Customer Reviews

The Complete Idiot's Guide Glycemic Index Cookbook

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was recently diagnosed with insulin resistance, so I jumped right on the Low Glycemic train. I love the Complete Idiot's Guide to 20-minute meals, so I thought this would be the best place to start. The first part of the book has lots of helpful information, and each recipe shows all the nutritional content. The downside is that a lot of the recipes include expensive ingredients or ingredients that I can't find anywhere, such as Hi-Maize and Xylitol and Soy Flour. My only resort would be ordering online. With the 20 min meals book, I could almost always flip it open and find something to make with what I already had in the house.
The fruit recipes are plentiful, but as someone who loves fruit, I can eat tons of it and don't need the bother of cooking it. But for those who find it hard to get in their daily servings, they would probably be great. I also found that many of the recipes involve a lot of meat and though there is a small vegetarian section, those recipes don't look stellar. I would say, if you're a vegetarian, a picky eater or on a budget, maybe just try looking up recipes online.

My friend told me about this cookbook and since I had read other books by Lucy Beale, I bought this book even though I am not that familiar with the Glycemic Index. My goal is to eat less carbs and sugar and more veggies and protein - turns out that is kind of what this cookbook is about! Low fat!
What I really like about this cookbook is that most of the recipes are very simple using ingredients that you would normally buy or have in your pantry. There are lots of everyday recipes and some others to share at dinner parties or for special occasions. My favorites so far are: Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce and to be entirely decadent - the Chocolate Ganache and the Flourless Chocolate Cake. My husband is gluten intolerant, so the flourless cake is a hit at our house. One of my daughters is a Type I diabetic and I bought this book for her and her husband. She loves it!
This cookbook is for everyone. I love the fresh ideas and easy recipes. The authors have included info with each recipe on calories, fiber, protein, carbs, and fat.
I have this cookbook out on the counter in my kitchen, and when I get stuck for an idea of what to cook for dinner, I ALWAYS find a recipe in this book. Buy it!!

You'll forget these are healthy good-for-you recipes, they taste so good and offer so much variety. Check out the Pecan-Crusted French Toast, Pomegranate Flank Steak, and Flourless Cherry Chip Cookies. These bring a new level of succulent food to the table of anyone who wants to lose weight or eat for health as well as for those who love great food. The authors satisfied my sweet tooth yet avoided using artificial sweeteners.
I'll cook these recipes for my family and for guests, too.

You don't have to read far in this book to seriously question the credibility of the authors and even editors. On page 11 is a big table that breaks foods down into categories based on their glycemic index and nutritional value. It has some really questionable entries.

In the "Low Glycemic with high Nutrutional Value" section (what they call "grade A2") they list MILK CHOCOLATE, ICE CREAM and JUICE! The first ingredient in most milk chocolates is refined sugar. Ice cream is also typically loaded with sugar (or worse high fructose corn syrup). And most wouldn't consider either "highly nutritional". And most juices also have a relatively high glycemic index as well. All of these typically have a glycemic index around 50 or above which is considered moderate to high. So this is just plain misleading and wrong.

Then they go on to rate soy protein as having "low nutritional value". I'm not a big fan of soy, but for vegans, it's often a primary source of protein and certainly provides nutrutional value. And all of the above are not likely simple formatting mistakes with the table as some of it is repeated in the text.

I also checked the nutritional data of some of the more suspect recpies that have lots of carbs using the USDA nutritional database and found the glycemic and carb numbers in the book tended to be optimistic (at least for the ones I checked).

There are recipies like Strawberry Jelly Rolls with 29 grams of net carbs per serving that, in my opinion, don't belong in a low glycemic cookbook. How can 1/2 a cup of refined sugar and 2/3 cup of strawberry preserves, with almost no fiber at all, yield a "low" glycemic index?

It seems to me the authors took a sloppy and poorly researched approach to this book. They seem to be more interested in telling readers what they think they want to hear (that milk chocolate, juice, jelly rolls, etc. are OK) rather than providing true low glycemic recipes.

After trying just about every diet on the planet, my doctor suggested I try a low GI (Glycemic Index) diet. I was--to say the least--skeptical, and a bit mystified. My doctor didn't provide me with any kind of guide, except to tell me if it's white, don't eat it...really not too helpful. So I did my own research on the internet, and finally decided to try finding a book of some sort to help me begin my low GI quest.

In addition to another book I purchased, this cookbook has become my "go to" guide to low GI eating. It not only gives you the recipes, but also provides helpful information as to why some foods work better than others in lowering the glycemic index, but also provides numbers for glycemic loads, carb's, fat, etc. for each recipe. I've lost 10 lbs since receiving my book (about a month ago), and I'm 58 and postmenopausal! Now, I'm adding exercise to my new lifestyle, and am feeling much better than I have in years. Get this book! You will be amazed.

--Pat Taylor
West Babylon, NY
The Complete Idiot's Guide Glycemic Index Cookbook (Complete Idiot's Guide to)

I thought A Complete Idiot's Guide would contain ordinary kitchen ingredients. Items like xylitol and Hi-Maize Resistant Starch are not in my kitchen, nor are they items I would purchase for a few recipes. Where would I find them in a small town in Canada? I could not find a substitute for the resistant starch on the internet, thought I could substitute Splenda for the sweetener. I bought this cookbook primarily for the dessert recipes for my diabetic husband, but without these two ingredients, it is useless.

I expected at least to find a glycemic index of common foods in this book, instead there is none. I would expect to find an adequate description of, and appropriate rationale for the choice of, unfamiliar ingredients such as xylitol and hi-maize resistant starch. Instead there is neither. I'm very disappointed.

The Granola is fabulous and I eat it everyday and everyday I say how much I love it! It is easy to make and stays fresh in the fridge. I also made the cookies which are also delicious but had to cut back on the Xylitol as the first batch was way too sweet.

This book is great! I have just started a low GI diet and spent a lot of money on books so I can get a better understanding of it. The only book I actually need is this one! The recipes are super easy and don't require a bunch of ingredients! U may have to purchase a couple of them online but it is worth it! I have lost 10 lbs since I started the Low GI diet!!! (I just started it last month!) I feel full and have lots of energy! This book breaks everything down for you. I would recommend this book to anyone that is thinking of changing their lifestyle and is wanting to lose some weight!

I have enjoyed the ease of these recipes and the deliciousness of them. I would totally recommend this to my friends and family and for anyone who wants to live a healthier lifestyle and/or manage diabetes or insulin resistance.