The Glycemic Index Diet For Dummies®

Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

Conventions Used in This Book

Foolish Assumptions

What You’re Not to Read

How This Book Is Organized

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

Part II: Switching to a Low-Glycemic Diet

Part III: Overcoming Challenges and Obstacles

Part IV: Cooking and Eating the Low-Glycemic Way

Part V: Improving Your Overall Lifestyle: Other Health Connections

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Part VII: Appendixes

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

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

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

Getting to Know the Glycemic Index

Measuring the glycemic index

Introducing the glycemic load

How Does the Glycemic Index Work for Weight Loss?

Getting the 411 on blood sugar

Understanding the role of carbohydrates

Seeing how insulin plays a part

Putting it all together

Moving beyond Traditional Diet Plans

Embracing lifestyle change and abandoning the temporary diet

Tossing strict rules out the window

Planning, cooking, and enjoying healthy meals

Making exercise a part of your life

Looking at Other Benefits of a Low-Glycemic Diet

Better blood sugar and insulin control

Disease prevention

Increased energy

Improved mood

Chapter 2: All Carbs Aren’t Created Equal

Distinguishing Friendly Carbs from Foes

Measuring a Food’s Glycemic Index

Comparing foods to pure sugar with human help

Keeping a couple limitations in mind

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

Seeing How Fiber Fits into the Mix

Fiber and blood sugar control

Low-glycemic/high-fiber, a winning combination

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

Regulating Insulin and Blood Glucose

Keeping blood glucose levels down

Controlling food cravings

Suppressing Your Appetite Naturally

Feeling fuller with fiber

Bumping up your fullness hormones with low-glycemic foods

Combining Low-Glycemic Foods with Calorie Awareness

Understanding why calories still count

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

Keeping portion sizes under control

Eating More of the Right Foods to Lose More Weight

Choosing lots of fruits and vegetables

Including healthy fats and protein

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

Going from the Glycemic Index to the Glycemic Load

Calculating Glycemic Load

Doing the math

Figuring out what the numbers mean

Factoring in portion sizes

Embracing High-GI/Low-GL Foods

Checking Out How Glycemic Load Varies among Popular Foods

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

Considering Your Weight-Loss Goals

Defining healthy weight loss

Reviewing the pros and cons of different approaches to weight loss

Taking a Close Look at Your Dieting History

Evaluating types of diets you’ve tried

Rethinking restrictive dieting

Putting a stop to yo-yo dieting

Asking yourself the right questions

Do You Have Insulin Resistance?

