The Glycemic Index Diet

The glycemic index diet plan certainly is being endorsed by more and more celebrities. • But how exactly does the glycemic index diet (GI Diet) differ from the other diets on the market.

The glycemic index diet is based on the findings of Dr. David Jenkins that some sugar-based carbohydrates affect the glucose levels in the body differently than the more complex starch based carbohydrates.

According to the glycemic index diet, foods that provide a slow delivery of sugar to the body will be helpful to weight loss in that it will prevent the dieter from feeling the need for energy and therefore the need to keep on eating.

On the other hand, foods with a high glycemic index provide a sudden influx of sugar to the body that provides energy at first, but then leaves you feeling tired and hungry as body begins to crave more sugar.

Eating foods with a high glycemic index lead to the need for even more sugar to get the quick rush of glucose to replace the loss of energy, which in turn has the same effect. This constant need for more sugary food (high glycemic index) means that weight loss will be more difficult.

The basic concept of the low glycemic index diet is fairly straightforward. You simply eat more of the foods with a low glycemic index than you do of the foods with a high glycemic index. Since there is plenty of information about the glycemic index values of various foods, it is fairly easy to design a low glycemic index diet.

However, there is more to the glycemic index diet than just eating foods with a low glycemic index. The glycemic index diet also encourages the dieter to limit their intake of high fat foods, even if they are also low glycemic index foods. Therefore, you must find foods that are both low fat and low glycemic index.

The glycemic index diet is easy to follow if you are eating standard foods that are easily recognizable. However, the problem is that many foods have different glycemic index values depending on whether they are cooked, or even how ripe they are. It can also be especially difficult to determine the glycemic index when a meal is prepared with many different ingredients. Therefore, if you are not experienced with the glycemic index diet, it can be very time consuming and make the whole diet not very user friendly.

On the other hand, when you become more familiar with how to calculate glycemic index of various foods you will need to spend a lot less time looking them up to see if they are within the allowed limits.

The low glycemic index diet can be very healthy in that it actively encourages the dieter to eat fruits and complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice and pasta. It also discourages the intake of processed foods and foods that are high in fat.

Although the low glycemic index diet may be restrictive, it can also be quite varied and enjoyable. As soon as you learn how to calculate glycemic index values of various food groups you can alter your menu in many different ways.

Copyright 2006 Adam Waxler

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