Glycemic index- a diet for your blood glucose
Glycemic index (GI) is a way of rating carbohydrates depending on the time it takes for the body to digest it.
Glycemic index (GI) is a way of rating carbohydrates depending on the time it takes for the body to digest it. A food with low GI will take a long time and therefore give a slower rise in blood glucose, whereas high GI foods gives a rapid increase in blood glucose.
We want to choose foods that raise the blood glucose little or moderately to maintain control of the blood glucose.
How to achieve a healthy low GI diet?
- Choose basmati or easy cook rice, pasta or noodles – avoid mashed potatoes and potato chips
- Eat whole wheat bread or sourdough rye bread – avoid white bread, bagels and croissants
- Try plantain, quinoa or bulgur wheat for a change.
- Eat wholemeal roti and include dhal in your meals.
- Use new potatoes instead of old potatoes – try sweet potatoes for a change.
- Instead of white and wholemeal bread, choose granary, pumpernickel or rye bread.
- Include vegetables as much as possible in your diet, such as raw carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and tomatoes. Vegetables with medium to high GI include beetroot and pumpkin.
- When it comes to fruit, the ones with the lowest GI include cherries, grapefruit, peaches and apples. Fruit with high GI include watermelon and dates.
- If you feel like having a snack, you should include natural peanuts, walnuts, corn chips and Nutella. Snacks with high GI that you should avoid include pretzels, scones and rice cakes.
- Try porridge, natural muesli or wholegrain high-fibre breakfast cereals. Avoid such breakfast cereals as cornflakes, coco pops and rice Krispies
How can Betavivo help?
The fibre in Betavivo acts as a barrier for absorption of food in the meal eaten, which reduces the GI of the meal, helping to reach blood glucose targets after that meal. For a low GI start of the day, have Betavivo oat cereal, plain yoghurt and berries for breakfast… want to see the effect – check your blood glucose two hours afterwards!