Customer Reviews

The Glycemic-Load Diet: A powerful new program for losing weight and reversing insulin resistance

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I have spent a lot of time reading and researching low carb diets. While this does not make me an expert, I have learned a lot over the years. I've studied Atkins, South Beach Diet, the Zone Diet, Protein Power, and others. I've posted hundreds of messages upon bulliten boards discussing the best way to eat healthy, exercise and lose weight.

Rob Thompson's Glycemic Load Diet book takes the most effective parts of the various low carb and low starch diets and puts it together in a clear and concise manner. This book does not necessarily define a diet as it does describe a way of eating that is easy to follow and effective for weight loss.

The Glycemic Index ranks foods by their effects upon your blood sugar. However it is only the glycemic load that takes into account the serving size when measuring the effects of foods on our bodies. Rob Thompson's book explains the importance of glycemic load and how it can be used to ensure your blood sugar levels remain stable.

The simple fact is that most low carbohydrate plans go too far in restricting foods. This book simply advises that you refrain from eating starchy food such as breads, potatoes, and rice. The book advocates eating proteins, vegetables and fruits as staples of your meals and even gives practical advice on how to have dessert without sabatoging your blood sugar.

Who should read this book? Everyone. Literally everyone can benefit from the practical knowledge of the effects of various foods and how to temper them. Rob Thompson's advice is simple yet powerful: avoid foods that will make you fat, exercise at least once every 48 hours (walking for 40 minutes is ideal), and see how over time your body will become healthy. The weight will come off slowly but surely; anywhere from 1 to 2 pounds a week can be expected.

I am personally following this way of life and love how easy and satisfying it is to follow. Do yourself a favor and buy this book. It may not be magic, but it could save your life.

I've read this book 5 times, cover to cover. No other book makes so much sense, no other way of eating made me feel so good. I have been a fan of Dr. Atkins since 1972 and thought his diet was the only one that would work for me.

Dr. Thompson gives Dr. Atkins his well-deserved credit, but uses further research into insulin resistance to create a way of eating that incorporates fruits, most vegetables and nuts from the first day to the end of your life. All you want. No counting of anything. Did you get that? NO COUNTING OF ANYTHING.
And you can eat chocolate and sugar in small quatities, and after a meal. I thought I could never eat my beloved chocolate covered almonds again. Now I eat two or three every night.

I feel free. I don't have to worry about where I go to eat. I don't have to spend time feeling guilty about my every little mis-step and how it will set me back a week. I don't worry that carbs snuck out of the potatoes into the juice of that wonderful pot roast! I don't measure portions diligently and more precisely than a scientist measuring his chemicals.

This book is probably the most important I will ever read in my life.

I do not give evaluations of books very often, but this is an exception. Dr. Thompson has written a very easy to read and understand book that clarifies the Glycemic Index/Load and provides a sensible plan for weight loss based on the glycemic load and moderate exercise. His formula for determining the GL is a bit different from most other sources, but if you just remember to multiply other's figures by 10 or divide his by 10 you will be real close. In addition to a very readable book, Dr. Thompson is a very approachable author. I, and several others on a website that I frequent, have sent him emails to ask questions. Guess What!! He actually responds to our emails and answers our questions. Truly remarkable. A great book, a great plan that works for the present and the long term.

Now that the media has jumped off the low-carb bandwagon and has resorted to bashing it to no end, they are desperately looking for another diet plan to embrace. What's interesting is that most of these "new" diet plans are nothing more than just an advanced look at the low-carb lifestyle.

From the glycemic index to the glycemic load of foods, it can all be very confusing. That's where Dr. Rob Thompson's "The Glycemic Load Diet" book comes into play.

Dr. Thompson, a board-certified cardiologist for nearly three decades and author of "The New Low Carb Way Of Life", believes that too many of the diet books focus heavily on the glycemic index while all but ignoring the glycemic load.

The glycemic load does more than look at what is in the foods you eat, but also in the serving size that it comes in. As Dr. Thompson puts it, "Low carb dieting suddenly becomes a pleasure" when you take into account the glycemic load.

