Lifestyle Choices

Foods (and drinks) that are ‘out’

Avoid sugar in its many disguises and foods that contain fast-releasing carbohydrates with a high-GL score.

Avoid bad fats, which occur in foods high in saturated, hydrogenated, processed fats or damaged fats, such as sausages, fried food and junk food.

Stop eating any foods you’re allergic to, and find alternatives. Avoid alcohol during the first two weeks to a month on your diet, as its effect on the blood is similar to sugar.

Limit or avoid caffeinated drinks. Ideally, avoid coffee altogether and have no more than two cups of weak tea a day. Caffeinated fizzy drinks are very bad news as they play havoc with your blood sugar levels and will leave you craving more.

Eat Snacks

‘Graze, don’t gorge’ is the guideline behind the ‘eat snacks’ rule. On the low-GL diet, you are trying never to get to the point where your blood sugar drops and you feel ravenously hungry. For thatreason ‘a little and often’ is the norm. By spreading your GLs across the day, you’ll avoid energy dips and keep hunger (and cravings) at bay.

The “Six days out of Seven” Rule

Few people stick to a diet every single day because life’s just not like that. All kinds of challenges intervene, from celebratory drinks to birthday parties and eating out. If you step off track don’t worry about it. My philosophy is that life is to be enjoyed, and food is tobe enjoyed. If you feel as if you are in a dieting straitjacket you are more likely to quit altogether. That is why I recommend the ‘six days out of seven’ rule.

‘Six days out of seven’ is about personal choice. The rule is that every seventh day you can give yourself ‘a day off’ — but only if you want to. Your choice is to indulge if you want to, or keep to the 40GL rule if you want to. Either choice is fine. You will succeedin the long run whichever choice you make. The most important thing to do is to get back on track the next day.

I am not trying to encourage binge eating — and indeed, if you have a history of eating disorder, do be careful how you interpret this guideline. I recommend a maximum of an extra ‘101E6 on your ‘day off’ the diet if you want to limit the ‘recovery time’ when you come back on track.

Treat yourself, but stay on track

In an experiment, two groups of dieters were given an identical milkshake to drink. One group was told it was high in calories, the other group was told it was low in calories. Each group was then given an unlimited amount of ice cream. Which group do you think ate more? It was the group who had been told the milkshake was high in calories. This shows a common trend amongst dieters, who tend to think,”Ah well, if I have broken the diet I may as well go the whole hog and indulge myself.’ There is no need to damage your health and your progress by taking that approach.

These rules are your building blocks to good health and diet success. You get into the rhythm of your new way of eating very quickly because your body will benefit from it, and it will just make sense.

Foods that are ‘in’

Low-GL carbohydrates combined with protein-rich foods. (Combining carbohydrates such as starchy vegetables, grains and pasta with protein such as meat, fish or pulses lowers their GL rating.)

Whole, unprocessed food, high in soluble fiber (such as brown basmati rice, beans, lentils, oats, wholewheat pasta and wholegrain bread).

Foods high in essential fats (the ‘good’ fats: omega-3 and omega-6), such as cold-water fish, seeds and their oils.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
Foods and drinks that are ‘in and out’

• Secrets of HOLFORD LOW-GL DIET Rule No 5
• Low-GL Weight-Loss Rules and Wonderfoods
• The Facts about Basic Nutrition
• Facts about Eating and Fat Control Part 2
• Natural Energy, Food Dieting Action, Adapting the Recipe Plans for Vegetarians
• The Facts about Nutrition and Good Health continue...
• Facts about Eating and Fat Control Part 1
• Soy Oil, the Food Products From Soybeans
• Reaction to foods
• THE FACTS: NUTRITION QUACKERY