Sunday, February 9, 2014

Understanding Why Low Glycemic Snacks And Foods Benefit Your Health

By Jerri Perry


People who are not familiar with how foods are classified may not have heard of 'low glycemic snacks and foods'. Therefore, by reading the information below, you can learn about this term, and discover why it will be beneficial to you to choose foods that are classified as such. Most importantly, foods with carbohydrates that cause a rapid increase in the sugar levels of the blood have a high GI, and are less healthy.

Foods are measured by the glycemic index, or GI, which is a numerical indication of how fast or slow a food causes blood sugar levels to rise. The GI starts at 0 and goes up to 100. Foods that are listed with numbers higher than fifty are considered as worse to eat, while those under fifty and closer to naught will have a more desirable effect on the body's system. Some foods are rated in between the higher and lower GI indications, between 56 and 69.

Edibles with lower GI should be selected by persons who have been diagnosed with diabetes, because their bodies are unable to cope with sugar intake. Persons who are at risk of becoming diabetic will also need to carefully watch their diet and select the proper foods. However, no matter the condition of your health, a lower GI diet is best.

For weight loss, it is crucial that someone eats a diet that is not high in calories, and often the lower GI foods are good choices. The nutrients that most of them provide are also very important for all human beings. A parent may also consider a lower GI food diet for their children for various good reasons.

It is commonly known that kids who have eaten too much sugar can be hyperactive. The sugar content within their bloodstream can seriously affect how well they can think, concentrate and learn. It is therefore very important that a school-going child be fed foods that can support brain function and concentration.

The more processed a food is the more likely that it will fall on the high GI list. Even if you do find some prepackaged snack food with a lower GI, it is still not necessarily healthy due to its high content of salt, calories or saturated fat. One can also not put things such as bread in the same category. Whole wheat bread is better than white bread.

A person might choose lower GI foods for different reasons. When you simply want to watch your blood sugar levels, you can eat anything with a good GI, however, if you want to lose weight, only certain foods can be eaten. Pizza and candy bars, for example, have surprisingly low GI, but are not good for someone who wants to lose weight.

If you are interested in eating low glycemic snacks, you may need to do some research so that you know what to buy. Fruits and vegetables are good foods, as well as meat products such as fish and chicken. Don't expect high protein foods to label their GI, because they have such little carbohydrate content that they often have no labels in this regard, but they should be included in your diet.




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