The Glycemic Index Diet

The Glycemic Index Diet (aka The GI Diet) measures the effects of carbohydrates on blood glucose levels.



Carbohydrates that break down quickly in the body during digestion have a high GI, as they release glucose rapidly into the bloodstream. Carbohydrates that break down slowly have a low GI, since they release glucose into the bloodstream gradually.

This means that when eating high GI foods, you get a quick rush followed by a pretty swift drop in energy levels. This leaves your body craving more food and leads to over-eating.

Eating low GI foods however, releases the energy into your body throughout a longer period of time. These will leave you feeling fuller for longer, which means you won't be heading to the fridge as often!

So for people looking to eat a healthy balanced diet and stay slim and trim, it is desirable to eat mainly low GI foods.

How did it start?

The Glycemic Index was originally created in the early 1980's by Dr. D. J. Jenkins of Toronto University. He and his colleagues were originally researching the best types of foods to help people deal with diabetes.

Little did they know just how much this new information would help other people who weren't effected by diabetes!

How can it help you?

By allowing you to have a deeper understanding of food and how it effects your body, the Glycemic Index Diet allows you to make informed choices about what you eat and when you eat it. This in turn means you can choose to eat foods that will help keep your body in good, lean condition.

Foods which contain carbohydrates are given a Glycemic Index Number of between 1-100. The lower the number, the better it is to eat!

Generally, you want to be eating foods with a GI of 50 or less. However, some high GI foods, like bananas for example, can be good when eaten before exercise as they give you the quick rush of energy needed for intense physical activity.

How is it different to all the "fad" diets out there?

The GI Diet is now thriving. This is due not only to its ability to help people to lose weight, (when combined with 3-4 weekly exercise sessions) but also because it is a healthy, long-term way to live your life.

Some of the "fad diets" out there will enable people to lose weight in the short-term, but are not healthy or nutritious enough to be viable long-term options.

The GI Diet is different. You could eat this way for the rest of your life and get all the nutrients your body needs.

It's a great guide to eating healthily.

For more detailed information and to try this diet for yourself, get yourself a copy of Living the G.I. (Glycemic Index) Diet, which is probably the best Glycemic Index Diet book available.

It uses a simple, intuitive 'traffic-light' system of grading foods with a red, amber or green light and gives 135 healthy and delicious recipes, along with strategies for implementing and sticking to the plan. Click here for more info...

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