Low glycemic-load carbs can make you lighter

Cherries You can indeed lose weight faster if you decrease your carbohydrate intake, but make sure you avoid high-glycemic carbs . These include bagels, chocolate cake, corn flakes, jelly beans, spaghetti, baked potatoes, raisins, white bread, and white rice.

These foods and others that are high on the glycemic index cause a rapid rise in blood sugar. A couple of hours after eating, however, your blood sugar levels drop. That leaves you hungry long before your next meal.

By contrast, foods that are high in fiber and low on the glycemic index will be converted to blood glucose slowly. You feel fuller longer and probably won't be hungry before mealtime. Such foods include all-bran cereal, apples, broccoli, carrots, cherries, sweet corn, lentils, milk, oranges, peanuts, peanut butter, popcorn, soybeans, strawberries, and yogurt. grapes, ice cream, kidney beans,

Mid-range foods with medium glycemic-load carbs include apple juice, bananas, barley, blueberry muffins, English muffins, oatmeal, orange juice, pretzels, sweet potatoes, and wheat bread.

A high-glycemic diet may put you at higher risk for obesity, heart disease, and diabetes, according to studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

This doesn't mean that you have to eliminate high glycemic foods entirely, just that it would be better to eat smaller helpings and eat them less often.

For smart carbohydrate control, it's better to focus on foods that have low to medium glycemic load.