The Glycemic Index Diet for Dummies (125 page)

Healthy fats and fiber are still a big part of the overall healthy heart picture. Don't forget about them. Instead, weave information about a low-glycemic lifestyle into what you already know about good nutrition and heart health.

If you have risk factors for heart disease such as high cholesterol (or low HDLs) or high triglycerides and want to try a low-glycemic diet to help decrease these risk factors, here are a few tips:

Choose low-glycemic carbohydrates in the appropriate portion sizes for meals and snacks.

Eat high-nutrient, low-glycemic foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Avoid trans fats and limit your intake of saturated fats (think high-fat cuts of meat and full-fat dairy products).

Bulk up your fiber intake with a goal of eating 25 to 35 grams per day. Not sure how much that is? Well, consider that a great whole-grain bread has an averge of 3 to 4 grams of fiber in each slice.

Increase your fruit and vegetable servings to five to nine servings per day.

Eat plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish, walnuts, and flaxseeds.
Note:
Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and halibut are better sources of omega-3s than plant-based sources.

Metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome
(also known as
Syndrome X
or
Insulin Resistance Syndrome
) is a clust
er of symptoms that include high cholesterol, high inflammation markers, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, increased abdominal weight, and elevated insulin levels. This is a very tricky health condition, but diet can have a big impact on it if done in the right way. The hard part is you can't just focus on fat for the cholesterol and inflammation; you also need to focus on carbohydrates for the blood sugar, insulin levels, and triglycerides. This balancing act requires a little more structure than some conditions, and a low-glycemic diet can provide this much-needed structure.

Because insulin resistance is so common among people dealing with metabolic syndrome (some health professionals even consider it to be the underlying cause), a low-glycemic diet is key to managing this condition. By getting your insulin levels under control and losing weight, you greatly reduce your risk for developing multiple symptoms of metabolic syndrome.

So just how does a low-glycemic diet affect metabolic syndrome? Well,

It helps reduce inflammation in the body. One study showed that women who ate higher amounts of whole grains, bran, and cereal fiber — all of which are important foods on a low-glycemic diet — had lower inflammation markers. Women who specifically ate a low-glycemic diet also had lower inflammation markers.

It can decrease triglycerides by lowering the amount of excess calories, which can be converted into triglycerides, and reducing insulin levels, which can also increase triglyceride levels if they're too high.

It helps lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure by promoting weight loss. It's also beneficial for cholesterol levels because of the increase in fiber intake, which helps remove excess cholesterol from the body.