Glycemic Index Help
Can someone explain a low-glycemic index diet to me please?
I have PCOS and was told this diet would be the best for me to go on. But because I am young, I do not really understand what how PCOS effects my body and what I need to do to get it under control. If someone could please explain it to me from personal experiences I would very much appreciate it.
Public Comments
- A low-glycemic index diet (low GI diet) is a diet composed mostly of low GI carbohydrates. Basically low GI carbs raise your blood sugar very slowly over an extended period of time, whereas high GI carbs spike your blood sugar very rapidly. It's sometimes recommended to PCOS patients because people with PCOS have a higher risk of developing Type II diabetes, and a diet filled with high GI carbs is also thought to promote diabetes. You can probably find a lot of information on what foods are high GI versus low GI, but in general: - Tropical fruits (pineapple, mango, etc) tend to be high GI, whereas "mainland" fruits (blueberries, apples) tend to be low GI - Breads, including whole wheat breads, tend to be high GI, unless they're made with crushed wheat - Pasta is low GI (phew!) - Most grains like bulgur, quinoa, and rice are low-medium GI. The shorter the grain on rice, the higher the GI - Cookies and cakes are typically high GI - Beans/legumes are mostly very low GI - Vegetables tend to be across the board. Personally I don't think people should reject eating any vegetable even if it has a high GI due to the magnitude of other health benefits - Anything with added sugar tends to be high GI That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Here's a couple sites with more info: http://www.glycemicindex.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pcos Hope this helped!
