A high glycemic index leads straight to weight gain, sugar cravings and the risk of diabetes. Here’s how to opt for low GI alternatives and how to tweak your menus.
For a long time, carbohydrates were classified according to their composition, with complex carbohydrates on one side and simple carbohydrates on the other, thinking that the former were digested slowly and the latter rapidly. Then we realized that this did not correspond to physiological reality: “White bread, for example, which contains starch, quickly raises the level of sugar in the blood (glycaemia), which does not This is not the case with fruits, which contain fructose, a simple sugar”, explains Dr Pierre Nys, endocrinologist-nutritionist.
In the 1980s, researchers at the University of Toronto, Canada, then devised a tool to classify carbohydrate foods according to their impact on blood sugar: the glycemic index. Foods with a high GI cause blood sugar levels to spike, which triggers a strong secretion of insulin, the hormone responsible for bringing sugar into cells. Problem, it also promotes the storage of fat. This is why it is necessary to favor foods with a low GI.
Only (small) complication: it is not always easy to navigate. The fast/slow sugar classification had the advantage of being simple. The glycemic index is less intuitive. “It depends on the composition of the food (type of carbohydrates, but also the presence of fibres, lipids, proteins which will lower the GI) and the way in which it is transformed”, says Dr. Jean-Michel Lecerf, head of the nutrition department at the Institut Pasteur de Lille. This pleads for simple information: eat a variety, favor whole foods, consume more fruits and vegetables, limit processed foods and avoid sugary drinks.
We explain below how to treat yourself on a daily basis.
Low GI menus: day 1
Breakfast
- Fermented milk nature (like buttermilk)
- Wholemeal bread toast with a little almond puree
- Strawberry salad with mint
To eat lunch
- Cauliflower salad in vinaigrette and chia seeds
- Cod fillet, buckwheat, spinach
- Cottage cheese with some raisins
Having dinner
Low GI menus: day 2
Breakfast
- Chicory tea
- Mixture of oat flakes, mulberries, raspberries, almonds and soy milk
To eat lunch
- Radish with salt toast
- Chicken breast, spelled, green beans
- Pineapple carpaccio and ground flax seeds
Having dinner
- miso soup
- Buckwheat pasta with peas and strips of ham
- Faisselle
Low GI menus: day 3
Breakfast
- Rooibos Sugar free
- Rye bread with a little cream cheese
- Apple
To eat lunch
- green asparagus in vinaigrette and slivered almonds
- Veal cutlet, brown rice, Provençal tomatoes
- Sheep’s milk yogurt
Having dinner
- Sardine rillettes (crushed sardines + fromage blanc + tarragon)
- Dahl of lentils and basmati rice
- Kiwi
Low GI menus: day 4
Breakfast
- Green tea Sugar free
- Pancakes with buckwheat flour and banana slices
To eat lunch
- Grated carrots
- Mackerel baked with sweet potatoes, green salad
- Homemade compote with pieces
Having dinner
- Leeks vinaigrette with crushed hazelnuts
- Wok of tofu, Chinese cabbage, edamame, baby corn and bean sprouts
- Ricotta with berries (frozen)
Low GI menus: day 5
Breakfast
- coffee without sugar
- Sourdough bread and slice of white ham (+ 1 knob of butter or cream cheese) Pear
To eat lunch
- Avocado with lemon juice
- Filet mignon, quinoa, zucchini with thyme
- Goat milk yogurt
Having dinner
- Large salad of lentils, cucumber, goat cheese, parsley and pumpkin seeds
- Poached pear with vanilla
Low GI menus: day 6
Breakfast
- Pomegranate juice without sugar
- Mixture of oat flakes, hazelnuts, diced dried apricots, blackberries and soy milk
To eat lunch
- Red cabbage, apple and beetroot salad
- Rabbit with mustard, wholemeal tagliatelle, braised endives
- Mango carpaccio and hemp seeds
Having dinner
- homemade vegetable soup
- Scrambled eggs, green salad and wholemeal bread
- Faisselle
Low GI menus: day 7
Breakfast
- Plain almond milk
- Wholemeal carrot cake
- Strawberries
To eat lunch
- Spring roll
- Fillet of pollock, leek and split pea fondue
- yogurt with coconut milk
Having dinner
- Tabbouleh cauliflower
- Endive with ham
- Cinnamon baked apple
Nos experts :
- Marie-Laure André, nutritionist dietician and Nathalie Négro, dietician in charge of the nutritional center of the thermal baths of Brides-les-Bains
- Dr Pierre Nys, endocrinologist-nutritionist, attached to the Hospitals of Paris and Dr Jean-Michel Lecerf, head of the nutrition department of the Institut Pasteur de Lille
Read also:
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2/6 –
A homemade cake rather than a baker’s pastry
Apart from some trendy pastries that have embarked on low GI recipes, the majority of pastries use white sugar and white flour. Tasting one of their sweets in the afternoon is guaranteed to spike your blood sugar. The ideal is to concoct your homemade biscuits and cakes with wholemeal flours (spelt, rye, buckwheat…) and low GI sugars (acacia honey, coconut sugar, agave syrup…). And possibly add seeds (chia, pumpkin, sunflower, etc.) and seasonal fruits.
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3/6 –
Rolled oats instead of morning cereal
To choose the right morning cereal, it’s not just the sugar level that counts. The manufacturing process is also essential. Puffed cereals (Honey Pops type) and crushed and grilled cereals (corn flakes type) have a GI that is close to 85. Indeed, the transformation they have undergone has caused the starch grains to burst, which will then be very quickly digested. Flakes, which are just flattened, steamed cereal, are a good alternative, especially oatmeal, which is high in soluble fiber that slows digestion.
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4/6 –
Sourdough bread instead of white bread
In the bread department, the GI varies considerably depending on the type of flour and the method of manufacture. This ranges from 40 for a bread with wholemeal flour and sourdough to 75 for a white sandwich loaf, passing through 65 for a wholemeal bread and 70 for a white bread or a classic baguette. The bottom line is that the more wholemeal the flour, the longer the fermentation with sourdough, the lower the GI will be. Industrial breads made quickly with white flour and additives should be avoided.
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5/6 –
Brown rice instead of white rice
In the rice department too, it is better to think carefully before choosing. Classic white rice (devoid of its husk) and round rice (very rich in amylopectin) have high GIs (around 70). Conversely, brown rice (high in fibre) and basmati rice (higher in amylose) have a lower GI (around 50). It is therefore better to vary and, when you make a risotto or rice pudding, you eat them with vegetables and fruits to lower their GI.
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Source: Topsante.com by www.topsante.com.
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