The Glycemic Index (GI) is an indicator of how fast or slow the carbohydrates in foodstuffs increase the body’s blood sugar levels. Foods that quickly raise blood sugar levels will make the pancreas work hard every time to produce insulin after eating. Meal planning for a diabetic (people with diabetes) is an absolute thing to do. One of them is choosing foods with a low glycemic index, which is less than 55. Indeed, not everyone can easily practice a diet with a low glycemic index.
If you want to try to practice a diet with a low glycemic index, Joyce Hendley’s book entitled The EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook can be a reference. The book mentions four principles that need to be understood to simplify a low-glycemic diet.
1. Choose foods with large pieces
Foods with large pieces take longer to mash and be absorbed by the body. Each food will move slowly toward digestion. So, the more whole foods and less processed foods, the lower the glycemic index. In practice, choose whole foods over pureed foods. For example, choosing pieces of fruit instead of consuming fruit in the form of juice.
2. Choose high-fiber foods
Fiber-rich foods such as nuts, dried fruit, fiber-rich cereals, pasta, and bread have a low glycemic index. So, add a portion of this type of food to your daily diet.
3. Protein as a counterweight
Adding protein to every food consumed will help lower glycemic levels. If you eat foods high in protein, your stomach will empty slowly, so you won’t feel hungry quickly. This is because protein will slow down the digestive process in the body.
4. Choose Healthy Fats
Like protein, healthy fats also slow down the digestive process. In addition to lowering the glycemic levels of food, healthy fats can also make your stomach full easily. So that when the stomach is not easily hungry and the eating period will be maintained. Vegetable oils and nuts are great choices when you need healthy fats.
On top of all that, reducing the amount of cane sugar consumed will further promote a low glycemic diet. If reducing the use of cane sugar is a difficult choice to make, then replacing cane sugar with low-glucose sugar is a good choice. Coconut sugar is the right choice as a substitute for cane sugar as a natural, nutritious sweetener. Because Coconut Sugar has a low glycemic index.