By now a lot of people have heard of the GI (Glycemic Index) diet. This is a diet that is based upon the idea that carbohydrates and sugars are what actually make people fat.

Going into more detail, it is the way that these carbohydrates break down that dictates whether or not they should be eaten on the GI diet or not. Fast releasing carbohydrates, also known as simple carbohydrates are the ones to be avoided. These release energy faster into the bloodstream. This causes this jolt of energy to be stored quickly as fat by releasing insulin into your system to deal with the excess sugar.

This is the reason why you should always choose to eat slow digesting carbs instead of simple carbs and sugars. This is also the reason why other low carb diets such as the atkins and the south beach work. These are more restrictive and almost cut out carbs completely in their first stages.

The GI diet is different in that you are not actually restricting how much carbohydrate you are eating, just the types. You should select foods from lower down on the GI index that will release steady energy into your bloodstream.

As well as burning fat and losing weight, many people have reported that, whilst on this diet they have decreased hunger levels. This is because having a short burst of sugar in your system which then gets depleted causes hunger pangs to strike. After coming down from this sugar high your body is looking for something to replace it. This causes cravings for fattening sweet foods like candy and cakes.

The type of foods you should expect to be eating on the GI diet will be fresh green vegetables, pulses, meats and dairy. You will be required to stay away from high GI vegetables such as sweet vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams. You will of course be cutting out junk foods like cookies, cakes, candy, sodas and more. This is actually a very healthy diet to go on and will increase your general well being.