Eat less, but eat better to make losing weight possible. With this principle, nutrition expert Michel Montignac represents his concept of nutrition in order to lose weight. Like other forms of a low-carb diet, the Montignac diet method is based on a strict separation of protein-containing and carbohydrate-rich food. Michel Montignac divides the latter into “good ” and “bad ” carbohydrates – depending on how fast after eating blood sugar levels rises.
Banishing sugar
Sugar is largely banned from the diet of the Montignac method. This is to make weight off possible. The basis of a Montignac diet is the consumption of such foods, which do not increase blood sugar levels or increase only slightly. Because the insulin release responsible for lowering blood sugar remains low. In addition, the food is burned without building up fat.
If there is too much insulin in the blood, this inhibits fat loss. On the contrary: An excessive insulin release ensures a rapid reduction in blood sugar levels and signals a food shortage for the body, so that it reacts with fat storage of the food consumed.
Montignac Method: The Glyx Index
The effect of a high-carbohydrate food on blood sugar levels can be indicated with the help of the glycaemic index (Glyx Index). If the glycaemic index of a food is low, it is “good ” carbohydrates, as the blood sugar level rises only slightly. “Bad ” carbohydrates, on the other hand, cause blood sugar levels and thus insulin release to rise rapidly. The Glyx index of such a food is correspondingly high.
In the sense of the Montignac diet, sugar, white bread and potatoes, for example, are not recommended, as this ensures a rapid increase in blood sugar and a lot of insulin must be used for their breakdown. Fibre-rich foods such as oatmeal, wholemeal bread and fruit, on the other hand, mainly have “good ” carbohydrates, as they are only slowly digested and the converted glucose does not go into the blood all at once. These foods are therefore optimal for a Montignac diet, according to the Montignac method.
Montignac Diet: Carbohydrates and Food
Glyx tables show how quickly certain carbohydrate-rich foods boost blood sugar levels. These tables are an important part of the Montignac method, because then foods with “good ” and “very good ” carbohydrates are selected, so that weight is possible.
- “very good carbohydrates ” (Glyx index up to 35): With any amount of protein and fat, such products may be combined
- “good ” carbohydrates (glyx index of 35-50): No combination with fat, at most with small amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids (for example, salad dressing
- “bad ” carbohydrates (glyx index of 50-100) This should be completely dispensed with as they lead to weight gain.
