I am not a fan of the term “diet,” but diet is simply a way of eating.

I had been feeling drained and had increased migraines after eating probably for about a couple of months. Initially, I thought it was just the heat.

I was so glad to have my annual physical approaching. When I was overweight, I was borderline diabetic and had to watch my blood sugar levels.

I thought then maybe it could be related to that, but my levels came back fairly normal. My doctor suggested trying a “low glycemic (or GI for short) index” diet.

Here’s an insert from Harvard Health Publishing on choosing foods with a lower GI:

One way to choose foods is with the glycemic index (GI). This tool measures how much a food boosts blood sugar.

The glycemic index rates the effect of a specific amount of a food on blood sugar compared with the same amount of pure glucose. A food with a glycemic index of 28 boosts blood sugar only 28% as much as pure glucose. One with a GI of 95 acts like pure glucose.

High glycemic foods result in a quick spike in insulin and blood sugar (also known as blood glucose). Low glycemic foods have a slower, smaller effect.

After seeing what foods were on the higher end, it was foods such as instant oatmeal, popcorn, cereal (like Special K), white rice (I do Jasmine), white bread (on pizzas) – basically all things I ate. Make sense, why I had that “crashing” feeling after eating.

I decided to make some swaps to my usuals. 

Pre-breakfast: I’ll typically have a half a banana (other half goes to my youngest) with some almond butter and my coffee (with almond milk).Breakfast: I switched to steel cut oats versus instant oatmeal.

I used instant oatmeal because of the iron fortified in it (now I just take my multivitamin). I’ll add in pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, almond milk and sometimes raspberries or blueberries.Snack: Greek Yogurt.

I’ve been on a siggi’s kick and spotted this new flavor at my grocery store.Lunch: Lunch varies but I typically go for the edamame spaghetti with a salad. It’s easy and I like to prep a couple of servings of the spaghetti and have it ready to heat for a quick meal.

Snack #2: Apples and peanut butter + a second coffee.Dinner: I’ve been making black bean burgers again (healthier and cheaper than store bought). I’ve been loving this recipe from Sweet Simple Vegan.Sometimes I’ll pair it with whole grain bread, but other times I have it with brown rice, salad and some snapeas for crunch.

Dessert: For the most part, it has been non-existing. If I do have dessert, I’ll have a small handful of nuts and dark chocolate chips.

Sometimes, I will even make sweets like cookies or double chocolate chip muffins.While these are on the higher end of the glycemic index, I save it for night time.

It’s not that I can’t have these foods, I just need to limit them. I still have cereal and popcorn, just not daily or even twice a day like I was doing.

After the first week of following a low GI diet, I experience barely ANY migraines or crashing after my meals. It always amazes me how much food can have an impact on your health. Even though I was eating pretty healthy before, my body just wasn’t meshing well with certain foods.

Of course, I am no doctor or expert. This was recommended to me by my physician. Always talk to your doctor before starting any diet plan.

Every body is different. ❤