Health conditions related to insulin resistance

Characteristics of insulin resistance

How a low-glycemic lifestyle can help

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

Helping kids have a healthy relationship with food

Managing weight and blood sugar while pregnant

Part II: Switching to a Low-Glycemic Diet

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

Getting and Staying in the Right Mindset

Creating your vision

Turning your vision into an affirmation

Using positive language

Setting Goals You Can Actually Achieve

Being realistic

Making your goals practical

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

Strengthening your goals

Focusing Your Choices with a Food Journal

What to Expect When Starting Your Journey

A shift in priorities

An adventure with new foods

New habits

Feeling out of your comfort zone at first

Chapter 7: Adding Low-Glycemic Foods to Your Meals

Using the Glycemic Index

Starting with small steps

Comparing your current food choices to see where you can make swaps

Replacing High-Glycemic Grains with Low-Glycemic Ones

Finding some new old favorites

Scoping out the best breads

Picking the right pastas

Upping Your Servings of Fruits and Vegetables

Adding volume to your meals

Using fruits and veggies as your top weight-loss tools

Broadening Your Taste Buds’ Horizons with Beans

Reaping the many benefits of legumes

Avoiding digestive discomfort by slowly adding legumes to your diet

Chapter 8: Raising the Bar on Your Metabolism

Understanding Basal Metabolic Rate

Looking at metabolism influences that are largely out of your control

Measuring your metabolic rate

Using your metabolic rate as a weight-loss tool

Simple Strategies for Increasing Your Metabolic Rate

Building lean muscle mass

Getting your heart rate up

Sprinkling in small activities

Eating low-glycemic resistant starches

Avoiding Behaviors That Lower Your Metabolic Rate

Skipping meals

Eating too few calories

Chapter 9: Presenting Foolproof Healthy-Eating Strategies

Tips for Choosing Low-Glycemic Foods

Get acquainted with the glycemic index list

Pay attention to portion sizes

Keep the glycemic load of your meal at or under 25

Changing the Balance of Your Meals

Understanding different nutrients’ roles and the benefits of balance

Embracing the plate method

Putting it all together with sample menus

Finding Moderation with Medium- and High-Glycemic Foods

Defining moderation

Balancing your glycemic load for the day

Chapter 10: Navigating the Grocery Store

Being a Savvy Low-Glycemic Shopper

Planning meals to create your grocery list

Knowing the best aisles to visit

Comparing fresh, frozen, and canned produce

Checking ripeness

Reading Nutrition Facts Labels

Examining the nutrition facts label

Using the ingredients list

Stocking Up for Success

Pantry basics

Freezer-friendly favorites

Weekly refrigerator staples

Part III: Overcoming Challenges and Obstacles

Chapter 11: Guidelines for Dining Out

Choosing Wisely

Basing your choices on how often you eat out

Requesting low-glycemic substitutions

Watching your portion sizes

Picking Low-Glycemic-Friendly Restaurants

Presenting the Best Low-Glycemic Food Choices for . . .

