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Quinoa is Perfect for a Low GI Diet

Quinoa is very good for people with diabetes because of its low glycemic index (GI). You can even enjoy desserts and mithai made from quinoa to help control your diabetes.

You must be familiar with the GI if you have diabetes or are at risk of getting it. GI is an advanced way of measuring carbohydrates in various foods and how they thereby impact one’s blood sugar levels. GI doesn’t just count the number of carbohydrates in food but goes a step ahead by telling you how something you eat is going to affect your blood sugar. It is very easy to find the GI of various types of foods. It will be mentioned in the food profile. The lower the GI the lesser it has a role in increasing your blood sugar levels.

Low GI diets have been associated with decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, stroke, depression, chronic kidney disease, formation of gallstones, neural tube defects, formation of uterine fibroids, breast cancer, colon, prostate, and pancreas cancer.

We are happy to tell you that quinoa’s GI is low and thereby doesn’t alter with your blood sugar much – there is a reason why quinoa is called the super grain.

Quinoa is a good food to include for diabetics because of its low GI and high nutritional value. It has iron, magnesium, protein, antioxidants, minerals and fiber content and is also gluten free, if that is something you are concerned about as well. A healthy diabetic diet should include a mix of fruits, vegetables and whole grains – the whole grain role is perfectly filled by quinoa.

According to the USDA nutrient database – one cup of cooked quinoa has 222 calories, 8 grams of protein, 39 grams of carbohydrate, 4 grams of fat and 5 grams of fiber and is a good source of vitamins B and E and all nine essential amino acids.  Now you know why Quinoa is perfect for your lifestyle to manage diabetes.

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