There are a lot of types of lifestyle and there are a lot of types of diet as well. The recent trend shows that a lot of people are interested to learn more about Low Gi Diet which is the popular name of Low-Glycemic diet; it is a concept of diet based on glycemic index or (GI). So far there are some scientific studies that have proven that this kind of diet could help people managing their ideal weight and also good for blood sugar level as well as great for heart. There are a lot of types of foods that considered low-glycemic and among those foods is Low Gi Bread.
What Is Low Gi Bread?
Bread is staple food used as the source of energy due to its high carbohydrate content. There are a lot of types of bread and one that is highly recommended is low GI bread which has glycemic index value lower than 55. So, how you know that? Well, it is important for you to know the source of your bread. The fact is all whole-grain braid has glycemic index lower than 55, the same thing applies to pitas and tortillas.
Nutritional Values of Low Gi Bread
Speaking of nutritional value, low GI bread is considered healthier compared to other types of bread with glycemic index higher than 55. Moreover, for example is whole-grain bread is also rich of fiber and some essential vitamins. To find out more information about the health benefits of low GI bread, you could read the list below in details.
- Great for Weight Loss
All foods that has low glycemic index are great for weight loss and low GI bread is no exception. The fiber content is beneficial to maintain the weight loss while carbohydrate is excellent source of energy.
- Recommended Food for Diabetic Patients
Those who have been diagnosed with certain types of diabetes must find it difficult to manage their diet but low GI bread is one of the recommended foods which are safe to consume by diabetic patients due to its ability to maintain the blood sugar level.
- Prevents Gestational Diabetes for Pregnant Women
As mentioned in previous point, low GI bread is recommended for diabetic patients and it is also recommended for women during pregnancy with tendency of gestational diabetes.
- Good for Digestion
As food that is rich of fiber low GI bread is good for digestion because one of the health benefits of fiber is to improve digestion and prevent some stomach issues such as constipation.
- Excellent Food to Manage Cholesterol
Speaking of foods that lower cholesterol level, low GI bread is in the top of the list. It is because the fiber content found in this bread could help binding the cholesterol in the intestine to be washed off the system.
- Lowering the High Blood Pressure
Some studies said that low GI bread from whole-grain is also high in potassium. One of the health benefits of potassium is lowering the symptoms of high blood pressure.
- Beneficial for Cardiovascular Health
As mentioned in the previous point, all foods that could help reducing the high blood pressure are beneficial for cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of stroke or heart attack.
- Reduces the Risk of Colon Cancer
Fiber could promote healthy digestion and it also could reduce the risk of colon cancer. It means consuming low GI bread could help preventing this condition.
- Optimizes the Nutrient Absorption
If you think all foods you consume will be absorbed optimally and then you are wrong. There are a lot of factors that may disturb the absorption process but low GI bread could ensure or optimize the nutrient absorption.
- Good for Bones
When it comes to foods that healthy for bones and then dairy products which are excellent source of calcium become the number one option. Well, the fact is whole-grain low GI bread is high in calcium that good for bones.
- Excellent Immunity Booster
All low GI foods are excellent source of essential minerals and vitamins, low GI bread is no exception. Furthermore, those essential vitamins and minerals are also excellent immunity booster.
How to Prepare Low GI Bread
It is also important to optimize the way you do your low GI diet. There are some points you should remember when you want to add low GI bread to your diet because it could ruin your diet just because you serve the bread in wrong way.
- When you eat bread, it will come with more options of additional ingredients from egg, ham, jam, slice of cheese and so on. It is useless if you choose low GI bread but you combine it with oily eggs or high calories of cheese. So, be careful with the additional ingredient you choose for your bread.
- Be careful with the choice of bread brand. It is important for you to know how to read the ingredient label because it is the only way for you to know whether the bread inside has low glycemic index or not. Avoid bread with refined bread flour which is listed as first ingredient and instead choose one with whole-grain flour as the main ingredient.
- Those who are allergic to grain are better to avoid consuming bread no matter how low the glycemic index is.
It is important to know about the health benefits of low GI bread as well as how to prepare it so you could get the optimal result of consuming GI bread. What is the point of consuming low GI bread if you can control or manage your diet in healthy way? Healthy lifestyle is also essential if healthy living is your main goal.