American restaurants

Chinese restaurants

Fast-food restaurants

Italian restaurants

Japanese restaurants

Mexican restaurants

Middle Eastern/Greek restaurants

Thai restaurants

Chapter 12: Navigating Special Occasions

Overcoming the Challenges Posed by Vacations, Holidays, and Parties

Avoiding the all-or-nothing mentality

Discovering moderation with high-glycemic, special-occasion foods

Creating balance for the day

Finding the Meal Items That Work for You

Being prepared for almost anything

Volunteering to bring a low-glycemic side dish

Presenting the Best Low-Glycemic Food Picks for Special Occasions

Holidays

Vacations

Parties

Chapter 13: Dealing with Weight-Loss Pitfalls

Coping with Food Cravings

Low-glycemic foods to the rescue

Timing is everything

Strategies for Defeating Emotional Eating

Discover your triggers

Find new healthy behaviors

Become a mindful eater

Breaking Through Weight-Loss Plateaus

Evaluating your weight-loss goals

Tracking consistency

Switching up your exercise routine

Chapter 14: Finding a Support System

Knowing When to Seek Help from a Professional

When you have a challenging health condition

When you’re having trouble making changes

When you need accountability and support

Enlisting the Right Friends and Family Members

Knowing which friends to involve

Avoiding saboteurs

Creating your own support group

Surfing the Web for Information, Motivation, and Support

Exploring educational Web sites

Getting involved with group forums and message boards

Approaching the Web with caution

Attending Glycemic Index Programs

Group classes

Professional conferences

Part IV: Cooking and Eating the Low-Glycemic Way

Chapter 15: Low-Glycemic Cooking Tips and Techniques

Evaluating and Modifying Your Favorite Recipes

Recipe modification tips

Recipe makeover examples

Cooking Grains and Pastas

Presenting your whole grain cooking guide

Exploring low-glycemic pastas

Livening up your grains and pastas

Experimenting with Vegetables

Preparing low-glycemic vegetables

Boiling versus other cooking methods

Introducing Beans, the Truly Magical Fruit

Pointing out what you should know about canned beans versus dried

Preparing and cooking both kinds of beans

Chapter 16: Breakfast Recipes to Start Your Day Off Right

Understanding Why Breakfast Is So Important

Reviewing the health benefits of breakfast

Feeling fuller for longer with the right balance at breakfast

Going on the Run with Grab-and-Go Starters

Chowing Down on Cereals

Getting a Quick Start with Smoothies

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

Cooking Eggs for Breakfast When You Have More Time

Chapter 17: Luscious Yet Easy Lunches

Preparing Healthy Lunches for the Week Ahead

Sensational chicken and tuna salads

Tasty timesaving casseroles

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

Powerhouse salad entrees

Speedy south-of-the-border options

Chapter 18: Delicious Dinner Recipes

Purely Delectable Poultry Recipes

Beef, the Low-Glycemic Way

Fabulous Seafood Recipes

Vegetarian Variations

Chapter 19: Healthy (And Yummy) Snacks and Desserts

Introducing Snacking Saboteurs

The negative effect of mindless grazing

The problem with waiting too long to eat

Planning Out Healthy Snacks: A Top Weight-Loss Strategy

Making Low-Glycemic Snacks at Home: Recipes for Success

Choosing and Preparing Lower-Glycemic Treats and Desserts

Part V: Improving Your Overall Lifestyle: Other Health Connections

Chapter 20: From Goals to Habits: Making True Lifestyle Changes

Making Lifestyle Changes Rather Than Going on a Diet

Knowing the difference between lifestyle changes and dieting

Understanding the downfalls of being on and off a diet plan

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

Strategies for Stepping into Change

Looking for the positives

Committing to a new approach

Dealing with setbacks

Making Change a Family Affair

Transitioning your family to a low-glycemic lifestyle

Talking with your spouse

Developing healthy habits for your kids

Chapter 21: Incorporating Exercise into Your Life

Exploring the Many Benefits of Exercise

Your natural body shape — revealed

Increased energy

An improved mood

A lower risk of developing chronic diseases

Better bone health

Reduced stress

Creating an Exercise Plan You Can Stick With

Dealing with exercise resistance

Finding what you enjoy

Starting with small steps

Making exercise a priority

Including cardio and strength training

Fueling Your Exercise Routine with a Low-Glycemic Diet

Chapter 22: Not Just for Weight Loss: Battling Disease with a Low-Glycemic Diet

Managing Existing Health Problems

Diabetes

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Hypothyroidism

Heart disease

Metabolic syndrome

Hypoglycemia

Wellness and Disease Prevention

Lowering your risk of chronic diseases

Fighting free radicals with antioxidants

Factoring in phytonutrients

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Chapter 23: Ten Myths about the Glycemic Index

Carrots Are Pure Sugar

Watermelon Is Bad for You

You Can Never Eat a Potato

You Should Never Eat High-Glycemic Foods

High-Glycemic Foods Will Make You Gain Weight

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

High-Glycemic Foods Cause Type 2 Diabetes

Low-Glycemic Foods Are Always Nutritious

All High-Glycemic Foods Have Little or No Nutritional Value

Low-Glycemic Foods All Have Low Calories

Chapter 24: Ten Surprising Low-Glycemic Foods

Coca-Cola (GI of 53)

Frosted Flakes (GI of 55)

Carrot Cake (GI of 36)

Pound Cake (GI of 54)

Instant Chocolate Pudding (GI of 47)

Banana (GI of 52)

Macaroni (GI of 47)

Uncle Ben’s White Rice (GI of 38)

Maple Syrup (GI of 54)

Corn on the Cob (GI of 48)

Chapter 25: Ten Low-Glycemic Foods with Great Health Benefits

Lowfat Yogurt

Peanuts

Artichokes

Asparagus

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Lettuce

Peppers

Spinach

Tomatoes

Part VII: Appendixes

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

Appendix B: Metric Conversion Guide

The Glycemic Index Diet For Dummies®

by Meri Raffetto, RD, LDN

The Glycemic Index Diet For Dummies®

Published by
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Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

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About the Author

Meri Raffetto, RD, LDN is a registered dietitian and recognized professional in the area of nutrition and wellness. With a Bachelor of Science in nutrition and psychology, Meri has extensive experience in nutritional counseling, education, and medical nutrition therapy. She has worked in several specialty clinics, including eating disorders, weight management, heart health, and maternity support. Meri has also worked on a weight loss research study and developed nutrition programs for hospitals and corporate wellness.

Meri is a member of the American Dietetic Association and served as the president for the California Tri-County Dietetic Association. She is the owner of Real Living Nutrition Services, providing one of the only interactive online weight-management programs where people can work one on one with a dietitian to get advice, support, and coaching to create sustainable changes. She has discussed weight-loss topics on numerous radio shows and has been quoted in magazines and newspapers around the country.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my triplets, Gwen, Grant, and Brianne, for a crazy and wonderful ride during this writing process that I will never forget. I also want to dedicate this book to my husband, Mark, for his patience, encouragement, and incredible support during this time.

