The Glycemic Index Diet for Dummies (122 page)

Chapter 22
:
Not Just for Weight Loss: Battling Disease with a Low-Glycemic Diet

In This Chapter

Using a low-glycemic diet to help you with health issues you may already have

Staying healthy and preventing chronic diseases with your new low-glycemic diet

Discovering low-glycemic foods that are rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients

W
hether you're healthy or you have either preexisting health conditions or a family history of certain health issues, following a low-glycemic diet can help you in many ways. Originally studied for diabetes and insulin-resistance disorders, the glycemic index is now being looked at more and more for other positive effects such as promoting heart health. Even though the glycemic index has been around for a while, the research is really picking up the pace lately, and I imagine there will be more and more exciting discoveries along the way.

In addition to helping you manage certain health conditions, a low-glycemic diet also lends itself well to disease prevention. This characteristic of the diet is especially important if you're feeling healthy now but happen to have a family history of heart disease or diabetes. You can make many changes in your lifestyle to avoid developing these health problems yourself, and a low-glycemic diet is one of them.

If you have close family members living with chronic health conditions, you know firsthand how they can affect your quality of life. This chapter is all about how you can take control with small changes to your way of life that add more nutrient-rich, low-glycemic foods to your diet.

Managing Existing Health Problems

For many people who are serious about weight loss, the desire to shed pounds goes beyond just wanting to fit into "skinny jeans." It's about h
elping manage an existing health issue. Most of these issues center on
insulin resistance,
a condition in which the body can't handle the sugar in the blood provided by the food you eat (see Chapter 5 for full details). Insulin resistance can make losing weight difficult. Then again, if you gain too much weight, the insulin resistance gets worse. It's a vicious cycle that can become quite frustrating. If you're in the middle of this cycle right now, I'm sure you can relate to the challenges it creates. But hope is here. Following a low-glycemic diet has been found to be of great success for those dealing with insulin resistance because eating low-glycemic foods keeps blood sugar from spiking as much, thereby requiring much less insulin.

Research is also pointing out benefits of a low-glycemic diet for other health issues such as heart disease and even hypothyroidism. The sections that follow focus on several specific health issues and how following a low-glycemic diet can improve your quality of life if you have one of them.

If you have diabetes, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, hypothyroidism, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, or hypoglycemia, be sure to consult your doctor before diving headfirst into a low-glycemic diet. He or she may want to monitor your health condition more closely as you make changes to your diet.

Regardless of your specific health condition, there are several signs that following a low-glycemic diet is doing your body good. Celebrate your transition to a low-glycemic diet if you experience any of the following:

Fewer food cravings

Increased energy

Weight loss

Decreased insulin levels

Decreased blood sugars

Improvement in disease management