Low Glycemic Index Diet
Dec 28th, 2008 by Giselle
Metabolic syndrome – also known as ‘syndrome X’ or insulin resistance is the epidemic of the 21st century. Lifestyle changes and weight loss are the first lines of defense to enhance insulin sensitivity. Find out how simple but effective dietary changes can stall disease progress.
If you have any 2 of the following risk factors, you are at risk of developing metabolic syndrome:
1. central obesity (waist > 94cm for white males, > 80cm for white females)
2. high blood pressure
3. high cholesterol / lipids
4. high blood sugar
5. non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
High blood sugar levels in our body are correlated with insulin levels. When one factor rises sharply, the other spikes to help normalise blood sugar levels. These insulin spikes are associated with insulin resistance. One very effective way of preventing insulin spikes is to choose a low glycaemic index diet.
You may ask what is glycaemic index? It is a way of grading carbohydrate foods depending on how fast they get digested. A number is assigned to each individual food item based on their ‘sugar potency’.
1. Low GI foods have GI <55
2. Intermediate GI foods have GI between 55 and 70
3. High GI foods have GI > 70
Research on glycaemic index has shown that by choosing fibre-rich low GI foods at every meal, we can reduce our blood glucose levels quite effectively and enhance insulin sensitivity. This helps stall the progress of metabolic syndrome and enhance weight loss. Please note that not all low GI foods are suitable for regular consumption as many high fat, high sugar foods like chocolates, ice-cream and toasted muesli are inappropriate for weight loss and reducing insulin resistance.
I have compiled a list of common low GI foods below for your reference. Try to include at least two items at each main meal:
| Item | Glycaemic Index |
| All-Bran, breakfast cereal | 30 |
| All-Bran fruit ‘n’ oats, breakfast cereal | 39 |
| All-Bran Soy ‘n’ fibre, breakfast cereal | 33 |
| Apple, fresh | 25 |
| Apricots, dried | 30 |
| Barley, pearled, boiled | 25 |
| Baked beans, canned | 49 |
| Basmati | 38 |
| Black beans, soaked, boiled | 30 |
| Bran, wheat or oat | 30-55 |
| Bread, Bürgen™, soy and linseed | 36 |
| Bread, Pumpernickel rye | 50 |
| Bran, wheat or oat | 30-55 |
| Buckwheat, boiled | 54 |
| Bulghur, boiled | 48 |
| Butter Beans, canned | 36 |
| Chickpeas, canned | 36 |
| Chickpeas, Bengal gram, dahl | 11 |
| Ensure Pudding, old fashioned vanilla | 36 |
| Fettuccine, egg, cooked | 32 |
| Fructose | 19 |
| Grapefruit | 25 |
| Honey, Yellow Box | 35 |
| Kidney beans, canned | 36 |
| Lentils, green dried & boiled | 30 |
| Lentils, red, dried & boiled | 26 |
| Lima beans, baby frozen, heated in microwave | 32 |
| Milk, fat reduced | 30 |
| Milk, skim | 32 |
| Milo™, ready to drink, bottle | 30 |
| Oats, traditional porridge | 51 |
|
Orange |
42 |
| Pasta | 38-49 |
| Pasta, gluten-free split pea and soy | 29 |
| Peach | 42 |
| Pear | 38 |
| Peas frozen, boiled | 48 |
| Peanuts, roasted | 14 |
| Pecans, raw | 10 |
| Prunes | 29 |
| Ravioli, durum wheat, meat filled, boiled | 39 |
| Soy beans, fresh | 14 |
| So Natural™, soy milk, full fat (3%) | 36 |
| Strawberries | 40 |
| Sustagen™, hospital, extra fibre, made from powdered mix | 33 |
| Sustagen™, pudding, instant vanilla | 27 |
| Sweetcorn, boiled | 48 |
| Vaalia™, reduced-fat apricot & mango yoghurt | 26 |
| Vaalia™, reduced-fat French vanilla yoghurt | 26 |
| Vaalia™, reduced fat tropical passion fruit yoghurt drink | 38 |
| Vermicelli | 35 |
| Yoghurts, non-fat, strawberry, sweetened, Yoplait | 19 |
| Yoghurts, diet, artificial sweetener | 10-14 |
| Yoghurts, non-fat, strawberry, Vaalia with sugar | 38 |
Please note that low GI does not mean license to over-dose. It is best to aim for 45-50g of carbohydrate at each main meal and not more. Too much carbohydrates and kilojoules will increase body weight and sabotage your weight loss endeavours.
Do you have any questions or comments? If you do, I would love to hear from you.
