Low GI Diets

I have been to see a dietician this week as I am desperate to shift some weight and I have found that other things work for a while and then I sort of drift off, so I have decided that the only way to do it, is to do the total lifestly change.
Plus I really want to set up good eating habits for my kids, I would hate for them to have to go through what I have gone through with weight issues most of my life.

Anyway, the dietician has suggested that I switch to a low GI diet (along with controlling portion sizes, and how many serves of protein, carbs etc I have a day).

Does anyone else out there follow a low GI diet? Apart from the obvious things such as switching bread types, changing potato for sweet potato etc- what other low GI things do you eat, what do you incoporate into your meals.
I am really desperate to make this work, I want to make sure I have a good variety of foods to call on so I dont get tired of the same foods and give up.

Any ideas?

Hi Ali,

I was on a lowGI diet throughout my pregnancy with Julia and its not too bad once you get used to it, I too suffer from weight issues all my life. The best book to read is called The new Glucose Revolution and also they have a book on the GI ratings for each food, but you can also look up the GI index online on the web too thats great. The main things to remember is bread like you said and rice, must only be basmati and only 1/2 cup cooked each meal you wish to have rice with your food. To lower the GI of your food you can have medium GI but make sure you add in more low GI foods for example, have a small steak cooked with minimum oil or none at all and have it with low gi veges such as brocolli and carrot (think thats medium) you can do sweet potato too thats medium GI but make sure you have brocolli with it to lower the GI. Fruits are great, but make sure you dont eat too many stonefruits, strawberries are the best for Low GI, pineapple is medium GI, watermelon High GI unfortunately. Do you eat nuts? and make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Dairy - if you cut out cheese you will lose more weight, however I couldnt do it! I love my cheese!

Will have to look at my notes from my dietician and write some more.

hope this helps so far.

Bel
xxx

Ali - you should of mentioned it to me.. i have loads of books on Low GI. shall bring them with me for you tomorrow. I found its pretty easy, the only meal i 'cheated' with was breakfast, as i need my toast. I just swapped to a healthier low gi option.

One thing to remember with pre-packaged food like Muffins etc. My dietician told me that If they are advertised as "low gi" then they have probably had a lot of fat added to them to lower the GI listing. It may be fibre thats been added which is good but make sure you check out the fat content in case it's that!

The low GI way is the only thing that works for me - I can tweak every other aspect of my food intake but low-GI is the only thing that really kills all-day hunger.

Remember, a low GI diet is not only about changing the carbs you eat, it's also about adding a lot more bulk to your diet (ie big serves of non-starchy veggies and fruit) and also clever low-GI tricks like using an oil and vinegar dressing instead of a shop bought one, having a cold potato salad using new potatoes, and plenty of low fat dairy, etc.

I agree with Belle, that's the best book on the market, it's done by Jenny Brand Miller who also has a glycaemic index website, she has a diet book and a couple of recipe books that are good as well. I like her books because some of the other so called "low GI" diet books on the market are actually really just low-carb books in disguise.

I have a few rules that make the diet work for me: no snacking on cheese (ok in meals), make sure there is fruit or veggie with everything I eat (ie have the biscuit but eat a crispy pear as well). If you stick with it over the space of several days you will notice you don't eat as much simply because you feel fuller on less food. (That's how it works for me anyway).

MD's Tips for an enjoyable Low-GI diet:

Get creative with your morning porridge - I cook mine in milk so it's creamier and more inviting. I add berries (fresh or frozen), banana, grated apple or chopped fresh pear, sprinkle of dried currants, stewed rhubarb or plums (in season), or just a drizzle of golden syrup or brown sugar. It's so good the whole family wants it when I make it!!

Muesli, Guardian, Sustain, Apple Crunchola and Weetbix Fruity bix (but ONLY the apple sultana and bran one) are all good low GI breaky choices, OR you can sprinkle them over fruit and/or yoghurt.

Bake your own cakes, muffins and biscuits using oats, dried & fresh fruit and oat bran. Just by adding oat bran or quick oats to something like pikelets instantly lowers the GI and makes them more filling (so you eat fewer).

Instead of mashed potato make a 3 or 4 veggie mash with any of the following: sweet potato, white or purple sweet potato, carrot, swede, pumpkin, and of course potato as well.

Use Basmati or Doongara smart rice. The Japanese short grain rice that they use for sushi rolls is low-Gi too so that's a good snack if you're out and about.

Undercook your pasta slightly so it's still a tiny bit chewy (true al dente) - this keeps the GI down in regular pasta and makes it a good choice. Make sure you still serve a side veggie or salad as well as the pasta and sauce.

Sourdough bread is low GI, as are some chewier denser European style breads. I'm pretty sure the Pane di Casa they do at Bakers Delight is low GI because I don't get the sugar rush that I normally get from eating white bread (personal observation not backed by science ;)).

Lay your food out invitingly on the plate. Ie a late afternoon snack of oven-crisped wholemeal pita, chunks of celery and hommous and semidried tomatoes laid out on a plate is just like having normal fatty pre dinner nibblies in terms of the satisfaction it gives but's it's a healthy choice. Use (vinegar) pickled veggies and gherkins to liven up your salads too.

Learn to love baked beans! Yummy in a toasted sandwich!

I slice up celery, onions, and add frozen peas and corn, chuck them in the bottom of a mug then steam them in the microwave for a minute or so, then make a cup of instant soup in the mug. You can also add canned beans or corn kernals in those little tiny cans. Quick but really satisfying snack.

Thanks for all the replies girls, and all the tips. I am really liking the idea of a Low GI diet, because it is essentially everyday food, but just smarter choices. Already I am finding it quite easy to make the changes, just trying to figure out what groceries items I should be substituting in my shopping.

Still got a few things to get my head around like adding Low GI foods to high GI foods to lower the GI and stuff like that, but I think I will get there.

Agree that the new glucose revolution is the "bible" for low GI living...it is an awesome book. Also to add variety to your eating I suggest getting the "diabetic living" magazine, even if you arent diabetic. It comes out every two months and has truckloads of awesome low GI recipes that the whole family will enjoy that actually taste good. My niece is not diabetic but has PCOS and just gave birth to a beautiful boy after having trouble conceiving...all by following the low GI principles...she loves the diabetic living mag too, probably uses the recipes even more than I do!

I love the low GI diet. I started it after my second m/c as Ob thought I may have had PCOS (turns out I don't but low GI diet is apparently good for those suffering from PCOS so I read up on it while I was awaiting test results). I stuck with it anyway because I figured it just sounded like a good healthy lifestyle. I lost a lovely amount of weight and found some great recipes books. I felt better after the first 3 weeks but after 3 months I never looked back - it's really not that bad once you get used to it either. I still eat just as much bread just the low GI varieties like Burgen or sour dough. Of course I still indulge in some treats (hard to avoid at birthdays etc). Good luck and I hope it works for you.