A healthy lifestyle is becoming incredibly popular. Hundreds of photos are posted on social networks where girls absorb the right food and go in for sports. But how do you know which products are right and which ones will ruin your figure? Most often, for this purpose, the calorie content of the dish is calculated, but as it turned out, these data are not enough in order to correctly compose a daily menu. Recently, it has become common to calculate the glycemic index of products and, based on it, build your diet. Today, our heroine has become ordinary buckwheat, which many consider a dietary product. We will consider the glycemic index of buckwheat in various cooking options, which is very important for those who monitor their nutrition.
What is the glycemic index of foods?
Quite often, the problem of excess weight torments those people who eat a lot of the wrong carbohydrates. It seems to them that they significantly limit themselves in food, but do not get the necessary result. And the root of the problem lies in the glycemic index of products (or GI, as it is also called).
GI is the rate at which carbohydrates from a product are absorbed by the body. The faster they are absorbed, the higher the blood sugar level rises. Moreover, this happens very abruptly, spasmodically. Frequent use of foods with a high glycemic index in the body disrupts all metabolic processes, which leads to excess weight and, in some cases, the development of diabetes.
How does GI affect metabolic processes in the human body?
If you are following your figure, you should clearly understand the relationship between the glycemic index and your health. All food entering the body is transformed into energy. Most of it is obtained from carbohydrates, nutritionists divide them into:
Fast carbohydrates just have a high glycemic index, slow - low. Therefore, by consuming fast carbohydrates, you get a huge amount of energy in one meal, which the body must use for its needs. There are only three scenarios:
- energy is consumed immediately if there are physical and mental stress;
- It is transported to the production of glycol;
- sent to a reserve warehouse, transforming into fat.
If you, having dined with products with high GI, do not immediately go to the gym, then be sure that you are provided with a couple of extra fat folds on your body. The more often you consume fast carbohydrates (and many sin with constant snacks with sweets and cookies), the higher the level of sugar in your blood. As a result, metabolic processes are disturbed in the body, and it ceases to produce insulin in the right quantities on its own. In such a situation, being overweight is just the beginning of another terrible problem - diabetes. And, as you know, it is impossible to cure him.
Glycemic index and calories: what should be considered?
Do not think that low glycemic index foods are low in calories. This statement is not always true. In any case, if you are on a diet, you must simultaneously count calories and eat slow carbohydrates. A similar approach to your daily diet will save you from extra pounds and future health problems.
All products by GI level are divided into three categories:
Foods with a low level should be consumed every day, the average GI also does not harm your body if consumed two to three times a week. But carbohydrates with a high glycemic index should be present on your table no more than a couple of times a month.
Buckwheat and Rice Glycemic Index : Average GI Product Table
Most often, girls, deciding to lose extra pounds, choose diets in which it is necessary to use buckwheat or rice. These products have a lot of useful properties and can significantly improve your body. But they raise many questions. What is the glycemic index of buckwheat? Is truth written about miraculous rice and buckwheat diets? Is it possible to lose weight with their help?
Nutritionists say that you can. The main thing is to follow the recommendations and not to increase portions. In this case, you can very well count on an excellent result that exceeds all expectations. In addition to buckwheat, it is necessary to eat foods with a low or medium glycemic index. We give their brief table below.
| The product's name | GI |
| Rye bread | 65 |
| Canned vegetables | 65 |
| Packaged pasteurized juices | 65 |
| Boiled potatoes | 65 |
| Long grain rice | 60 |
| Buckwheat | 60 |
| Bananas | 60 |
| Ice cream | 60 |
| Spaghetti | 55 |
| Cookies (shortbread) | 55 |
Buckwheat: useful properties
Buckwheat can be safely considered a storehouse of vitamins and minerals. Here is absolutely everything that a person needs for health and good mood. For example, lecithin is simply necessary for the normal functioning of the liver and nervous system. And vitamin E, which is contained in large quantities in buckwheat, helps to produce collagen, which makes the skin, hair and nails healthy and beautiful. In addition, buckwheat is absolutely harmless to allergy sufferers and normalizes cholesterol levels in the body.
Cooking: Does the glycemic index of foods change?
As we can see from the table, the glycemic index of buckwheat kernel is sixty units. Therefore, the product can be used as part of a diet, it will be absorbed quite slowly. This will lead to the fact that you will experience a feeling of satiety longer, and the amount of released energy can be almost completely spent on the needs of the body. He will not add fat reserves to you.
But do not forget about the method of cooking, it can significantly affect the glycemic index of buckwheat. Therefore, it is worth considering separately the most common dishes from buckwheat. Or rather, the options for their preparation.
Green Buckwheat Glycemic Index
Since childhood, we are all accustomed to brown buckwheat. This was fed by mothers and grandmothers, it seems to us the most correct and useful. But recently, the media has been actively talking about the benefits of green buckwheat and its simply miraculous effect on the human body. We have collected the most complete information about this extraordinary product.
Green buckwheat is almost the same product that we used to see on our tables. But she does not go through all the difficult stages of processing. The fact is that buckwheat grains in industrial production are initially steamed, and then dried in special plants. During this process, all harmful microorganisms that may be contained in the cereal are killed. Then it is fried, which significantly extends the shelf life of the product. As a result, we get a beautiful brown buckwheat groats, which has a great aroma and taste.
But few people know that buckwheat was consumed in green in Russia. It contains complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, protein and rutin. In addition, the glycemic index of green buckwheat is ten units less than the usual brown cereal - 50 units. This makes it even more beneficial for diet food.
Green buckwheat: sprouted grains
Some sources mention the benefits of sprouted grains of green buckwheat. Is it really. Yes, the sources do not deceive - green buckwheat is just a magical source of health and beauty. Sprouting purchased cereals is surprisingly simple, since it has not undergone any heat treatment, it has enough moisture to let the first sprouts grow.
You can wrap the grains in a damp cloth or cloth and leave for a day. Twenty-four hours later, you will receive an extremely useful product. Such grains can be boiled or consumed in the form of a biological additive by blowing them with steam.
Boiled buckwheat: GI
How do we most often cook buckwheat? Of course, cook. Therefore, it will not be out of place to know how different the glycemic index of boiled buckwheat is from the GI of a raw product.
Nutritionists often advise boiling cereals in water. This eliminates the ingestion of excess calories and contributes to better absorption of beneficial trace elements. In addition, the glycemic index of buckwheat, boiled in water, is only fifty units. What makes it just the perfect meal for weight watchers.
If you cannot imagine buckwheat porridge without milk at all, then try not to add sugar and butter to it at least. Otherwise, from a diet dish, buckwheat will turn into a high-calorie diet. Note that the glycemic index of buckwheat boiled with milk reaches seventy units. Moreover, these calculations do not include sugar. Therefore, nutritionists do not too favor such a dish as a means for losing weight.