"The Glycemic Load Diet" does something very important for any effective and permanent weight loss plan -- the book encourages exercise at least every other day that will not harm your body and will keep your insulin levels stablized and ultimately get you slim and trim. Too many other diet plans out there brag about not needing any exercise, but that is a sure-fire way to sabotage your weight loss plan.

The crux of "The Glycemic Load Diet" is around hormonal imbalance and how it causes people to crave foods they just don't need to eat. Dr. Thompson identifies what those "toxic" foods are that cause the cravings (HINT: sugar, white flour, starchy and processed foods -- sound familiar anyone?) and shows you how to eliminate those foods forever so the cravings go away.

"The Glycemic Load Diet" is divided into three distinct parts focusing on various aspects of your plan for success: Understanding Insulin Resistance, The Glycemic Load Diet And The Slow-Twitch Muscle Activation Plan (very interesting concept!), and Proven Strategies To Balance Your Metabolism And Stay On Track.

While what you read about in "The Glycemic Load Diet" is certainly friendly to people who are livin' la vida low-carb, Dr. Thompson believes the science behind insulin resistance has moved beyond what Dr. Robert C. Atkins has previously written about. That's why he believes people should pay attention to the glycemic load.

Dr. Thompson contends that people who reduce their glycemic load will not only lose weight, but will also lose their desire for starchy and sugary carbohydrates which cause spikes in your blood glucose and ultimately weight gain. However, he contends that "sugar can be your ally" in weight loss because it can stimulate your tastebuds. I don't think so! Sugar is very addictive and can lead some people who cannot control their urge to eat more and more of it to go overboard. With all due respect to Dr. Thompson, that part of his diet is not very wise.

Finally, "The Glycemic Load Diet" discusses fat, cholesterol, and other factors in keeping your metabolism in check for permanent weight control. Of course, Dr. Thompson shares a few of his favorite recipes to get you off on the right foot to begin this new way of eating. There's even a glycemic load food chart in the back of the book so you can follow your progress in your lifestyle change.

In the end, Dr. Thompson says it may not be your fault if you are overweight because of your family history of insulin resistance. But he did say "The Glycemic Load Diet" is "something you CAN do" to change that now.

If you've tried every other low-carb diet plan and none of them made sense, then perhaps the glycemic load concept will be just what you need to lose weight and get healthy. I'm sure Dr. Thompson would agree with me that there is hope for you as long as you apply sound scientific research to your life. That's what "The Glycemic Load Diet" is all about.

I never thought I would deviate from the good Dr Atkins, but when a friend who was dropping weight through this plan recommendeded this book, I broke down and bought it.

I haven't looked back since.

It's not *really* a diet (it's honestly a life-long way of eating), and there are no 'phases'. There is little to no chance for failure because the common sense in the book makes it extremely user-friendly. He doesn't promise a low-carb plan, but he promises one which has kept even a person like me with goofy blood sugar from starving or feeling restricted in what I can have. I can stick to this because it is easy and makes sense. And that is saying something!

There are no cheats on this way of eating because you don't need them. You don't miss them.

I appreciate Dr Thompson writing this book. After being an Atkins fan for two decades, I've found something I like just as much, but for different reasons.

I also want to point out that Dr Thompson, unlike many other low carb borrowers of existing wisdom, gives kudos to Dr Atkins in his book, and that is something I appreciate as well, being an Atkins fan.

Also, having done Atkins for so long, I can attest that it is extremely difficult to cook for a family on that plan (sometimes harder than others). On this way of eating, it's easy for everyone to follow, kids and adults. He even includes some wonderful recipes to get us started.

In my opinion, this book is especially worth it for those who felt hungry on South Beach and who felt deprived on Atkins. It is the culmination of all that is good in wholesome and decadent eating while remaining true to blood sugar, and those needing to lose weight.

