Thursday, March 1, 2007

Losing Weight With The Low Glycemic Index Diet

The low glycemic index diet is based on a theory that eating
foods which score lower on the glycemic index will help you to
not only lose weight but also manage diabetes if you suffer
from that disease and possibly stave off other related health
conditions such as heart disease.

The glycemic index came out in the 1980's originally as a way
to help diabetics better manage their diets. The index was
designed to rank foods according to how fast they cause the
blood sugar levels in the body to rise within a few hours of
eating them. Because the pancreas must release insulin in order
to help return excess levels of blood glucose, or blood sugar,
to normal it was conceived that the ranking of foods could help
diabetics better gauge the effects specific foods would have on
their bodies.

If they were able to know which foods would raise their blood
sugar levels they would then be able to avoid or eat little of
those foods and therefore keep their blood sugar levels in
check. After awhile it was discovered that the low glycemic
index diet could also help individuals to lose weight as well.
Today, it has become one of the most popular diets around and
many famous diets, including the South Beach diet are based on
the idea of a low glycemic index diet.

According to the low glycemic index diet foods are ranked on a
scale of 0 to 110. Foods that rank with a score of 55 or lower
on the scale are considered to be low on the glycemic index.
Those foods which rank from 56 to 69 fall in the moderate
category while those foods that are scored at 70 or above are
considered to be 'high' glycemic index foods. High GI foods are
believed to raise blood sugar levels the highest after consuming
them and should therefore be avoided are eaten in small amounts.


Foods which are allowed on the low glycemic index diet include
nuts and seds, yogurt, milk, vegetables, fruits, etc. The types
of foods which commonly rank highest on the glycemic index
include caffeinated beverages such as coffee and sodas,
desserts and candy.

Beyond managing weight loss and blood sugar levels for the
purpose of diabetes the low glycemic index diet also has many
other advantages as well such as an increased alertness and
energy level. Individuals who find they are frequently tired
and lethargic in the afternoon may notice they no longer feel
that way when on the low glycemic index diet. This is because
it has been shown that diets which are high in high
carbohydrates frequently result in a lack of energy in the
afternoon.

Individuals on the diet have also noticed thy tend to feel less
stressed out on this diet and also have a general improvement in
their mood. Unlike other diets the body is also frequently able
to retain more muscle with the low glycemic index diet. This is
especially important when you are dieting and trying to lose
weight. Many people find that while on this diet their bodies
begin to feel trimmer even before they have actually lost a
significant amount of weight. This is due to the body storing
fat more efficiently, resulting in a retention of muscle over
fat. Since muscle weighs more than fat you may feel trimmer and
notice your clothes fitting looser without losing as much weight
as you might expect.

Finally, individuals who have found they have difficulty losing
weight in the stomach area are often delighted with the results
of the low glycemic diet because it enables them to tone of
their tummy area more quickly than with other diets.


About The Author: Discover how to lose 19 pounds of fat in 21
days with the low glycemic index diet. Wesley Atkins is the
owner of http://www.LowGiDietBreakthrough.com that reveals how
you can quickly and easily lose weight with the low gi diet.