Author’s Acknowledgments

Being pregnant with triplets during this writing process made for a sometimes crazy and difficult time. The following team of people helped me to finish on time and gave me amazing support — more than I could have asked for. You are all such a compassionate group of people, making this a wonderful experience for me.

To start, I want to thank Matt Wagner from Fresh Books and assistant editor Erin Calligan Mooney for thinking of me for this project. It was such a thrill to work with you, and your support during this time is greatly appreciated beyond words.

Chrissy Guthrie, my project editor, made this such an enjoyable process with such a great and amazing attitude helping me to make everything readable and provide valuable information for readers. It was so great to work with someone who had the same goal in mind as me: helping people reach their weight-loss and health goals in a realistic way so they can achieve long-term results. My heartfelt gratitude for her understanding and help during some tough times, going well beyond her project editor duties.

A major thank you to Rachel Nix for also going above and beyond with the technical review of this book.

And finally, a million thanks to Lynn Grieger for helping me to pick up the pieces and finish this project with such ease. You are a true professional, writer, and friend.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

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Introduction

Carbohydrate-bashing is all the rage these days. In fact, it often seems like you can’t have a casual conversation without someone mentioning he’s trying to eat low-carb, complaining that she’s addicted to carbs, or whining about how he can never eat potatoes. Somehow carbohydrates are “bad,” and anyone who overindulges in anything that contains even a whiff of carbohydrates is equally “bad.” It’s as if carbs have become their own food group to be avoided!

The thing is, the human body requires carbohydrates to function. Foods contain carbohydrates for precisely that reason. So clearly society needs to get beyond the simple bad carb/good carb classifications and figure out exactly what type of carbohydrate-containing foods help promote health and improve energy levels.

Enter the glycemic index, a scientific method for calculating the way carbohydrates in food act in the body. By giving foods a glycemic number, ranging from 0 to 100, you know at a glance what to expect. Because people rarely eat just one food by itself, and because folks tend to eat varying amounts of foods, scientists also came up with the glycemic load. It takes into account all the carbohydrates in foods you eat at one time, along with the amounts of those carbohydrate-containing foods, and calculates a number.

In short, the glycemic index and glycemic load are all about choosing carbohydrate-containing foods wisely and putting them to work for you. This book, in turn, is all about showing you how to use the glycemic index and glycemic load to your advantage in your quest for weight loss and everyday health.

About This Book

If you want to lose weight and improve your overall health, then The Glycemic Index Diet For Dummies is for you. This book offers a wealth of information about both the glycemic index and the glycemic load to help you incorporate greater amounts of low-glycemic foods in your lifestyle. In the following pages, I give you specific tips and suggestions on how to choose lower-glycemic foods whether you’re grocery shopping, eating out on the weekend, or enjoying a family vacation or holiday. I even include tasty, simple-to-prepare recipes that use low-glycemic foods and throw in a list of low-, medium-, and high-glycemic foods that you can use as a quick-reference tool.

Whether you’re reading this book because you don’t know anything about the glycemic index and want to find out more or you’re already using the glycemic index to make smarter food choices, consider The Glycemic Index Diet For Dummies your trusty resource for adopting a healthier lifestyle.

Conventions Used in This Book

It’s a common misconception these days that carbohydrates, or carbs, are their own food group. However, that’s simply not the case. They’re actually calorie-containing nutrients found in food. Most food groups contain carbs; the only ones that don’t are meat (including fish and poultry) and fat sources (think oils and butter). So when I refer to carbs throughout this book, I’m referring to the nutrient your body uses to create energy, not a made-up food group.

Following are a few additional conventions I’ve used that you should be aware of:

Whenever I define a word (or put emphasis on a certain word or phrase),I use italics.

Keywords and the specific action steps in numbered lists appear in boldface.

Web sites appear in monofont; no extra spaces or punctuation have been added, so type ’em exactly as you see ’em.

