6 good reflexes to adopt to moderate the glycemic index of meals: Femme Actuelle Le MAG

The glycemic index (GI) of a food or meal measures how quickly its carbohydrates are digested. The “faster” these are, the lower the blood sugar (blood sugar level) increases quickly, and the higher the GI (between 75 and 100). When foods have both a high GI and a high carbohydrate content (breads, sweets, etc.), blood sugar levels spike, resulting in high insulin production, which serves to lower it. This leads to hypoglycemia, accompanied by a strong feeling of hunger, and in the meantime we store as much fat as possible, because insulin is also the reserve hormone. For the figure as for health, nutritionists therefore agree on the benefit of moderating the GI of meals.

Add fat to reduce the glycemic index

The GI of breads made from white flour is high, with for example 85 for sandwich bread or baguette. To slow down the digestion of their carbohydrates, simply add lipids, which slow down their evacuation from the stomach.

In practice : we rely on butter, almond or hazelnut purees, avocado, olive oil, dark chocolate with 70% cocoa…even foie gras during the holiday season! The morning, Avoid adding jam or honey.

Mix starches and vegetables for a lower glycemic load

Mashed, fries, dauphine or duchess, potatoes are among the starchy foods with the highest GI (75 to 85). By adding vegetables, you get a double whammy : we eat less, we thus reduce the intake of carbohydrates and we boost the so-called soluble fibers which form a gel in the stomach and trap the carbohydrates there.

In practice : depending on the season, we alternate carrots, green beans, turnips, pumpkin… The tip is also valid for white rice, which digests ultra-rapidly (with the exception of basmati): it is prepared sautéed or in risotto, with squash, mushrooms or leeks.

Provide a source of protein: add cottage cheese to the sweet

Chocolates, candied chestnuts, nougats, biscuits and pastries raise blood sugar levels more when you eat them alone as a snack (especially if you have trouble stopping). By accompanying them with a source of proteinsuch as cottage cheese, yogurt or soy dessert, this slows down their digestion and prolongs satiety in the hours that follow.

In practice : as sweet calls for sweet, we can control ourselves more easily by starting with sweets and by setting a reasonable quantity (2 to 3 chocolates or biscuits for example), then finish with a plain unsweetened dairy product.

How to have a low glycemic index? Spread the fruit over the day

Significantly less concentrated in carbohydrates than bread, starchy foods or pastries, fruits only raise blood sugar if you eat several at a time.

In practice : you can plan up to 3 per day, to be spread over the 3 meals. There is no point depriving yourself of fruits known to be sweeter as long as you limit yourself to a usual portion: 1 small bunch of grapes, 2 to 3 fresh figs, 1 small banana, 1 handful of cherries, 3 dried fruits (apricots, prunes …).

How to lower L’hint glycemic? Consuming sour or bitter

An acidic food bolus slows down digestion because it must be churned for longer by the stomach, acidic foods therefore slightly reduce the GI of meals. Bitter foods have an appetite suppressant effect, they help to finish the meal before having eaten too much.

In practice : Unless the stomach is prone to burns, we provide each meal with a citrus fruit, a kiwi, a granny apple or sourdough bread (small red fruits or tomatoes in summer), we use lemon or vinegar to season the dishes. And we finish with a cocoa dessert, a cup of coffee or unsweetened tea.

Wait until you are hungry to eat

The feeling of hunger reflects slight hypoglycemia. This is the ideal time to consume carbohydrates, because starting from a low blood sugar level, you have more margin before it rises too high. On the other hand, when you snack without hunger, we run the risk of overstimulating insulin and storing it.

In practice : if for social or family reasons we are obliged to eat at a time when we are not hungry, we try to moderate carbohydrates: we prefer vegetables to starchy foods, we limit bread, and for dessert we take a fruit rather than a pastry.

After a festive meal, I get moving!

After a heavy meal, there’s nothing better to control blood sugar levels than a good walk during which the carbohydrates serve as muscle fuel. The icing on the cake is that muscle activation blocks insulin secretion, ensuring you don’t gain (too much) weight.