It's the 'holy grail' of a diabetes diet; a quick and easy way to lower the GI of high-GI foods. While there's no way to completely offset the glycemic impact of a piece of cake or a candy bar, there are a few research-backed tips that can lower the GI of low to moderate GI foods... what I like to call 'GI fighters'.
In general, GI fighters work by delaying gastric emptying. One of the reasons that blood sugars shoot up, even in non-diabetics, is that a sudden influx of carbohydrate rich foods hits the bloodstream... leaving your body scrambling to get things under control.
On the other hand, if food is doled out of your stomach in small amounts, your body can easily cope; keeping blood sugars right where they need to be.
While there are dozens, if not hundreds, of supplements claiming to reduce the GI of food, none can hold a candle to these 3 proven all-natural GI fighters.
GI Fighter No. 1 Cinnamon: Cinnamon is probably the most well known GI fighter out there. A recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that a high-dose of cinnamon at breakfast delays gastric emptying and caps blood sugar levels after a high-GI meal.
Cinnamon is perfect as an addition to fruit salad, steel cut oats, and even some entrees. Be warned though, you need to eat loads of cinnamon, around 6 grams, to see an effect... a sprinkle simply won't do it.
GI Fighter No. 2 Fish Oil: Fatty fish and supplemental fish oil is a well-documented all-natural treatment for diabetes. One of the ways fish oil seems to work is by slowing down the rate that food passes through the stomach; not only lowering the GI of what you just ate, but reducing your appetite as well.
As a bonus, a single dose of fish oil can make inflammation freefall, making your body less insulin resistant and virtually knocking off a few GI points from your next meal.
GI Fighter No. 3 Whey Protein: You may think whey protein belongs only in the realm of grunting muscle heads, but you'd be mistaken. Whey protein is one of the most potent and heavily researched supplements on Earth. Most diabetics, Type 1 or Type 2, don't have whey protein on their radar screen... with the beneficial effects on immunity and glycemic control relatively unknown.
For example, one study published in Nutrition Journal set out to find whether whey protein could help prevent post-meal hyperglycemia, one of the most frustrating ordeals that diabetes have to go through.
In the study, they gave 10 diabetic subjects either a low (about 5g), or relatively high (about 20g), dose of whey protein along with a very high-GI glucose drink.
It's important to note that while these GI tricks do indeed work, they can't completely erase a poor diet rich in processed, high-GI foods. 20 grams of whey protein helped prevent a glucose spike, and even controlled blood sugar levels over the long term.
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