How the low Gi diet works

You don't have to be trying to loose weight to eat a low Gi diet! Chocolate, for example, is a low Gi food - but several bars a day wouldn't do much for the waistline!

So what makes a sensible low Gi diet?

The glycaemic index (Gi) is a method of ranking foods on a scale of 1 to 100 according to the extent to which foods raise blood glucose levels after ingestion. A high Gi level is 70 and over, a low Gi under 56.

Carbohydrate foods that break down quickly during digestion have the highest Gi values - their blood glucose response is fast and high.

Carbohydrates which break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the bloodstream, have low Gi factors. These are known as good carbohydrates and form the basis of a low Gi diet.

Carbohydrates with a high Gi (70-100) include corn flakes (90), puffed wheat (75), bagels (72), and white bread (70), while Country Oven Low Gi Multiseed Bread (54), wholemeal pasta (45) and wholemeal pasta with tomato sauce and olive oil (35) are examples of low Gi foods.

If you want to lose weight, eat a low Gi diet but also count the calories. Low Gi diets will stop you feeling hungry as quickly as you might on other diets.

And it's not just the bakers of Britain who are saying that a low Gi diet is good for you.

A recent study by Professor Jeya Henry, Professor of Food Nutrition at Oxford Brooks University has through his research, shown a number of advantages in following a Low Gi diet.

There are four key advantages to a low Gi diet.

  • Low Gi foods can help people control their hunger, appetite and blood sugar levels
  • Low Gi diets can help people lose weight and lower blood lipids
  • Low Gi means a smaller rise in blood sugar and can help control established diabetes
  • Low Gi diets can reduce the future risk of becoming diabetic

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations recently recommended that people in industrialised countries should base their diets on low-Gi foods in order to prevent the most common diseases of developed countries such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

In terms of carbohydrate, Country Oven Low Gi Multiseed Bread and other low Gi breads fall into the 'good' camp. Serve up Country Oven Low Gi Multiseed Bread and you can be sure it has been independently tested and certified as low Gi.

And remember it also tastes great - you'll be offering a superb product that is good for you and your family.