The Glucose Revolution diet rests on the glycemic index, or GI, a well-researched tool that rates carbohydrates according to their effect on blood sugar. Foods with a high GI rating digest quickly and cause a steep rise and fall in blood sugar, which tends to leave you feeling hungry soon after you eat. Foods with a low GI rating digest more slowly and keep you full for longer.
Function
The Glucose Revolution diet helps you stabilize blood sugar levels by teaching you to create meals with a low glycemic index. Dietary elements that reduce GI include fiber, protein, acid and fat. Factors that increase GI include grinding and processing. This means a slice of white bread has a significantly higher GI rating than a slice of whole-grain bread even though their total carbohydrate content is similar.
Benefits
Learning to stabilize blood sugar through dietary choices provides a wide range of benefits. It helps dieters better stick with their reduced-calorie plans, allows athletes to plan a diet that meets the physical demands of their sport, teaches people how to maintain energy levels throughout the day and offers diabetics a tool to help manage the symptoms of their disease, which are worsened by frequent and steep increases in blood sugar.
Features
The Glucose Revolution is not a low-carbohydrate diet, but it strongly discourages consumption of heavily refined and processed grains. Instead, it emphasizes natural foods such as whole grains, whole-grain pasta, beans, vegetables, fruits, nuts, eggs, dairy, meat and fish. To reduce the GI rating of a meal, combine carbohydrate foods, such as grains, with protein-rich or high-fiber foods. Fat also reduces the GI rating of a food, but the glucose revolution advises you to enjoy fats in moderation because they provide many calories for little bulk. The diet also urges you to choose healthy sources of fat, such as nuts, salmon, olive oil and avocado, and to limit the saturated fats found in dairy, meat, fast foods and processed junk foods.
Considerations
A serving of potato chips has a lower GI than a boiled white potato. Take-out pizza, fried foods and many candy bars may also have a relatively low GI, especially if they contain protein from meat, nuts or dairy. This does not, however, make them good choices for this program. The Glycemic Revolution recommends you avoid processed foods and choose balanced meals that provide heart-healthy proteins and fiber-rich carbohydrates.
Types
The Glucose Revolution outlines two major types of plans: one for high-carbohydrate eaters and one for those who wish to consume only a moderate amount of carbohydrates. Whole grains and products made from whole grains form the foundation for the high-carb version of the diet while vegetables, beans, nuts and fruit form the foundation of the moderate-carb plan.
References
- "The New Glucose Revolution"; Jennie Brand-Miller, et al.; 2003
- Harvard School of Public Health: Carbohydrates and the Glycemic Index
