The celebrations are over and its time to feel those guilt pangs for the excesses done during the year-end. High calorie grub and, of course, copious amounts of liquor made weightloss regimes go for a toss.
It's finally time to settle on a diet plan. With increasing instances of obesity and other related diseases like diabetes, the low Glycemic Index (GI) diet seems to be a popular trend in food habit. Celebs like Kylie Minogue and Sharon stone swear by it! But before you get started on it, here's decoding what the GI diet is.
GI is a ranking of carbohydrates based on the extent to which they raise blood sugar l eve l s after eating. While high GI foods induce an immediate rise in the blood sugar levels, low GI food causes a relatively gradual rise in blood sugar. "There is a conception that having rice is bad for those looking to lose weight. But rice actually has fewer calories than an equal amount of wheat. The problem is that it does not have enough fibre in it. But rice with low GI is a very good option," says Paromita Das Dutta, joint secretary of the Indian Dietetic Association's National Executive Committee. She says it's perfect for people who want to lose weight, but don't want to change food habits. "We are suggesting this diet to patients, especially those who don't want to deviate from their lifestyle. The trend is catching up a lot and the health conscious lot is going for it," she adds. Some Indian dishes like sambhar is a low GI food, but is extremely healthy. Rajma and chana are other staples that have a low GI index. "Although the GI of polished rice is 60-69%, brown rice and specially produced low GI rice have a glycemic index of 40-49%. This allows people with diabetes to enjoy rice without throwing their diabetes out of control," says Dr Hemraj B Chandalia, endocrinologist and diabetologist.
Dietitians suggest consuming lots of fruits and vegetables since they have a low GI and avoiding high GI food like white bread and cornflakes. "We advise that people should go for food with low GI since a rise in the calorie intake gives rise to obesity. Low GI rice, which is actually rice with more fibre is a healthy option," says Babita Hazarika, chief dietitian, Apollo Gleneagles. She concedes that a low GI diet is fast catching up. So, need to lose sleep over that perfect diet plan. Just keep in mind the glycemic index of your food so you can have your cake and eat it too!
Diets that are in vogue- Atkins diet: Created by Robert Atkins, this diet is also known as Atkins Nutritional Approach. It's a low carb diet, popularized by a series of books. It started in 1972 with Dr Atkins's Diet Revolution. This diet stresses on limited consumption of carbohydrates to step up the body's metabolism and convert stored body fat to energy.
General motors or GM diet: Exclusively developed for the employees of General Motors, this diet is apparently effective since the food eaten burns more calories than it gives to the body. This is a seven day plan and helps flush the system of impurities.
South beach diet:This is a popular diet plan designed by cardiologist Arthur Agatston and dietitian Marie Almon. The diet is relatively simple and it replaces bad carbs and bad fats with good carbs and good fats.
Mayo clinic diet: The diet prescribes eating a healthy breakfast everyday that consists of egg whites or low sugar cereals and having at least four servings of fruits and vegetables in a day. It also stresses on the inclusion of whole grains in the meal.
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