We are currently in the grip of carbophobia but can pasta lovers return to the fold without putting back everything they've lost via Atkins or the South Beach diet? Are carbs really bad? Is it safe to eat all fat all the time? What about fibre and antioxidants, beta-carotene and all the other healthy nutrients that have had such a bad press recently. The truth is, the glut of low-carbohydrate diets has sown a lot of confusion - but there is a way out and it's called GI. This is the glycaemic index devised in 1981 by Dr David Jenkins of the University of Toronto. The index is not a diet, it's a tool for healthy eating. It's a way of ranking foods by the effect they have on our blood sugar. Blood sugar surges affect insulin levels, appetite and fat storage capabilities, so it makes sense to find a way to control them. Switching to lower GI foods can help you do that without having to stick to a monotonous eating programme. The GI Handbook provides all the necessary information. It explains how to use the index for healthier eating, which foods are OK and which are not, as well as a wealth of other solid, no-nonsense information to guide you to a well-balanced, healthy, sustainable diet.

Author Biography

Barbara Ravage is a professional health writer who specialises in nutrition and in making complex theory accessible to the general reader. She has worked on numerous health titles, both as editor and contributor, including the bestselling Foods that Harm, Foods that Heal (Reader's Digest). She lives in New York state.