General rules
The Montignac nutrition method was born in 1986 in France.
Its author, Michel Montignac, himself suffered from excess weight. Having carefully studied the peculiarities of metabolism, he developed a nutritional system, which is always accompanied by a table of glycemic indices of foods, thanks to which the author was able to lose 16 kg in 3 months. The Montignac method is not a diet that limits the amount of food for some time, but a long-term and thoughtful nutrition system, the main principle of which is the differentiation of carbohydrates and lipids in one meal.
Michel Montignac
The technique does not limit food intake and is completely balanced. The author recommends products of each group (proteins, fats and carbohydrates), based on their physicochemical characteristics and ability to stimulate metabolic processes.
All these conditions prevent excess weight gain, the occurrence and development of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
Glycemic Index of Foods: False Alarm
Thanks to the growing popularization of medicine and the craze for healthy eating, it seems that everyone has already heard about the “glycemic index of foods” and “fast” and “slow” carbohydrates. For some reason, people think that a high glycemic index and fast carbohydrates are always bad, and a low glycemic index and slow carbohydrates are always good: for the figure, for the heart and blood vessels, and for health in general.
At the same time, not only buns and beer are included in the “black list,” but also rice with carrots and potatoes. Is it true that for the sake of a healthy diet you need to give up even such basic products? Do not hurry. Now I will explain everything to you in order.
The concept of the glycemic index was first introduced by the Canadian physician D. Jackins in connection with a study of nutrition in diabetes mellitus. This indicator was used to measure the body's response to food, namely the increase in blood sugar levels. The reaction to pure glucose was taken as 100 units; other products were evaluated relative to this value.
Later, Jenny Brand-Miller hypothesized that foods with a high glycemic index contribute to obesity and a number of other chronic diseases. Her book “Glucose Makes a New Revolution in Dietetics,” published in 1996, gained enormous popularity and formed the basis of popular nutrition systems of those years.
As often happens in science, revolutionary ideas quickly begin to be tested. Ultimately, it turns out that reality is more complex than it seemed at first glance. This happened with the glycemic index hypothesis - after it was actively rooted in the minds of the population, facts began to appear here and there that contradicted the prevailing ideas. By the way, some of them belong to Jenny Brand-Miller herself...
Myth 1. Foods with a high glycemic index are less filling.
After testing 38 different foods for their ability to induce feelings of fullness, Australian scientists found that the glycemic index does not play a decisive role here. It all depends on the calorie content of the product and the amount of fiber. Sometimes individual taste preferences, body characteristics and even the time of day matter. Thus, it cannot be said that by choosing foods with a low index, a person will feel more full.
Conclusion:
When choosing a product that will satiate you, focus on your individual sensations, the energy density of the product and the abundance of fiber.
Myth 2: Foods with a high glycemic index will definitely cause your blood sugar levels to spike.
It would seem that everything is logical - the index was calculated after consuming sugar. But everything is not so simple. We do not eat foods outside of a specific nutritional context and rarely eat them in their pure form. At the same time, fats in the diet reduce the rate of absorption of nutrients, and protein reduces the overall glycemic index of the dish. It turns out that if we eat a complex, balanced meal, our sugar levels do not increase particularly. In addition, previous food intake, body condition and even hormone levels can be equally important.
Conclusion:
A balanced diet prevents your blood sugar levels from rising too high, even if you also eat foods with a high glycemic index.
Myth 3. Foods with a high glycemic index are guaranteed to lead to weight gain, while foods with a low glycemic index are guaranteed to lead to weight loss.
A large number of independent scientific studies (and about fifty of them have already been published) show that this is not so. At least at short and medium distances. The main factor in weight gain is still the good old excess of energy in the form of food calories.
However, it is important that weight loss on a diet with a predominance of “fast” carbohydrates is comparable to the rate of weight loss on a slow-carbohydrate diet only if the diet is generally balanced and provided there is a sufficient amount of incoming protein. Interestingly, it is the large amount of carbohydrates with a high glycemic index that helps maintain lean muscle mass during weight loss.
