When Oprah Winfrey speaks everyone listens, or even when her gynecologist speaks everyone listens. On January 17, 2008 Oprah show, Dr. Christiane Northrup stated that a high glycemic diet could cause a hormonal imbalance in women that could cause hair loss and that a low glycemic diet would help, but what is a low glycemic diet, what foods are low or high glycemic, and what else can this diet do for you?
A high glycemic diet causes those ups and downs in energy that so many of us go through each day in which we have another sugar filled cup of coffee or can of soda and keep the cycle going. A low glycemic diet is about regulating your blood sugar which makes it a diet that is very good for diabetics as well as everyone else. The basics of the diet are eating foods that make you feel full longer. Feeling full longer means that you will not be snacking as often; and not eating as much or as often will also help you lose weight and keep the weight off. As well as being a diet that helps diabetics regulate their blood sugar, a low glycemic diet also helps to reduce the risk of heart disease and lowers cholesterol.
As with so many diets that are popular now, a low glycemic diet is concerned with carbohydrates but not by getting rid of them completely instead a low glycemic diet is concerned with eating low glycemic foods and staying away from high glycemic foods.
What foods are low glycemic or high glycemic?
Foods in the glycemic index are rated based on their glycemic content. A food that has a low number is good for you to eat and will not cause a quick and dramatic rise in your blood sugar while a food with a high number will.
It is somewhat easy to figure out for yourself which foods have a low or high glycemic index by keeping in mind a few tips and keep in mind what has been known for years about living a healthy lifestyle and eating a healthy diet.
Foods that are fried or sautéed in butter will have a high glycemic index. Chicken and mushrooms are both very good for you and have a low glycemic index but if you fry them then they become a high glycemic food.
Processed foods are also very high on the glycemic index. Instead of hot dogs or products made with white flour, such as white bread or pasta choose instead to have wild rice or oatmeal. These foods will not only help you stay full longer but they also have more nutrients in them.
Another easy way to keep high glycemic foods out of your diet is to read the ingredient’s list of any products you buy. Ingredient’s that include high fructose corn syrup, which is found in soda, are going to have a high glycemic index. By choosing foods without this ingredient alone you can help yourself lose weight and become healthier.
There are many items on the glycemic index that are considered high but can still be eaten in moderation. Potatoes, alcohol, and cheeses that are not low fat for example are all high on the glycemic index but this does not mean that they should never be eaten or drank but instead should only be had in moderation and within a diet that consists of mostly low glycemic foods such as most fruits and vegetables, whole wheat bread, and beans.
This is not a lose weight quick diet but instead is a diet that can give you weight loss for a long and healthy life.
