What's a low glycemic diet?
Glycemic load is another way of looking at how a food may affect your blood sugar. Carbohydrates with a high glycemic load (such as fruit juices or doughnuts) will tend to make your blood sugar go up sharply, while carbohydrates with a low glycemic load (such as berries or bran cereal) produce a lower, slower rise in blood sugar. Choosing foods with a low glycemic load (and avoiding foods with high glycemic loads) can help you improve your blood sugar control
You can look up the estimated glycemic load (eGL) of foods here on Nutrition Data. Foods with an eGL of 10 or lower are considered "low" and foods with an eGL of 20 or higher are considered "high." Note that you can lower the glycemic load of a food simply by eating less of it!
A typical target for diabetics and others seeking to manage blood sugar issues is a total glycemic load of 80 to 100 per day. Ideally, you'll want to spread the glycemic load of your diet out evenly throughout the day by eating 3 moderately-sized meals and 2-3 small snacks at regular intervals.
Next Step: Find foods with a low glycemic index
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About the Glycemic Index
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