The Low-GI Diet

Q: One of my friends just started on a low-GI diet. What does that mean?

A: GI stands for glycemic index, which is a scale for rating a food’s effect on your blood glucose levels. High-GI foods cause blood glucose to spike shortly after eating, but low-GI foods raise blood glucose levels slowly.

The theory: If you keep blood glucose low, you’ll avoid a spike in insulin, the hormone that ushers sugar into your cells to be used for energy. The excess sugar gets stored as fat, causing weight gain. Low-GI foods are mainly fruits, vegetables, and high-fiber grains—all of which are naturally lower in calories, which also contributes to weight loss.

Stephanie Karpinske, M.S., R.D., writes about weight loss, nutrition, and health issues. As an editor of many diet and health books, her mission is to help others live healthier lives.