Does low GI mean low carb?
Absolutely not! Low Gi is about choosing carbs carefully, and restricting the ‘bad’ ones, but not restricting them altogether. Some foods offer no nutritional benefit beyond calories. Sugar is an example of this. Apart from the calories, there’s no nutritional reason to consume sugar, so you could label that a “bad” carb. On the other hand, wholegrains — such as whole-wheat pasta, brown rice or oatmeal — provide many vitamins and minerals, fibre, and other substances that promote health. This puts them in the “good” carb category. But you have to watch how much you eat and keep your portions in check. Too much of any food, including whole grains, may provide excess calories. And excess calories from any source leads to weight gain. The theory behind low Gi diets is similar to that behind low-carb diets: high Gi foods raise blood sugar and insulin levels and cause weight gain. So if you eat low Gi foods, you’ll lower your blood sugar and insulin levels and you’ll lose weight.