Thanks to THE GLYCEMIC LOAD DIET, I am comfortably wearing clothes that I haven't been able to wear in ages! It's been painless to lose what now amounts to 15 pounds and keep it off -- and keep going. Dr. Thompson's book is very readable with just enough science to explain what makes the plan work. It's not a big deal -- more like a tune-up of your eating habits. Beyond the simple basic eating plan, there are practical strategies on how to balance your metabolism to stay on track, especially when eating out in restaurants. Beware of the bread basket! I love his explanation of the slow-twitch muscles, how to activate them, and the role they play in weight loss. The book has about 100 pages of unbelievably good low glycemic load recipes. My favorites (so far) are Molly's Chicken Tonnato Salad, Asian Asparagus Vinaigrette, and Raspberry Studded Mini Cheesecakes with Pignoli Crust. Obviously I highly recommend THE GLYCEMIC LOAD DIET!

There is nothing new under the sun here. Avoid starches and sweet drinks is the primary message of the book. There is some helpful information regarding exercise. I was happy to see that small amounts of dark chocolate are recommended for satisfying your sweet tooth. The title led me to believe that the diet was based on glycemic loads, and would encourage foods with low GL's. All grains are given the thumbs down, with no mention of rolled oats and barley as low GL. Even more surprisingly, beans/lentils were not mentioned or promoted even though they have low glycemic loads and are healthy and filling. And the author doesn't even use the standard GL numbers, but seems to have invented his own system for determining GL. The tables are nearly illegible in the Kindle version. My advice is to skip this one. As for what does work, The Insulin Resistance Diet is easy to follow and has worked well for me.

When I found this book I felt desperate after years of metabolic and digestive problems, finding that the high protein diet left me weak, and The Great American Everyday Diet left me ill. Thompson's explanation of the glycemic load as distinguished from the glycemic index is easily understood and very helpful. I haven't had this book for long, but since I have used the types of recipes presented, I feel much better, have more energy, and am very encouraged. Its ideas are simple: Eliminate the "white stuff"--sugar, refined flours, starches, cereals--and eat almost all you want of the rest; then walk 30 minutes every other day. You will stabilize your metabolism, feel better and probably lose weight. I'm still striving to get my act together and make this plan automatic, but seeing light at the end of the tunnel, I'm not going to give it up. Buy the book. You won't be sorry.

Having metabolic syndrome, I bought several books about this and sent everything back accept the Glycemic-Load Diet. I am an avid reader and want to know the science before I can accept something. It is ALL HERE! Dr. Thompson explains it all clearly and in such an interesting way. I cannot believe how easy it is and how fast it works. My daughter is forensic scientist and was very impressed with it. This is already changing my life. I have been losing and gaining the same five pounds for the last six months. Now I know why. Now I am on top of it. Finally. Thank you, Dr. Thompson.

While there are now many books out on the so-called glycemic index (GI), most of these pretty much miss the point that the low-GI approach to eating, while better than the usual, is still inadequate. By itself, the glycemic index misses the point of what portions of carbs people "really eat", vs. a merely theoretical level. This is an important weakness. Just looking at the GI level of carrots, for instance, puts them at a higher level than spaghetti noodles. That's why you'll still find some nutrition authors, unaware of the weaknesses of the GI concept alone, advising you to leave out items like carrots. Fortunately, nobody really eats more than a carrot or two at a time, which has a minimal impact on blood sugar; but people easily over-indulge on pasta. Nobody ever got fat eating carrots, but they certainly can eating a lot of pasta...
So the real-world portion amounts of carbs people consume is crucial when attempting to do quantitative comparative assessments. Which is why Harvard researchers invented the "load" concept in the first place. Dr. Thompson has done his research homework and explains the scientific rationale for the GL approach to controlling postprandial insulin spikes, and does so probably better than anyone else I've read. That's why readers here are so enthusiastic about the book. They should be; the low-GL approach to (lifelong) eating not only produces good results in terms of blood sugar, it balances some of the blandness of a purely low-carb approach to eating. Although a strict low-carb diet is probably optimal for reducing insulin resistance, many carb-conscious folks might prefer a less-strict diet that allows for more variety of foods which are low on the glycemic-load index, but who are afraid of "carbs" in general. Probably the best part, though, is that if you choose your food choices wisely (and limit the portions of carbs that spike your postprandial blood sugar), you don't need to reduce your overall calorie intake. There's no need to go hungry eating this way. In fact, severe calorie-restricted "diets" don't work long-term anyway; they quickly send the body into a self-protecting starvation-survival mode that makes it almost impossible to lose weight long-term...Eating heartily-but correctly- while still taking the weight off is a novel concept to many but it has been proven in the research.

