The 7-Day GL Diet
WLR dietitian Juliette Kellow reviews The 7-Day GL Diet
book by Nigel Denby.
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The 7-day GL Diet by Nigel Denby (John Blake, £7.99)
REVIEW By
WLR Dietitian
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What’s the theory?
Foods with a high glycaemic index (GI) cause a massive and
sudden spike in blood sugar that falls just as rapidly,
leaving us craving more carbs. In contrast, foods with a low
GI keep blood sugar levels steady so we don’t get the sudden
dips that cause cravings and overeating. However, the GI
doesn’t take into account the amount of carbohydrate contained
in a typical serving of food.
That’s where the glycaemic load (GL) comes to the rescue:
the GL considers both the GI rating of a food AND the amount
of carbs found in a typical serving of that food. This means
foods like watermelon – which have a high GI and are typically
off limits – actually have a low GL because they contain only
small amounts of carbs in a typical serving.
In contrast, foods like pasta – which have a low GI
–actually have a moderate to high GL because they contain a
lot of carbs in a typical serving. The key to losing weight is
to choose foods with a low GL and avoid those with a high GL.
What does the diet involve?
There are three 7-day diet plans to choose from: a ‘Fast
and Friendly’ plan for people who don’t have time or the
desire to cook; a ‘Veggie Friendly’ plan for non-meat eaters;
and a ‘Foodie Friendly’ plan for keen cooks.
Every day you have three meals and two snacks and each plan
is based on low GL foods like fruit, veg, beans and oats.
Low-fat dairy products and lean protein-rich foods are also
allowed but traditional carb-rich foods like potatoes, pasta,
rice and bread tend to be off limits, as are all sugary and
processed carbs like doughnuts, crisps, biscuits and
cornflakes.
A typical day’s menu on the ‘Fast and Friendly’ plan
includes: rye crispbreads with cottage cheese and a pear for
breakfast; prawn salad with coleslaw for lunch; gammon steak
with poached egg, peas and salad for dinner; and snacks of
grapes and a little dark chocolate.
What else does the book include?
You’re encouraged to walk for 30 minutes a day, either as
one session, two 15-minute sessions or three 10-minute
sessions. There’s also advice to help you break out of the
diet trap, stay motivated and cope with temptation.
There are also charts listing the GL values of different
foods so that you can put together your own diet after the
7-day plan. Plus you’ll find information on eating out and
shopping, general nutrition advice and plenty of recipes.
And if you’re hungry for more recipes, there’s a sequel
called The GL Diet Cookbook, also by Nigel Denby (Harpers
Thorsons, £7.99) – although these aren’t calorie counted.
How much weight will I lose?
The 7-day plan will help you lose between 2 and 5lb, more
if you have a lot of weight to lose.
Juliette’s verdict on The 7-Day GL Diet
Written by a registered dietitian, this is a great book for
slimmers – there’s no science to plough through and it’s very
easy to understand. The diet plans are straightforward and
include everyday foods you can buy in your local supermarket.
People with big appetites might be left feeling hungry
though – some of the meals are very small, for example, some
lunches consist of just a bowl of soup, or two crispbreads
with hummus. If you’re planning to ‘go it alone’ after the 7
days, you’ll also still need to think about portion sizes,
otherwise you could end up having too many calories to lose
weight. |
