There is a new finding in a study that you can achieve better weight loss using low calorie diet and you get a better weight loss. These diets are made from minimally processed grains, fruits vegetables, legumes and healthy fats. These have at least 40% of our calorie account that we get using carbohydrates, we have 40% of it from fats and rest 20% getting from proteins. These carbohydrates are digested slowly and keep blood sugar as well as hormones quite stable after we have meals compared to other low- fat or low-carbohydrate diet.

Know about Glycemic Index (GI)

The glycemic index grades the foods on how those foods affect your blood sugar levels. This index is a measure how much blood sugar increases within two hours after having food. The foods containing carbohydrates basically break down quickly during digestion and they give out glucose rapidly feeding your bloodstream resulting in a high GI. Then there are foods that have carbohydrates and these foods break down slowly and release glucose somewhat gradually into our bloodstream. Such foods have low GI. This way we can talk about quality of food and the carbohydrates instead of the quantity of food. The food with low GI will raise less sugar while other foods with high GI will cause a dramatic spike in our blood sugar level. The low GI foods have 55 GI level or even lower.

The glycemic effect of foods basically depends on various factors like what type of starch it is and the physical entrapment of starch molecules present in food and content of protein and fat present in that food and also the organic acids or their salts present in the meal. Interestingly if you add vinegar for instance, that will lower GI of the food.

Classification of GI range and examples

Low GI means 55 or less in GI Range. That means most of the vegetables and fruits; legumes or pulses; some of the whole grains; tagatose; nuts; fructose; beets; kidney beans; and chickpeas

Medium GI means 56–69 on GI Range. That means the whole wheat items, pita bread, grapes, basmati rice, sucrose, pumpernickel bread, raisins, cranberry juice and regular ice creams.

High GI means 70 and above in GI Range. That would mean white bread, most of the white rices, extruded breakfast cereals, corn flakes, glucose, maltose, white potato, maltodextrins, and pretzels.

Why we should rely on Low sugar food

  • These foods keep our blood sugar level under control. Diabetic people should note this specially and these people can avoid complications because of diabetes with their diet control.
  •  Health conscious athletes and people related to sports would benefit from diet with Low GI because it helps good nutrition and prevents putting on weight.
  • A Low GI Diet lets you have a healthy variety of food without avoiding entire group of foods – example is like fat or carbs - so this way it is natural and sustains better.

Adding more Low GI Foods in your diet

  • Take more of Fiber: These foods digest slowly and therefore, blood sugar levels won't go up soon. These are breads from whole-grain, vegetables, cereals, nuts and vegetables.
  • Add good fats to your diet: It is better to eat fats along with carbohydrates. Proteins and fats lower the blood sugar level as you eat those.
  • Increase your protein Intake: Eat the foods with higher protein. Eggs, fish and lean meats give good choice of protein. Beans have the benefit of being a good source of fiber and protein, and still these remain within low GI list.
  • Meals should have vegetables and fresh fruit: Replace half of food bowl of high-GI cereal with fresh berries to lower your GI, as by addition of celery, onion, broccoli, spinach and peppers fir diet.
  • Use Vinegar and lemon: Increase using vinegar and lemon juice as and when possible. Add just two teaspoons full of vinegar and the blood sugar will go down by 20 to 40%.
  • Increase use of foods in original form: If we refine a food, it alters the GI of the food. With such processing or cooking, GI of food goes up. Fruits have low GI while on the other hand quick-cooked oats have higher GI compared to slow-cooked foods. Vegetables and fruits have tendency for a low GI. This stands true for carrots too. Adding vegetables and fresh fruit with meals will give good results. 

Exchanging half your bowl of high-GI cereal for fresh berries will lower GI. Celery, onions, broccoli, spinach and peppers are good and advisable too for your meal too. Shifting from high GI diet to some low GI diet is very easy. Simply shift from pastas and white bread to whole grain. Eat breakfast cereals made of oats, bran or even barley, adding more vegetables and fruits while cooking and reducing quantity of potato consumption will all help lowering GI.