Diets and Glycemic Index

The following are diet summaries. As you will see, they all have a common denominator.

The Zone Diet (summary)
The key factor in Zone Diet is the hormonal balance you achieve while eating each skillfully prepared meal. With a food plan comprising an accurate balanced ratio of carbohydrates (40%), fat (30%) and proteins (30%); you actually get to eat foods, which control your body’s insulin production.

Nutrisystem (summary)
The NutriSystem diet plan started in 1972. Since then it has undergone many changes, and today features the NutriSystem Advanced plan (launched in 2008), a "glycemic advantage" approach promoting "good carbs," low fat, healthy protein, and high-fiber ready-cooked meals. NutriSystem Advanced meals also contain soluble fiber and omega-3 fatty acids to promote heart health and feelings of fullness.

The glycemic index is a popular weight loss tool, based on the idea that foods ranking low on the glycemic scale help stabilize blood sugar and reduce cravings. The premise of the NutriSystem plan is eating high-fiber, low-fat foods with optimal amounts of lean protein to curb cravings and satisfy hunger on fewer calories.

South Beach Diet (summary)
The South Beach Diet is one of the most popular diets in history. The diet is incredibly effective because it differentiates between what are considered "good carbs" and "bad carbs". As the South Beach Diet is not your typical low carb diet, the selection of food that you are allowed to eat is vast. Because of this people on the South Beach Diet find it easy to stick to the diet, and they successfully lose weight as a result.

Dr. Phil’s Ultimate Weight Loss Program (summary)
The Ultimate Weight Loss Solution advocates that you need to change your mind first and then work on changing your body. The Dr. Phil's weight loss program aims to help you understand and accept why you overeat. You follow this by making changes in your environment, food choices, and other behaviors. Once you've dealt with your emotional obstacles, you can begin to lose weight (and keep it off) by eating nutritional foods in appropriate portions, limiting less nutritious food choices, and adding regular exercise.

Dr. Phil's weight loss program divides foods into high-response cost, high-yield nutrition foods and low-response cost, low-yield nutrition foods. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to incorporate more of the former (and less of the latter) into your diet. This means choosing foods like broccoli, carrots, apples, and fish that create and sustain lasting weight loss. And you'll need to limit or avoid foods like croissants, potato chips, and bacon cheeseburgers.

Do you see a common denominator? “Balanced Ratio” …. “Good Carbs vs Bad Carbs” …. “High-Response/High Yield vs Low-Response/Low Yield”. It’s all the same. Each of these diets focus on your glycemic index. Personally, I like Dr. Phil’s approach as he encompasses the psychological issues of overeating and starts with your mind first (because that’s truly where the problem starts). I’ve read his book, and I recommend it to anyone who is struggling with weight loss.

If you want a quick reference on high vs low glycemic choices, I found a website and have provided you with a quick link (below). This link categorizes foods as follows:

• "Foods to Refuse" are high glycemic and/or unhealthy.
• "Foods to Choose" are healthy low glycemic foods.

The healthy low glycemic "foods to choose" list can help you:

• Lose weight,
• Clear up your skin,
• Reduce mood swings,
• Decrease insulin resistance,
• Reduce the risk of heart disease,
• Feel less hunger and food cravings,
• Decrease your risk of type two diabetes,
• Lower triglyceride levels and blood pressure,
• And achieve long lasting and permanent weight loss.

http://commonsensehealth.com/Diet-and-Nutrition/List_of_Glycemic_Foods_Index_of_Healthy_Foods.shtml