The Easy GL Diet Handbook: Lose Weight with the Revolutionary Glycemic Load Program (Paperback)

by Fedon Alexander Lindberg M.D. (Author)
Key Phrases: reward meal, grams containing, glycemic load, Diet Handbook, Middle Eastern, General Mills (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a highly acclaimed route to weight loss, but it has one big drawback: GI values don't take portion sizes into account. Glycemic Load (GL) values ajust the GI score for real-world portions and thus give a more accurate measure of the way carbohydrates affect the body.

For example, fresh fruit seems like a healthier dessert than a Snickers candy bar, but, in fact, the GI score for apricots is 57, while a Snickers is only 55. This happens because the GI score is computed based on a serving of apricots that is over 7 times the size of the candy bar. When adjusted to the real-world serving size, the candy bar has a GL of 31, while the apricot's GL value is only 4.

Using these more accurate and sensible GL scores, the Easy GL Diet Handbook offers a plan for healthy weight loss and reduced risk of diabetes that is easier to follow and includes numerous foods that the Atkins, South Beach and GI diets wrongly consider "off limits."

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Ulysses Press (November 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569755744
• ISBN-13: 978-1569755747
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #159,985 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The Easy GL diet handbook, April 1, 2008

By	Karen Bickel - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Please be aware of the word "handbook". This "book" was small--about 5x7 size. In searching for a reference to assist me in recording in my food diary, I thought this would do so. The foods are listed in five columns--the "food", the "GI value", the "amount of food in grams containing 50 grams of carbohydrates", then "carbohydrate per 100 grams of food" and then the "GL" column--not "one apple" or "1/3 c of rice", etc. So it was not much help to me. Most text's that I have viewed so far have GI/GL information for a food serving but it is very limited but this booklet's listed servings were indescript and not adaptable to everyday life. The booklet itself was in great condition and it was promptly delivered.

5.0 out of 5 stars The quintessential nutrition book., June 9, 2009

By	Booklover - See all my reviews

I have never counted, but I think I own roughly 100 books on diet and nutrition. They all contain something worthwhile, but I've often found myself wishing for (or thinking about writing) just one well-written, straightforward book with up-to-date information on balancing food groups, keeping blood sugar steady, which foods are high/low on glucose index and glucose load and why that's important, how combining foods can allow a person to include some higher-glycemic foods in his/her diet, how much protein is needed as compared to carbohydrate, which types of fat to eat, how to put together healthy meals and snacks and lose weight without needing to count calories... I could go on and on... but this handy little purse-sized book not only includes all that information, but includes it in a very readable and intelligent manner. You don't have to wade through irrelevant stories about the author's personal life or how he learned what he knows. It is simple, factual, realistic, and to the point, and I love that. The only other thing that might have been nice would have been a sample meal plan, but I think it was more important to him to give people the tools to easily create their own. (Update: I overlooked it before, but he DOES include a meal plan! Awesome! Also, foods are listed three ways: alphabetically, by food group, and by ascending GL value. Just keeps getting better.)

As to the complaint of the person below me, it's not really the author's fault. Unfortunately, the science of testing for glycemic load is quite new, and is an international effort. Food is tested by weight, and because the process of testing is expensive, the author is likely having to make use of established lists. The available lists of foods are usually quite short and usually full of non-American branded food products. The lists in this book are actually quite extensive and American-friendly by comparison.

Also, I believe Europeans do tend to measure food by weight rather than by cup; this is easily solved for Americans by just purchasing a small food scale, if you want to be that detailed about it. Otherwise, the author does explain clearly how to measure serving sizes of almost all solid foods by using the palm of your hand.

Just get it. It's SO worth the money, and I say that having paid full retail at a bookstore.