The Low-carb Glycemic Index Diet

The "Glycemic Index Diet" was written by Rick Gallop, a former President of The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario.

The Glycemic Index (GI) Diet claims, if you can understand a traffic light, you will understand the diet.

Gallop divides food into three groups based on the glycemic index, how fast they cause spikes in blood sugar levels.

He separates food into green light, yellow light and red light foods. Glucose is set at a GI level of 100 and all other foods are compared against it.

Red light foods should be avoided, yellow light foods are avoided during the initial weight loss phase and eaten occasionally during the ongoing maintenance phase and green light foods should form the basis of your diet throughout.

No special foods need to be purchased. Simply look up where your favorite foods fit in the plan, eat green, sample some yellow and avoid red. Period.

Gallop says dieters should expect to lose one to two pounds per week and need not start with a crash diet.

While this is a low carb diet it is not as high protein as most of the other diets and encourages dieters to cut fats as well as carbs. He also encourages exercising for 30 minutes each day and eating three balanced meals that include carbs, proteins and fats.

According to Gallop, followers of the GI diet should consider it a lifestyle change that they will adhere to for the rest of their lives, not a diet. It isn't easy, though.

For example: consider these "Red Light foods" list and note all the "good eats":

+ Baked beans w/pork
+ Refried beans
+ Alcoholic beverages
+ Regular soft drinks
+ Bagels
+ Croissants
+ Baguettes
+ Cake
+ Cookies
+ Cornbread
+ English muffins
+ Hamburger buns
+ Hot dog buns
+ Kaiser rolls
+ Melba toast
+ Muffins
+ Doughnuts
+ Pancakes
+ Waffles
+ Pizza
+ Regular Granola Bars
+ Stuffing
+ Tortillas
+ White bread
+ Millet
+ White rice
+ Instant rice
+ Rice cakes
+ Cold Cereals
+ Cream of Wheat
+ Granola
+ Grits
+ Muesli
+ Instant oatmeal
+ Croutons
+ Ketchup
+ Mayonnaise
+ Tartar sauce
+ Cheese
+ Chocolate milk
+ Cottage cheese
+ Cream
+ Cream cheese
+ Ice Cream
+ Whole/2% milk
+ Sour Cream
+ Yogurt
+ Butter
+ Coconut oil
+ Hard Margarine
+ Lard
+ Palm oil
+ Peanut butter
+ Regular salad dressing
+ Tropical oils
+ Vegetable shortening
+ Cantaloupe
+ Dates
+ Honeydew melon
+ Prunes
+ Raisins
+ Watermelon
+ Canned fruit in syrup
+ All dried fruit
+ Applesauce w/sugar
+ All fruit drinks
+ Prune juice
+ Sorbet
+ Bologna
+ Bratwurst
+ Regular eggs
+ Ground beef with 20% fat
+ Hamburgers
+ Hotdogs
+ Pastrami
+ Processed meat
+ Regular bacon
+ Salami
+ Sausages
+ Sushi rolls
+ All canned pasta
+ Couscous
+ Gnocchi
+ Macaroni and cheese
+ Noodles
+ Pasta filled with meat or cheese
+ Alfredo sauces
+ Sauces with sugar
+ Jell-O
+ Potato Chips
+ Candy
+ French fries

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