Eating foods that have a low glycemic index is not only better for your health, but it can be pretty tasty too. For those uninitiated, the glycemic index is a chart the rates foods based on how much they affect your blood glucose level after consuming them. Those with a high GI number have a dramatic effect on your blood glucose while those with a low GI don't. The point being of course is to include as many low GI foods in your diet as possible because dramatic increases in your blood glucose level can lead to harmful effects such as weight gain, diabetes, and even heart disease.

The glycemic index has three ratings:

1. High-70 or more

2. Medium-56-69

3. Low-Below 55

When working to plan your meals, aim for a variety of foods and an over all low glycemic index number. Aiming for foods from different food groups will help to ensure you get the proper nutrients you need while focusing on a low GI number will help to ensure that the meal won't make your blood glucose level fluctuate too dramatically.

Below is a list of some common food categories and the foods listed in them as well as their GI rating to help you effectively plan your meals.

Cereal

All Bran-50

Special K-54

Mini Wheats-58

Shredded Wheat-67

Cornflakes-80

Puffed Wheat-80

Total-76

Cheerios-74

Rice Krispies-82

Bread

Pumpernickel-46

Whole Wheat-49

Sourdough Rye-48

Sourdough Wheat-54

Croissant-67

Hamburger Bun-61

Pita-57

White-71

Bagel-72

Vegetables

Raw Carrots-16

Boiled Carrots-41

Broccoli-10

Cauliflower-15

Cabbage-10

Mushrooms-10

Tomatoes-15

Lettuce-10

Green Beans-15

Onions-10

Fruits

Cherries-22

Plums-24

Grapefruit-25

Peaches-28

Apples-34

Pears-41

Grapes-43

Coconut-45

Kiwi-47

Oranges-40

Strawberries-40

Prunes-29

Bananas-58

Raisins-64

Figs-61

Pineapple-66

Watermelon-80

MISC

Meat ravioli-39

Spaghetti-32

Brown Rice-50

Wheat Tortilla-30

Taco Shells-68

Baked potatoes-60

Wild Rice-57

White Rice-87

Mashed Potatoes-73

French Fries-75

Obviously, this is by no means a complete list, but it will hopefully give you a good head start in developing a diet that includes foods that are low on the Glycemic Index. Perhaps one of the easiest approaches to creating a diet to maintain health as well as a healthy weight and even encourage weight loss is by using the glycemic index to create your meals. Never again will you have to worry about specific portion sizes or overall calorie counting. Simply choose a varied selection of nutrient dense foods and aim for as low a GI number as you can. Controlling your blood glucose level is something that most of us have never paid attention to, but if become more cognizant of its importance in our overall health, perhaps we can decrease our risk of diabetes and heart disease by simply adhering to the numbers given to us by the Glycemic Index.