Glycemic Index in the news

Did you see the news this week? There were several reports on the Glycemic Index diet. For example, from Newsday.com: <>

“By LINDSEY TANNER
AP Medical Writer

November 23, 2004, 4:00 PM EST

CHICAGO -- A diet favoring "good" over "bad" carbohydrates is better for the heart and less likely to slow down metabolism than a conventional low-fat diet, a small, preliminary study suggests.

The "glycemic index" diet recommends carbohydrates that do not cause a sharp rise in blood sugar levels after meals, such as old-fashioned oatmeal rather than highly processed sugared breakfast cereal. It is not as anti-carb as Atkins-style regimens, nor as fat-restrictive as standard low-fat diets. “

The study should be considered preliminary and even the spokesperson for the American Heart Association calls the results of the study “underwhelming.” However, merely the fact that the index is being looked at is good news in my book!

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I have long been a big backer of nutrition and believe that nutrition and running/fitness go hand in hand. Here is what I wrote (with only minor modifications) earlier this year on my FinanceProfessor.com fitness and nutrition page.

“So much of nutrition is common sense that you probably know what you should be doing (eat your vegetables--they are cheaper than almost all other snacks!), but sometimes reading about it helps to keep you motivated, so here goes. Some of my favorite links:

Links on the Glycemic index

• Dave Holt's advice on sports and nutrition
• The University of Sydney has a good site on the Glycemic Index including a searchable index.
• Rick Mendosa's glycemic index site has more information and is really good. If you can not tell, I am a big believer in the index.

<>While I like much of the Zone Diet, personally it is too low on carbs for me, but I do think there is some sound science behind it and I do think when combined with low glycemic fruits and vegetables, we are on to something really good--it is effectively how I try to eat.. Here are some links on it:

Pro:

• <>Dr. Sears.com Not bad for a commercial site, a good Q&A and a pretty good "news" section
• <>EnterTheZoneDiet—A newer site, but it looks good!
• <>FormulaZone-- cool site that not only examines the Zone Diet, it also has discussions on the diet, and 1000s of Zone based recipes. It is a pay site, but there is some free stuff

<>If you have not seen the work by Harvard nutrition professor Walter Willet, you owe yourself a look at his pyramid. His basic idea is that vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and nuts are good for you and that there are good fats and bad fats. Good stuff!

Con: What's wrong with the Zone Diet

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What do I do?
Going back to high school I have eaten low fat diets (Eat to Win for much of the time) and flirted with vegetarianism (largely for health reasons, but also for efficiency and animal rights reasons). In recent years I have essentially become a vegetarian (I had chicken at a friend's wedding), but still do eat fish.

I typically have tofu a few times a week (with spaghetti sauce and broccoli is my favorite!) and try (not always with great success to only have carbs that are relatively nutritious. My staples are oatmeal with nuts and fruit, Orange Juice, and PB and Jelly sandwiches (Smuckers' Reduced Fat Natural PB) all of which I have virtually every day.

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Of course this is not a recommendation and your mileage may vary (pun intended), but I strongly urge you all to remember that diet and nutrition can and do play a major role in how we feel. Do not give in to the low nutritional foods that are so prevalent today.
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