The Glycemic Index Diet
Carolyn Classick-Kohn,MS,RD
For
people who have Type II diabetes, or have "insulin resistance"
due to obesity or other factors, the body must work harder to
produce more insulin to cover the blood sugar that is produced
following a meal. This is one reason that many popular diets
emphasize reducing the amount of carbohydrate in the diet, and
promote the use of the glycemic index (i.e.. Nutrisystems) to
help choose good and bad carbohydrates. But do you really
need to reduce carbohydrates to very low levels to lose weight
and improve insulin resistance like these diets are promoting?
The simple
answer is no. A healthy diet is based upon eating a variety
of healthy foods, and in fact most cultures have diets based
upon carbohydrate sources. Examples of this are rice in India
and Asia, tortillas and beans in Central America, bread and
potatoes in the U.S. and Europe, and root vegetables in Africa.
China, with one of the lowest incidences of obesity, has a diet
based upon rice, a carbohydrate. But some people do respond
differently to the type of carbohydrate eaten, and monitoring
this in people with fluctuating blood sugars (usually diabetes)
can be helpful in getting better blood glucose control.
The recommended diet
for people with diabetes
The
recommended diet for people with diabetes (a disease in which
the body cannot produce insulin or cannot use the insulin it
produces normally to lower blood glucose) includes about 50%
carbohydrate. Your recommending eating plan, for weight
loss, weight maintenance, and weight gain is at least 50%
carbohydrate because this is the chief source of energy for the
body. But there are three important points to remember:
1. You will
probably be eating less carbohydrate on Your
PersonalDiets™
Plan (even though it is 50% carbohydrate ) because your total
calories are reduced on a weight loss plan. So, on a good weight
loss plan, fat, protein, and carbohydrate will be in balance
with the total amount of calories you need to lose weight safely
and comfortably.
2. Your
PersonalDiets™
plan is flexible, so if you want to follow a lower glycemic diet
or want to avoid certain foods that you have more problems with,
you can choose or substitute foods with a lower glycemic index
quite easily by using your eating guidelines. You are not stuck
specific foods at specific times - you can make changes so that
it fits your personal needs better - we designed our diet plan
with flexibility in mind.
3. Eating smaller
meals and snacks, and eating a mix of protein, fat and
carbohydrate throughout the day can help in controlling
fluctuating blood sugars, and gives you the energy you need even
while you are eating less to lose weight. We provide a sample
meal plan to help you plan your meals and snacks, but you should
make your own adjustments when you find what works best for your
needs - you are not required to follow a set menu plan - it is
there as a learning tool and to help you with good planning.
Your eating plan emphasizes high nutrition carbohydrates with
both high and low glycemic indexes and doesn't eliminate any
food group. PersonalDiets™
are recommended routinely by
physicians,
nurses, certified personal trainers, family and friends for
there effectiveness... Learn
Why
- See A Sample Diet & Get Your FREE Diet Analysis
Now!
The Diet for
Diabetes
Good News!
PersonalDiets
follows the recommendations from the American Diabetes
Association and American Heart Association for healthy diets to
prevent and control risk factors for diabetes and heart disease.
Each diet plan gives a clear plan of action and is easy to
follow so that you can lose weight and eat the right balance of
foods for your health needs. If you have diabetes, we can help
you get on the right track with a healthy eating plan designed
for weight loss or weight maintenance. If you want to
avoid getting diabetes (who doesn’t?), our diet plan can help
you reach a healthy body weight and eat well with a plan you can
follow life long for good health.
Personal
Dietitian's Director of Nutrition & Chief Dietitian, Carolyn
Classick-Kohn,MS,RD,CFT , designs all diet and meal plans for
diabetes. Learn more about how our custom diets can work
for your personal needs... Start with a
100% FREE Diet Analysis
Additional Information About Low GI Diets
More About The Glycemic Index?
