Watch your weight-Relevance of Glycemic Index . Review on Useful Healthy Eating Habits

Most of us have the ongoing "Battle of Bulge".ie. Fight in keeping the tummy tucked.Cutting down on sugary sweets & beverages is only 25% of the solution.

The Real Culprits are the STARCHY WHITE foods, rich in carbohydrates that we are used to consuming. Whatever the carbohydrates you consume, (Fruits-fructose, Rice/wheat/bread/oats-starch, sugar-sucrose) they ultimately end up as glucose(the ultimate food for the cells) in blood.

This apart there is the emerging concept of Glycermic Index & glycemic load.Glycemic Index(G.I.) put simply refers to The rate of absorption of glucose from a food substrate. Higher the G.I higher the sugar levels.Glycemic Load refers to the total amount of glucose available in the food, also depends on quantity of food consumed.

For those beyond 40, Obese & Hypertensive, the risk of developing diabetes is very high.They must consume only foods Low in Glycemic Index & Load.Constant peaks in glucose levels can cause diabetes.

Weight watchers in particular need to consume foods with low Gycemic Index. and Load. Foods rich in fibers, delay absorption of glucose trapped within the fibers, prolong digestion and release glucose slowly.Some of the commonly available such foods are:

1.Par boiled rice- prefer over Raw rice(more starch)

2.Red rice has least glycemic index.

3.chappatthis -prefer over naan(maida has more starch)

4.Whole wheat bread - prefer over white bread.

Avoid starchy soups, porridge they shoot up sugar levels due to rapid absorption.Take lots of vegetable salads, fruit salads & avoid deep fried foods.

Weight watching as above can be easy and comfortable on the stomach.