Glycemic Index Diet For Dummies

by Meri Raffetto

Overview

Get proven results from this safe, effective, and easy-to-follow diet

The glycemic load is a ranking system for carbohydrate-rich food that measures the amount of carbohydrates in a serving. The glycemic index indicates how rapidly a carbohydrate is digested and released as glucose (sugar) into the bloodstream. Using the Glycemic Index is a proven method for calculating the way carbohydrates act in your body to help you lose weight, safely, quickly, and effectively.

The second edition of The Glycemic Index Diet For Dummies presents this system in an easy-to-apply manner, giving you the tools and tips you need to shed unwanted pounds and improve your overall health. You'll not only discover how to apply the glycemic index to your existing diet plan, but you'll also get new and updated information on how to develop a healthy lifestyle.

• Recommends foods that boost metabolism, promote weight loss, and provide longer-lasting energy
• Features delicious GI recipes for glycemic-friendly cooking at home
• Includes exercises for maintaining glycemic index weight loss and promoting physical fitness
• Offers guidance on shopping for food as well as eating at restaurants and away from home

Glycemic Index Diet For Dummies, 2nd Edition is for anyone looking for an easy-to-apply guide to making the switch to this healthy lifestyle.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781118790564
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	02/03/2014
Series:	For Dummies Books
Edition description:	2nd Revised ed.
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	407,305
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Meri Raffetto, RD, is the founder and developer of Real Living Nutrition Services, providing online weight loss programs to empower people to make small changes to achieve lasting results. Meri specializes in weight management and heart disease prevention and is a member of the American Dietetic Association.

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Table of Contents

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Conventions Used in This Book 2

