Lose Weight with these Three Low Glycemic Index Recipes

Nov 29, 2010 Connie Delaney

Healthy Oats & Apple - photo by the Author

A few years ago I started asking myself a different question. Instead of constantly wondering, “Why am I overweight?” I started wondering, “Why am I hungry when I’m obviously eating more than enough food?” I found that asking the right question made all the difference in finding the right answers.

Turns out, I was hungry because my blood sugar was fluctuating too much from the foods I was choosing. I started studying the glycemic index and made a few changes to my daily routine that have made all the difference.

By reducing my glycemic load I was able to get rid of sweets without the cravings. I added the following three foods to my daily diet:

One: Oats for Breakfast

Though I don’t always stick to the same thing, my usual breakfast is very simple. Whole oats with an apple and low fat milk.

Here’s how I prepare it.

1. Cut up a whole apple, and remove the core
2. Put a handful of whole oats (not instant) in a bowl
3. Add a spoonful of ground flax seed and a shake of cinnamon
4. Pour water over the oats until they are swimming
5. Add the apple on top
6. Microwave for 4 minutes
7. Cover with milk and eat.

This combination will keep you full the whole morning without a sudden sugar slump. Oats are a fantastic breakfast because the gooey cream they create when cooking slows down digestion. Slower digestion means slower blood sugar surges. Adding the apple and cinnamon gives a fruit serving and adds taste and texture (do not add sugar or honey!!!). Cinnamon is famous for reducing blood sugar surges, and it also tastes great.

Adding a bit of flax seed adds the benefit of flax seed oil and more fiber. This also helps reduce the glycemic load. And topping it with low fat milk adds protein and reduces the blood sugar surge even more.

Two: Beans for Lunch

My favorite lunch is even more filling than the oatmeal breakfast: beans!

I like to cook up my own beans so they can be low in sodium, and much cheaper. I’ll cook up a pot and then keep the beans in the fridge and freezer to eat over the next few weeks.

There are a million variations, but here is a sample:

1. On a small plate place a corn tortilla
2. Add a scoop of beans
3. Add other stuff: chopped veggies, a little meat, occasionally some cheese.
4. Add a scoop of hot sauce or salsa
5. Place a second corn tortilla on top
6. Cover and microwave 2 minutes.
7. Occasionally I will cook an egg to go on top.
8. Season with a little salt if you are using salt-free beans.

This quick meal will keep you full the rest of the day.

Some Tips About Beans

Don’t be afraid of beans. I know all the horror stories about beans giving people gas. But my experience is that this only happens for folks who never have beans in their diets. Just start out slow, adding more beans over time, and your digestive tract will soon grow the needed elements to digest beans cleanly. It’s also a great idea to add daily yogurt to your diet to grow the correct bacteria for good digestion. Beans are one of the healthiest foods available and everyone should give themselves the opportunity to enjoy them.

Three: The Super Celery Snack

And finally, use celery to add a crunchy treat when needed. If I happen to get the hungries in the day, this is the perfect solution:

1. One or two stalks of celery, cleaned and wiped dry
2. Spread lightly with a little real peanut butter (like Adams peanut butter which has no added sugars or fats)
3. Now sprinkle on some healthy granola for an extra crunch.

Yum! The healthy peanut butter adds needed vegetable oils to your diet, is full of protein, and extremely low on the glycemic scale. Added to celery which actually has 0 calories this makes the perfect snack.

An Added Benefit

Adding these foods to your daily diet will have an added and unexpected benefit. Not only are they easy to prepare and keep your hunger low, but these are very inexpensive foods! You are going to save a ton of money.

Copyright Connie Delaney. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.

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  Healthy Oats & Apple - photo by the Author

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  Low Fat Beans - photo by the Author

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  Crunchy Zero Calorie Celery - photo by the Author

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