Low Gi(rth)
 

Is anyone else out there following the low gi way? or as i like to call it, the low girth way.
My friend recommended it to me as a healthy way of eating for life and i was looking for people to share ideas and recipes and support with. If you are unfamiliar with it, the basics can be found here http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/glycemic-index-diet

My friend recommended it after a period of constant dizzyness and episodes of fainting which the doctor could find no reason for (bloods and ECG normal). only thing "wrong" was my blood sugar was 5.2 which i believe is a little on the low side. He suggested it initially as a way to level off my blood sugar rather than having me up and down all the time which could have been contributing to the fainting. But he also said it would be a good way to teach myself the basics of a healthier lifestyle.

Long story short i do feel better since starting it and the dizziness and fainting have decreased remarkably.

Is anyone else doing this? How do you find it? Have you also set yourself a calorie "allowance" or just sticking to recommended healthy portion sizes?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Cheryl
x

is there a Low Gi forum here btw?

No low GI forum but I've always followed it as a guideline. South beach diet is a low GI diet which is where I started.

i think the SB diet wouldnt be right for me. a woman at work is following it and yes she has has great results but i dont fancy eating celery with peanut butter (just an example btw). which is her typical lunch alongside a chicken thigh.

My impression comes from her and she has no "real carbs" at all (no bread, no pasta, no rice). Is that right or has she gone extreme?

I don't follow a low GI diet, but I do like to keep it in mind if possible.
I sometimes try to go by the recommended serving size on food labels for a kind of portion control, so the healthy portion idea can't hurt.

My understanding of SB, which I will admit is minimal, is that it's more of a lower carb and eating the right kinds of carbs, rather than a no carb plan. So you wouldn't have to eat a chicken thigh for lunch everyday, as appetizing as that sounds...lol

There may be some useful info in the SB forum for you.

Best of luck :sunny:

She must be in Phase 1 for SB, because you can have "good" carbs after that phase. I had great results with SB and you can have carbs but they should be whole grain. Some folks get scared of the carbs though, I think because of Atkins?

On SB, you can have bread and sweet potatoes and other things as well. It has been many years since I looked at the plan but I remember things such as eating sourdough because it is lower GI being a SB recommendation.

Haha! That's hardly the definition of 'extreme'. Your coworker has the right idea with celery, nut butter, and chicken thighs. Fiber, fats, and solid protein sources should be the cornerstone of a nutrient dense diet.

And as already stated, SB does indeed allow some grain and bean carbs, though whether that's a good idea depends on the individual dieter's body and needs. I lose faster, maintain easier, and have far less cravings with those items gone.