Get Well Soon: Include vegetables, legumes, milk for low GI
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By : migrator
Update: 2017-03-08 06:57 GMT
Chennai
Earlier, it was mentioned that glycaemic load is the important criteria, but now the glycaemic index is quoted as the most important criteria for diabetics to note which food they should eat. What is the glycaemic index and load of common foods like idly, dosa, cereals and vegetables? - VM Perumal, Chennai
Glycaemic index (GI) is a value assigned to food based on how slowly or how quickly those food cause increase in blood glucose levels. Research shows that a more effective intervention for normalising blood sugars in people with diabetes is to count the total amount of carbohydrates in each meal or snack. Results of trials in India also show that combo meals where whole grain cereals are consumed along with leguminous pulses show low GI. Thus, a meal consisting of idli and chutney will elicit a higher GI than pongal and sambar because the former meal is mostly carbohydrates while the latter included a legume. The type of fibre in legumes is more viscous than those in cereals. With controlled carbohydrate and caloric intake, choosing foods that lower GI will ensure a balanced diet and therefore, better glycaemic control in diabetics. The best way to get a low GI meal is to include vegetables, legumes, yoghurt/milk instead of mainly eating a high carbohydrate one.
- Sowmya Binu, Nutritionist
I do not eat fat, at all. Yet my weight has remained the same. Where am I going wrong? - Divya, T Nagar
Many stay away from fat in their diet, but fat is not always bad for you. Good fat plays a huge role in your diet. This fat is important for your cells and for storing Vitamin D. It is a problem only when fats become carbs. Carbohydrates are important for those who are engaged in manual labour, fats help in brain function and proteins act as building blocks.
- Dr Krithika Ravindran, Cosmetic Surgeon and Age Management Consultant
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