CALORIC CONSUMPTION

In general, the above factors and food combination considerations will not only give you optimal nutrition, they will also facilitate nor­malization of body size. Overweight individuals will tend to lose weight, and excessively thin individuals will tend to gain weight. Furthermore, if these considerations are strictly heeded, weight loss can easily be accomplished without ever having to deal with the pangs of hunger. Certain food combinations can never be con­sumed, but hunger can usually be completely avoided.

For the overweight person who does not lose weight after closely following the above regimen, foods with a high glycemic index rat­ing must be avoided as completely as possible. Chronically high in­sulin levels must eventually come down for the weight loss to result, and this simply will not happen with the regular consump­tion of such foods as white flour, white rice, potatoes, and corn. A table listing the glycemic indexes of common foods is included in Appendix I of this book. For one without a weight problem, high glycemic index foods can be consumed as long as the proper food combination principles are followed. However, whether you are overweight or not, the foods with the highest glycemic indexes should be minimized since they do metabolically stress the body from the wide and rapid fluctuations of glucose seen with their ingestion.