Eating foods at breakfast that have a low glycemic index may help prevent a spike in blood sugar throughout the morning and after the next meal of the day. These breakfast foods can also increase feelings of satiety and fullness and may make people less likely to overeat throughout the day. The glycemic index ranks foods on the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating. Foods with a high index are rapidly digested and result in high fluctuations in blood sugar levels.
Foods with a low glycemic index produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels and are considered healthier, especially for people with diabetes. Low glycemic foods include rolled oats and groats, whole grains, nuts and seeds, sweet potato, barley b-glucan, yam flour, glucomannan, durum pasta, vegetable flours, chia/flax seed and resistant starch.
(Source: Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, April 2012. Courtesy HealthQuest Chiropractic.)