But let’s go back to talking about the strategies that can prevent us from gaining too many pounds at Christmas, which will then remain beautiful and wrapped around our waist for more or less eternity or at least for half of next year.

Can we limit the damage? We can and must, in a certain sense, avoid food laxity at Natale & Dintorni, for example by making sure that everything we eat does not automatically convert into meat. How?

For example, keeping an eye on both the glycemic index and the insulin index of meals.
But what are the foods that raise blood sugar and insulin and make you fat?
The list is extensive , so it is almost impossible to follow it to the letter. But knowing more allows us to make smarter choices.

HOW TO SET A LOW GLUCOSE INDEX CHRISTMAS MENU

• Let’s start with foods with a high glycemic index to avoid in general.
  Refined foods, such as white sugar and white bread, white rice, sweets and sweet and savory baked goods.
  So we prefer brown rice (for example a nice black rice with seafood), honey instead of sugar, walnuts and hazelnuts instead of sweets.
  These foods have a medium or low glycemic index. Let’s avoid bread. Fried and sugary desserts and sweet liqueurs.
• Appetizers.
  Good raw vegetables in pinzimonio, aspic, seafood or seafood tartare, smoked salmon, olives, lean cold cuts such as bresaola, smoked ham, mountain speck.
  Red light for fried food, canapés, dairy products, VOLVO, puff pastry snacks, sandwiches and sandwiches.
• First dishes.
  Egg pasta, filled pasta and al dente pasta are preferable to traditional or baked pasta.
  A nice first course based on brown rice or egg pasta (straw and hay fettuccine, egg lasagna) or a cereal dish, for example barley, are choices with a low glycemic index, but tasty.
  A nice orzotto instead of a risotto.
  A seafood risotto with Venere black rice.
  And we cut mercilessly on bread: even wholemeal in moderation.
  On Christmas day, a nice broth with egg noodles or cappelletti is not an attack on blood sugar. In addition, the boiled meat, with some tasty vegetable side dish, is an excellent second course.
• Second courses. 
  Which ones should you prefer for a low glycemic index Christmas menu?
  Good grilled fish, raw seafood, fish carpaccio, boiled meat, fish soup, octopus stew. To be served with fennel salad, light and crispy fried vegetables in season, bitter vegetables sautéed with garlic and chilli. Potatoes should be avoided.
• Sweets. 
  For desserts, but here too there are some that we can save.
  Panna cotta, for example, because cream and isinglass do not raise blood sugar and sugar is generally reduced; in the same way a Bavarian as long as it is not too sugary; mont blanc or a chocolate mousse are also good.
  Green light for a nice sorbet. Or try this apple crumble. 
  Red light for pandoro and panettone, nougat, sugar paste, fortified chocolates, dates and figs.
  Pandoro and panettone can be eaten for breakfast, paired with a nice low-fat yogurt or a glass of skimmed milk.

Let’s look at the insulin index instead.
To the recommendations above, we add what we know about foods that raise insulin while not belonging to carbohydrates . We find meat and sausages, dairy products and cheeses.

If we suffer from insulin resistance, even these foods should be consumed in moderation in favor of white meats, fish, legumes. So ok with menus based on fish or shellfish, to which we associate a free vegetable side dish. Fats do not raise insulin but must be severely limited in the diabetic’s diet. Frying in moderation, one or two pieces, no sauces, free condiments, fatty cheeses and dried fruit.