Too often, we do not think about the value of the foods we take just as long as we relieve our hunger pangs.
This is especially true for those of us who live a fast-paced life, busily going from one responsibility to the next on automatic pilot mode, without much though on what we eat or how we eat it.
Before we know it, we have gained unwanted weight, we are experiencing mood swings and we sometimes feel lethargic or out of sorts.
A Glycemic Index List can help us determine which foods to take and which ones to avoid to get the highest nutritional value of the foods we eat and also provide us with better health and all-around well-being.
Based on studies conducted by the Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention, the following Glycemic Index List can provide us with optimum health and general well-being.
FOODS TO TAKE • Lean meats-beef, pork, lamb with the fats taken out • Chicken - skin taken out • Seafood - mussels, oysters, lobsters • Fish - frozen and canned are okay • Vegetables - artichokes, asparagus, bean sprouts, broccoli, cabbages, raw carrots, cauliflower, peas, radishes, onion, olives, radishes, soybeans, tomatoes • Fruits - apples, apricots, berries, grapes, grapefruits, kiwi, melon, orange, papaya, pear, pineapples, watermelon, cherries, cantaloupe • Breads and Cereals - whole grains, wheat, rye, multi-grain, oats, rice bran • Starch - whole-wheat pastas, brown rice, couscous, lentils • Dairy - low-fat or fat-free cheese, low-fat cottage cheese, egg whites, low-fat milk, tofu, low-fat/sugar-free yogurt • Beverages - water, coffee without sugar and cream, diet colas, sugar-free drinks, tea without sugar FOODS TO AVOID • Bacon • Fatty meats • Fried chicken with skin • Duck • Fish sticks • Hotdogs • Liver • Liverwurst • Canned fish/seafood in oil • Vegetables - avocado, beets, cooked carrots, corn, olives in oil, parsnips, sweet pickles, potatoes • Fruits - bananas, preserved fruits, coconut, dates, dried fruits, fruit juices, mangoes, marmalade, raisins • Breads and Cereals - bagels, biscuits, white bread, chips, cookies, croissants, pastries, muffins, popcorn, rolls, waffles, non-whole wheat tortillas, cakes • Starch - baked or re-fried beans, ramen noodles, white pasta, pretzels, white or fried rice, soups unless vegetable broth, taco shells • Dairy - cheese not included in Foods to Take, cream cheese, frozen yogurt, ice cream, sorbet • Beverages - alcoholic drinks, all types of sweetened drinks Taking into consideration all the types of foods in the Glycemic Index List that are okay for us to take will help lower our blood sugar particularly if we are suffering from diabetes, manage our weight, and reduce the possibility of heart diseases.
We can place our own Glycemic Index List within easy sight in our kitchens so we can be guided accordingly.