Does this mean that you need to load up on sweets and starchy foods in the hope of losing weight? The answer is negative. Foods with a medium and low glycemic index are often truly rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals that help maintain health. Poor digestion can cause weight gain and a decrease in metabolic rate. But including foods with a high glycemic index and high nutritional value in your diet is completely justified. For example, potatoes, which are so dubious for many people losing weight, fall into this category.
Conclusion:
Feel free to add vegetables and fruits with a high glycemic index to your diet. The main thing, as always, is not to overdo it.
Myth 4. Boiled starchy vegetables and sweet fruits are best avoided during weight loss.
In addition to potatoes, boiled pumpkin, carrots and beets, as well as watermelon, bananas and grapes, often fall out of favor with figure watchers.
Let's look at this issue... Let's take carrots, for example. In its raw form, its composition per 100 g is as follows: 41 kcal, proteins - 0.93 g, fats - 0.24 g, carbohydrates - 9.58 g, fiber - 2.8 g. In boiled form, we see the picture: 35 kcal, proteins - 0.76 g, fats - 0.18 g, carbohydrates - 8.22 g, fiber - 3 g. That is, during the cooking process, carrots became more dietary in composition. But heat treatment of starchy foods always leads to an increase in their glycemic index. In the case of the same carrots, the initial level of 30 units turned into 60 units... not so much.
Also, I'd venture to guess that you won't be eating bucketloads of boiled carrots without adding other ingredients to the final dish. This means that the more indicative figure for you will not be the index itself, but the value of the glycemic load.
Glycemic load is another tricky number that adjusts for the amount of carbohydrates in a product.
Even if the glycemic index of a particular product is high, the volume of its consumption may contain so few carbohydrates that they will not be able to significantly raise blood sugar levels even if they wanted to. This applies to most starchy vegetables and sweet fruits. For example, the glycemic load of boiled carrots, as a rule, does not exceed 4 units (despite the fact that high levels start at 20 units). The same can be said about watermelon. You understand that there is simply no cause for concern here.
Conclusion:
Do not avoid cooked vegetables due to their high glycemic index.
But there are still health problems that are associated with the processing of glucose in the body. Most often, such problems are signaled by quite obvious symptoms. These include: increased fatigue; excess weight that is very difficult to lose; bloating and indigestion; drowsiness after eating. If you do not observe any of the above, then you can maintain your health and beauty without unnecessary restrictions.
Maria Danina
Photo thinkstockphotos.com
Basic principles of the Montignac Method
The first, and also the main, principle is the choice of food products based on their physico-chemical characteristics and the ability to awaken processes associated with metabolism in the human body.
The second principle is that there is no need to count calories, since this is ineffective for quality weight loss.
- You need to choose foods with the lowest glycemic index value from those that mostly contain carbohydrates.
- Foods that are mostly lipid-containing should be selected based on their fatty acid properties. Give preference to polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6 (flaxseed and nut oils, fish oil, fish liver, shellfish), and monounsaturated fatty acids (avocado, natural peanut oil, cold-pressed olive oil). Avoid saturated fatty acids (lamb, pork, lard, butter).
- Products that mostly contain proteins must be chosen based on their origin: animal or plant.
Basic principles and rules of nutrition in phases 1 and 2 of the Montignac diet - in the table
When creating his nutritional system, Michel Montignac was based on the effect of food on blood sugar levels. This level of exposure is measured by an index called the glycemic index (GI) .
Simply put, foods with a high GI raise your blood sugar levels than foods with a low glycemic index.
If blood sugar levels become higher than normal, the human body's pancreas begins to produce the hormone insulin . The presence of insulin in the blood reduces sugar levels - the process stabilizes.
