“An important diet over view for diabetics.” – Delna Pooniwala.
With an increased rate of diabetes, we often hear that consuming low glycemic index foods is better. What are these foods?
Carbohydrate foods that elevate blood glucose and insulin to a higher level are called high glycemic foods & complex carbohydrates or slower burning carbohydrates that do not spike the insulin and glucose levels high are called low glycemic index foods.
Consuming high glycemic index foods such as sweet bakery products, commercial bread, sugary cereals, and items made of refined flour and deserts increases your risk of type 2 diabetes. Instead switching to a low GI fiber rich carbohydrate such as Corn, wheat, rice, whole grains, dried beans, ragi, bajra, jowar, vegetables and oats is a healthier option.
A serving of Fruits or vegetables would add to the fiber, making you feel full for a longer duration while supplementing your diet with essential vitamins and minerals.
Lean Protein could also help you feel fuller for a longer duration compared to carbohydrates and fat.
For those who have a gluten intolerance, wheat, rye and barley could be replaced with rice, millet, amaranth and quinoa as substitutes. However, some of these foods may have a higher GI than their wheat-based equivalents. Leafy vegetables, many fruits, and lean proteins such as chicken, fish and tofu will not affect your blood sugar significantly and all are gluten-free.
Legume flours, including flours made from soybeans and chickpeas, have a lower GI than potato or corn flours. Quinoa, basmati rice and sweet corn have moderate GI values. Pasta and bread made from buckwheat, quinoa or rice flour can satisfy your carbohydrate craving without spiking your blood sugar. To decrease the GI of rice or chapatti’s, one could add psyllium husks (Isabgol). Husks and hulls slow down digestion and decrease a food’s impact on your blood sugar.
This is a general guide and you don’t have to give up your favorite high-GI foods completely. However, you do need to balance them with proteins, unsaturated fats and loads of low-GI complex carbohydrates to enjoy a healthy life.
