Glycemic Index Diet

At a Glance

By Karen Asp

If you like living by numbers, then the Glycemic Index (GI) Diet might interest you. The diet’s based on the GI, which assigns numbers to foods to indicate their effect on blood sugar, one reason the GI has been widely used with diabetics and even heart patients. Here’s how it works.

The faster a food is digested and absorbed in your body, the more quickly your blood sugar and insulin levels rise, giving that food a high number. Yet foods that are digested and absorbed more slowly, making blood sugar and insulin levels rise slower and steadier, are given low numbers. Your goal if you’re following the GI Diet created by Rick Gallop, past president of Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario? Eat mainly low-GI, low-calorie foods. By doing this, Gallop claims you’ll feel fuller longer, and you’ll keep insulin levels low, which will inhibit the formation of fat.

Fortunately, though, you don't have to memorize dozens of numbers with this diet. Instead, Gallop has simplified the process by dividing foods into the colors of a traffic light: green for low GI, low-calorie foods that will help you lose weight; yellow for foods that may not aid weight loss; and red for high-GI foods that should be avoided. Lists are provided for each color.

The diet is then broken into two phases. The first phase, which is more restrictive than the second, focuses on weight loss. Once you've reached your goal, you move to phase two, which centers on maintenance and offers a lifelong plan. In both phases, you'll be eating three meals and up to three snacks daily. Exercise is recommended, although it's not crucial until you reach phase two.