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Foods with Low GI Help Control Blood Sugar Levels
GI Index: The GI (Glycemic Index) is a measure of how quickly and how much a specific food raises blood sugar levels after consumption. The GI scale ranges from 0 to 100, with pure glucose set as the standard at 100.
Low GI (55 or lower): Foods in this range raise blood sugar slowly.
Medium GI (56-69): Foods in this range raise blood sugar at a moderate pace.
High GI (70 or higher): Foods in this range raise blood sugar quickly.
The GI index is particularly useful for people with diabetes or those trying to manage their weight. Consuming high-GI foods causes a rapid increase in blood sugar followed by a sharp drop, which triggers insulin secretion and increases fat storage, leading to weight gain. In contrast, low-GI foods help maintain stable blood sugar levels. GI can be lowered depending on the cooking method and how food is consumed.
How to Lower GI: To lower the GI of foods, reduce cooking time, increase the size of food items, and use acidic ingredients. For example, sweet potatoes have a lower GI when steamed, but their GI increases when baked. The degree of heat applied to food affects how quickly it is digested, and heating sweet potatoes directly causes their sugar content to increase. This shows that the GI can vary significantly depending on how the same food is prepared.
The size of the food also affects its GI. Cutting food into smaller pieces increases the surface area, which speeds up digestion and causes a quicker rise in blood sugar. This is why porridge has a higher GI than rice, and juice has a higher GI than whole fruit.
Adding lemon juice or vinegar during cooking can also lower the GI. Vinegar, as an acidic ingredient, is effective in reducing the GI of high-carbohydrate foods like pasta. According to research published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition by Professor M. Sugiyama from Shizuoka University in 2003, consuming vinegar, dairy products, and beans together can reduce the GI of white rice by 20-40%.
Low-GI Korean Dishes:
Mixed Grain Rice: Cooking rice with brown rice, oats, barley, and beans lowers the GI compared to white rice. Brown rice and barley are high in fiber, which slows digestion and helps maintain steady blood sugar levels.
Vegetable Side Dishes: Fiber-rich vegetable dishes like spinach salad, fernbrake salad, and bean sprout salad help lower the GI of the entire meal.
Miso Soup and Cheonggukjang: Miso, made from fermented soybeans, is rich in protein and fiber and helps lower the GI. Adding tofu, mushrooms, radish, or spinach to miso soup increases the nutritional value while keeping the GI low. Cheonggukjang, made from fermented soybeans, is also digested slowly and has a low GI. Adding tofu and vegetables to stews creates a healthier meal.
Brown Rice Gimbap: Using brown rice instead of white rice and filling gimbap with low-GI ingredients like cucumber, carrot, spinach, eggs, and tofu helps suppress blood sugar spikes.
Buckwheat Noodles: Buckwheat noodles have a lower GI than regular wheat noodles and raise blood sugar more slowly. Eating buckwheat noodles with cold broth further slows digestion and lowers the GI.
Soybean Noodles: Soybean noodles, made from ground soybeans, are rich in protein and fiber, which help lower the GI. However, sugar should be added in moderation.
Avoid Eating Fruit Immediately After Meals: Most fruits have a high GI, so it's best to avoid consuming them immediately after meals. Eating fruit when blood sugar is already elevated can cause a rapid increase in blood sugar, putting extra stress on the pancreas. Repeatedly doing this increases the risk of hyperglycemia.
Even if a food has a low GI, overeating unhealthy foods can still lead to weight gain. It is important to choose whole grains over white rice, whole wheat bread over white bread, but most importantly, to consume a balanced diet that includes all six food groups: grains, fish and meat, vegetables, fats, dairy, and fruits.
By following these methods, you can enjoy Korean cuisine while maintaining stable blood sugar levels. To lower the GI, focus on consuming fiber-rich foods, proteins, and using proper cooking methods.
