On a morning in Sanlitun, Beijing, 32-year-old office worker Zhang Yuan scoops up a spoonful of low-GI (glycemic index) oat yogurt at a trendy cafe. She has made a habit of choosing slowly digesting, low-glycemic foods about three times a week.
"I'm not doing this to lose weight, and I'm not chasing labels," Zhang told the Global Times. "I just want my body to stay healthy in a busy life, and that includes keeping my blood sugar stable."
For her, a low-GI diet is no longer simply medical advice, but a way of living in tune with her body's natural rhythm.
A walk through the supermarket tells a similar story. Low-GI cereals, bread, beverages, and snack foods are now placed more prominently on shelves, while in the staple-food aisles, rice and noodles labeled "low-GI" are becoming increasingly common.
GI stands for glycemic index, a measure of how quickly a food raises blood glucose levels. Low-GI foods contain available carbohydrates, such as sugars and starches, and have a glycemic index of 55 or below.
From reading ingredient lists and counting calories to paying closer attention to blood-sugar fluctuations, a growing number of young people are rethinking how they eat in more nuanced ways, redefining food as part of a broader approach to health rather than a simple numbers game.
Health-conscious shift
On Tuesday, the Health Commission of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province released a dietary guideline for adults with diabetes, which clearly recommends prioritizing whole grains and foods with a low GI in daily meals. The guidelines also advise people to refer to China's GI tables for common foods when choosing staple grains.
The document notes that diabetes has become a major threat to public health in China, stressing that staple foods should be consumed in appropriate portions rather than in excess, with a greater emphasis on whole grains, mixed beans, and other low-GI options. The guidance has once again brought low-GI diet into the spotlight.
In fact, even before the release of the official guidelines, high-fat and high-sugar diets had long been under scrutiny, and low-GI eating was already emerging as a gentler, more restrained approach to health.
Zhang Yuan's experience reflects this shift. Being in the financial sector, she recalls that when she first entered the workforce, working overtime and frequent social engagements became the norm. She often skipped breakfast, relied on fast food for lunch, and ended her days with takeout barbecues or hot pot dinners. Within a single year, she gained nearly 20 kilograms.
"At the time, I didn't realize my body was sending me warning signals," Zhang said. During an annual health check-up, doctors informed her that her fasting blood sugar level was elevated and her blood lipid levels were abnormal, advising her to adjust both her diet and lifestyle.
She later began experimenting with a low-GI diet. Oatmeal or whole-grain bread replaced refined flour products for breakfast, low-GI biscuits took the place of sugary desserts, and dinner featured more whole grains and vegetables.
"At first it wasn't easy," Zhang said. "I was used to fast food and sweets, so switching to slow-digesting foods didn't feel as satisfying." Over time, however, she found herself growing comfortable with, and even enjoying, a way of eating that moved more in sync with her body.
Yilan, an attending physician of traditional Chinese medicine at a hospital in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, told the Global Times that a low-GI diet is not about chasing labels, but about responding more consciously to the body's natural rhythm.
"Many young people choose low-GI foods not because of a medical necessity, but because they want to avoid post-meal drowsiness and keep their mood and energy levels stable," she said. "It's a lifestyle choice rather than a prescription."
A way of life
The growing popularity of the low-GI diet is no longer limited to individual experiences. For many young people, choosing such foods is not driven by a clear medical diagnosis, but by a practical, everyday judgment: eating a little more slowly and steadily may help the body cope better with the intensity of modern life.
This way of thinking has extended to increasingly subtle dietary choices. Luo Chaofan, a rehabilitation therapist with China's National Health Commission, told the Global Times that the appeal of a low-GI diet lies in its close connection to how people feel.
"Many people are not really trying to 'control blood sugar' in a clinical sense," he said. "They are looking for a more stable physical state."
In Luo's view, however, "keeping blood sugar stable" does not mean relying on foods with specific labels. Simple adjustments in everyday eating habits can also influence post-meal blood sugar responses.
"For example, adding mixed beans or whole grains when cooking rice can slow the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates," he explained. "Eating in sequence also matters, starting with soup, then vegetables and protein, and finishing with staple foods can help moderate the rise in blood sugar."
The pace of eating is equally important, Luo noted. Slowing down and chewing thoroughly gives the body time to signal that it has had enough.
This idea of "slowing down" is also reflected in post-meal routines. Luo pointed out that moderate activity after eating is itself part of blood sugar regulation. A 30-minute walk, or simple indoor movements such as raising heels or lifting toes while seated, can all help the body return to a more balanced state.
"Compared with high-intensity workouts, regular and sustainable forms of activity are easier to integrate into daily life," he said.
On social media, discussion around low-GI diet is gradually shifting from "what to eat" to "how to live." Some are documenting their experiments with low-GI meals, others are about changes in how they feel after eating, while still others are combining dietary adjustments with earlier bedtimes, reduced intake of refined sugar, and more regular daily routines.
According to Luo, this is where the low-GI diet finds its real meaning, no longer as an isolated way of eating, but as an entry point for rethinking the body's natural rhythm.
When low-GI choices intertwine with daily schedules, exercise habits, and emotional well-being, "keeping blood sugar stable" becomes more than a decision made at the table. It evolves into a broader attitude toward life itself.
