The Glycemic Index is a massive chart ranking various types of foods according to their rate of glycemic response, which is the rate at which the body converts the carbohydrates of those foods into glucose. Higher numbers in this index indicate a more rapid rise in blood sugar when these foods are consumed. This chart is valuable for diabetics, who must keep a close eye on their blood sugar levels, but the Glycemic Index can be well utilized by anyone interested in maintaining blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels, lowering their risk for both diabetes and heart disease. If you want to use the Glycemic Index to diet, you should try to infuse your diet with low-number foods.
Step 1
Eat cereals made primarily of bran, barley, oats and wheat, which are all low-number foods on the Glycemic Index. Many people prefer the shot of sugar found in many breakfast cereals, but this creates a rapid rise in blood sugar levels and is unhealthy. Choosing grain-based cereals or other breakfast foods like oatmeal and flax seed will lead to a more gradual rise in blood sugar levels.
Step 2
Eat whole-grain foods whenever possible, whether they're breads or pastas. Whole grains are low-number foods and are known to be healthier because they contain more nutrients than other forms of grain foods and take longer for your body to break down, resulting in fewer net calories than other grains. But whole grains also cause a less rapid rise in blood sugar levels than other grains, such as multi-grains or white breads.
Step 3
Cut out potatoes as a side dish and replace them with pasta or rice, which are low-number foods on the Glycemic Index. Potatoes are very high in starch, and this actually causes an even faster rise in blood sugar levels than table sugar and honey, according to NutritionData.com.
Step 4
Replace ranch and other syrupy salad dressings with vinegar and lemon juice. Syrup-based salad dressings feature sugars, which result in a higher number on the Glycemic Index, but vinegar and lemon juice are both low-number foods.
Step 5
Consume foods high in fructose, such as fruits. Fruits are low-number foods, and research has shown that individuals who consume fructose during a meal instead of foods heavy in glucose eat 200 calories less at the next meal than individuals who eat glucose-high foods.
