The GI plan Diet

Gi Diet Review

Every few years we're having new "celebrity slimming frenzy". This time the diet which grabs the media's attention is The GI Plan Diet.

The GI Plan is based on one of the hottest diet trends currently around ï¿½ the Glycaemic Index or GI Diet.

It works very similar to other diets that offer to eat carbs with a low GI as they slowly release sugar into the blood, providing you with a steady supply of energy so you donï¿½t feel hungry. On the other hand, you should avoid carbs with a high glycemic index, GI, as they cause an immediate but short-lived rise in blood sugar.

The main drawback is that it is leaving you quickly lacking in energy and reaching for another snack.

What is the main concept of the diet?

At first it was presented by professor of nutrition Dr. David Jenkins. The main concept which the diet is built on is how fast different carbohydrates break down to be digested and affect sugar levels in blood. It turns out that many sugar food increases blood sugar levels less than starchy food.

What is GI or Glycemic Index?

The Results of the research are used as basis for creation of Glycemic Index, GI , in which food is ranked by his effect on blood sugar levels. GI is ranged 0 to 100 and glucose is at the top with value of 100. Food with GI value 55 or less are placed in the lowest category, GI 56 to 69 medium category and 70 to 100 is high category.

What is the theory behind the diet?

According to the theory food with low GI value is decomposed and releases sugar to blood slowly and provide steady supply of energy to the human body. Thus feeling of hunger is satisfied for longer period of time contrary to food with high GI value which are decomposed and digested faster and leaving the body with a feeling of hunger. There is nothing wrong with hunger but result of looking for a snack.

The GI Plan Diet is about eating a plenty of food with Low GI value.

The next part of the GI Plan diet is to combine the original glycemic index with a ranking based on the calorie content of each food.

It's interesting to find out that in Glycemic Index Chocolate has a LOW GI value in contrary with "Healthy" rice cakes and brain flakes have High GI value.

GI Plan diet recommends cutting the fat amounts and a specially saturated one. That means that the same chocolate is still limited as milk or crisps too.

It's a little bit confusing, isn't it? In fact, protein and fat affect carbohydrate absorption in the body. Although chocolate with high content of fat is marked as low GI. Low-fat jacked potatoes have higher GI than high fat crisps. Milk is packed with protein and fat and has low GI. Nevertheless, GI Plans advice to avoid consumption of fats - skimmed milk is preferred over whole milk.

What are the guidelines of the diet?

The guideline of The Gi Plan Diet is - the more low GI foods in male, lower the overall GI value.

However, the calculations aren't always so simple. It becomes too difficult to calculate when the meal contains high and low GI value food. In fact the limitation of the GI diet plan is to identify exact GI value of the meal consumed.

When you fololw the diet you have to cut saturated fats from your meals, means less chips and chocolate.

You have to avoid cookies and biscuits with high GI index, soft drinks and lollies. Instead you may have some other low GI snaks as: Hummus with bread or low fat yoghurt, or smoothie made from fruits, low fat milk or yoghurt, or best - you may have fruit salad.

How the diet is structured?

The GI Plan Diet just like other diets has 3 phases:

The First phase - Lasts 2 weeks. During this period women has to consume food in 17 points worth and men 22 points. Carbs and calories in the food are summed to provide total of pints in the food. The dieter is free to consume any food as long as number of the points is untouched.
The second phase On this phase pounds are shaded off and it last longer than 2 weeks. Food consumed is raised to 20 points for women and 25 for men.
The third phase - It starts once the dieter reaches weight loss goal. The aim of this phase is to maintain the weight achieved.

What is the expected weight loss rate in the diet?

During this diet regimen it's expected to achieve weight loss rate of about 2 pound per week. The first 2 weeks may provide more significant weight loss.

This behavior is known as normal response of the body during diet regimen and usually lasts until starvation mode appears.

GI Diet Plan Sample Day

Typical Day's Diet on the GI Plan:

Breakfast
Bowl of porridge made from traditional oats and skimmed milk and sweetened with a little honey. Plus a pear.
Mid morning
1 pot low-fat fruit yoghurt and a banana.
Lunch
Bowl of lentil soup plus an open tuna sandwich made with 2 slices of wholegrain bread, a thin scrape of low-fat spread and tuna in brine. Plus a handful of cherries.
Mid afternoon
Small pack of low-fat crisps
Dinner

What are Pro's?

GI plan diet basically is healthy dietand easy to follow diet which teaches you how to differ varios carbohidrates and preffer those which are healthier with Lower GI index.

When you follow the diet plan you probably will achive even blood sugar level.

The diet doesn't require consuming of special high cost ingredients and foods may sourced easily and can be eaten by whole family.

What are Con's?

It's little bit confuzing whole thing with GI index calculations and this could be the main reason to cause the diet misinterpretation.

White rice is labeled as high GI and so watermelon too, when chips or chocolate hava low GI - this might cause to people to assume that eating chips and chocolate is allowed without any restrictions.

It's hard to understand how insulin and its levels in the blood may affect metabolism and this might cause some confuze in order to understand whole theory which the diet is based up.

Conclusions

Diet is developed by a registered dietitian and a life coach, and is well presented in the book that is easy to read and understand.

The diet plan is nothing but truly simple and easy to follow scheme that make sure you get desired results. If you are aware of the importance of well balanced diet for healthy long lasting weight loss, you are going to love to following this diet. Since it is so balanced and based on a healthy aproach, without cutting out major groups of food or severely restricting what you eat, it will ensure you successfully stay in your diet regimen until you achieve your weightloss goals.