The GL Diet Made Easy: How to Eat, Cheat and Still Lose Weight. Nigel Denby
Rainham
‘When I followed a low-GI diet, I really overate on pasta, which I now know has a high GL. Plus I was afraid of watermelon, which I love. Now I know watermelon is okay and it was ridiculous to avoid it. Those are just two minor examples of why I think GL is better! There are many more. I find the more I read the more I can apply my new knowledge to the way I eat. I’m so grateful for finding this new way of eating!’
Sheryl from California, USA
diet freedom online club member
The GL Diet is:
Science made simple – no magic wands or pseudo-science here!
A healthy eating plan you will want to (and can) follow forever.
Safe and suitable for all the family.
Bursting with loads of delicious food choices and recipes.
About having three meals and two snacks every day.
About making educated food swaps to change the types of carbohydrate you are eating – not about cutting out food groups altogether.
About eating for health – it is so much more than just another weight loss diet! You will feel fantastic on it – we promise you that.
A great way to live and eat healthily, so even if you stop following it you will come back to it – everyone does! The improvements in how you feel will make sure of that.
A common sense, no nonsense approach that will fit in with the way we live today in our fast-paced society.
Brilliant for foodies and ‘fast’ foodies alike!
So effective because it works with your body, not against it.
But most of all …
GL is about results – it’s the perfect plan for losing weight because the weight comes off at the right rate for your body and so is more likely to stay off. There is no severely restricted start-up phase. The GL adjustments you are about to make are for good, and with the odd cheat and treat it is doable and enjoyable and will make you feel better than you have in years!
Chapter Three THIS DIET IS SERIOUSLY GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH
The GL Diet is not just a great eating plan for weight loss, it also embraces the importance of a healthy balanced diet and being physically active.
In this chapter we take you through some of the science and research that demonstrates how a low-GL diet:
• is beneficial to your health and wellbeing;
• improves the overall health of people with specific conditions;
• helps to improve symptoms of some common conditions.
Low GL and Diabetes
Because the GL Diet helps control blood glucose levels, it is beneficial to people with diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is a condition where the body has lost the ability to tightly control the level of glucose in the blood. You’ll remember that in Chapter 2 we talked about how it’s the job of insulin to control blood glucose levels. People with type 2 diabetes don’t produce enough insulin and/or it stops working effectively.
Choosing a low-GL diet for people with type 2 diabetes makes sense – glucose is released more slowly into the bloodstream and less insulin is needed in order to keep blood glucose levels steady. For people who aren’t producing enough insulin, this means it’s easier to keep blood glucose levels balanced.
The scientists certainly seem to agree with us. A team from Colorado State University in the US looked at the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes in urban areas of industrialized countries. The scientists found that over the past 200 years, the consumption of refined cereals and sugars has increased at almost the same rate as type 2 diabetes. The team concluded that the increased sugar in people’s diets was clearly linked to higher insulin levels and the subsequent increase in type 2 diabetes.
Another study of over 40,000 health professionals reported that a high-GL diet increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Similar findings were also reported by the American Medical Association who found that the women who ate more high-GL foods had a greater incidence of type 2 diabetes.
Both the European Association for the Study of Diabetes and Diabetes UK, the leading UK charity for people with diabetes, recommend a low-glycaemic, high-fibre diet as a means of maintaining good control of blood glucose levels and for helping to maintain a healthy weight.
A low-GL diet, along with regular activity, can help to control your diabetes and reduce your risk of serious long-term diabetes-related complications.
Even small changes to your diet can make a difference. Two large scientific reviews showed that a low-glycaemic diet has a positive effect on blood glucose control in people who already have diabetes, and that swapping just one high-glycaemic food for a low-glycaemic alternative can have a beneficial effect.
You can get more helpful information about diabetes from the UK charity www.diabetes.org.uk.
‘The increasing prevalence of diabetes has huge social and financial implications for developed countries. With increasing incidence of conditions such as the metabolic syndrome, predisposing people to diabetes, the trend is even more worrying. I am convinced that making diet and lifestyle changes to reduce the risk or improve the treatment of diabetes is one of the most critical steps an individual can take. The GL Diet combines the fundamental principles of a healthy balanced diet with practical advice to help improve glycaemic control and long-term health.’
Sir Michael Hirst
Trustee and former Chairman of Diabetes UK
‘I’ve had type 2 diabetes for 12 years. When I stick to a low-GL diet my blood sugars (and therefore mood, energy levels and so on) are easy to control. It’s made life very simple, and even though I’m on the road a lot, I find that with only a bit of thinking ahead I have no problem sticking to it. I’ve also lost quite a bit of weight, which has pleased my diabetes nurse very much!’
Gary from Bedfordshire
Low GL and High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
Hypertension is known as the silent killer – the condition can go undetected for years. Although high blood pressure can cause headaches, dizziness and problems with vision, the vast majority of people with high blood pressure have no symptoms at all.
Blood pressure is the force exerted by blood on the walls of your arteries when your heart beats. High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and kidney damage so it shouldn’t be underestimated. Have your blood pressure checked by your GP or practice nurse every couple of years.
People who are overweight and have high blood pressure can expect to see a significant improvement in their blood pressure when they lose as little as 10 per cent of their body weight.
If you suffer from high blood pressure one of the most important things you can do is limit the amount of salt you eat. Studies show that many people with high blood pressure are ‘salt sensitive’, and they can better control their blood pressure when they eat less salt. Eating low GL means you naturally eat less processed food, which is where most of the salt in our diet is found.