Low Glycemic Weight Loss Diet for People with Diabetics

Obesity or Overweight is the biggest problem, which a lot of people, especially those with sedentary lifestyles are facing these days. There are many ways through which one can lose weight naturally such as high protein diets, cardio exercises, acupressure, Yoga poses etc… I’ve already covered about them on our blog.

Unfortunately, if you’re a diabetic patient, then you may find it difficult to lose weight through quick diet programs such as the GM diet chart or the others. It is because these diets are mostly based on eating selected foods, which isn’t suitable for people suffering with diabetes. The only ideal weight loss plan for diabetic patients is to follow a low GI or low Glycemic diet. Since the foods you eat on this diet plan helps in managing your blood sugar levels, you don’t have to worry about your diabetic condition.

If you’ve Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, you can follow the special PCOS Indian diet chart for weight loss.

What is Glycemic Index (GI)?

Glycemic Index is nothing but a chart that lists the foods according to the percentage of carbohydrates (sugar & starch) and their effect on your blood sugar levels. Most of the foods that we eat regularly like the Potatoes, White breads, biscuits or cakes are rich in carbohydrates or carbs (as fondly called). When we consume these foods, our body reacts adversely, which results in our system out of balance. The problems which we usually face after regularly consuming such foods are mood swings, sugar cravings, fatigue and chronic diseases. So, not only the diabetic patients, everyone who is health conscious should plan their diet based on the Glycemic index to restore your system to the natural working state.

There are actually three types of GI foods – low GI (<55), medium GI (55 to 69) and high GI (>70). It is always advised to stay away from the high GI foods if you wanted to lose weight, as they are converted to glucose more rapidly than the low Glycemic foods. The glucose will then be released into our blood stream where the hormone insulin simply distributes the glucose in our body without any moderation.

But, when you consume low Glycemic Index foods, the glucose conversion process is very slow. Hence, the time taken for the release of glucose into the blood stream is also slow. In such cases, a very moderate amount of Insulin is released by your pancreas and your body will have enough time to decide where and how to use the energy.

Here, it is also to be noted that when the higher levels of glucose is pumped into your blood stream, it does nothing but harm to your body. In such scenario, the body will release higher levels of Insulin in order to compensate for the glucose, thus resulting in the accumulation of excess fat in your body. When this process continues every day, then you’ll definitely gain weight.

Sample Low Glycemic Diet Plan for Diabetic Patients

Breakfast:

Like we always say, never ever skip your breakfast. And it is also recommended to have a healthy and protein rich meal for your breakfast as it provides sufficient energy to perform your regular day to day activities without feeling sick.

Banana and Yogurt (Curd) smoothie: Add a ripe banana, 200ml of low fat or skim milk, 150gm low-fat yogurt (curd) and little vanilla essence drops into a jar and blend the ingredients until the mixture turns smooth. You can also add ice cubes if needed and serve chilled.

Lunch:

This is the best time to have some healthy soups and vegetable salads. Try to drink at least 2 to 3 glasses of water 30 minutes prior to having your lunch as this saves you from overeating.

Ex: Mixed vegetable soup or chicken vegetable salad

Dinner:

Since this is the last meal of your day, it is better to include some proteins and fiber as they help you stay full until you wake up the next morning. When your stomach is full (with protein), you won’t crave for midnight snacks.

Ex: Tomato pasta with Tofu, if you’re a vegetarian. Prawn Biryani or baked salmon fillets, if you’re a non-vegetarian like me. You can replace sprouts in this Brown Rice Biryani recipe with Prawns.

List of Healthy, Low Glycemic Foods

Try to include grains such as Quinoa, Barley, Buckwheat in your diet. If you’re a fast food lover, you can have Durum wheat pasta and noodles made from beans. To prevent hunger pangs, try to include nuts, yogurt, sprouts in your snacks window. Wholegrain bread is allowed, but say no to white bread as it is high in calories. Sweet potatoes are one of the best foods to have in the low Glycemic diet plan. Apart from the above foods, include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your routine for better weight loss results.

Reference: GI Foods Chart – Harvard.edu

Lastly, avoid any kind of fast foods that are high in unhealthy refined carbohydrates. You only need healthy complex carbohydrates and whole grains as they help in maintaining your blood glucose levels besides letting you lose weight naturally.