Foolish Assumptions 2

What You’re Not to Read 3

How This Book Is Organized 3

Part I: Exploring the Glycemic Index as a Weight-Loss Tool 3

Part II: Switching to a Low-Glycemic Diet 3

Part III: Overcoming Challenges and Obstacles 4

Part IV: Cooking and Eating the Low-Glycemic Way 4

Part V: Improving Your Overall Lifestyle 4

Part VI: The Part of Tens 5

Part VII: Appendixes 5

Icons Used in This Book 5

Where to Go from Here 6

Part I: Exploring the Glycemic Index as a Weight-Loss Tool 7

Chapter 1: Introducing the Glycemic Index and How to Use It to Lose Weight 9

Getting to Know the Glycemic Index 9

Measuring the glycemic index 10

Introducing the glycemic load 11

How Does the Glycemic Index Work for Weight Loss? 13

Getting the 411 on blood sugar 13

Understanding the role of carbohydrates 14

Seeing how insulin plays a part 16

Putting it all together 16

Moving beyond Traditional Diet Plans 17

Embracing lifestyle change and abandoning the temporary diet 17

Tossing strict rules out the window 18

Planning, cooking, and enjoying healthy meals 19

Making exercise a part of your life 19

Looking at Other Benefits of a Low-Glycemic Diet 20

Better blood sugar and insulin control 20

Disease prevention 21

Increased energy 22

Improved mood 23

Chapter 2: All Carbs Aren’t Created Equal 25

Distinguishing Friendly Carbs from Foes 25

Measuring a Food’s Glycemic Index 26

Comparing foods to pure sugar with human help 27

Keeping a couple limitations in mind 29

Defining Low-, Medium-, and High-Glycemic Foods 30

Seeing How Fiber Fits into the Mix 31

Fiber and blood sugar control 32

Low-glycemic/high-fiber, a winning combination 33

Chapter 3: Why and How a Low-Glycemic Diet Works for Weight Loss 37

Regulating Insulin and Blood Glucose 37

Keeping blood glucose levels down 39

Controlling food cravings 40

Keeping food addictions at bay 41

Suppressing Your Appetite Naturally 43

Feeling fuller with fiber 43

Bumping up your fullness hormones with low-glycemic foods 43

Combining Low-Glycemic Foods with Calorie Awareness 44

Understanding why calories still count 44

Knowing that low-glycemic doesn’t always mean low-calorie 46

Keeping portion sizes under control 46

Eating More of the Right Foods to Lose More Weight 47

Choosing lots of fruits and vegetables 47

Including healthy fats and protein 48

Chapter 4: Taking Portion Size into Account with the Glycemic Load 51

Going from the Glycemic Index to the Glycemic Load 51

Calculating Glycemic Load 53

Doing the math 53

Figuring out what the numbers mean 54

Factoring in portion sizes 54

Embracing High-GI/Low-GL Foods 56

Checking Out How Glycemic Load Varies among Popular Foods 58

Chapter 5: Determining How Going Low-Glycemic Can Work for You 61

Considering Your Weight-Loss Goals 61

Defining healthy weight loss 62

Taking a Close Look at Your Dieting History 63

Evaluating types of diets you’ve tried 64

Rethinking restrictive dieting 66

Putting a stop to yo-yo dieting 67

Asking yourself the right questions 67

Reviewing the pros and cons of different approaches to weight loss 68

Do You Have Insulin Resistance? 69

Health conditions related to insulin resistance 70

Characteristics of insulin resistance 71

How a low-glycemic lifestyle can help 72

Considering a Low-Glycemic Diet if You Have Kids or Are Pregnant 72

Helping kids have a healthy relationship with food 73

Managing weight and blood sugar while pregnant 74

Part II: Switching to a Low-Glycemic Diet 77

Chapter 6: Preparing Yourself for a Successful Weight-Loss Program 79

Getting and Staying in the Right Mindset 79

Creating your vision 80

Turning your vision into an affirmation 82

Using positive language 82

Setting Goals You Can Actually Achieve 83

Being realistic 83

Making your goals practical 84

Choosing “want to” rather than “have to” goals 84

Strengthening your goals 84

Focusing Your Choices with a Food Journal 85

What to Expect When Starting Your Journey 86

A shift in priorities 87

An adventure with new foods 88

New habits 88

Feeling out of your comfort zone at first 89

Chapter 7: Raising the Bar on Your Metabolism 91

Understanding Basal Metabolic Rate 91

Measuring your metabolic rate 92

Using your metabolic rate as a weight-loss tool 93

Looking at metabolism influences that are largely out of your control 94

Simple Strategies for Increasing Your Metabolic Rate 95

Building lean muscle mass 95

