Faddy diets come and go, but what has been proven time and time again is that to lose weight effectively and keep it off in the long term, you have to adopt a healthy eating plan which is easy to stick to, and more importantly, does not leave you feeling hungry between meals.
Lots of the research around weight loss in recent years has focused on something called the Glycemic Index (GI), which is a measure of the effects which eating certain foods has on the blood sugar levels and we have ensured that everything on the Lose Baby Weight plans is Low GI.
Why blood sugar levels are important
When blood sugar levels are high, we feel energized and ready to face the world. When blood sugar level drops, we feel hungry and lacking in energy. Therefore, keeping blood sugar levels at a high level throughout the day can mean you eat less and have more energy. The key to doing this is knowing which foods are low on the GI index, and which are high.
Food to avoid – Foods which are high on the GI index provide an instant rush of energy which soon fades. This includes foods such as chocolate and white bread. As soon as the energy rush has passed the body will begin to crave more food, meaning most people will be tempted to snack between meals.
Low GI – At the other end of the scale, low GI foods take far longer to be digested and the blood sugar levels stay higher for longer. This means that you do not feel hungry, and therefore less tempted to snack. The key to effective weight loss is having a good knowledge of which foods are low on the GI scale and trying to eat more of them. Many foods have their GI number listed, and anything under 55 is considered to be low GI.
Top 10 Low GI foods
- Chana Dahl. This is a variety of chickpea, commonly used in Indian cookery. It can be used to form the basis of a curry with vegetables for a main dinner, or put into a salad for a quick and healthy lunch. As well as being low on the GI scale, chana dahl is also high in protein, calcium and iron. GI 26.
- Grapefruit. This citrus fruit is high in fibre, vitamins and minerals and the fact that it is a low GI food makes it the ideal things to start your day with. GI 20.
- Oats. Oats are both filling and versatile as they can be made into porridge for breakfast, made into a sweet treat or cakes, and even added to veggie burgers for added bulk. They take a long time to digest and will keep you from feeling hungry and are great to add into your smoothies. GI 36
- Lentils. As a base for soups or a salad, lentils are hard to beat. They can also be used as a vegetable accompaniment for fish or meat. Lentils are high in fibre and minerals and are an excellent healthy choice. GI 16.
- Apples. An apple is the perfect snack to eat on the go, or to have as part of a quick lunch. Apples are a good source of vitamins and are high in fibre. GI 28
- Broccoli. Broccoli is one of the lowest GI foods out there, and is the best way to add volume to meals. Broccoli is rich in minerals such as iron. GI 10.
- Multi-grain bread. This sort of bread is a far better choice than white bread as it takes far longer to digest. GI 42
- Yoghurt. As long as it is low fat, yoghurt can be the ideal choice for a sweet treat after a meal. Fruit can be added for extra flavor. GI 16
- Cherries. The red skin on the cherries makes them high in antioxidants, said to fight signs of ageing. GI 20
- Plums. This fruit is the ideal dessert, or can be added into yoghurt or even a salad. GI 24.
