Glycemic Impact Diet

The Glycemic Impact Diet, popularly known as the GI Diet, uses Glycemic Index as its base. Although, several such diets have been in vogue for several years, this diet developed by Rick Gallop has been adopted by many in Europe. This particular diet is now being popularized and promoted by eDiets in their online format. eDiets is a popular and highly commendable resource for dieting and weight reduction.

Now, let’s take a look at what exactly the GI Diet is.

Glycemic Index is a value that ranges between 0 – 100 and is based on a foods impact on the levels of blood sugar. Any food that gradually releases sugar into the blood is believed to be of low GI value. This is because it acts as a continual energy source and keeps you satisfied longer so that you do not feel the need to snack.

On the other hand, foods that are classified as high GI, release sugar quickly and within a short span causing fatigue and hunger frequently. This also entails the risk of overeating.

The GI diet prescribes a diet plan wherein you include only those foods that have a low GI value. Further, these diets also advocate reduction of fatty foods, specifically saturated fats. This implies that you will have to skip certain foods that have low GI value but are high on fat.

What are the other aspects of the GI Diet?

The GI Diet goes beyond the Glycemic Index; it also takes into consideration the Glycemic Load.

The Glycemic Load of a food refers to the integrated value of the amount of carbohydrates contained in it versus its GI value. For instance, let’s look at a common food, say the carrot. A carrot is classified as a food with high GI value; however, its carb content per volume is very low. Thus making its Glycemic load quite low, this in turn makes it a healthy option during dieting.

Meal Plan as per the GI Diet:

All meals based on the GI Diet are based on the below mentioned principles:

1. Calories obtained from complex and unrefined carbs such as whole grain breads, whole grains, whole fruit slices (avoid juice), and cereals – around 40%.
2. Calories obtained from protein (lean) such as chicken, fish, and the occasional pork or beef, including vegetarian equivalents such as tofu, soy protein, and protein from textured vegetables – around 30%.
3. Calories obtained from fats, namely healthy fats such as, fatty fish, nuts, olive oil and avocado – 30%.

Conclusion:

Thus, the GI Diet is considered as one of the best diet programs. It adopts the best principles from other programs such as the Zone and South Beach diets, and provides a no nonsense and simple-to-follow guideline.