The “Glycemic Index Diet” was written by Rick Gallop, a former President of The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario.

The Glycemic Index (GI) Diet claims, if you can understand a traffic light, you will understand the diet.

Gallop divides food into three groups based on the glycemic index, how fast they cause spikes in blood sugar levels.

He separates food into green light, yellow light and red light foods. Glucose is set at a GI level of 100 and all other foods are compared against it.

Red light foods should be avoided, yellow light foods are avoided during the initial weight loss phase and eaten occasionally during the ongoing maintenance phase and green light foods should form the basis of your diet throughout.

No special foods need to be purchased. Simply look up where your favorite foods fit in the plan, eat green, sample some yellow and avoid red. Period.

Gallop says dieters should expect to lose one to two pounds per week and need not start with a crash diet.

While this is a low carb diet it is not as high protein as most of the other diets and encourages dieters to cut fats as well as carbs. He also encourages exercising for 30 minutes each day and eating three balanced meals that include carbs, proteins and fats.

According to Gallop, followers of the GI diet should consider it a lifestyle change that they will adhere to for the rest of their lives, not a diet. It isn