The constant presence of foods with a high glycemic index in the diet can lead to problems with insulin recognition . In this case, the blood sugar level does not decrease, and the body's production of insulin becomes excessive. This, in turn, disrupts the functioning of several enzymes and leads to fat deposits and weight gain.
Basic principles of the Montignac diet:
- eating healthy and nutritious foods;
- restriction in the diet of carbohydrate foods with a high glycemic index;
- exclusion from the diet of saturated fatty acids (butter, animal fats);
- inclusion in the diet of foods that contain unsaturated fatty acids;
- animal or plant proteins must be combined with each other.
The complete Montignac diet consists of two stages.
Nutrition rules and allowed foods in phase 1
The first phase is aimed at weight loss. To do this, carbohydrate intake should be sharply limited. You can only eat foods containing carbohydrates with a low, no more than 36 , glycemic index.
At this stage, the Michel Montignac diet suggests eating foods that will not cause a sharp rise in blood sugar levels. Due to a well-designed diet, fat does not accumulate , and existing fat deposits burn, releasing energy.
At the first stage of the Montignac diet for weight loss, it is important to focus on foods with the lowest GI possible.
The glycemic index table accompanying the Montignac diet is as follows:
Nutrition rules and allowed foods in phase 2
At the second stage of the Montignac diet, special attention should be paid to consolidating the achieved results. The extra pounds lost in the first phase should not return. To stabilize the result, you need to continue to adhere to the same nutritional principles, slightly expanding your diet to include permitted foods.
An important point for the second phase of the Montignac diet is to drink at least two liters of clean drinking water daily .
The remaining principles that should be adhered to at this stage are as follows:
- drink decaffeinated coffee;
- do not eat sweets in the form of honey, sugar, jam or sweets;
- do not allow yourself lemonades and similar drinks;
- refrain from flour and baked goods;
- There is only coarse bread;
- eat a lot of fish;
- gradually add whole foods, legumes, vegetable margarine to the diet;
- if fats are mixed with carbohydrates when eating, you need to balance this with a fiber-containing vegetable salad;
- do not abuse harmful carbohydrates.
“Bad” carbohydrates are found in boiled potatoes and carrots, in instant soups and purees, in white bread, cookies, corn, beets, melon and bananas, in refined rice, in premium pasta, in sugar and glucose.
Authorized Products
The first phase of the method is designed to reduce weight. To do this, you should significantly limit your carbohydrate intake: you can eat foods containing carbohydrates with a glycemic index value of no more than 40: wholemeal pasta, cereals, bran bread.
During this phase, the diet requires you to be saturated with foods that do not cause a spike in blood glucose .
So, during this period, fats will not accumulate in the body, and existing reserves will burn, giving energy to the digestion of complex food. Here you should give preference to products with the lowest glycemic index values: vegetables rich in fiber.
Fatty red meat is rarely included in the first phase, so it is better to exclude it altogether in favor of poultry or fish.
In the second phase, when you have already achieved the desired results in weight loss, you can eat pork, veal, dark chocolate, and drink dry red wine no more than once a week.
And, of course, in both phases it is necessary to carefully observe the drinking regime: at least 2 liters of water per day can be alternated with weak green tea.
