gotbeer
Wed, May-21-03, 11:19
Fighting flab the GI way
May 21 2003 at 06:11AM
By Marika Sboros The Star
link to article (http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=31&art_id=vn20030521061149219C148863&set_id=1)
Nomali Khumalo changed her eating habits two years ago and began shedding more than 20kgs. Her family began to think she was seriously ill or desperately unhappy.
Even when her complexion grew radiant as her shape grew ever more slender, they still thought there must be something radically wrong, says Khumalo, 38, a teacher at Malelane Primary School in Mpumalanga.
They were right, though for the wrong reasons.
At the time, Khumalo who is just 1,64m tall, weighed 92kg.
"In my culture, being fat is a good sign," Khumalo says. "But it didn't feel good to me."
Khumalo felt listless, tired and unwell most of the time. Her legs were "killing" her. She ate "lots of everything" - pap, red meat, pork, chicken (especially the skin), cakes, sweets and chocolates (her special favourites) - and she hated herself.
Feeling ashamed of her massive girth, she avoided socialising, preferring to to stay home and watch videos though she almost always fell asleep before the end.
Her doctor diagnosed pre-diabetes (impaired glucose tolerance) and recommended that she see a dietician.
He told her if she did not lose weight, she would soon be a diabetic - and at risk of all the serious complications of the metabolic disorder, which can include blindness, amputation and premature death.
That was incentive enough for Khumalo to consult Nelspruit dietician Liesbet Delport who put her on the GI (Glycemic Index) diet.
Delport developed the diet together with with Johannesburg dietician Gabi Steenkamp and they have documented it in a book, Eat Smart And Stay Slim, The GI Diet (published by Tafelberg).
Once on the GI diet, Khumalo took six months to lose 21kg - an average of a little over 3kg a month. Two years later, she still weighs 72kg, but she feels "10 years younger", and has energy levels to match.
Delport says the GI diet is the most recent tool to control problems with blood glucose levels.
The GI measures on a scale of zero to 100 how fast carbohydrate (starches, dairy products, legumes, vegetables, fruits and sweets) will be digested and absorbed, and how much they will affect blood glucose (energy) levels in the blood.
It refers to the relative degree to which the concentration of blood glucose rises after a food is eaten, and does not indicate the actual level of sugar in the blood.
Food with a low GI (between one to 55), such as baked beans with tomato sauce, fresh kiwi fruit and apples, release their glucose content slowly and steadily into the bloodstream.
This makes it easier for people to lose weight, says Delport, because they feel full for longer (around three hours).
Foods with a high GI (above 70), such as sifted mealiemeal, watermelon and roast potatoes, release glucose into the bloodstream fast and push up blood sugar levels.
In any normal person, the body overreacts to high GI foods by releasing large amounts of insulin.
This causes "reactive hypoglycaemic response" - sudden and precipitous drop in blood sugar levels, causing tiredness and mood swings.
In diabetics or pre-diabetics, this is especially dangerous, because their blood glucose levels usually remain elevated above normal levels for longer than two hours after eating high GI foods. This can lead to microvascular complaints.
High GI foods don't have to be avoided altogether, says Delport. They are recommended after exercise or during exercise lasting longer than an hour (two hours for diabetics).
They can also be eaten in small amounts in combination with plenty of low GI foods, lean protein and a little healthy fat.
They should only be avoided if you do no exercise - which naturally is not ideal.
The recipe for fatness is mostly a combination of too many refined or high GI carbohydrates, says Delport, such as biscuits, crackers and white bread, too much visible and hidden fat (especially "bad" fats), not enough exercise, and eating for the wrong reasons.
Add uncontrollable cravings for refined or high-GI carbohydrates, and you have the recipe for a health disaster, says Delport.
Both Delport and Steenkamp stress that the GI diet is not a diet, but rather a nutritional plan for life.
They haven't dreamt it up, they say. It is the fruit of years of experience in their dietetic practices, and has a firm base in worldwide research over the last 20 years.
It is so logical, Delport and Steenkamp say they "cannot believe" they didn't think of it before.
The GI diet makes no false promises, contains no mythical quick-fix weight loss potions and pulls no punches about reasons behind growing problems of overweight and obesity worldwide.
It has no forbidden foods, though people are advised to steer away from vetkoek, full-fat cream, milk and cheeses, crisps and deep-fried foods.
It is also not fat-free or low-fat diet. It emphasises foods with "lower-fat" content.
And it is not just about food. It requires becoming more active - yes, that does mean the dreaded "E" word: exercise.
"Exercise is essential for success, not only in weight-loss, but also for overall good health and wellbeing," says Delport.
