The Glycemic Index Diet for Dummies - Meri Raffetto [65]
Do hit the interior aisles that contain canned meats, vegetables, and fruit. These items are often spread out between two aisles. Visit these aisles for staples such as tuna and soups, as well as ingredients for any special recipes you picked out when you prepared your grocery list. As long as you're armed with your grocery list, you can navigate these aisles safely (minus the ends, of course).
Skip interior aisles that don't have anything on your list. Do you have a habit of going up and down every single aisle when you're at the grocery store? If so, then you've probably realized how easy it is to, say, be seduced by the pictures of brownies and cakes on the packages in the baking aisle and promise yourself you'll only eat a few as you throw some brownie mix into your cart. Forgo these temptations, stick to your list, and only go down the aisles whose products you actually need. (Here's a bonus for you: This strategy saves you some time and money too!)
Know what breads to look for before heading into that aisle. Even though bread products are a staple in many households, the bread aisle can be a tricky one to navigate. Make sure you know what types of bread are the best low-glycemic choices and try to avoid the tempting muffins and donuts hanging out in this aisle.
Know which pasta and rice choices are safe before shopping that aisle. Pastas and rice can be quite tempting. Improve your chances of making low-glycemic choices by knowing which types of pasta and rice are safe ahead of time.
Tread carefully in the frozen-food aisles. You can find a lot of great items (such as meats, veggies, and fruits) in the frozen-food section. You can even find some not-so-bad for you treats (think frozen yogurt). However, the frozen-food aisles are also riddled with countless other foods that may challenge your commitment to your low-glycemic lifestyle. Because a low-glycemic diet encourages moderation and balance, you shouldn't feel like you can't walk past the frozen pizzas and ice cream. But you should skip any items that aren't specifically on your list.
If you forget which aisles to aim for and which to steer clear of, just remember this: Stick to your grocery list.
Keeping an eye out for official seals
Early adopters of the low-glycemic diet had to engage in a little more guesswork when choosing packaged foods such as breads, crackers, and pastas at the grocery store. Granted, you still need to examine packaging to make the best judgment call, but thanks to some new labeling laws, this process is going to become easier over time.
The Glycemic Research Institute (GRI) — a private, internationally accredited certifying agency hired to provide certifications that are backed with research — operates a federally approved certification program. Food items that meet all the certification criteria, including clinical studies, are guaranteed to be low-glycemic. They can therefore use the GRI's low-glycemic labels on their packaging in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. These labels simplify the process of choosing packaged low-glycemic foods at the grocery store.
The GRI's Low Glycemic seal appears on those products that have been clinically proven to have a low glycemic index and load when fed to individuals without diabetes. Look for the following seal on products such as Uncle Sam Cereal and Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted 100% Whole Grain Bread.
The Low Glycemic for Diabetics seal (see the following figure) denotes products that have been shown in clinical studies to have a low glycemic index and load in Type 2 diabetics. (The GRI hasn't done any testing to determine which foods are friendly for people with Type 1 diabetes.)
These labels help take