Youve heard it said often enough: vegetables are good for you! But which
vegetables are ok and which are great if you want to lose weight?
The Glycemic Index lists down food items and just how fast or how slow the
carbohydrates in them are broken down and released in the body, thus affecting
your blood sugar levels. For instance, most athletes eat bananas because it
releases sugar (energy) in to their bodies right away.
If you are on a diet to lose weight or simply want to eat healthier then it will
do you no harm to know the GI values of certain food items, including
vegetables.
The following list is the GI values of many vegetables taken from
Southbeach-Diet.info. Vegetables with a low GI values mean that the carbs in
them break down slowly during digestion and thus discharge glucose slowly to
your bloodstream.
The table above does not mean you should only eat vegetables with low GI values.
It is simply a guide to help you decide which vegetables are best for you at
which times.
For instance, say you lead a very active lifestyle then its probably best if
you eat veggies in the medium-high GI set. You can also eat more of the
vegetables in the low GI set but then switch to high GI ones on days when you
exercise or undertake any strenuous activity.
If you are not sure of what to do, then please do seek the help of a dietician
or nutritionist. The truth is, we all lead different lives with different levels
of activities so its best if you get a meal plan thats really customized for
you.
This is especially true if you are suffering from any health condition such as
diabetes, where your blood sugar levels need to be monitored.
