Choosing low GI foods from the three food groups will balance blood sugar levels, giving you a daily supply of energy and optimum levels of health.

The rate of glucose absorption into the blood should remain constant to avoid the see-saw effect characterized by constant hunger, mood and energy fluctuation. Once you understand low GI options for the 3 vital food groups namely carbohydrates, protein and fats , you can enjoy the benefits of optimum health.

What is low GI:

Low GI foods take longer to digest and are released slowly into the bloodstream. The result is a steady supply of energy which consequently prolongs the feeling of being ‘full' or 'satisfied’.

What is high GI:

High GI foods are those that digest very quickly, rapidly releasing their glucose into the bloodstream. This triggers an over production of insulin and the 'sweet buzz' evolves. Derek Crandon from Ignition health www.ignitionhealth.co.za refers to the 'sweet buzz' as the highs and lows caused by eating high GI foods. It is a vicious cycle, however it can be overcome by balancing the food groups and portions sizes.

How to balance blood sugar levels the low GI way:

Listening to your body’s natural health needs, means including adequate quantities of protein, carhohydrates and fats and adhering to the principles of low GI meals. With so much litereature available today, it is easy to investigate which foods are low, high or medium GI. Many books give concise explanations, comprehensive lists of foods, and tasty recipes to get you started. (See reference).

The key is in understanding how you can enjoy high GI foods simply by combining them with foods that are low GI, to make medium GI meals. For example mixing butternut (high GI) and sweet potato (low GI).

Food portions:

Derek Crandon from Ignition Health has a practical means of measuring food portions. For protein, he suggests roughly measuring the quantity against one of the palms of your hands. For carbohydrdates the measurement is roughly the palms of both hands and for fats, he recommends not more that 15% at any one sitting.

The following lists indicates some of the best low GI food sources from the three vital food groups.

Low GI sources of vegetable protein:

• - Beans i.e. canneneli, butter beans, red kidney beans, barlotti beans and sugar beans
• - Green beans
• - Chickpeas
• - Soya
• - Lentils
• - Legumes
• - Nuts
• - Seeds

Low GI and lower-fat sources of animal protein:

• - Sliced ham
• - Smoked beef
• - Smoked chicken
• - Ground biltong
• - Lower fat sausages like chicken or pork
• - Skinned chicken
• - Hake
• - Kingklip
• - Trout fillets

Low GI sources of carbohydrates:

• - Fettuccini
• - Durum wheat
• - Whole wheat spaghetti
• - Wheat rice
• - Fresh tomato
• - Pickles
• - Peppers
• - Sugarsnap peas
• - Sweet potato
• - Corn
• - Seaweed

The low down on fats:

Be aware of 'good' and 'bad' fats that directly relate to the low GI principles and health issues such as the build up of cholesterol, heart disease and obesity. Generally speaking the fats found in meats are ‘bad’ fats and should be limited or avoided. The fats found in vegetable proteins and fish i.e. salmon, are ‘good’ fats and should be included at least three times a week. www.healthcastle.com/goodfats-badfats.shtml

Low GI and diseases:

Low GI foods are digested and absorbed slowly and therefore have a small effect on the blood glucose levels. The pancreas does not overproduce insulin and your body’s sugar levels don’t fluctuate wildly – keeping illnesses like diabetes and hypoglycemia under control. As soon as you understand the basic principles of low GI eating, you can begin to add interesting combinations to your lunch box for work.

It is imperative for any eating plan to be accompanied with physical activity and a positive frame of mind. Any changes you make for the better will produce long term benefits with fantastic results!

References:

Liesbet Delport and Gabi Steenkamp. Eat smart and stay slim. The GI diet . Tafelberg Publishers. Cape Town: 2003.