GI diet plan: glycemic index diet plan
Actually, it’s not just a diet plan, it is way of life, and you can follow this diet during whole life. Features of glycemic index nutrition underlie the medical program for sick of diabetes. If for simple people increase of level of sugar in blood passes without harm to health (not considering excess weight) for people of diabetes patients it can appear mortally.
Carbohydrates are main energy source for an organism. But carbohydrates can be: simple – they are quickly acquired, quickly raise sugar level in blood and can increase fatty adjournment, complex – acquired more slowly, provide an organism with energy for longer term, and do not cause considerable fluctuations of level of sugar in blood.
It is impossible completely exclude carbohydrates from a food of any person. But if you reduce the products containing simple sugar excess weight starts decrease. The glycemic index diet principle is based on division of carbohydrates by glycemic index which characterizes increase of level of glucose in blood. Products with high glycemic index more harmful.
There is a table where products were placed by content of glycemic index (GI) in ascending order. Conditionally all products share on three groups: with low GI (to 50), an average (51-100) and high (from 100 and more).
| Products with low GI | Products with average GI | Products with high GI |
|---|---|---|
| Green vegetables, tomatoes 15 | Yogurt without flavors 51 | Carrots 101 |
| Lemons 15 | Pears 53 | Bagels from a white flour 103 |
| Mushrooms 15 | Macaroni from a flour rough grinding 53 | Watermelons 103 |
| Peanut 21 | Apples 54 | French fries 107 |
| Soya 20 | Brown beans 54 | Doughnuts 108 |
| Soybeans 25 | Fish sticks 54 | Wafers 109 |
| Rice bran 27 | Bread barley 55 | Malt 110 |
| String bean red 27 | Jam 55 | White bread 112 |
| Cherry 32 | Plums 55 | Dry rice breakfast 117 |
| Fructose 32 | Macaroni with meat 56 | Potato of fast preparation 118 |
| Peas dry 32 | Apple juice 58 | Potato baked 121 |
| Brown beans 34 | Canned peas with meat 58 | Rice of fast preparation 128 |
| Barley 36 | Spaghetti white 59 | Glucose 137 |
| to be continued.. | to be continued.. | to be continued.. |
There are many products, like meat, fish, cottage cheese is not in the table because these products have low GI.
Food principle: the quantity of meals should be 5-6 for a day. Three main meals (big size) – a breakfast, a lunch and a dinner. Two-three supporting meals (not dense) – second breakfast and snack. Last meal shouldn’t be earlier than 2 or 3 hours before going to bed.
Restriction of products with high GI is not the only condition. Also you cannot eat too much fat food. The quantity of fats in a diet should be limited approximately 20 % from the general quantity of calories.
We can’t say that all products with high GI are harmful for an organism. For example, watermelons or carrots are very useful.
But if the purpose of a diet is losing weight instead of treatment diabetes, during the first period you should refuse absolutely products with high GI and limit products with average GI. The ideal diet is not use products with GI above 50. It is the first phase of a diet. The products with considerable quantity of carbohydrates and fats exclude completely. Chocolate, nuts, liver, a fried potato, a bakery are forbidden.
If you want prepare a fried dish (for example, omelet) you have to do it without oil.
The time for the first stage is not limited, it is finished when the weight will reach desirable result. Meals should be small. If at first the organism loses weight, and then stops on certain lbs, you should pass to the second phase – fastenings of the reached result (do not reduce the portions). After few months when the weight will keep at one level if you want to lose more, you can return to the first stage again.
So, the second stage – fastening of results and organism maintenance in shape.
You can eat products with GI more than 50, however you should try don’t use sugar, honey, bakery and starch-containing products (potato, white rice, corn, bananas, etc.).
If for any reason (for example, on a holiday) you want to eat pair of slices of a pie, before you should eat rich cellulose products, for example, salad from fresh cabbage or cucumbers (cellulose slows down absorption of fats and carbohydrates).
The first approximate menu for day at the first stage:
- The first breakfast: unsweetened tea, cracker with cheese
- The second breakfast: an apple
- Lunch: vegetable soup, a piece of fried or boiled meat, salad with greens or cabbage
- Snack: half pound of low-fat cottage cheese or 2 yoghurts
- Dinner: the stewed vegetables filled with vegetable oil
The second approximate menu for day at the first stage:
- The first breakfast: tea or coffee, little piece of bitter chocolate
- The second breakfast: low-fat yogurt
- Lunch: vegetable soup, a piece of fried or boiled fish, tomato juice, rye toasts
- Snack: vegetable salad
- Lunch: boiled buckwheat, an apple or a pear
