One of the key elements of reducing the oiliness of your skin is your diet. Why’s that? Because eating foods high in refined carbohydrates spikes your blood sugar, which messes up your hormones. Hormonal imbalance in turn causes your skin to produce more oil. Obviously this doesn’t happen to everyone, but if you suffer from oiliness and acne, your hormones are likely the culprit. So what can you eat? We’re going to give you some yummy examples of healthy low GI snacks that you can enjoy between meals.
Glycemic index
The glycemic index measures how foods containing carbohydrates raise blood sugar. Foods are given numerical values (between 0 and 100) and can be divided into 3 categories based on these values:
70 or more: high
56-69: medium
55 or less: low
Low glycemic foods raise blood glucose levels the least, and it’s a good idea to eat more of low and medium GI foods than the high GI ones. When eating high glycemic index foods combine them with low GI foods to balance out the effect on your blood sugar.
Low glycemic snacks
To me snacks are something that have to be extremely easy and extremely quick. If making myself a little midday pick-me-up requires 5+ ingredients and more than 15 minutes to make, I’m always going to rather grab that chocolate bar. Unfortunate but true. But, since my skin is not loving that chocolate bar, I have a few go-to snacks to help me survive until dinner time.
Nuts and seeds
I usually go for almonds or cashew nuts (or, if I’m feeling particularly naughty, salted pistachios). Nowadays I have a bowl of pumpkin seeds on my desk so I eat those too. They’re not chocolate but I quite enjoy them anyway and my skin thanks me for that. Other options to try are walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts and sunflower seeds.
Fruit
Pears, apples and oranges are great for snacking! And you get your vitamins too! Fruits are awesome for when you’re really craving for something sweet so make sure you’ve always got some at home.
Yogurt
Greek yogurt and soy yogurt are my favorites. Just make sure they don’t contain any added sugar. You can combine yogurt with fruit or berries, or make it into a refreshing smoothie by adding frozen fruit and blending it all together.
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Berries
Fresh berries are the best! If you can get your hands on some nice sweet strawberries or blueberries, go for it! They are lovely to snack on, and very healthy. I don’t know if it’s a little weird, but my grandma used to give us kids frozen strawberries instead of candy. We loved those, but I have to admit I haven’t tried eating frozen berries/fruit on their own in a while.
Eggs
Boiled eggs with a little bit of salt or sriracha sauce are great at keeping hunger at bay for a little longer. They contain a lot or protein and the yolk is rich in fat, so eggs are a good choice if you need a little something to eat but want to avoid carbs.
Avocado
High in healthy fats, avocados are often referred to as a superfood. They are very nutritious, containing many essential vitamins and minerals. Plus, they are also delicious! Eat one with a little tuna or some pumpkin seeds and make your stomach and skin happy.
More ideas
There are a lot of foods you can eat while reducing the amount of refined carbs you’re getting. Meats are good for this purpose if you eat them, veggies are good to go and most fruits and berries are cool. Generally speaking, be wary of processed foods or at least read the ingredients list carefully. Try new things, and share your best ideas with us!
What are your favorite low GI snacks? Have you noticed any difference in your skin after changing your diet, or are you still waiting to take the leap?