The low glycemic index diet is based on using low glycemic index foods to stabilize your blood sugar levels throughout the day, which can benefit your health in many ways. Avoid foods with a high glycemic index, such as potatoes, refined grains and processed sugar while following the low glycemic index diet and replace these foods with low glycemic index foods, such as barley, quinoa, sourdough bread, basmati rice, whole-grain bread and fresh fruits.
Glycemic Index
The glycemic index is used to measure to what extent carbohydrate-containing foods can raise your blood sugar levels. Foods with a high glycemic index, with a value above 70, lead to high blood sugar and insulin levels, weight gain, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. On the other hand, foods with a low glycemic index, or a value below 55, can help you lose weight and prevent chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Foods with a medium glycemic index, with a value between 56 and 69, have an effect somewhere in between. It is not possible to measure the glycemic index of foods that do not contain carbohydrates, such as meat, fish, eggs and cheese.
Sugar Substitutes
There are many sugar substitutes on the market, such as sucralose, also known as splenda, acesulfame-potassium, aspartame and stevia. These sugar substitutes, also called artificial or low-calorie sweeteners, are not a significant source of carbohydrates in your diet. Because these sweeteners have a very high sweetening power, hundreds of time more than traditional sugar, only tiny amounts are used. For this reason, it is not possible to measure the glycemic index of sugar substitutes in a lab. However, you can estimate their glycemic index to be close to zero because they are practically carbohydrate-free and do not raise your blood sugar levels.
Using Sugar Substitutes
You can use sugar substitutes to satisfy your sweet tooth without the unnecessary calories, carbohydrates and sugar, which can help you avoid gaining weight and prevent your blood sugar levels from raising too much. Whether you add low-calorie sweeteners to your coffee, choose diet soft drinks or sugar-free yogurt containing sugar substitutes as part of their ingredients, or use artificial sugar for baking, sugar substitutes can be part of a low glycemic eating plan. Do not forget to consider the glycemic index of the foods to which the sugar substitutes are added.
Getting Rid of Your Sweet Tooth
Although sugar substitutes can be part of your low glycemic index diet, using them regularly can maintain your sweet tooth and sugar cravings. Your health could benefit from training your taste buds to enjoy foods that doesn't taste as sweet. Slowly and gradually decrease the amount of sugar substitutes in your diet. For example, use half the amount you usually put in your coffee. Your taste buds will soon get used to the real flavor of foods and you won't miss the sweetness you were used to. Reducing the amount of sugar substitutes and sugar in your diet can help you decrease your cravings for sweet after a few weeks.
