Roma from Scotland
‘I’d been gaining weight steadily since my diagnosis of PCOS. It felt like everything was going wrong at once and I was in a real downward spiral. I knew my diet wasn’t great before, but it wasn’t until I tried the GL Diet that I realized that what I ate could make such a difference. After just a week I had more energy than ever, and friends couldn’t believe how well I looked. I’m finally back in control of my weight, and for the first time in two years I feel I can influence how my PCOS affects me.’
Simone from London
The Menopause
The menopause is a time when a woman’s fertility declines. For most women, this occurs in their 50s, although some women may face the menopause much earlier or later than this.
As you go through the menopause your ovaries produce less of the hormone oestrogen. This reduction triggers the brain to release other hormones in an attempt to make the ovaries work harder and keep producing eggs. Symptoms such as hot flushes, sweats, muscle and bone pain and poor concentration are all linked to these hormone surges.
The GL diet can be beneficial to menopausal women in a number of ways:
• Menopausal symptoms are hormone-related; the GL Diet better regulates the level of the hormone insulin in the blood.
• Stable blood sugars improve poor concentration and irritability.
• Many menopausal women find they gradually gain weight – the GL Diet is effective at helping to control weight.
• The menopause is a time when a woman’s risk of heart disease increases; the GL Diet has been shown to be effective in helping to prevent heart disease.
• A low-GL diet can reduce the risk of breast and endometrial cancer in post-menopausal women.
‘I first saw Nigel in his menopause clinic. I thought I understood GI back then although I clearly didn’t really know what I was doing as I was getting nowhere fast. As well as trying to lose weight I wanted to control my mood swings and hot flushes and get a bit of my old spark back. Nigel taught me how to use GL, which made so much more sense to me than GI. He also talked me through the other aspects of my diet and lifestyle that would help me. In a few months I lost over two stone and my mood, energy and general feeling of wellbeing improved dramatically. I have now retired and see Nigel once a year to keep an eye on things, but after three years the weight is still off and I feel better than ever – there really is a life after menopause!’
Sheila from London
Low GL and Cancer
As with type 2 diabetes and some female health problems, some cancers are linked to our hormones. Breast, endometrial and prostate cancers have all been linked to the levels of insulin in our blood. Cancers of the digestive tract (stomach and colorectal) also seem to be linked to levels of insulin and other related compounds in the body. High levels of insulin occur when high-GL foods are eaten (see Chapter 2.)
Research has also shown that a high-GL diet is positively related to the risk of colorectal, prostate, stomach, endometrial and breast cancers. This is most likely due to the effect high-GL foods have on our insulin levels.
Low GL and Child Health
The GL Diet has been shown to reduce food intake and body weight in children. Having a low-GL breakfast reduces the amount of food eaten for lunch, in both normal and overweight children. This could contribute to a significant reduction in overall energy intake and help combat the rising levels of obesity among children.
A low-GL diet has also been shown to be more effective than a low-fat diet in reducing BMI (body mass index) and body fat in obese adolescents.
‘Yesterday I collected my two girls from school to find my eldest in a terrible state. She was white as a sheet, slightly clammy and shaking. It turned out that they’d had the biggest “dorm feast” ever, with the most sweets and fizzy drinks on record, a classic case of sugar overload. Needless to say, she wasn’t very nice to be around – but two low-GL meals later, she’d come back down to earth and actually managed to sleep through the night. Thank you, Nigel, Tina and Deborah, for giving me the knowledge to cope with this kind of blood-sugar overload – it’s making a huge difference to our lives.’
Olivia from Scotland
diet freedom online club member
Low GL and Obesity
Being overweight isn’t just about carrying around excess flab. The fatty tissue produces hormones that can make you susceptible to a number of chronic conditions – and the more overweight you are the greater the risk. Being overweight or obese increases the likelihood of you suffering from cancer, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis and stroke.
The good news is that if you are overweight or obese, losing just 10 per cent of your body weight can reduce the risk of these chronic conditions significantly. The research showing beneficial weight loss on a low-GL diet is plentiful. Both adults and children show marked weight benefits and loss of excess body fat when following a low-GL diet.
Being on a low-GL diet doesn’t reduce your metabolic rate as much as being on a low-fat diet – so at rest you are burning more calories on the GL Diet. This can only help with weight loss. GL dieters also report feeling less hungry than low-fat, low-calorie dieters, and actually eat less! Again, great for losing those wobbly bits.
‘I’ve lost 7 stone since using the diet freedom website and books. It’s a really logical way to lose weight and becomes second nature very quickly. It also makes you feel really good. The best thing, though, is that I’ve not regained any of the weight I’ve lost – this is a first as I’d yo-yo dieted my way through life up until this point. My confidence is much increased and it would be no exaggeration to say it has changed my life completely.’
Joe from Worthing
‘In the two weeks I’ve been following this way of life, I haven’t stopped eating and I haven’t felt hungry. I’ve continued with a glass of red wine in the evenings, I’ve had the odd bit of chocolate and I’ve still lost 7lb. Can’t be bad – I only wish I’d come across it sooner. Thanks to all involved with the books, the forum and all its members.’
Caroline
diet freedom online club member
‘I thought I’d cheer myself up this morning by weighing myself, even though I hadn’t planned to do so, and I’m absolutely delighted with the result! In the six-and-a-bit weeks since I started the diet I’ve lost a total of … 15lb! That’s 6lb lost since my last weigh-in only two-and-a-half weeks ago. I’m taking as little exercise as ever, so I have to attribute my improved girth to the diet. This is definitely a very workable plan and fits in well with family life. It’s easy to build meals around this sort of food, supplementing a basic low-GL core with higher-GL accompaniments and extras (such as potatoes) for the rest of the family. I’m very pleasantly surprised to find that
