GI Diet

Since graduating from college, Kim M., the 32-year-old data analyst had kept a close eye on her expanding waistline. Over time, her affinity for dining out and her aversion to healthy home-cooked meals became a growing problem. Eventually the number on the scale peaked at 158 pounds. It was a heavy burden for Kim to drag around on her petite 5’2” frame - mentally and physically.

With the GI Diet, it’s this simple. Follow the diet and you can achieve stable blood sugars and energy by:

  • Providing approximately 40 percent of calories from unrefined, complex carbohydrates, including whole grains and whole grain breads and cereals, and whole pieces of fruit instead of juice.
  • Balancing carbohydrates with 30 percent of calories from lean protein (fish, chicken and the occasional beef and pork) with vegetarian options that include soy protein, tofu and textured vegetable protein.
  • Designating about 30 percent of calories from healthy fats, including nuts, fatty fish, avocado and olive oil.

Making the weight loss process even simpler is that eDiets actually tailors the plan based on your preferences, as well as your body composition. Looking back, Kim says following the GI Diet was the best thing she ever did for health.

The one-two punch of healthy eating and regular fitness accomplished what exercise alone couldn’t do. For the first time in her life, Kim sports stomach lines on her tight and toned tummy! The dramatic results kept her plugging along throughout the process.

“I feel good about my body,” Kim notes. “I’m a lot more energetic. People have been amazed by the results I’ve gotten. Now, when I look at the old pictures, I can’t believe that was me. It never will be again.”

If you’re still confused about how the weight loss regimen works, here’s an easy, breezy round-up for the novice nutrition nut. The GI Diet theory:

Foods with a low Glycemic Index value (the 0-100 index ranks foods based on the effect they have on blood sugar levels) slowly release sugar into the blood, providing you with a steady supply of energy, and leaving you feeling satisfied longer so that you’re less likely to snack. Foods with a high GI value cause a rapid, short-lived rise in blood sugar. This leaves you tired and hungry within a short time. The result: you end up reaching for a snack. If this pattern is repeated often, you’re likely to gain weight by constantly overeating.

Diets based on GI index encourage you to eat foods with a low GI value and avoid those with a high GI value. This helps to prevent swings in blood sugar, helping you feel fuller longer. Most GI diets also recommend cutting down on fat, especially saturated fats. This means many of the foods which have a low GI value but are high in fat are still limited.

With this exciting new eDiets plan, highly processed, high glycemic index/load foods, including white bread and pasta, sugary cereals, mashed potatoes and white rice, are replaced with vegetables and fruits, legumes, unprocessed grains including oatmeal and long-grain brown rice. The plan also includes low and nonfat dairy, lean meats and healthy fats including monounsaturated fat from olives and avocado, plus omega-3 fatty acids from fish, nuts and seeds.

These low glycemic impact foods sustain energy and allow you to develop your body into a stronger, slimmer one.

Provided by ArmMed Media
Revision date: June 20, 2011
Last revised: by Tatiana Kuznetsova, D.M.D.