The GI diet also looks at reasons for eating - behaviour patterns that lead to weight creeping up and staying on.
The book gives questionnaires for readers to work out how high the GI and fat content of their present diets are, as well as recipes and an alphabetical GI rating of South African foods.
These days, Khumalo's diet is rich in low GI foods. She eats less fat, but does not cut fats out of her diet altogether, eats red meat three times a week, and cooks chicken without the skin in olive oil, which has "good" fats (see her typical day's menu below).
Her dress size has dropped from a hefty 48 to a 36, and she exercises regularly.
Khumalo jogs for 3,5km five mornings a week, and uses a walking exercise machine at home for an hour every day. She says changing her eating habits was not difficult because she had the will to do so.
"I didn't want to be sick and tired all the time any longer," she says.
Her confidence levels have climbed, along with her energy levels.
And she no longer falls asleep soon after settling down on the couch to watch a video.
A day in Nomali Khumalo's meal life
Breakfast
Small tub of low-fat fruit yoghurt, a slice of seedloaf bread; small bowl of oats with two percent low fat milk, sweetener; an orange.
Mid-morning snack
Piece of deciduous fruit - apple or pear.
Lunch
Chicken drumstick (skin removed); 100ml baked beans, 200g rice or pap; low-kilojoule fruit squash.
Mid-afternoon snack
Piece of fruit.
Supper
Piece of red meat (three times a week) fat removed, cooked in canola or olive oil; frozen vegetables. Dessert: chopped kiwi fruit, grapes or other fruit in season, with a little sugar and low-fat ice cream.
Drinks
Rooibos tea, with low-fat milk and no sugar.
Who should go on the GI Diet?
Everyone, since it is not a diet, but rather a sustained nutritional plan, say dieticians Liesbet Delport and Gabi Steenkamp. It is suitable for diabetics (Type 1 and 2), as well as anyone with heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), arthritis, hyperinsulinaemia.
What are the benefits?
After only a few days of eating according to the low glycemic index, lower fat way, blood sugar levels and insulin levels will be within the normal metabolic range, they say. Within two weeks chronic hunger pangs abate, along with cravings and feelings of deprivation.
There is a marked improvement in mental focus, exercise endurance, strength, optimal health, muscularity and leanness.
This article was originally published on page 11 of The Star on May 21, 2003
May 21 2003 at 06:11AM
By Marika Sboros The Star
link to article (http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=31&art_id=vn20030521061149219C148863&set_id=1)
Nomali Khumalo changed her eating habits two years ago and began shedding more than 20kgs. Her family began to think she was seriously ill or desperately unhappy.
Even when her complexion grew radiant as her shape grew ever more slender, they still thought there must be something radically wrong, says Khumalo, 38, a teacher at Malelane Primary School in Mpumalanga.
They were right, though for the wrong reasons.
At the time, Khumalo who is just 1,64m tall, weighed 92kg.
"In my culture, being fat is a good sign," Khumalo says. "But it didn't feel good to me."
Khumalo felt listless, tired and unwell most of the time. Her legs were "killing" her. She ate "lots of everything" - pap, red meat, pork, chicken (especially the skin), cakes, sweets and chocolates (her special favourites) - and she hated herself.
Feeling ashamed of her massive girth, she avoided socialising, preferring to to stay home and watch videos though she almost always fell asleep before the end.
Her doctor diagnosed pre-diabetes (impaired glucose tolerance) and recommended that she see a dietician.
He told her if she did not lose weight, she would soon be a diabetic - and at risk of all the serious complications of the metabolic disorder, which can include blindness, amputation and premature death.
That was incentive enough for Khumalo to consult Nelspruit dietician Liesbet Delport who put her on the GI (Glycemic Index) diet.
Delport developed the diet together with with Johannesburg dietician Gabi Steenkamp and they have documented it in a book, Eat Smart And Stay Slim, The GI Diet (published by Tafelberg).
Once on the GI diet, Khumalo took six months to lose 21kg - an average of a little over 3kg a month. Two years later, she still weighs 72kg, but she feels "10 years younger", and has energy levels to match.
Delport says the GI diet is the most recent tool to control problems with blood glucose levels.
The GI measures on a scale of zero to 100 how fast carbohydrate (starches, dairy products, legumes, vegetables, fruits and sweets) will be digested and absorbed, and how much they will affect blood glucose (energy) levels in the blood.
It refers to the relative degree to which the concentration of blood glucose rises after a food is eaten, and does not indicate the actual level of sugar in the blood.
