Astrid from Essex
Low GL and Concentration
Ever get the mid-morning or mid-afternoon sleepy feeling – when you just can’t keep your eyes open? This can be a real problem if you’re at work or school and supposed to be concentrating and firing on all cylinders.
Your brain relies on glucose as its sole source of energy – your muscles can use other things like fat and protein but the brain needs glucose. If your brain doesn’t get enough then everything else slows down and that’s why you feel sleepy.
Studies in the UK show that children who eat breakfast in the morning perform better and have better concentration in lessons. Choosing a low-GL breakfast like porridge or an oat-based cereal and eating low-GL snacks and meals throughout the day have a similar effect in contributing to this improved performance and concentration.
By following the GL Diet you give your body a steady supply of energy throughout the day, your brain has plenty of glucose to keep it going, and your muscles have plenty of fuel to keep you active too. The GL Diet is great for both body and mind!
Chapter Four THE PLAN – HOW TO EAT
Time and time again we’ve seen diets burst on to the scene that promise miraculous weight loss but seem to overlook the body’s basic need for a balanced diet – to achieve not only a healthy weight but also a healthy mind. We believe passionately that any lifestyle plan for weight loss should be a lifelong commitment to eating a healthy, balanced diet and being more active. However, we also understand that in the real world some people just want to drop a dress/clothes size before they go on holiday or for a special event. Either way, for any diet to get the thumbs up from us, the route to weight loss has to be sustainable, safe and enjoyable.
The GL Diet isn’t just about switching to low-GL foods; it’s also about making healthier choices whenever possible within the framework of a balanced diet. This is where we get down to the nitty-gritty. By following these guidelines you can be sure you’ll get all the good nutrition you need to stay healthy and to lose any excess weight.
The GL Diet Guidelines
These are the things we think are important to focus on for a balanced diet and lifestyle, and we know they will work for you:
• Eat three meals per day plus two snacks.
• Don’t go longer than four hours without eating.
• Eat no more than you can fit into your cupped hands at each meal.
• Swap high-GL carbs (like white bread) for low-GL carbs (like soy and linseed bread).
• Aim for two to three protein-rich foods each day – variety is the key.
• Base your snacks on low-GL fruit and vegetables.
• Try to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables every day.
• A moderate intake of fat is fine. Aim to eat mainly the healthier mono- and polyunsaturated fats such as olive oil and olive oil-based spread, vegetable and nut oils. Read labels and avoid harmful hydrogenated/trans fats hidden in many food products. Some foods are now labelled as containing ‘non-hydrogenated fats’, which is great.
• Be aware of salt hidden in many processed foods and don’t add it to recipes or at the table.
• Drink six to eight glasses of fluid each day – water is best.
• Try to be more active and make it fun – aim for 30 minutes each day.
Most of us know the basics of healthy eating. However, choosing the right foods can be daunting, so we often put our heads in the sand and carry on regardless. But you can relax – our recipes and food lists take care of all that so you can get on with your life, look and feel great and still enjoy fabulous food.
Sometimes understanding a few of the facts behind the healthy eating guidelines we suggest can make it a bit easier to see why we should all be making some changes, so this chapter explains why the guidelines are important. If you feel confident that you understand good nutrition and just want to get started, skip this section and go to Chapter 5 for the 10-day starter plan.
Three Meals and Two Snacks
Eat something when you wake and then every four hours. This helps to get you into a regular routine with eating. You won’t go hungry, and meeting your nutritional needs is much easier.
Eat Low-GL Carbs at Each Meal
Low-GL carbs include vegetables, fruit or whole grains. These help you to feel fuller for longer, so you’re less likely to get hunger pangs and reach for the biscuit tin. They are also good sources of insoluble fibre to keep your bowels healthy, and regular and soluble fibre which help lower cholesterol and promote healthy gut bacteria.
People who regularly eat whole grains have a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Whole-grain carbohydrates like oats and pearl barley have a low GL (see GL food lists in Chapter 11.)
It’s the Carbohydrate-rich Foods that Make the Difference
If a food contains little or no carbohydrate then it will have a zero GL and no effect on your blood glucose levels. If your portion size of carbohydrate-rich foods is bigger than the one we recommend in the GL food lists, the GL will be higher.
Swap High-GL Foods for Low-GL Foods
This is where you can make a big difference. Low-GL foods will even out your blood glucose levels, helping you feel fuller for longer and reduce cravings for carb-rich, sugary and starchy foods. Fewer hunger pangs mean you’re much less likely to overeat and put on weight.
You’ll get the greatest benefit from swapping foods that contain the most carbohydrate and have the highest GL like white breads, sugary breakfast cereals, overcooked white pastas, sugar-laden cakes, pastries, biscuits and sweets, white rice and large white potatoes.
Make it a Way of Life – Keep It Simple Sweetie (KISS)
Making your diet and food complicated just adds to the stress of the whole thing, and that is not what the GL Diet is about at all. Following the plan should be a breeze. All the recipes in Chapter 10 take 10 minutes or less – and they are so easy to make! You don’t need a Michelin star to have a go and you certainly won’t be slaving over a hot stove for hours! They are just simple ‘back to basics’ recipes that taste great.
Think Natural
We’re passionate about cutting back on highly processed foods as many are full of sugar, salt, additives and unhealthy hydrogenated/trans fats.
If you cook with natural ingredients from scratch you know exactly what goes into your body;