Table of permitted products
Proteins, g | Fats, g | Carbohydrates, g | Calories, kcal | |
Vegetables and greens | ||||
eggplant | 1,2 | 0,1 | 4,5 | 24 |
beans | 6,0 | 0,1 | 8,5 | 57 |
swede | 1,2 | 0,1 | 7,7 | 37 |
zucchini | 0,6 | 0,3 | 4,6 | 24 |
cabbage | 1,8 | 0,1 | 4,7 | 27 |
cilantro | 2,1 | 0,5 | 1,9 | 23 |
bulb onions | 1,4 | 0,0 | 10,4 | 41 |
olives | 2,2 | 10,5 | 5,1 | 166 |
carrot | 1,3 | 0,1 | 6,9 | 32 |
chickpeas | 19,0 | 6,0 | 61,0 | 364 |
cucumbers | 0,8 | 0,1 | 2,8 | 15 |
olives | 0,8 | 10,7 | 6,3 | 115 |
salad pepper | 1,3 | 0,0 | 5,3 | 27 |
parsley | 3,7 | 0,4 | 7,6 | 47 |
radish | 1,2 | 0,1 | 3,4 | 19 |
arugula | 2,6 | 0,7 | 2,1 | 25 |
salad | 1,2 | 0,3 | 1,3 | 12 |
celery | 0,9 | 0,1 | 2,1 | 12 |
asparagus | 1,9 | 0,1 | 3,1 | 20 |
garlic | 6,5 | 0,5 | 29,9 | 143 |
lentils | 24,0 | 1,5 | 42,7 | 284 |
Fruits | ||||
apricots | 0,9 | 0,1 | 10,8 | 41 |
avocado | 2,0 | 20,0 | 7,4 | 208 |
bananas | 1,5 | 0,2 | 21,8 | 95 |
cherry | 0,8 | 0,5 | 11,3 | 52 |
pomegranate | 0,9 | 0,0 | 13,9 | 52 |
grapefruit | 0,7 | 0,2 | 6,5 | 29 |
pears | 0,4 | 0,3 | 10,9 | 42 |
kiwi | 1,0 | 0,6 | 10,3 | 48 |
mango | 0,5 | 0,3 | 11,5 | 67 |
nectarine | 0,9 | 0,2 | 11,8 | 48 |
plums | 0,8 | 0,3 | 9,6 | 42 |
apples | 0,4 | 0,4 | 9,8 | 47 |
Berries | ||||
cowberry | 0,7 | 0,5 | 9,6 | 43 |
strawberries | 0,8 | 0,4 | 7,5 | 41 |
strawberry | 0,8 | 0,4 | 7,5 | 41 |
currant | 1,0 | 0,4 | 7,5 | 43 |
blueberry | 1,1 | 0,4 | 7,6 | 44 |
Nuts and dried fruits | ||||
peanut | 26,3 | 45,2 | 9,9 | 551 |
walnuts | 15,2 | 65,2 | 7,0 | 654 |
cashew | 25,7 | 54,1 | 13,2 | 643 |
dried apricots | 5,2 | 0,3 | 51,0 | 215 |
almond | 18,6 | 57,7 | 16,2 | 645 |
hazelnut | 16,1 | 66,9 | 9,9 | 704 |
prunes | 2,3 | 0,7 | 57,5 | 231 |
Snacks | ||||
fruit chips | 3,2 | 0,0 | 78,1 | 350 |
Cereals and porridges | ||||
buckwheat | 4,5 | 2,3 | 25,0 | 132 |
oatmeal | 3,2 | 4,1 | 14,2 | 102 |
bulgur | 12,3 | 1,3 | 57,6 | 342 |
pearl barley porridge | 3,1 | 0,4 | 22,2 | 109 |
wild black rice | 4,1 | 0,4 | 21,0 | 101 |
barley porridge | 11,5 | 2,0 | 65,8 | 310 |
Flour and pasta | ||||
amaranth flour | 8,9 | 1,7 | 61,7 | 298 |
wheat germ flour | 33,9 | 7,7 | 32,8 | 335 |
oat bran flour | 18,0 | 7,1 | 45,3 | 320 |
Bakery products | ||||
loaf with wheat bran | 9,2 | 2,8 | 51,4 | 273 |
oatmeal bread | 10,1 | 5,4 | 49,0 | 289 |
bran bread | 7,5 | 1,3 | 45,2 | 227 |
Raw materials and seasonings | ||||
