasted 14-20
- Walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews 15-20
- Almond 15
- Sunflower 35
- Flax seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds 35
- Pumpkin seeds 25
- Dried apples 25
- Dried figs 40
- Prunes 40
Fruit. Berries
- Apricot 15
- Avocado 10
- Quince 35
- Grapes 40-46
- Cherries 22-30
- Cranberry 45
- Grapefruit 22-25
- Raspberry 25
- Strawberry 25-40
- Manadarin 30
- Plum 22
- Nectarine 35
- Pamela 30
- Blueberry 25
- Orange 35
- Pear 34
- Strawberry 32
- Peach 30
- Apples 30
Cereals. Porridge
- Wheat 41
- Barley 25
- Buckwheat 50
- Oatmeal 49
- Porridge 40
- Perlovka 22-30
- Wild (black) rice 35
- Basmati rice 50
- Brown rice 50
Bread
- Fruit bread 47
- Bran bread 45
- Pumpkin bread 40
- Rye bread, grain wheat bread 40
Other
- Mushrooms 10-15
- Fried fish 38
- Fish sticks 38
- Chinese noodles 35
- Spaghetti (wholemeal flour) 38
- Soya 14
- Vinegar 5
- Rice Bran 19
- Starch 48
- Parsley, basil, vanilla, cinnamon, oregano 5
Menus and recipes for low-gI foods
Diet menus and recipes of this type are based on low-GI foods. As a rule, the main dishes that require preparation are salads and light meat dishes.
Green salad
Ingredients needed include:
- 300-400 grams of leaf lettuce;
- 2-3 cucumbers;
- 2-3 tomatoes;
- A bunch of dill or parsley;
- A spoonful of mustard and vegetable oil.
The preparation process consists of chopping the ingredients well washed under running water, as well as mixing and dressing them with mustard and oil.
Chicken salad with avocado
The necessary ingredients include:
- 1 small sized chicken breast;
- 2 to 3 hard-boiled eggs;
- 1 avocado;
- 2-3 cucumbers;
- 2-3 cloves of garlic;
- soy sauce (the amount is determined by taste, on average 5 tablespoons are enough for this dish)
- a spoonful of mustard;
- sesame and green onions.
The cooking process consists of boiling a chicken breast and tearing it into fibers. In the next step, boiled eggs, avocado and cucumbers are cut into small cubes. Next, the greens are chopped. After that, the garlic is rubbed on the finest grater, you can also use a special garlic crusher. After all these procedures, the sauce is prepared by mixing the garlic, onions, mustard and soy sauce. Other ingredients are mixed separately, salted to taste, and topped with the sauce.
Meat Schnapps
The necessary ingredients include:
- up to 400 grams of lean meat, it is preferable to use fillet;
- A quarter of cabbage;
- 1 carrot, onion, tomato and red bell pepper;
- 2-3 young potatoes of medium size;
- pepper, salt and bay leaf to taste.
The first step in cooking the dish is to boil the meat and quickly fry the chopped vegetables in a pan with a little oil. Next, you should finely chop cabbage and peel potatoes and cut them into small cubes. After boiling the meat, add the sliced cabbage to the pot, 10 minutes later — the potatoes and another 10 minutes later — the vegetables. After adding all ingredients, the broth should be simmered for another 10 minutes. At the last stage, add all the spices to taste and let the broth simmer for another 1 minute.
Glycemic index for diabetics. How people with this ailment should use this index
For diabetics, the glycemic index is fundamental to maintaining the body. It is what most modern diabetic diets are based on. Moreover, this index was first studied in the context of diabetes and was developed specifically for people who suffer from this disease.
It is known that simple carbohydrates provoke a sharp increase in blood sugar levels, such carbohydrates are characteristic of foods with a high GI. Obviously, for people with diabetes, a spike in sugar levels is dangerous to their health, and not only leads to fat deposits in the long run, as in healthy people. This is why diabetic diets are not significantly different from GI-based diets that are designed for athletes or people looking to lose weight.
Diabetics’ diets are also based on reducing the consumption of high GI foods and meals. In addition, understanding the essence of the glycemic index allows people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes to significantly expand their menus based on the index data.
It is worth noting that the glycemic index for different people is a relative indicator, because the digestion time of the same foods is different depending on the body of a particular person. In addition, there is a difference in blood sugar rise readings from the same foods in healthy and diabetic people, which should also be taken into account when making a meal plan. It is worth noting that the overall ratio of time interval to amount of sugar remains the same for everyone. It is best to develop a diet for a diabetic with a specialized doctor who understands the nuances of the course of the disease and has experience in this area.