Low glycemic carbohydrates change your blood sugar less drastically than high glycemic carbohydrates. When you eat high glycemic carbohydrates like white bread, your body quickly changes them into sugar. Your pancreas then floods your body with insulin, which moves sugar out of your bloodstream. When you eat low glycemic carbohydrates you avoid this roller-coaster effect because your body digests and absorbs them at a slower rate. Low glycemic carbohydrates include beans, legumes and many fibrous fruits and vegetables.
Glycemic Index
The glycemic index, or GI, measures how fast and to what degree certain foods raise blood sugar levels compared to glucose. Glucose, a type of sugar, has a GI of 100 and often serves as a reference point. A food is low on the glycemic index at 55 or less. If its 70 or more, it's considered high glycemic.
Beans, Legumes, Cereals and Grains
Due to their fiber and protein content, many beans have a low GI. Examples include black-eyed, haricot, kidney and pinto beans. Likewise, many legumes such as peanuts, green beans, peas, chickpeas, soy beans and lentils sport low GIs. Lower glycemic cereals and grains include bran, whole or multi-grain bread, rye and barley.
Fruits and Vegetables
If you're looking for low glycemic fruits, consider trying cherries, apples, oranges, grapefruit, pears or grapes. You can also add green, leafy or cruciferous vegetables to your diet. For example, asparagus, broccoli, celery, cucumber, lettuce, spinach and zucchini all have GIs under 20.
Ways to Lower GI
Pairing carbohydrates---even ones with higher GIs---with certain foods can lower your meal's GI. Adding protein, for instance, can reduce sugar and insulin spikes because your stomach must turn it into a liquid before it passes into your intestines. High fiber foods turn into a gel, which also slows digestion. Fats, meanwhile, take longer to be absorbed than carbohydrates. While fats may lower a meal's GI, you probably don't want to eat too many high fat, high carbohydrate meals. Try eating smaller meals with a mix of carbohydrates, protein and fat.
Considerations
Diabetics often monitor their blood sugar, but stabilizing sugar levels could help non-diabetics maintain their energy or improve their athletic performance. Consult your physician or dietitian to learn whether you should add low glycemic carbohydrates to your diet.
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