Food with a low GI (between one to 55), such as baked beans with tomato sauce, fresh kiwi fruit and apples, release their glucose content slowly and steadily into the bloodstream.
This makes it easier for people to lose weight, says Delport, because they feel full for longer (around three hours).
Foods with a high GI (above 70), such as sifted mealiemeal, watermelon and roast potatoes, release glucose into the bloodstream fast and push up blood sugar levels.
In any normal person, the body overreacts to high GI foods by releasing large amounts of insulin.
This causes "reactive hypoglycaemic response" - sudden and precipitous drop in blood sugar levels, causing tiredness and mood swings.
In diabetics or pre-diabetics, this is especially dangerous, because their blood glucose levels usually remain elevated above normal levels for longer than two hours after eating high GI foods. This can lead to microvascular complaints.
High GI foods don't have to be avoided altogether, says Delport. They are recommended after exercise or during exercise lasting longer than an hour (two hours for diabetics).
They can also be eaten in small amounts in combination with plenty of low GI foods, lean protein and a little healthy fat.
They should only be avoided if you do no exercise - which naturally is not ideal.
The recipe for fatness is mostly a combination of too many refined or high GI carbohydrates, says Delport, such as biscuits, crackers and white bread, too much visible and hidden fat (especially "bad" fats), not enough exercise, and eating for the wrong reasons.
Add uncontrollable cravings for refined or high-GI carbohydrates, and you have the recipe for a health disaster, says Delport.
Both Delport and Steenkamp stress that the GI diet is not a diet, but rather a nutritional plan for life.
They haven't dreamt it up, they say. It is the fruit of years of experience in their dietetic practices, and has a firm base in worldwide research over the last 20 years.
It is so logical, Delport and Steenkamp say they "cannot believe" they didn't think of it before.
The GI diet makes no false promises, contains no mythical quick-fix weight loss potions and pulls no punches about reasons behind growing problems of overweight and obesity worldwide.
It has no forbidden foods, though people are advised to steer away from vetkoek, full-fat cream, milk and cheeses, crisps and deep-fried foods.
It is also not fat-free or low-fat diet. It emphasises foods with "lower-fat" content.
And it is not just about food. It requires becoming more active - yes, that does mean the dreaded "E" word: exercise.
"Exercise is essential for success, not only in weight-loss, but also for overall good health and wellbeing," says Delport.
The GI diet also looks at reasons for eating - behaviour patterns that lead to weight creeping up and staying on.
The book gives questionnaires for readers to work out how high the GI and fat content of their present diets are, as well as recipes and an alphabetical GI rating of South African foods.
These days, Khumalo's diet is rich in low GI foods. She eats less fat, but does not cut fats out of her diet altogether, eats red meat three times a week, and cooks chicken without the skin in olive oil, which has "good" fats (see her typical day's menu below).
Her dress size has dropped from a hefty 48 to a 36, and she exercises regularly.
Khumalo jogs for 3,5km five mornings a week, and uses a walking exercise machine at home for an hour every day. She says changing her eating habits was not difficult because she had the will to do so.
"I didn't want to be sick and tired all the time any longer," she says.
Her confidence levels have climbed, along with her energy levels.
And she no longer falls asleep soon after settling down on the couch to watch a video.
A day in Nomali Khumalo's meal life
Breakfast
Small tub of low-fat fruit yoghurt, a slice of seedloaf bread; small bowl of oats with two percent low fat milk, sweetener; an orange.
Mid-morning snack
Piece of deciduous fruit - apple or pear.
Lunch
Chicken drumstick (skin removed); 100ml baked beans, 200g rice or pap; low-kilojoule fruit squash.
Mid-afternoon snack
Piece of fruit.
Supper
Piece of red meat (three times a week) fat removed, cooked in canola or olive oil; frozen vegetables. Dessert: chopped kiwi fruit, grapes or other fruit in season, with a little sugar and low-fat ice cream.
Drinks
Rooibos tea, with low-fat milk and no sugar.
Who should go on the GI Diet?
Everyone, since it is not a diet, but rather a sustained nutritional plan, say dieticians Liesbet Delport and Gabi Steenkamp. It is suitable for diabetics (Type 1 and 2), as well as anyone with heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), arthritis, hyperinsulinaemia.
What are the benefits?
After only a few days of eating according to the low glycemic index, lower fat way, blood sugar levels and insulin levels will be within the normal metabolic range, they say. Within two weeks chronic hunger pangs abate, along with cravings and feelings of deprivation.
There is a marked improvement in mental focus, exercise endurance, strength, optimal health, muscularity and leanness.
This article was originally published on page 11 of The Star on May 21, 2003