The Montignac Diet is a diet for weight loss, which was popular in the 1990s, mainly in Europe. It was invented by the French nutritionist Michel Montignac (1944-2010) [1] . His method is aimed at people who want to lose weight effectively and for a long time, reduce the risk of heart failure and prevent diabetes.
Principle
Carbohydrate-rich foods are classified according to their glycemic index (GI), a system for ranking carbohydrates based on their effect on blood glucose levels after eating. High GI foods are considered “bad” (with the exception of foods such as carrots, which, despite their high GI, have a fairly low carbohydrate content and should not significantly affect blood sugar, also called low glycemic load or low GI )
The glycemic index was developed by David Jenkins at the University of Toronto as a way to conveniently classify foods according to how they affect blood sugar and was intended for people with diabetes. Montignac was the first to recommend using the glycemic index as a diet for weight loss, and not a way to control blood sugar, and made recommendations to avoid a sharp increase in blood sugar glucose (as opposed to a gradual increase) as a strategy for those who lose weight. not a strategy for diabetics to stabilize blood sugar [2] [3] .
“Bad carbohydrates” (for example, in sweets, potatoes, rice and white bread) cannot be taken with fats, especially during the first phase of the method. According to Montignac’s theory, these combinations will cause fats to be stored as fat in food.
Another aspect of the diet concerns the choice of fats: the desirability of fatty foods depends on the nature of their fatty acids: polyunsaturated omega-3 acids (fish oil), as well as monounsaturated fatty acids (olive oil) are the best choice, and saturated fatty acids (oil and animal fat ) should be limited. Fried foods and oils used in cooking should be avoided.
The Montignac method is divided into two phases:
- Phase I: weight loss. This phase consists mainly of the intake of appropriate carbohydrates, namely with a glycemic index rated at 35 or lower (pure glucose, by definition, 100). Higher protein intake, such as 1.3-1.5 grams per kg of body weight, especially from fish and legumes, may help weight loss, but people with kidney disease should consult a doctor.
- Phase II: stabilization and prevention phase. Montignac states on his website that we “can even increase our ability to choose, using a new concept, the glycemic result (the synthesis between the glycemic index and the content of pure carbohydrate) and blood sugar levels that result from eating. Under these conditions, we can eat any carbohydrates we want, even those with high glycemic indices. ”