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Understanding and Applying the South Beach Diet Glycemic IndexWhat is the South Beach Diet glycemic index? This a tool used in the South Beach Diet and it is commonly called the “science” behind the plan. This tools ranks foods based on their effect on a person’s blood sugar levels. The glycemic index gives each type of food a score and this score is based on the degree to which blood sugar level increases after consumption (full consumption usually takes a few hours). How Does the Glycemic Index Work?
The South Beach Diet works by sticking to foods that are low on the South Beach Diet glycemic index rating. Each food is ranked on a scale of 0 to 100. The index measures how much blood glucose increases, with the lowest being 0 and the highest being 100. Low gylcemic index food has a score of less than 55. This will produce only a small rise in insulin level and blood sugar for the average person. However, a food item with a score of 55-70 is moderately high and should be avoided. Food items with a score of 70 and higher make blood sugar and insulin levels soar and are to be rarely eaten.
Join Online! Get 12 Amazing Weight Loss Tools The very success of this popular diet will depend on how faithfully the South Beach Diet glycemic index is followed. Dieters are advised to choose low glycemic index foods with good carbs. In the beginning phase, the South Beach Diet consists of nothing but low glycemic food. However, in phase 2 and the maintenance phase you can start eating foods with higher glycemic levels. Glycemic Index Diet for Dummies Research has shown that low GI-scoring foods can improve glucose and lipid levels in people who suffer from diabetes. Sticking to this low-carb diet can also help to lose excess weight and maintain a healthy weight. Further benefits include appetite control, a longer sense of fullness after eating, heart disease prevention, and lower insulin resistance. Popular Foods Rated by the South Beach Diet Glycemic Index
For example, a baked potato is considered a very high-GI food. Other high-GI foods include sweets and starches like donuts, biscuits and rolls, baguettes, cereal and candy. On the other hand, low-GI foods allowed on the South Beach diet might include items like pearl barley, low-fat yogurt, smaller fruits like cherries and apricots, most vegetables and peanuts. There are a few exceptions to the rule. For example, watermelon and pineapple have high scores on the glycemic index. On the other hand, spaghetti (which is a pasta dish, usually considered bad news on a low-carb diet) has only a score of 27. This can get confusing sometimes, as even some candy bars are relatively low in GI score, such as a Snickers bar (40) and a package of M&Ms (32). On the other hand, corn chips have a score of 74 and dates (a common fruit) has a whopping 103 GI score.
When you’re following the South Beach Diet glycemic index, it’s not necessarily the type of foods you’re eating. You can’t very well generalize all fruit, vegetables and pasta dishes, because each meal has a different GI-score. Success to this plan is learning the index and sticking to your goal. South Beach Diet Rules - Keeping on Track is Key to Success The South Beach Diet Explained – How to Get Rid of Cravings The South Beach Low Carb Diet – Is It Really Low Carb? Return from South Beach Diet Glycemic Index to the South Beach Diet Plan Home Page |
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