5 Things You Need to Know About the Montignac Diet

1. Begin With the Glycemic Index

The Michel Montignac method uses the glycemic index. The glycemic index ranks carbohydrates according to how much they raise the blood glucose levels. Not all carbs are alike and some only raise levels a small amount, while others send the levels and insulin levels through the sky. The goal of the diet is to keep the fluctuation as low as possible. This, in turn, helps the body to regulate insulin and reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes. It also slows down the release of sugar from the liver, and with a reduced level of insulin, your body doesn't beg for more to eat.

2. Not All Carbs Are Bad

The Atkins Diet condemns all carbohydrates, but many of them include valuable nutrients to sustain life. Carbohydrates have two main groups, simple and complex. When you eat simple carbohydrates, they change into sugar faster than the complex ones. Logic tells us that the complex sugars aid the body more. This isn't true. You need to take a look at the differences in the foods within the category. When you eat candy or processed sugars, your blood sugar spikes and then drops. If you eat a piece of fruit, another simple sugar, the sugar level in the blood doesn't fluctuate very much. This is a good thing.

3. Even the Complex Ones Are Different

You probably understand that an apple is definitely better for you than a candy bar, so you already understand differences that exist with the simple, once thought bad, carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates aren't all wonderful either. French fries qualify as complex carbs but they process as fast as pure glucose. The use of an index that measures the effect on the blood sugar level reduces the question about the value of the carb.

4. The Montignac Diet

Michel Montignac used information about the way carbs affect the body to create a diet in 1986 in France. Since then, many U.S. studies have agreed with his findings. His diet uses certain foods to aid in the weight loss. The first phase of the diet requires that you eat only certain types of carbohydrates, those with a glycemic index that is 35 or lower. The index uses pure glucose for the number 100. He also suggests that you increase the protein intake to 1.3 to 1.5 grams per 2.2 pounds of body weight; 1.5 grams is about 1/2 oz.

5. You'll Find Some Favorites

If you like a shot of beer or corn syrup in the morning, this diet isn't for you. But if you love fruits and vegetables and like a little ice cream then you might consider this diet alternative. It is more a way of life than a diet. This is one of the most balanced ways to lose weight, without calorie counting. Just scan a chart and see where it stands in the list. If it is less than 35, it's yours.