The best diet for weight loss maintenance, say researchers at the Faculty of Life Sciences (LIFE) at the University of Copenhagen, is one that is low fat, high in protein and low in food with a high "glycemic index."
The glycemic index is a measure of a food's ability to raise blood glucose levels. Generally, raw or unprocessed foods have a low GI and take longer to digest than refined foods such as white bread and sugary foods.
In fact, researchers say that by avoiding high GI foods and eating more lean meat and beans, dieters can eat as much as they like without gaining weight.
The volunteers were advised which foods to eat and which to avoid but were not told to restrict their calories.
The researchers then followed the volunteers for six months to see which diet was most effective at preventing weight regain. Throughout the project, the participants received guidance from dieticians and were asked to keep food diaries.
After 26 weeks, the average weight regain among all participants was 0.5 kg (1.1 lbs). But the group in the low-protein-high-glycemic-index group fared the worst. Not only did volunteers in that group see the most significant weight regain (an average of 1.67 kg), they were also most likely to drop out.
It should be noted that out of the 773 participants who started the six-month study, only 548 completed it, so overall about a third of the volunteers dropped out. But more people stuck to the high-protein, low-GI diet (37 per cent) compared to the low-protein, high-GI group (about 25 per cent)
The results are published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
So what does this all mean? What we eat can be broken down into the following categories:
- Proteins
- Fats
- Carbohydrates
Now, your carbs can be further broken down into sub-categories:
- Fibrous (veggies)
- Natural Starchy (oats, rice, potato, etc.)
- Refined Starchy (pasta, cereals, bread)
- Simple (fruit)
- Sugars
The goal of a well-balanced meal plan is to find the right ratio of nutrients and organize each one properly.
The ideal ratio would be:
25% Protein: Look for lean, quality sources of protein (chicken, turkey, lean beef, egg/egg whites, fish, protein powder).
50% Carbohydrate: Your carb allowance should be primarily made up of low-GI foods. Low-GI foods cause blood glucose levels to increase slowly and to lower levels compared to foods with a high glycemic index. Low-GI diets are thought to help with weight control by making people feel fuller for longer and by reducing cravings for sweets. They also help diabetics and pre-diabetics control their blood sugar. Try to consume several servings of vegetables and at least a few servings of fruit when coming up with your 50% ratio.
For a list of glycemic index values of foods, see the chart below. The reference value of the glycemic-index chart is Glucose (GI = 100)
High GI foods have a glycemic index of more than 70. Low GI foods have a glycemic index of less than 55. Medium GI foods are in between.
There are foods on the list that may be "low glycemic" but at the same time be a poor choice because of other criteria such as sodium content, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and other issues. I’m presenting this list as an aid in making better selections. It is your responsibility to make sure the selections meet all of your nutrition goals.
Glycemic Index of Cereals
Kellogg's All Bran 51
Kellogg's Bran Buds 45
Kellogg's Cornflakes 84
Kellogg's Rice Krispies 82
Kellogg's Special K 54
Oatmeal 49
Shredded Wheat 67
Quaker Puffed Wheat 67
Glycemic Index of Grains
Buckwheat 54
Bulgur 48
Basmati Rice 58
Brown Rice 55
Long grain White Rice 56
Short grain White Rice 72
Uncle Ben's Converted 44
Noodles (instant) 46
Taco Shells 68
Glycemic Index of Fruit
Apple 38
Banana 55
Cantaloupe 65
Cherries 22
Grapefruit 25
Grapes 46
Kiwi 52
Mango 55
Orange 44
Papaya 58
Pear 38
Pineapple 66
Plum 39
Watermelon 103
Glycemic Index of Vegetables
Beets 69
Broccoli 10
Cabbage 10
Carrots 49
Corn 55
Green Peas 48
Lettuce 10
Mushrooms 10
Onions 10
Parsnips 97
Potato (baked) 93
Potato (mashed, instant) 86
Potato (new) 62
Potato (french fries) 75
Red Peppers 10
Pumpkin 75
Sweet Potato 54
Glycemic Index of Beans
Baked Beans 48
Broad Beans 79
Cannellini Beans 31
Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas) 33
Lentils 30
Lima Beans 32
Navy Beans 38
Pinto Beans 39
Red Kidney Beans 27
Soy Beans 18
White Beans 31
Glycemic Index of Pasta
Spaghetti 43
Ravioli (meat) 39
Fettuccini (egg) 32
Spiral Pasta 43
Capellini 45
Linguine 46
Macaroni 47
Rice vermicelli 58
Glycemic Index of Breads
Bagel 72
Blueberry Muffin 59
Croissant 67
Donut 76
Pita Bread 57
Pumpernickel Bread 51
Rye Bread 76
Sour Dough Bread 52
Sponge Cake 46
Stone Ground Whole wheat bread 53
Waffles 76
White Bread 70
Whole Wheat Bread 69
Glycemic Index of Dairy
Milk (whole) 22
Milk (skimmed) 32
Milk (chocolate flavored) 34
Ice Cream (whole) 61
Ice cream (low-fat) 50
Yogurt (low-fat) 33
Glycemic Index of Snacks
Cashews 22
Chocolate Bar 49
Corn Chips 72
Jelly Beans 80
Peanuts 14
Popcorn 55
Potato Chips 55
Pretzels 83
Snickers Bar 41
Walnuts 15
Glycemic Index of Cookies
Graham Crackers 74
Kavli Crispbread 71
Melba Toast 70
Oatmeal Cookies 55
Rice Cakes 82
Rice Crackers 91
Ryvita Crispbread 69
Soda Crackers 74
Shortbread Cookies 64
Stoned Wheat Thins 67
Vanilla Wafers
Water crackers 78
Glycemic Index of Sugars
Fructose 23
Glucose 100
Honey 58
Lactose 46
Maltose 105
Sucrose 65
25% Fat: Your fat intake should limit saturated and trans fat. Cooking with olive oil is an excellent way to reach your daily fat intake. Almonds and brazil nuts are great choices. I also recommend taking a quality fish oil supplement.
In conclusion, the best weight maintenance was in the high protein and low glycemic index diet. Not only did those dieters maintain their target body weight, some went on to lose even more weight. There is a little work involved but it will be well worth it.
No comments:
Post a Comment