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Summary: contradicts itself all over the place
Review: As a hypoglycemic, I've read a whole lot about glycemic index and other factors that affect blood sugar. While the underlying premise of the book is solid--replace high GI goods with low GI foods, the details are contradicting.The book talks about having a 'high-carb' diet with lots of grains, etc., which in and of itself seems strange. I think a 'balanced-carb' diet is the better attack. The food recommendations conflict. At times, apples are a 'high-GI' food, other places in the book it is low. They say potatoes are good, then they're bad, then they're good. Whoa! On pg. 206, it talks about a lady who improved her diet by including potatoes and rice, then on the next page it says potatoes are high-GI and should be replaced! Finally, they say sugar is 'not bad', and don't emphasize its restriction at all. The problem with this is that most sugary foods are very high in sugar, and I know from first hand experience, that cutting sugar alone has a drastic effect on health, as I've seen a myriad of my issues disappear. There are pieces of good information here, but in general, this book is not consistent. It has a huge GI table which is useful, although applies mostly to other countries as foods in different countries have different GI values. I would probably have it on the shelf as a reference, but not have it as the primary GI book. The cover says 'Forget Sugar Busters', but I actually recommend just the opposite--read Sugar Busters first. It is much more concise and has a clear message, and I've had not only myself but others I've recommended this book to improve their weight, well-being, and other nagging ailments by following the Sugar Busters lifestyle. Another good book is the Metabolic Typing diet, which actually explains why some people do better with more proteins and (good) fats, and others do better with slightly more carbs. This would be a better justification of some of the case studies mentioned in GI Revolution than making blanket statements that high-carb is the way to go.
Rating: 
Summary: The New Glucose Revolution
Review: As a PCOSer who has struggled with her weight since puberty, I highly recommend this book. It is useful not only for the information but is balanced and clear. This isn't a "diet" but information on what affects PCOSer, IR folks, Diabetics and Pre-diabetics and how to avoid the insulin issues. In the last 6.5 months I have lost 75 lbs, 51 1/4 inches, increased my energy and strength (along with exercise) and gone down 10 sizes. I don't count calories, I don't deny myself, I eat healthy food. And this book has helped me do this.
Rating:
Summary: The New Glucose Revolution
Review: As a PCOSer who has struggled with her weight since puberty, I highly recommend this book. It is useful not only for the information but is balanced and clear. This isn't a "diet" but information on what affects PCOSer, IR folks, Diabetics and Pre-diabetics and how to avoid the insulin issues. In the last 6.5 months I have lost 75 lbs, 51 1/4 inches, increased my energy and strength (along with exercise) and gone down 10 sizes. I don't count calories, I don't deny myself, I eat healthy food. And this book has helped me do this.
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Summary: Confusing
Review: Confusing and dissappointing. I couldn't make heads or tails of this. The structure of the book dosen't make sense. Too bad.
Rating:
Summary: leaves me no wiser
Review: I agree with the other reviewer who talks about contradictions. Nourishing traditions was a much better book on nutrition.
Rating:
Summary: leaves me no wiser
Review: I agree with the other reviewer who talks about contradictions. Nourishing traditions was a much better book on nutrition.
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Summary: Changed my way of eating, and my body shape too!
Review: I bought this book several months ago. By eliminating/limiting foods high on the glycemic index and replacing them with foods lower on the glycemic index, I lost several inches from my waist and 10 lbs within 5 weeks. Four months later, I have continued to lost weight and inches at a lower and steady pace. The dietary changes I made became easy within a few weeks, and I don't feel like I am missing out on anything. I know that I can easily eat like this for the rest of my life.
I wish I could have discovered this a long time ago!