Getting your heart rate up 97

Sprinkling in small activities 98

Eating low-glycemic resistant starches 99

Avoiding Behaviors That Lower Your Metabolic Rate 100

Skipping meals 100

Eating too few calories 101

Chapter 8: Presenting Foolproof Healthy-Eating Strategies 103

Tips for Choosing Low-Glycemic Foods 104

Get acquainted with the glycemic index list 104

Pay attention to portion sizes 104

Keep the glycemic load of your meal at or under 25 106

Changing the Balance of Your Meals 107

Understanding different nutrients’ roles and the benefits of balance 108

Using the “tapas” method for meal planning 109

Putting it all together with sample menus 112

Finding Moderation with Medium- and High-Glycemic Foods 114

Defining moderation 115

Balancing your glycemic load for the day 115

Chapter 9: Navigating the Grocery Store 117

Being a Savvy Low-Glycemic Shopper 117

Planning meals to create your grocery list 118

Knowing the best aisles to visit 120

Comparing fresh, frozen, and canned produce 122

Checking ripeness 123

Reading Nutrition Facts Labels 124

Examining the nutrition facts label 124

Using the ingredients list 126

Stocking Up for Success 127

Pantry basics 128

Freezer-friendly favorites 129

Weekly refrigerator staples 129

Part III: Overcoming Challenges and Obstacles 133

Chapter 10; Guidelines for Dining Out 135

Choosing Wisely 136

Basing your choices on how often you eat out 136

Requesting low-glycemic substitutions 137

Watching your portion sizes 138

Picking Low-Glycemic-Friendly Restaurants 142

Presenting the Best Low-Glycemic Food Choices for… 143

American restaurants 143

Chinese restaurants 144

Fast-food restaurants 144

Italian restaurants 145

Japanese restaurants 146

Mexican restaurants 148

Middle Eastern/Greek restaurants 149

Thai restaurants 150

Chapter 11: Navigating Special Occasions 151

Overcoming the Challenges Posed by Vacations, Holidays, and Parties 151

Avoiding the all-or-nothing mentality 152

Discovering moderation with high- glycemic, special-occasion foods 154

Creating balance for the day 155

Finding the Meal Items That Work for You 157

Being prepared for almost anything 157

Volunteering to bring a low-glycemic side dish 158

Presenting the Best Low-Glycemic Food Picks for Special Occasions 159

Holidays 159

Vacations 161

Parties 161

Chapter 12: Dealing with Weight-Loss Pit falls 163

Coping with Food Cravings 163

Low-glycemic foods to the rescue 165

Timing is everything 166

Strategies for Defeating Emotional Eating 166

Discover your triggers 167

Find new healthy behaviors 168

Become a mindful eater 170

Breaking Through Weight-Loss Plateaus 171

Evaluating your weight-loss goals 172

Tracking consistency 174

Switching up your exercise routine 176

Chapter 13: Finding a Support System 179

Knowing When to Seek Help from a Professional 179

When you have a challenging health condition 180

When you’re having trouble making changes 181

When you need accountability and support 181

Enlisting the Right Friends and Family Members 182

Knowing which friends to involve 182

Avoiding saboteurs 182

Creating your own support group 184

Surfing the Web for Information, Motivation, and Support 184

Exploring educational websites 184

Getting involved with group forums and message boards 185

Approaching the web with caution 186

Attending Glycemic Index Programs 187

Group classes 187

Professional conferences 188

Part IV: Cooking and Eating the Low-Glycemic Way 189

Chapter 14: Getting Back into the Kitchen 191

Checking Out How Whole Foods and Convenience Foods Stack Up 191

Taking a closer look at convenience foods 192

Creating more control in your daily glycemic load 193

Finding the best convenience foods when needed 194

Making Whole-Foods Cooking Easy 195

Getting back to the basics 196

Prepping made easy 197

Using flavor combinations to add more pizzazz to your meals 198

Showing some easy throw together meals 200

Chapter 15: Low-Glycemic Cooking Tips and Techniques 203

Evaluating and Modifying Your Favorite Recipes 204

Recipe modification tips 204

Recipe makeover examples 205

Cooking Grains and Pastas 208

Presenting your whole grain cooking guide 208

Exploring low-glycemic pastas 209

Livening up your grains and pastas 211

Experimenting with Vegetables 211

Preparing low-glycemic vegetables 212

Boiling versus other cooking methods 212

