Glycemic Index List of Foods

A low glycemic index diet is one of the best ways to look after your health, and lose excess weight effectively and naturally. The weight reduced through a low GI diet approach is safe, and you won’t find yourself needing to starve on just carrots and lettuce! The glycemic index ranks the foods from 0–100 according to the speed at which they effect your blood sugar levels in the 2 or 3 hours after eating. In the glycemic index list of foods, the foods with a glycemic index value below 55 are low GI foods, foods ranking 55–70 are moderate GI foods, and foods with a GI value 70–100 are high GI foods.

• High GI (70-100) Carbohydrates which break down quickly during digestion, releasing blood sugar rapidly into the bloodstream – causing marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels.

• Medium GI (56-69) Carbohydrates which break down moderately during digestion, releasing blood sugar moderately into the bloodstream.

• Low GI (0-55) Carbohydrates which break down slowly during digestion, releasing blood sugar gradually into the bloodstream – keeping blood sugar levels steady … and so provide you with the best health benefits!

Low GI foods are often the ones with “good” carbohydrates, low fat, high dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. These foods help in keeping the blood sugar levels stable, are beneficial for sports persons, diabetics, people with coronary heart disease, those wanting to lose weight … and really just about everyone!

But … one word of warning … watch out for companies branding their products with “Low GI” labels. Just because a food is low GI, doesn’t necessarily make it a good food! Some foods may have a low GI, but may be high in “bad” fats, or are high in additives, flavourings, colourings, or preservatives. Always check the full ingredients list! … And also ensure that a large proportion of the foods that you eat are as minimally processed as possible!

When referring to any GI Food List, please remember that the numbers aren’t absolute and should serve as a guide only. The impact any particular food will have on your blood sugar levels on any given day will depend on many other factors such as ripeness, cooking time, product brand, fibre and fat content, time of day, blood insulin levels, and recent activity. Use the Glycemic Index as just one of the many tools you have available to improve your control.

Also check out Low GI Diet Tips to help make a low GI diet lifestyle easier to follow!

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Glycemic Index List of Foods

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Glycemic Index Food List

The glycemic index ratings of individual foods will vary according to ripeness, variety, product brand, specific ingredients used, cooking times, and GI testing procedures. This will explain the variation you may see amongst different GI Food Lists.

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Low GI Foods – Grains & Cereals

Grains and Cereals can make or break your low glycemic diet goals! They can be ranked with either a very low glycemic index rating or a very high glycemic index ranking, largely depending on how they’ve been processed.

At the bottom of the traditional food pyramid you would have always found the recommendation of numerous servings of bread and grains daily. Unfortunately, not all grains are equal! Sadly, processing often leaves a fibre poor, nutrient depleted starch with an incredibly high glycemic score, often-times equal to that of pure glucose.

Breakfast Cereals are often the worst. Most cereals found in supermarket aisles are very high glycemic, sugar laden, and nutrient poor. Sadly, many people, particularly children, begin their day with a poor breakfast choice that sets them up to be hungry a short time later, with rapidly spiking and falling blood sugar levels. Even instant oats, long time believed to be a nutritious choice, are very high glycemic. Instead, choose steel cut or rolled oats as your preferred grain – or you can try other low gi grains like quinoa, millet and buckwheat as well. Perhaps you could even go without a grain for breakfast. Start discovering the vast array of great low gi foods for breakfast that are available, when you start considering a low gi diet as a way of life.

Bread – As far as bread goes, the supersoft, white, fluffy bread that we see almost everywhere, has little resemblance to the whole wheat grain we see growing in the fields. All the goodness has been removed. Instead, choose heavy, wholegrain breads (where you can actually see the grains – and there are far too many to count!) Even better, choose sprouted grain breads, or pumpernickel, usually available from health food stores. Also, consider experimenting with grains other than wheat – rye, spelt, barley and rice are great choices to begin with. And don’t forget the seeds too – sunflower, linseeds, pumpkin, poppy, linseed and more. Some of the nicest breads available are from small traditional bakeries and markets rather than supermarket shelves. Although they may sometimes appear to be slightly more expensive, you’ll soon find that a small slice or too will go a long way. Low gi foods definitely don’t have to be boring!

Highly Processed Grains – Sadly, for many people, processed grains and cereal foods make up far too much of their diet, often leaving little room for quality fruits, vegetables, legumes and protein. As a general rule, if you think of a dinner plate, low gi grains, cereals and starchy vegetables, like potatoes, should only take up one quarter of your plate, leaving another quarter for good quality proteins, and the remaining half for fresh or lightly cooked vegetables or salad.

Always choose whole grain breads, brown or basmati rice, whole wheat pasta, quinoa, and experiment with some of the ancient grains (often found in health food stores and some progressive supermarkets).

Not only do wholegrain low gi foods maintain steady blood sugar levels, and keep you feeling satisfied for longer, they also increase your fibre intake. Research is showing again and again that an increased consumption of wholegrain low gi foods is associated with a greatly reduced incidence of cancers, heart disease and diabetes.

Remember, a low gi diet doesn’t need to be complicated! Just eat foods as close as possible to their natural state in nature, and you can’t go wrong – that’s all there is to low gi foods and a low glycemic deit!

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