Lose Weight / Diets / Low GI Diet

Low GI Diet


So what does GI stand for? G.I. stands for "Glycemic Index" and is a measurement of the impact of food on your blood sugar. The Glycaemic Index runs from 0 to 100 and usually uses glucose, which has a GI value of 100 as a reference point. Foods with a high GI tend to quickly raise your bodies’ blood sugar levels, whereas foods with a low GI will raise them more slowly and over a longer period. For example, a biscuit would be classified as food with a high GI score, which would cause sharper peaks in sugar levels than a low GI food, such as pasta.

By eating meals that have a low GI, you will feel less hungry. This means that by rather controlling your food cravings by will-power alone, you will control them by satisfying your body. On the GI diet, your desire to snack or over eat should be greatly reduced, reducing the amount of calories you consume.

The Low GI diet follows a low-glycemic-load food pyramid:

  • At the bottom, the basis of the diet, are fruits and vegetables, cooked or served with healthful oils.
  • Next come reduced-fat dairy foods, lean meats and fish, nuts, and beans.
  • Higher up, meant to be eaten less frequently, come whole grains, unrefined grains and pastas.
  • At the top, to be eaten sparingly if at all, come refined grains, potatoes, and sweets.

Low-GI Diet Suggestions:

  • Aim to eat low-GI carbohydrates at every meal.
  • Aim for the low-GI breakfast cereals: oats, muesli, and All-Bran.
  • Aim for heavy-grain breads, sourdough breads, and stone-ground breads.
  • Eat lots of legumes, even baked beans.
  • Don't be afraid to eat pasta, Basmati rice, or couscous.
  • Have two to three servings of low-fat dairy a day.
  • Eat nine servings of fruit and vegetables a day.
  • Don't avoid any kind of fruit or vegetable except potatoes. Replace white potatoes with sweet potatoes, corn, and other healthy foods.
  • Eat lean meat, fish, and chicken.

Benefits

  • Decreases levels of triglycerides, which are blood fats linked to heart disease. Blood clots in the heart arteries are usually the cause of heart attacks.
  • Foods with a low GI value slowly release sugar into the blood, providing you with a steady supply of energy, leaving you feeling satisfied longer so that you're less likely to snack.
  • Following a diet that includes plenty of foods with a low GI index may have a role in helping to prevent or reduce the risk of getting Type 2 or maturity-onset diabetes, according to experts at Diabetes UK, the largest diabetes organisation in the UK. Research has also shown that lower GI diets can help improve levels of 'good' cholesterol and so may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Risks

  • One of the main limitations to GI diets is the fact it's difficult to identify the GI value of a meal. Meanwhile, some foods with a low GI value are also packed with fat and/or salt and contain few nutrients.
  • Consequently, it's possible to follow a GI diet that's packed with fat and lacking in many of the nutrients you need to stay healthy. However, most GI diet plans come with advice to cut down on the amount of fat you eat and recommend avoiding many of the high-fat, low GI foods. For example, they recommend choosing skimmed milk over whole milk.
  • Anyone with diabetes should always check first with their doctor before making changes to their diet. However, most diabetes experts agree that including foods with low GI value in meals can help to maintain even blood sugar levels.

What do experts say about the diet?

Earlier research has shown that low GI foods make people feel fuller for longer, and may promote the breakdown of fat. These foods also tend to contain more soluble fibre, which reduces total and low density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad" cholesterol.

In a study of 189 overweight and obese adults, Joanna McMillan-Price at the University of Sydney, Australia, and colleagues found that a diet high in either protein or carbohydrates, but with a low total GI score, brought about the biggest reduction of body fat. They also found that a high-carbohydrate and low GI diet caused the greatest drop in total and LDL cholesterol levels.

"This study provides evidence – and there hasn't been much before – that a low GI carbohydrate diet is as good as a high protein diet in terms of weight loss," says Peter Clifton, director of the CSIRO Nutrition Clinic in Adelaide, Australia. The research also helps to clear up confusion over whether changing the total GI rating of a diet can affect risk factors for cardiovascular disease, says Simin Liu, of the University of California in Los Angeles, US, in a related editorial.

As stated by Michael W. Smith, MD, "They didn't avoid fats or carbs. They didn't count calories or eat pre-packaged foods. And they lowered their risk of heart disease. They didn't do it with a low-carb diet, but with a slow-carb diet. It's what nutritionists call a low-glycemic-load or a low-glycemic-index diet. The key is eating plenty of satisfying foods that your body can't quickly convert into sugar."

"It seems to work. A diet focused on glycemic index may be easier to follow than diets restricted in either fat or carbs… And there seems to be an additional benefit in reducing the risk of chronic disease," says David S. Ludwig, MD, PhD, associate professor of pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Boston.

Sample Low GI Foods

Low GI Foods (GI 55 or less)
Breads: Burgen Soy-Lin, PerforMAX, fruit loaf, Vogel's honey and oat.
Breakfast Cereals: All Bran fruit'n oats, All Bran, porridge, Special K, Rice Bran
Grains: Barley, Pasta (all types), Noodles, Bulgur, Semolina
Legumes: All Beans (eg kidney, soy, baked bean, etc.) peas, and lentils
Starchy Vegetables: Sweet potato, taro
Fruit: Cherries, grapefruit, peach, dried apricots, apple, pear, plums, orange, grapes, kiwi
Other: Skim milk, Plain Yogurt, Soy beverage, Pumpernickel bread, Chick peas

Medium GI Foods (GI 56-69)
Breads: Hamburger bun, ryebread, croissant, lightrye, crumpet
Breakfast Cereals: Oatbran, untoasted muesli, Just Right, Nutri Grain, Sustain
Grains: Basmati rice, wild rice, Sunrice Doongara, rice, Mahatma Premium Classic
Legumes
Starchy Vegetables: New potato
Fruit: Sultanas, raw and canned apricots, mango, paw paw, raisins, rockmelon, pineapple

High GI Foods (GI 70 or more)
Bread: White bread, bagel, blackbread, Wonderwhite, gluten-free bread
Breakfast Cereals: Sultana Bran, Bran Flakes, CocoPops, Rice Krispies, Cheerios
Grains: Brown rice, calrose rice, jasmine rice, instant rice
Legumes: Broad beans
Starchy Vegetables: potatoes, parsnip, Instant mashed potatoes, baked white potato
Fruit: Watermelon, Dried dates
Other: Ice cream, Digestive cookies, Table sugar (sucrose), Soda crackers, Jellybeans




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