I started reading The Glycemic-Load Diet by Rob Thompson, M.D. this weekend.
Dr. Thompson recommends a low-carb diet in this book, but it is not as restrictive as some low-carb diets. His eating plan is based on the glycemic load, which is similar to the glycemic index, but takes serving sizes into account. The glycemic load (and the glycemic index) indicate the effect of a food on blood glucose levels. When foods that raise blood glocose levels quickly are eliminated, the pancreas does not have to produce as much insulin. This can help with weight loss as well as helping reduce the impact of type 2 diabetes.
He also recommends regular exercise in the form of walking. This is to counter insulin resistance by keeping certain types of muscle tissue active.
As a cardiologist, he also discusses the effect of diet on arterial and heart disease. Controlling your intake of saturated fats may be beneficial, as long as doing so does not result in an increased consumption of high glycemic load foods.
I am prediabetic, and my recent blood glucose levels suggest that I may be close to the criteria for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. I’m also trying to lose weight. I know that watching carbohydrate intake is essential to managing diabetes, so a low-carb approach makes sense to me. I’ve been following his recommendations yesterday and today, and I’ve also been testing by blood glucose frequently today. Today’s highest glucose reading was 119 this morning. My dinner this evening only raised by glucose from 86 to 90 in 2 hours. In the recent past, I have frequently had glucose readings in the 130-140 range, so this approach seems promising.
If you are looking to control your type 2 diabetes, delay or prevent the onset of diabetes, or are simply looking to lose weight, I’d recommend reading this book.
The book is available at Amazon here: The Glycemic-Load Diet (paperback)
It is also available for reading on the Kindle reader or the free Kindle reading apps here: The Glycemic-Load Diet (Kindle)
