The Glycemic Index Diet for Dummies (25 page)

It can easily be incorporated into kids' lifestyles without drastic changes.

Research is showing some positive outcomes for adolescents using a low-glycemic diet for weight loss. One study showed that adolescents who followed a low-glycemic diet for a year lost 11 pounds more than those on a traditional lowfat diet. In this study, the adolescents also preferred the low-glycemic diet over a traditional diet because they didn't have to count calories or be overly focused on food — both of which are keys to developing a child's healthy relationship with food as he grows older.

The results for children are mixed. However, even with the inconsistencies, positive outcomes still exist. One small study showed that children who used a low-glycemic diet didn't change their body weight but did lower their percentage of body fat, their waist-to-hip ratio, and their hunger level. The interesting factor in this study is that the children replaced at least 50 percent of their carbohydrate choices with low-glycemic carbohydrates, showing again that moderation works well with this particular diet approach — another great plus for kids.

Using a low-glycemic diet alone or combining it with a moderate decrease in calories can be a winning combination for children who need to lose weight. Following are some good tips for starting your child on a low-glycemic diet:

Be moderate with your approach.
Putting a child on a strict diet will make him miserable and can cause him to fixate on food in an unhealthy way. You get better results with moderation, and you set your child up to have a healthy relationship with food.

Make it a family plan.
Incorporate the low-glycemic diet for everyone so your child doesn't feel singled out. Making a child eat pearl barley while everyone else gets pasta is hard on him emotionally and can impact his self-esteem.

Encourage fun activities.
Strict exercise regimens can make your child end up hating exercise later on in life. Instead of going the strict route, encourage fun activities such as bike riding, swimming, or just getting some old-fashioned play time outside.

Avoid dieting language.
You can influence your child's weight without putting too much attention on the scale. This approach helps kids naturally develop new habits instead of feeling bad about their bodies or that something's wrong with them.

Managing weight and blood su
gar while pregnant

Ah pregnancy, a time to eat whatever you want, right? Well, not exactly.

Gaining too much weight during pregnancy leaves you at risk of high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, and varicose veins. It also poses a problem to your baby if it ends up being too big. Of course, you don't want to lose weight during pregnancy either, even if you're overweight. The goal is to manage your weight gain by gaining the appropriate amount.

Following are some good ranges to keep in mind for healthy weight gain during pregnancy:

28-40 pounds if you were underweight before pregnancy

25-37 pounds if you were a healthy weight before pregnancy

15-25 pounds if you were overweight before pregnancy