The Glycemic Index Diet for Dummies (113 page)

Allow high-glycemic foods once in a while, but don't keep them in the cupboards ery day.
This suggestion is a win-win for everyone. You won't be tempted as often to wander back to your old habits, and your family members won't miss out on their high-glycemic favorites. This is a great strategy to put in place when you're grilling (buy some potato chips as a side) and when you're eating out (let the kids order their favorites).

Don't make a big fuss about following a low-glycemic diet.
You may be excited about it, but to your family, a deluge of info about the low-glycemic diet will make them feel like they're following a diet and not just living their lives eating healthy foods. Stick to making healthy choices instead of pointing out everything in the cupboard or refrigerator that's low-glycemic.

Allow your family to have a voice and be willing to find compromises.
In my experience, families adjust quite well to the eating modifications that come with a low-glycemic diet, but every family is different. Hear what your family members have to say, and when they have issues, try to find solutions that work for everyone.

Talking with your spouse

If you're married and your spouse has no interest in making changes to his or her diet and lifestyle, then your efforts at making a lifestyle
change likely won't last long because you'll be scrambling trying to buy and prepare separate foods. I encourage you to sit down with your spouse and explain the basics of the low-glycemic lifestyle. Then work together to find a way to embrace that lifestyle in your household.

Following are descriptions of two common spouse-related challenges to living a low-glycemic lifestyle, along with strategies for overcoming them:

Your spouse brings home high-glycemic treats and/or wants to keep all the high-glycemic foods around.
I promise your spouse isn't trying to purposefully sabotage you. He or she just doesn't realize or understand how difficult it is for you to have high-glycemic foods around. Let your spouse know why having high-glycemic foods in the house is tough for you and try to compromise on some other foods that aren't as tempting for you but that your spouse still enjoys. I had one client who couldn't resist the Oreo cookies that her husband loved but could do without peanut butter cookies, which were also among his favorites. This simple swap worked for her family.

Your spouse doesn't like many of the low-glycemic meals you're making.
This challenge is a particularly tough one because you don't want to wind up preparing several different meals. Go over the low-glycemic food list with your spouse (you can even use Appendix A to get you started) and get a good understanding of what he or she likes and dislikes. Then find some quick ways to handle the situation without having to cook too much. My husband isn't a fan of brown rice (a lower-glycemic food). He prefers white rice (a high-glycemic food). Instead of forcing him to eat brown rice or setting myself back by eating white rice, I buy bags of precooked, frozen brown rice and white rice from the grocery store and just microwave the two different bags. It's easy forme, and we're both happy with our meal in the end.

When you engage in a little open conversation with your spouse, you can usually come up with solutions to challenges that make a low-glycemic diet a better fit in both of your lives. Sure, it may take a little trial and error, but you'll soon find a groove that works well for your family.

Developing healthy habits for your kids

Your kids develop their eating habits early on from you. When you set them up for making healthy choices at a young age, they wo
n't have as many weight-loss and health struggles when they're older. Teaching your kids to eat a variety of foods that include the right balance of the healthy stuff and treats sets them up for success with

Childhood health

A healthy weight for their lifespan

Disease prevention

Better concentration in school