The Glycemic Index Diet for Dummies (80 page)

Gastrointestinal disorders

High blood pressure

High cholesterol

Hypothyroidism

Kidney disease

Metabolic syndrome

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Prediabetes

Type 1 or 2 diabetes

Find a registered dietitian who specializes in the issues that you have and who's also familiar with a low-glycemic diet. You can then get sound advice and support for meshing your preexisting health issue(s) with a low-glycemic lifestyle.

When you're having trouble making changes

Professional help can be a good idea when you're struggling with making changes. As a registered dietitian, one thing I've discovered is that providing advice and information is only one piece of the puzzle. Coaching — helping people work these new changes into their lives — is an even bigger piece.

Making lifestyle changes usually takes a combination of time plus trial and error. After all, the doing is often much harder than the knowing. I hear people say it all the time, "I know what to do; I just can't do it." This is where a professional can come in handy. A registered dietitian can help you figure out the best ways to implement your new health goals. By working together, you can try some strategies and then see how they went. A registered dietician can also serve as an objective listener who can help you loot matters in a different way when obstacles arise.

When you need accountability and support

Getting professional help with your efforts to embrace a low-glycemic lifestyle provides long-term support and accountability. Research shows that people who have a long-term support system are able to maintain their weight loss for a longer period of time.

Acquiring that long-term support goes much more smoothly when you do two things:

Find a registered dietician with whom you have a good relationship.
Working with someone you trust and enjoy is crucial to establishing a long-term relationship. That way when you have a dietary crisis during the holidays and are feeling vulnerable, you instantly have someone to reach out to for that much-needed accountability and support.