Introducing Beans, the Truly Magical Fruit 212

Pointing out what you should know about canned beans versus dried 213

Preparing and cooking both kinds of beans 214

Chapter 16: Breakfast Recipes to Star t Your Day Off Right 217

Understanding Why Breakfast Is So Important 218

Reviewing the health benefits of breakfast 218

Feeling fuller for longer with the right balance at breakfast 219

Going on the Run with Grab-and-Go Starters 220

Chowing Down on Cereals 220

Getting a Quick Start with Smoothies 223

Preparing Ahead for a Week’s Worth of Fast Breakfast Choices 227

Cooking Eggs for Breakfast When You Have More Time 231

Chapter 17: Luscious Yet Easy Lunches 237

Preparing Healthy Lunches for the Week Ahead 238

Sensational chicken and tuna salads 239

Tasty timesaving casseroles 243

Making Lower-Glycemic Lunches on a Weekday-to-Weekday Basis 248

Powerhouse salad entrees 248

Speedy south-of-the-border options 252

Chapter 18: Delicious Dinner Recipes 257

Purely Delectable Poultry Recipes 257

Beef, the Low-Glycemic Way 263

Fabulous Seafood Recipes 267

Vegetarian Variations 273

Chapter 19: Healthy (And Yummy) Snacks and Desser t s 277

Introducing Snacking Saboteurs 278

The negative effect of mindless grazing 278

The problem with waiting too long to eat 279

Planning Out Healthy Snacks: A Top Weight-Loss Strategy 280

Making Low-Glycemic Snacks at Home: Recipes for Success 282

Choosing and Preparing Lower-Glycemic Treats and Desserts 286

Part V: Improving Your Overall Lifestyle 291

Chapter 20: From Goals to Habits: Making True Lifest yle Changes 293

Making Lifestyle Changes Rather Than Going on a Diet 293

Knowing the difference between lifestyle changes and dieting 294

Focusing on what you can eat, not what you can’t 295

Understanding the downfalls of being on and off a diet plan 296

Strategies for Stepping into Change 297

Committing to a new approach 297

Looking for the positives 298

Dealing with setbacks 299

Making Change a Family Affair 302

Talking with your spouse 302

Developing healthy habits for your kids 303

Transitioning your family to a low-glycemic lifestyle 304

Chapter 21: Incorporating Exercise into Your Life 307

Exploring the Many Benefits of Exercise 308

Your natural body shape — revealed 308

Increased energy 308

An improved mood 310

A lower risk of developing chronic diseases 310

Better bone health 311

Reduced stress 312

Creating an Exercise Plan You Can Stick With 312

Dealing with exercise resistance 313

Finding what you enjoy 314

Starting with small steps 315

Making exercise a priority 316

Including cardio and strength training 318

Fueling Your Exercise Routine with a Low-Glycemic Diet 319

Chapter 22: Not Just for Weight Loss: Battling Disease 323

Managing Existing Health Problems 323

Colon cancer 324

Diabetes 325

Polycystic ovary syndrome 326

Hypothyroidism 327

Heart disease 328

Metabolic syndrome 329

Hypoglycemia 330

Wellness and Disease Prevention 331

Lowering your risk of chronic diseases 332

Fighting free radicals with antioxidants 333

Factoring in phytonutrients 335

Part VI: The Part of Tens 339

Chapter 23; Ten My ths about the Glycemic Index. 341

Carrots Are Pure Sugar 341

Watermelon Is Bad for You 342

You Can Never Eat a Potato 342

You Should Never Eat High-Glycemic Foods 342

High-Glycemic Foods Will Make You Gain Weight 343

You Can Eat as Many Low-Glycemic Foods as You Want and Lose Weight 343

High-Glycemic Foods Cause Type 2 Diabetes 344

Low-Glycemic Foods Are Always Nutritious 344

All High-Glycemic Foods Have Little or No Nutritional Value 344

Low-Glycemic Foods All Have Low Calories 345

Chapter 24; Ten Real-Life Strategies to Lighten Your Daily Glycemic Load 347

Eat Rice Wisely 347

Switch Added Sugar on Cereals with Low-Glycemic Fruit 348

Add Veggies to Everything 348

Find the Best Breads 349

Swap Out Starchy Foods for More Beans and Lentils 349

Ditch the High-Glycemic Breakfast 350

Decrease the Sugar in Your Baking 350

Go for the Mini Sizes 350

Cook Your Pasta al Dente 351

Add a Little Vinegar 351

Part VII: Appendixes 353

Appendix A: The Glycemic Load and Common Foods: An At-a-Glance Guide 355

Bakery Treats 355

Beverages 356

Breads and Snacks 357

Breakfast Items 358

Dairy Products 359

Fruits 360

Grains 361

Legumes 362

Meat Products 363

Sweeteners and Candy 364

Vegetables 364

Appendix B: Metric Conversion Guide 367

Index 371