Foolish Assumptions

I wrote this book for the people who want to lose weight and maintain that weight loss long-term while still enjoying good-tasting food. I also wrote this book for people who have a family history of diabetes or heart disease and want to take steps to improve their health now, before they begin experiencing medical problems. (Note: If you already have diabetes or heart disease, you can use the information throughout this book to take control of your health and improve how you feel on a day-to-day basis.)

Because you’re reading a book about food, I’m taking a leap here and assuming that you enjoy eating. Well, you’re in luck! This book includes not only dozens of recipes to help satiate your taste buds but also the reasons why these recipes were selected and what they’re going to do for you.

What You’re Not to Read

One of the fun things about a For Dummies book is finding all the extra information that you can skip over if you’re not interested or don’t have time to check it out. Sidebars (indicated by the gray boxes) and text marked with a Technical Stuff icon are included to enhance and round out your understanding of the topic. But if you’re just after the nitty-gritty, you can skip these elements without missing anything essential.

How This Book Is Organized

The Glycemic Index Diet For Dummies is organized into seven parts. Here’s a quick breakdown of what you can find in each one. Enjoy!

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

Part I introduces you to the glycemic index and explains how it was developed. It clarifies the differences between the glycemic index and the glycemic load, and it lets you know when to use each of these tools for meal planning. This part also introduces you to using the glycemic index as a weight-loss tool and gives you several suggestions for losing weight in a healthy, sustained manner. In this part, I show you how to apply the glycemic index whether you’re young, pregnant, or have simply tried every diet known to man (plus a few that seem to have come from outer space!).

Part II: Switching to a Low-Glycemic Diet

In Part II, I give you specific recommendations and suggestions on how to change your eating habits so you can enjoy the benefits of choosing low-glycemic foods. I help you figure out how to set realistic goals that fit your lifestyle without becoming overwhelming, and I explain how you can increase your metabolism to promote weight loss.

Because often people don’t realize quite how to start implementing healthy-eating strategies, I provide pointers on watching your portion sizes, adding balance to your meals, and much more. I even share specific suggestions on how to shop for groceries without spending hours in the store getting sidetracked by high-glycemic items.

Part III: Overcoming Challenges and Obstacles

I know that making changes to the way you usually eat isn’t easy, which is why this part addresses some of the most difficult situations you can expect to encounter. This part is where you discover how to use the glycemic index when you eat out, attend a holiday party, or go on vacation. Now I love holidays and vacations just as much as the next gal, but I also know what tempting times they are when you’re trying to stick to a new, healthier lifestyle. Consequently, this part shows you how simple it can be to continue your new low-glycemic eating habits even when you’re away from home and having fun.

Changing habits isn’t easy thanks to the inevitable weight-loss pitfall or two, and everybody can use a support system to meet his or her goals. Fortunately, this part provides lots of suggestions on overcoming pitfalls and finding the support you need.

Part IV: Cooking and Eating the Low-Glycemic Way

If you love to cook, and of course eat, delicious food, then get ready to devour Part IV. It’s chock-full of recipes that are perfect whether you’re an expert chef or a boiling-water-is-rough kind of cook. Get ready to absorb ideas for preparing a variety of meals as well as specific instructions for some tricky techniques (such as cooking beans).

Part V: Improving Your Overall Lifestyle: Other Health Connections

I truly want to encourage you to incorporate the suggestions in this book for the rest of your life, and this part gives you the tools you need to do just that. And because regular exercise is such a crucial component to lasting weight management, this part also features a chapter on exercise and activity. Finally, you should know that following a low-glycemic diet provides a wealth of health benefits; this part reveals just how that works. (Happy with your current weight? You can use the information in this part to improve your overall health!)

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Part VI is not only fun to read but also helpful and enlightening. First off, it debunks several myths about the glycemic index and sets the record straight on using the glycemic index along with other nutrition strategies. It then goes on to highlight specific foods whose low-glycemic status and health benefits may (pleasantly!) surprise you.

