Low glycemic snacks are those that have little or no impact on one's blood sugar levels. People who stick to these kind of foods can keep their blood sugar levels under control, and thus stave off insulin resistance. This condition is a precursor to full-blown type-two diabetes and can easily be avoided by making the right lifestyle choices.
There are many foods one can eat that fall into this category. Fresh fruits, nuts, whole grains, and vegetables are foods that can fall into the low GI range. It is by no means a restrictive way to eat, as many people suppose. As a culture we have become brainwashed thinking that the best and most convenient snacks are those cranked out by the large food conglomerates.
The amounts of sugar and salt that are added to most processed foods should be a major concern to everybody. They are manufactured in this way to hide the loss of taste that occurs during processing. Foods like cookies, donuts, cereal bars, and bagels are stripped of most of their nutrition and have to be artificially enhanced to make them taste acceptable.
Excess salt can have a negative impact on blood pressure, and excess sugar can of course spike blood sugar. An additional concern with these foods is the artificially altered fats they usually contain. Hydrogenated fats (also known as trans-fats) are finally becoming recognized as a serious threat to health. They are ubiquitous in processes foods and contribute to elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol, reduced HDL (good) cholesterol and to cardiovascular disease. In short, they should be completely avoided.
One must be careful about certain fruits (like blueberries, for example), as they can be high in fructose. This is of course a sugar, and can boost one's blood glucose levels. That is not to say that they should not be consumed at all, on the contrary. They should however be consumed in relatively small quantities, or combined with other foods that will slow down their glucose elevating effect.
Two ingredients that are known to slow down absorption of carbohydrates are soluble fiber and fat. When soluble fiber enters the digestive tract, it takes on a gel-like quality and absorbs carbohydrates. This has the effect of slowing down their entry into the blood stream. Fat acts in a similar way by combining with carbohydrates and inhibiting their absorption.
Rather, it is high-GI foods which stimulate insulin production that leads to fat storage. When high-GI foods are eaten, they raise blood glucose which the body has to manage by producing the hormone insulin. When glucose cannot be used as energy, or stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen, it is stored as fat.
Good examples of low glycemic snacks are nuts such as walnuts, almonds, Brazil, pistachio, and cashew nuts. Also plain yoghurt (sweetened with stevia instead of homey or sugar), dried apricots, grapefruit, orange, peach, hard boiled eggs, spelt bread, avocado dip, hummus, and cheese. If one is unsure about a food's glycemic effect, it can easily be checked online. As a general guide, foods that have a GI of over 70 are considered high, those between 59 and 69 are considered medium, and those below 55, low.
There are many foods one can eat that fall into this category. Fresh fruits, nuts, whole grains, and vegetables are foods that can fall into the low GI range. It is by no means a restrictive way to eat, as many people suppose. As a culture we have become brainwashed thinking that the best and most convenient snacks are those cranked out by the large food conglomerates.
The amounts of sugar and salt that are added to most processed foods should be a major concern to everybody. They are manufactured in this way to hide the loss of taste that occurs during processing. Foods like cookies, donuts, cereal bars, and bagels are stripped of most of their nutrition and have to be artificially enhanced to make them taste acceptable.
Excess salt can have a negative impact on blood pressure, and excess sugar can of course spike blood sugar. An additional concern with these foods is the artificially altered fats they usually contain. Hydrogenated fats (also known as trans-fats) are finally becoming recognized as a serious threat to health. They are ubiquitous in processes foods and contribute to elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol, reduced HDL (good) cholesterol and to cardiovascular disease. In short, they should be completely avoided.
One must be careful about certain fruits (like blueberries, for example), as they can be high in fructose. This is of course a sugar, and can boost one's blood glucose levels. That is not to say that they should not be consumed at all, on the contrary. They should however be consumed in relatively small quantities, or combined with other foods that will slow down their glucose elevating effect.
Two ingredients that are known to slow down absorption of carbohydrates are soluble fiber and fat. When soluble fiber enters the digestive tract, it takes on a gel-like quality and absorbs carbohydrates. This has the effect of slowing down their entry into the blood stream. Fat acts in a similar way by combining with carbohydrates and inhibiting their absorption.
Rather, it is high-GI foods which stimulate insulin production that leads to fat storage. When high-GI foods are eaten, they raise blood glucose which the body has to manage by producing the hormone insulin. When glucose cannot be used as energy, or stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen, it is stored as fat.
Good examples of low glycemic snacks are nuts such as walnuts, almonds, Brazil, pistachio, and cashew nuts. Also plain yoghurt (sweetened with stevia instead of homey or sugar), dried apricots, grapefruit, orange, peach, hard boiled eggs, spelt bread, avocado dip, hummus, and cheese. If one is unsure about a food's glycemic effect, it can easily be checked online. As a general guide, foods that have a GI of over 70 are considered high, those between 59 and 69 are considered medium, and those below 55, low.
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