MANILA, Philippines - Most people resort to starvation diets, laxative pills, slimming teas, and liposuction to shed off those extra pounds. There is, however, a healthier way to lose and manage weight: eating "good carbohydrates."

In the last several years, the glycemic index (GI) has been used to help people keep their weight within a healthy range by making them understand which carbs are "good" and "bad."

The concept, developed by Dr. David J. Jenkins of the University of Toronto in the 1980s, was initially intended to help diabetics keep their blood sugar in check.

Aside from controlling weight and leveling blood sugar, studies have shown that a GI diet improves physical endurance and makes a person feel full faster and longer.

How does the GI work?

The GI ranks carbs according to their effect on blood sugar levels, or how they are absorbed by the body. These are given a number relative to glucose, which has an arbitrary value of 100.

Carbs with high GI (70 and above) break down quickly during digestion and raise blood sugar faster. The effect of the sugar on the body wears off just as fast, leaving the person feeling hungry again.

On the other hand, carbs with low GI (55 and below) are slowly digested by the body, making hunger pangs less likely to strike.

Below are some food items and their corresponding GI (from the Diabetes Network):

Making the switch

A low-GI diet involves a "this for that approach," or swapping high GI carbs for low GI carbs. Here are some tips from the University of Sydney's Home of the Glycemic Index to help you get started:

• Use breakfast cereals based on oats, barley, and bran
• Use breads with wholegrains, stone-ground flour, and sourdough
• Reduce the amount of potatoes you eat
• Enjoy all other types of fruits and vegetables
• Use basmati or doongara rice
• Enjoy pasta, noodles, and quinoa
• Eat plenty of salad vegetables with a vinaigrette dressing.

It is important to note, however, that the glycemic index only ranks individual food items and not whole meals (which has several food components). Given this, one must be careful in coming up with a low-GI diet.

A good website to check out is GI News, which provides good GI diet plans and healthy food alternatives.

One must also keep in mind that a low-GI diet does not lead to rapid weight loss; rather, it results in a steady decrease in body weight. But since it helps boost energy and encourages healthy eating, the low GI-diet seems like a fair deal. Report by Karen Flores, abs-cbnNEWS.com

Sources:
Home of the Glycemic Index, University of Sydney
Diabetes Network
Weight Loss for All
Changing Shape

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For comments and suggestions, email the author at karen_flores@abs-cbn.com.