Dr. Rob's low-GL conclusions here echo the work of researchers Mary Gannon PhD and Frank Nuttall MD et al., whose clinical interests have focused on the influence of various type of carbohydrates on blood sugar. When Dr. Rob talks about "starch toxicity" being rampant around the world today, he is not exaggerating. Yes, some cultures where starches are a large part of the diet have fared fairly well until recently, but we need to take into account the traditional work ethic in these countries- putting 16 hours a day in the field farming tends to balance out any excess rice consumption, whereas sitting in front of the TV 6 hours a night won't :-). When Asians, for example, adopt modern sedentary lifestyles while maintaining the same level of starch consumption, they quickly head toward diabetes and cardiovascular problems just as surely as their Western counterparts. Fact is, starch IS toxic, and researchers Gannon and Nuttall tell us why. Their research has shown that it is specifically the glucose content in a carbohydrate that is important in determining postprandial spikes. Starches (wheat, rice, potatos, pasta, breads, cereals, etc.) break down quickly into almost 100% glucose, which is bad for your overall blood sugar control. Dr. Rob terms this phenomenon "starch shock", and how true it is... Fact is, human evolutionary history shows us our paleo ancestors consumed very little of this type of carbohydrate, and our physiology is STILL ill-prepared to take on this task. Humans tend not to do well when they continue to bombard their systems with these "glucose bombs"- witness our current health problems, very heavily tied to the high-starch diets we eat. In fact, this sad state of affairs could well be our theme song of the 20th and 21st centuries :-).

Gannon and Nuttall et al have demonstrated that carbs which contain less glucose produce less than half the postprandial spikes than starches do. Why? Simply because one should take into account vastly different postprandial effects of various types of sugars, such as galactose or fructose, when compared to almost pure glucose (excess consumption of fructose has its own problems, however, which I won't get into here...suffice it to say we're not talking about juices and high-fructose corn syrup as wise choices). Alas, the majority of health organizations, much more the nutritionists who follow their advice, are bent on staying in a familiar peer-approval-zone for making generous starch (i.e., "complex carbs") recommendations. This makes a mockery of numerous clinical studies revealing these "high-carb" diets inevitably produce inferior blood-lipid results compared to diets lower in carb totals (especially starches), but health organization "position-statements" always have an eye toward peer approval. And what does current peer consensus think? Sadly, nutrition is still dominated by an outdated paradigm which seems to be this: "Ancel Keys showed us back before 1960 that 'fats are bad' and should therefore be replaced by carbohydrates"... Yes, reader, you are correct- the current mentality of your favorite health organizations is STILL dominated by this terribly outdated (read: flawed) analysis from the 1950s; and indeed, the "high-carb, low-fat" mantra continues to exert a vise-like grip over conventional medical thinking. But how do we know if I am making a fair assessment here? One doesn't have to look far- just ponder why multiple servings of grains are always the predominant recommendation on various "food pyramids" put out by orthodox organizations...or read the constant enthusiastic advice for "complex carbs" and "whole grains" from your typical health-professional author...fact is, starches continue to rank high in the consciousness of the health community, even to this day.
The situation is actually highly ironic, in that these organizations are supposed to be our health "experts", but remain helpless to counteract the rising health epidemics the country faces - even after decades of funding... And their recommedations on "lifestyle choices" generally are too bland to exert much of a change in somebody's health problems. But it's important to recommend "safe" advice that doesn't raise the hackles of one's peers, isn't it? :-). Reader, do you think I'm exaggerating the problem? Maybe you haven't had a chance to read the weak advice these organizations put out in pamplets and website guidelines for the public.

