Shopping and the Food Glycemic Index

The glycemic index was developed by a group of Canadian researchers in the 1980s that were attempting to make life a little easier for diabetics by keeping their blood sugar levels from fluctuating. The end result was a very useful tool that is referred to as the food glycemic index or "GI" for short.

The food glycemic index enables users to look at almost any food and instantly see a number that will tell them how much that food will impact their blood sugar levels. Obviously, this tool takes out much of the guesswork involved in the process and has no doubt saved lives.

One of the major ways that the index has impacted individuals is that it has changed the way that users shop for food. Armed with the GI, users can make safer and smarter choices built around the knowledge of how much their blood sugar levels will be changed by a given food.

Shopping can still be tricky, of course. But with the food glycemic index, choices can be a bit less murky. However, without a photographic memory or a copy of the GI in hand, there are still some general rules that can be followed to help shoppers may better food buying decisions.

The easiest way to shop for low GI foods is to stick with as many fruits and vegetables as possible. This may seem like an obvious point, but it bears repeating. If one studies the index for even a moment, it quickly becomes obvious that the superstars of the index are fruits and vegetables. As a result, one of the easiest moves someone looking to eat on the low side of the food glycemic index can make is to keep the bulk of their shopping in the fruit and vegetable category.

By opting for fruits and vegetables, one naturally reduces one's reliance on processed food and the sugar and white flour it often contains. Food based on white flour should be avoided; other picks such as rye and oatmeal are far better choices. By selecting breads and other carbohydrates that are lower on the food glycemic index, one can take a massive step toward avoid many of the high GI foods.

Sugar is obviously a high GI food and avoiding it should be your priority. One clear way of doing this is to pass on the soda and sugary packaged drinks. A good alternative is to make your own juice with a juicer at home. Fruits and vegetables are low on the food glycemic index. By juicing at home, you will know that no sugar has been added to your juice. While this may be time consuming, consider juicing enough juice for the entire week. Of course, this does mean buying enough fresh fruits and vegetables while at the store. There are lots of great juicing recipes so you should never feel limited.

With a little planning, a good cookbook and a juicer you can reduce the amount of foods you eat that are high on the food glycemic index. Shopping is where the entire process begins. With a little forethought, you can shape your meals and your diet in advance.

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