GI Diet

Before we think about why the idea of GI is valuable when you are watching your health or your waistline, we need to know what GI actually means.

The glycaemic index is all about what happens to your food once it’s left your fork. When you eat carbohydrates (such as bread, potatoes, pasta, cereals and sugary foods) your body digests it and converts it to glucose, which can be used for energy. As the carbohydrates get converted to glucose, the glucose level in your blood rises. GI is simply a ranking of carbohydrate foods based on the speed at which they raise blood glucose levels after they have been digested.

Eat the following food often – they are your best friends:

• Grainy breads such as multigrain, soya, linseed and softgrain white.
• Porridge and muesli
• Raw vegetables
• Fruits especially apples, pears, strawberries and peaches
• Basmati rice, sweet potato, couscous
• Beans – choose from baked beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils
• Lean meat, fish and poultry – eat egg, quorn, tofu and nuts if you prefer vegetarian meals
• Nuts – have a handful a day to help manage your weight and lower your blood cholesterol levels.