Part VII: Appendixes

The first appendix in this part is a list of low-, medium-, and high-glycemic foods that I bet you’ll find yourself using over and over again. Granted, not every food has been tested for its glycemic load, but in the cases where data is available, you now have that information at your fingertips in an easy-to-use chart format. This part also features a metric conversion chart so you don’t have to go hunting for that conversion magnet you received ten years ago that’s buried somewhere in the netherworld of your kitchen.

Icons Used in This Book

As you go through the chapters of this book, you’ll find the following icons designed to draw your attention to different bits of information.

Watch out for the paragraphs marked by this icon. They’ll help you make good choices and stay on track with your weight-loss efforts.

This information is good to know, but it goes beyond what’s essential for your basic understanding of the glycemic index. If you’re the type of person who likes to know more, you’ll enjoy these tidbits. If not, feel free to skip ’em.

When you see this icon, you’re sure to find handy bits of information that’ll inspire you and make your transition to a low-glycemic lifestyle a little easier.

Pay close attention to the information next to this icon. It’ll help you avoid common pitfalls that can hinder your weight-loss efforts.

Where to Go from Here

If you like to read the last couple pages of a novel first to see whether you’re going to like it, go right ahead with this book. That’s right, my friend. You don’t have to start with Chapter 1 and read straight through to the end. Peruse the Table of Contents, pick out the topics that mean the most to you, and start there. Feel free to flip back and forth and read what you need at that moment.

If you’re a newbie when it comes to the glycemic index, start with Chapters 1 and 2. If you’re already somewhat familiar with the glycemic index but aren’t sure about the glycemic load, go to Chapter 4. Ready to begin incorporating low-glycemic foods into your diet? Check out Part II for advice and Part IV for some delicious recipes. Wherever you decide to start, you’re sure to pick up useful, empowering information that you can continue turning to for years to come.

Part I

Exploring the Glycemic Index as a Weight-Loss Tool

In this part . . .

The glycemic index was originally developed as a way to scientifically determine how different foods that contain carbohydrates — fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and dairy products — affect blood sugar levels. Since that initial research took place more than 30 years ago, scientists have come to understand that the glycemic index can be effectively used in a variety of ways, including weight loss.

This part explains the glycemic index and introduces you to the glycemic load, one step beyond the glycemic index that incorporates the amounts of foods you eat. In these pages, I review the role of fiber in your food choices and show you how using the glycemic index can help you feel more satisfied while consuming fewer total calories. After you understand how the glycemic index works and its role in promoting healthy weight loss without the need to follow a specific or restrictive diet, I help you figure out how using the glycemic index can work for your individual situation.

Chapter 1

Introducing the Glycemic Index and How to Use It to Lose Weight

In This Chapter

Surveying the ins and outs of the glycemic index

Looking at how using the glycemic index can help you lose weight

Recognizing that the glycemic index “diet” isn’t like diets you’ve tried before

Reviewing the additional benefits of following a low-glycemic diet

The glycemic index was first introduced in the early 1980s as a way for people with diabetes to achieve tighter blood sugar control and improve their overall health. Only 62 foods were part of the original glycemic index research. Fast forward to today, and you find that hundreds of foods have now been tested. Companies are even working to develop lower-glycemic foods to meet growing consumer demand.

In this chapter, I review the research behind the glycemic index and explain how adding more low-glycemic foods to your diet can help you lose weight, embrace a healthier lifestyle, decrease your risk of heart disease, manage your blood sugar, increase your energy levels, and improve your mood. Sure, all of that may sound too good to be true, but the scientific research is clear: Looking beyond total carbohydrate content of foods into how different foods affect blood sugar and insulin levels opens up a doorway into good health.

Getting to Know the Glycemic Index

The glycemic index is a scientific way of looking at how the carbohydrates in foods affect blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels. Scientists know that all carbohydrates raise blood sugar, but the glycemic index takes this understanding one step further by figuring out how much a specific food raises blood sugar.

When you use the glycemic index to plan your meals and snacks, you’re following a glycemic index diet. It’s not a “diet” in the sense that there are specific meal plans you need to follow, lists of foods to eat and foods to avoid, and other types of rules that are all too familiar to people who’ve tried various weight-loss diet plans. Instead, the glycemic index gives you a method for selecting foods that meet your specific needs and desires.

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!