glycemic index

What’s on the Menu

This week’s menu item is not one particular food, but an entire meal I prepared for my wife and I. The salad is made of arugula, watermelon, grated cheddar and a balsamic reduction. Even though watermelon has a high glycemic index (72) it has a low glycemic load (5) due to the water and fiber it contains. Enjoying it with a protein, like the shrimp pictured below, will reduce the watermelon’s insulin response even further. While we’re on the topic of reducing insulin response, substituting zucchini noodles for any refined grain based pasta will do just that. Reducing your refined grain intake could lead to you avoiding troublesome health conditions like bloating and irritable bowel syndrome just to name a few. The real beauty of this meal is that it took about 15 minutes to make. Quick, healthy and delicious. Just the way I like it!

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Product Review: Countertop Spiralizer

One food item that I feel a lot of people have a hard time giving up when trying to eat a more low-carb diet is pasta, specifically the dry variety. It’s cheap, easy to prepare, and can be used in a multitude of different dishes. However, the glycemic response to most pasta, especially those not cooked al dente, can be higher than non-starchy vegetables not to mention possible inflammation due to gluten sensitivity. What’s the solution to keeping your weekly pasta dish while sticking to your low-carb diet? THE SPIRALIZER! This fantastic kitchen gadget can turn any vegetable into noodles. You got a zucchini? BOOM, ZOODLES! You got a carrot? BOOM, COODLES! You got a, ok I think you get the idea. This product is easy to use and usually comes with several different blades and can spiralize pretty much anything. You can see below it has no problem turning a whole sweet potato into shoe string sweet potatoes (FYI – sweet potatoes and pasta have a similar glycemic load). There is a handheld version, but I would recommend the countertop version because it’s much easier to use and is only about $10 more on Amazon. I think this is a great investment for anyone trying to reduce the amount of processed carbs in their diet. If you have a veggie spiralizer, let me know what your go-to recipes are.

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