It gets worse. As one on-target cardiologist prominent on the web remarks, whose name I won't give here, if you want to increase your chances of getting diabetes, just follow the generic carb advice still given by the American Diabetes Association; and if you want to increase your chances of getting heart attacks, just follow the current dietary advice of the American Heart Association. Would you like to know, just out of curiosity, what types of foods meet the AHA stamp of approval? Try myriads of items such as Honey Bunches of Oats, Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats, Cocoa Puffs cereal...and numerous other junk foods. And why are products like these getting the AHA heart-check approval? Let's go back to the mentality fostered by Ancel Keys decades ago...ka-chink! That's right - they're "low fat"! Nevermind the damaging sugars and the fact they are mostly pure junk, they're approved by the AHA because they meet the AHA's requirements for low saturated (and total) fat! Gee, isn't that wonderful....talk about a screwed-up way of looking at nutrition... And let's not forget these companies also pay a fee for the AHA's endorsement, so we are looking at a substantial souce of revenue for our beloved AHA...

It should be obvious to anyone interested in effective nutrition these drug-company-dominated groups aren't exactly following the Hippocratic Oath very well ("first, do no harm"), but then again, it's hard to give up perks like free fancy hotels, fine dining, and other extravagant perks enjoyed by MDs attending seminars given by the big drug companies... Hence, woe is you if you rely on these organizations for your own unbiased health information.

But hey, let's put aside that soapbox for now :-).
So the best research has important implications on choosing the least-damaging carbs...and we see starches- yes, even "whole grains"- at the higher end of the glycemic load. Gannon and Nuttall et al. term their dietary approach a "LoBAG" (as in "low-biologically-available-glucose") diet, and it seems to parallel nicely what the glycemic-load index tells us. Want to be healthier? Try knocking off the starches and choose some lower-glucose, low-GL options instead.
The low-GL approach to eating (no, not a temporary "diet") is the middle road between extreme low-carb and extreme low-fat advice, and it's a reasonable way for most people to go unless one has a severe insulin-resistance condition. Since adult-onset diabetes and metabolic syndrome are reaching epidemic proportions nowadays, folks need to pay close attention to what they eat. Pretty much everybody has decreased ability to handle dietary sugars as we age throughout life; it's one of the unavoidable physiological negatives of getting older. Hence, the low-GL way of life not only makes sense for the insulin-resistant folks, it makes sense for everyone.

A brief note on the exercise chapter in the book. This is really one of the book's strong points, and NOT because it lays out a strenuous program that challenges your will-power. We assume here the book is primarily (but not exclusively) aimed at the beyond-30 crowd, maybe somewhat inactive and who may be interested in a plan that will help them control creeping insulin resistance as they get older. With this group in mind, Dr. Thompson understands the physiology of insulin resistance - at the mitochondrial level- better than most fitness authors. Therefore he recommends an exercise program a bit different than most fitness books. His strength is in recognizing that folks who tend to be insulin-resistant have unique needs for targeting certain muscle fibers, i.e., the "slow-twitch" fibers. These fibers tend to lie "dormant" in folks having trouble processing carbs (which includes a large section of the general population), and so MODERATE exercise, of longer duration, hits these slow-twitch fibers more effectively than high-intensity training. In view of high-intensity protocols like HIIT (i.e., interval training) becoming popular because they promise big results in minimal time, something should be said to balance out the tendency to exclude lower-intensity, longer-duration exercise.
I won't say too much here about Dr. Thompson's advice for weight training; his suggestions leave out the important large muscles of the upper body such as the chest and the back, so his advice on resistance training is pretty lame. Resistance training isn't a field documented nearly as well as aerobics in the literature and relying on many of the ridiculous strength training protocols typically found in the exercise literature can be hazardous to one's common sense :-). One would do better to look elsewhere than books like this for a good strength training routine (while still taking the author's suggestions for including moderate-intensity exercise to heart).

The only thing I would add here to Dr. Thompson's book is that one can tweak this plan in various ways he doesn't mention much of. Various supplements can be helpful, and some enjoyable items like a glass of red wine daily with lunch or dinner can boost one's insulin sensitivity (alcohol is rather glossed over in the book). Moderate amounts of alcohol are good for the heart, as massive amounts of research shows. It's not necessary to begin drinking, per se, but if one has no issues with it, alcohol in itself (in very moderate doses) seems to be good for relaxing the nervous system and lowering levels of insulin, nevermind the added benefits of polyphenols such as resveratrol and quercetin in wines. I suppose the (slight) benefits may be one reason you see some cardiologists waxing enthusiastic about vino in some of the newer "diet" books. Oh well. Cheers!