Manage Your Diabetes and Drop A Few Pounds Via The GI Diet
January 29th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
The Glycemic Index Diet, also known as the GI Diet, is a diet that centers on ranking carbohydrates for their effect on the body’s level of glucose. The GI Diet was originally developed for diabetic patients by Dr. David Jenkins in 1981. The diet has been found to be helpful to diabetics for keeping their blood sugar levels under control rather than eating foods that cause blood sugar to change rapidly.
Each food is ranked according to how its carbs will break down during digestion. The number that results will tell each dieter how fast the carbs in that food will cause glucose to be released. A quick rise in blood sugar is caused by high GI foods, while a slower rise is caused by foods with a lower GI number. Glucose is rated 100. The foods receive a rating based on how close they are to pure glucose, with the lowest rated foods at zero. A low GI food is one that has a number up to 55. Rankings of 56 to 69 are medium GI foods. Foods rated 70 and higher are the high GI foods.
Eating low GI foods is the goal in order to stabilize blood glucose. This will require the body to make less insulin. Lower glycemic index foods also provide a constant source of energy, rather than a rapid rise that can leave the dieter feeling hungry later. By eating only low GI foods, the dieter feels less hungry throughout the day and has a steady level of energy. High GI foods may provide quick energy, but they also provide a quick crash after the energy rush ends. The GI Diet helps dieters lose weight by preventing food cravings due to low blood sugar.
Another tenet of the GI Diet is to cut down on fat. Some foods have been rated with quite a low GI number, but they still contain too much fat. Those foods are not to be eaten on the GI Diet. When a dieter stays on the diet, eating the proper foods and avoiding high-fat foods, about 1 to 2 pounds can be lost every week. The GI Diet causes the steady weight loss that doctors recommend as being the healthiest type of weight loss.
Studies have shown the GI Diet to reduce the risk of several diseases, including heart disease and diabetes. The lessened risk of diabetes has gotten the diet the recommendation of the American Diabetes Association. Doctors, as well as nutritionists, recommend the diet because it improves overall heath and can result in weight loss. To reap the full rewards from the GI Diet, it’s important to stay on it over a long period of time and to follow a meal plan. Most meals outside the GI Diet have both high and low glycemic index foods, which can make it hard to figure out that the overall ranking is for that meal. Low GI foods make up GI Diet meals, making it much easier to figure out the overall GI number for that meal. By staying on the GI meal plan long term, a dieter can expect to lose weight steadily and keep up a predictable level of energy.