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Summary: environmental sociologist reports on the book
Review: If it ignores biochemical individuality and pretends that all foods have the same effects on all bodies, the book is worthless and very dangerous nutritionally. It will certainly help some, though that is only because around 50% of people in the world would apply to its recommendations. For instance, foods can have different effects in different bodies. If you want to know more about your body type before you begin a nutritional program, I suggest the following books instead. Most of the information presently known is from the sympathetic system side and very little is known about the autonomic, though these recommendations can protect you from such false suggestions of a 'common good program' for all people. Know thyself, before you make a nutritional plan. With the following books you can: Day, Phillip. 2001. Health Wars. Kent, England: Credence Publications. Wiley, Rudolf A, Ph.D. 1989. Biobalance: The Acid/Alkaline Solution to the Food-Mood-Health Puzzle. M.D. Foreword by Howard E. Hagglund. Hurricane, Utah: Essential Science Publications. Kristall, Harold J, D. D. S, and James M Haig, N.C. 2002. The Nutrition Solution: A Guide to Your Metabolic Type. M.D. Foreword by John R. Lee. Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books. Kliment, Felicia Drury. 2002. The Acid Alkaline Balance Diet: An Innovative Program for Ridding Your Body of Acidic Wastes. Chicago, Illinois: Contemporary Books.
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Summary: Let me make this short and sweet...
Review: Suger is bad for you. That's the book. Save your money.
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Summary: Why we gain weight--How to turn it around
Review: The body is perfectly adapted to the diet that our human ancestors followed for hundreds of thousands of years, but cannot properly handle "industrial foods", such as refined flour. These mechanically-processed foods flood the blood stream with glucose (the simple carbohydrate that fuels the cells) and provoke an outpouring of insulin. The excess insulin compels the body to burn carbohydrate, leaving the fat to accumulate in our bodies. The deranged insulin levels can also lead to diabetes and heart disease. This book shows that by choosing our carbohydrates with a just little more care, we can restrain these outbursts of insulin and encourage the body to burn more fat. By simply choosing Basmati rice over other varieties, or substituting a sweet potato for an ordinary potato, or buying sourdough bread or bread made with whole-wheat, stone-ground (coarser) flour rather than white flour, we can smooth out the glucose spikes and enjoy better health. This concept of "glycemic index" (GI) is indeed revolutionary. Each food is rated on a scale of 0 to 100, with pure glucose (as in corn syrup) set at 100. Anything with a GI value of 70 or more is a High-GI food; Intermediate-GI foods range from 56-69, and Low-GI foods have scores from 0 to 55. These values are derived by testing actual foods on actual volunteers, whose blood glucose levels are measured periodically over a couple of hours after they have eaten the food. The book includes 67 pages of tables so that you can look up the GI values of hundreds of foods, and then use those values to choose which foods you would wish to emphasize and which you would wish to avoid. The authors go on to explain the factors that influence its GI value. These are the degree to which the starch granules are expanded or even burst during cooking; the particle size (as in finely- or coarsely-ground flours); the chemical structure of the starch (straight- or branched-chain); the type of sugar in the food (sucrose, fructose, galactose, etc.); the quantity and nature of the fiber in the food (its coarseness, solubility and viscosity); and the acidity. In sum, you end up with a solid scientific understanding of why one food will support your health and another will sabotage you. Choosing low-GI foods virtually guarantees that we are eating foods with a low energy density and a high capacity to satisfy our appetites. We feel fuller on less calories, and the feeling of satisfaction lasts longer. The authors describe a South African study in which volunteers ate the same number of calories from carbohydrate, protein and fat, with the only difference being that one group got low-GI and the other got High-GI carbohydrates. After 12 weeks the low-GI group had lost an average of 20 pounds, versus 16 pounds for the high-GI group. Again, the ONLY difference was in the nature of the carbohydrates. There is already an international symbol, registered in the US and other countries, indicating that a food has been properly test for its GI value. Watch for it on food labels as the public catches on to the value of this information. P>My only complaint with this book is that the essential information on the link between glucose, insulin and health is scattered throughout the text, rather than being presented in a single succinct statement. But don't let this stop you. If you are concerned about weight, health, and diet, get this book.
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