Low GI Diet: Low Glycemic Index Eating Plan
Impact of Glycemic Values on Health and Weight Loss

Carbs in Food
Glycemic Index GI of Carbs
Glycemic Load of Carbs
GI Diet - Low GI Diet

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Low GI Diet

Glycemic Index

A low GI eating plan is based on foods with a lower ranking according to the glycemic index. The glycemic index (GI) is a new system for classifying carb foods, according to how fast they raise our blood-sugar levels. The higher the GI value of a food, the faster the rise in blood glucose. The glycemic index separates foods into three general categories:

  • High Glycemic Index Foods (GI 70+), that cause a rapid rise in blood-glucose levels.
  • Intermediate Glycemic Index Foods (GI 55-69) causing a medium rise in blood-glucose.
  • Low Glycemic Index Foods (GI 54 or less), causing a slower rise in blood-sugar.
  • For brief details of foods, see Glycemic Index Food Chart.

Low GI Diet for Diabetes and Weight Control

Although the glycemic index was invented originally to help diabetes patients manage their blood-sugar levels, dietitians and weight experts now use it as a tool to treat obesity, reduce cravings and appetite swings, and improve eating habits. Another important carbohydrate rating tool is the Glycemic Load which rates the glycemic value of food serving sizes.

Low GI Diet and Calories

Choosing lower GI carbs, as part of a calorie-controlled eating plan, in combination with regular physical exercise, offers a range of documented health benefits along with relatively rapid weight loss. Even so, there's no magic to a low GI diet program. Calories and nutrition are still paramount.

Effect of GI Ranking of Foods on Health

  • High-glycemic-index foods trigger strong insulin responses, thereby exposing the body to all the negative effects of insulin. By comparison, low-glycemic value foods do not provoke this insulin response.

  • Diets containing high-glycemic-index meals, which cause rapid and strong increases in blood-sugar levels, have been linked to an increased risk for diabetes.

  • High-glycemic-index diets have also been linked to an increased risk for heart disease.

  • Lower glycemic index diets have been shown to help control type 2 diabetes and reduce symptoms of insulin resistance.

  • Over-consumption of high-glycemic-index foods has been linked to food cravings and disordered eating patterns, as a result of repeated surges and falls in blood-glucose ("sugar spikes").

  • Over-consumption of high-glycemic-index carbohydrates may aggravate insulin resistance in patients predisposed to the condition. Insulin resistance (called Metabolic Syndrome X, or more properly, Insulin Resistance Syndrome) is believed to be a precursor of type 2 diabetes.

  • Insulin resistance is believed to be a genetic condition, aggravated by obesity. However, some experts consider that it may be the result of a separate inherited sensitivity to high-glycemic-index carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates Definition
Carbohydrates Information
Complex Carbs Guide
Simple Carbs Guide
Starch/Starchy Carbohydrates
Sugars Carbohydrates
Carb Counting Guide
Facts About Carbohydrates
Diabetes, Carbs and Diet

Fiber in Diet
Dietary Fiber
Types of Fiber
Best Sources of Fiber
Benefits of Fiber
Daily Fiber Needs

Nutrition & Carbohydrate
Nutrition in Carbs
Minerals in Carbohydrates
Vitamins in Carbohydrates
Phytochemicals in Carbs

Carbs and Glycemic Index
Digestion of Carbs
Blood Glucose Levels
Glucose into Energy
What is Glycogen?
How is GI Measured?
What Affects Glycemic Value?
Glycemic Index Food Chart
Glycemic Index Food Pyramid
Glycemic Value of a Meal
GI Values in Carbohydrates
GI Value For Beans
GI Value For Bread
GI Value For Cereal
GI Value For Dairy Food
GI Value For Drinks
GI Value For Fruit
GI Value For Meat/Fish
GI Value For Nuts
GI Value For Snacks
GI Value For Starchy Carbs
GI Value For Sugar
GI Value For Vegetables
GI Value For Whole Grains

Carbohydrate in Foods
Atkins Diet Foods
Bagels
Beans/Legumes
Beer
Bread
Cereal
Cake
Candy/Chocolate
Chips
Cookies/Biscuits
Crackers
Donut
Dressings
Energy Bars
Flour/Baking Foods
Fruit
Grains
Ice Cream
Milk, Cream,Yogurt
Muffins
Noodles
Nuts/Seeds
Pancakes/Waffles

Carbs in Food cont/
Pasta
Pies
Pizza
Popcorn
Potatoes
Pretzels
Rice
Sauces
Soda
Soup
Soy Food
Sugars
Syrups
Vegetables
Zone Diet Foods

Diet Recipes
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Carb-Controlled Diets
Atkins Diet
South Beach Diet
Zone Diet
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Benefits of Low Carb Diets
Low Carb Diets Health Risks
Ketosis - High Ketones in Blood
Gluconeogenesis Guide
Free Low Carb Diet Advice
Low Carb Weight Loss Diet

Diabetes, Insulin, Obesity
Diabetes Information
Hyperglycemia - High Blood Glucose
Hypoglycemia - Low Blood Glucose
Obesity Information
Diabesity, Diabetes and Obesity
Insulin Information
Insulin and Obesity
Types of Insulin
Hyperinsulimia - High Insulin Levels
Insulin Resistance Syndrome

Carbs-Information.com provides general information about different types of carbohydrate, like monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, as well as nutritional value of carbohydrates, carb-content of foods, plus details of GI values of all food groups, plus advice about diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. But no information is intended as a substitute for medical advice. Copyright 2003-2013