The glycemic index (GI) measures how much foods containing carbs raise your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. A food with a high GI raises blood glucose more than a food with a medium or low GI.
Why does that matter? As your blood glucose rises, an insulin response is triggered. Insulin is a storage hormone, so it will store any excess glucose as energy in the form of fat.
Therefore, a low glycemic diet may result in weight loss. By lowering blood glucose levels, you are lowering insulin levels, which encourages your body to burn fat instead of storing it.
If you’re interested in starting a low glycemic diet, we’ve compiled a list of items for your new grocery shopping list. You may be surprised just how many foods contain carbs! Remember, try to keep anything you eat under 50 on the glycemic index.
BREADS:
- Whole-grain Pumperknickel – 46
- Sourdough Rye – 48
- Corn Tortilla – 49
GRAINS:
- Barley – 28
- Brown rice – 45
- Bulgur – 47
- Quinoa – 53
DAIRY:
- Skim milk – 32
- Whole milk – 34
- Yogurt – 33
- Greek yogurt – 36
LEGUMES:
- Peas – 25
- Kidney Beans – 29
- Lentils – 29
- Chickpeas – 36
- Baked beans – 40
FRUITS:
- Grapefruit – 25
- Pears – 41
- Prunes – 29
- Apricots – 34
- Apple – 39
- Plum – 40
- Strawberries – 40
- Orange – 40
- Peaches – 42
- Grapes – 43
VEGGIES:
- Broccoli – 10
- Tomato – 15
- Carrots – 33