adjika | 1,0 | 3,7 | 5,8 | 59 |
basil | 2,5 | 0,6 | 4,3 | 27 |
carnation | 6,0 | 20,1 | 27,0 | 323 |
mustard | 5,7 | 6,4 | 22,0 | 162 |
ginger | 1,8 | 0,8 | 15,8 | 80 |
Italian herbs | 12,4 | 6,5 | 26,0 | 259 |
balsamic vinegar | 0,5 | 0,0 | 17,0 | 88 |
Dairy | ||||
skim milk | 2,0 | 0,1 | 4,8 | 31 |
kefir 1% | 2,8 | 1,0 | 4,0 | 40 |
Ryazhenka 1% | 3,0 | 1,0 | 4,2 | 40 |
natural yogurt 2% | 4,3 | 2,0 | 6,2 | 60 |
Cheeses and cottage cheese | ||||
mozzarella cheese | 18,0 | 24,0 | 0,0 | 240 |
cheddar cheese | 23,0 | 32,0 | 0,0 | 392 |
cottage cheese 0% (low fat) | 16,5 | 0,0 | 1,3 | 71 |
Meat products | ||||
beef | 18,9 | 19,4 | 0,0 | 187 |
Bird | ||||
chicken | 16,0 | 14,0 | 0,0 | 190 |
chickens | 18,7 | 7,8 | 0,4 | 156 |
turkey | 19,2 | 0,7 | 0,0 | 84 |
Eggs | ||||
chicken eggs | 12,7 | 10,9 | 0,7 | 157 |
Fish and seafood | ||||
green algae | 1,5 | 0,0 | 5,0 | 25 |
pink salmon | 20,5 | 6,5 | 0,0 | 142 |
dorado | 18,0 | 3,0 | 0,0 | 96 |
caviar | 36,0 | 10,2 | 0,0 | 123 |
squid | 21,2 | 2,8 | 2,0 | 122 |
flounder | 16,5 | 1,8 | 0,0 | 83 |
shrimps | 22,0 | 1,0 | 0,0 | 97 |
salmon | 19,8 | 6,3 | 0,0 | 142 |
mussels | 9,1 | 1,5 | 0,0 | 50 |
pollock | 15,9 | 0,9 | 0,0 | 72 |
shellfish | 16,7 | 1,1 | 0,0 | 77 |
octopus | 18,2 | 0,0 | 0,0 | 73 |
crayfish | 20,3 | 1,3 | 1,0 | 97 |
rapana | 16,7 | 1,1 | 0,0 | 77 |
salmon | 21,6 | 6,0 | — | 140 |
mackerel | 18,0 | 13,2 | 0,0 | 191 |
zander | 19,2 | 0,7 | — | 84 |
tuna | 23,0 | 1,0 | — | 101 |
trout | 19,2 | 2,1 | — | 97 |
Oils and fats | ||||
unrefined vegetable oil | 0,0 | 99,0 | 0,0 | 899 |
amaranth oil | 0,0 | 81,8 | 0,0 | 736 |
linseed oil | 0,0 | 99,8 | 0,0 | 898 |
olive oil | 0,0 | 99,8 | 0,0 | 898 |
animal fat | 0,0 | 99,7 | 0,0 | 897 |
Alcoholic drinks | ||||
dry red wine | 0,2 | 0,0 | 0,3 | 68 |
Non-alcoholic drinks | ||||
natural ground dry coffee | 13,9 | 14,4 | 4,1 | 201 |
instant chicory | 0,1 | 0,0 | 2,8 | 11 |
green tea | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | — |
Juices and compotes | ||||
dried fruit compote without sugar | 0,8 | 0,0 | 14,2 | 60 |
* data is per 100 g of product |
Menu for the first 7 days
When creating a menu, you should use lists of permitted products.
Monday:
1st Breakfast. Fresh fruit (you can take 2 pears or an orange). 2nd Breakfast. A slice of bran bread, pearl barley porridge, low-fat milk, coffee (necessarily decaffeinated). Dinner. Red cabbage salad, mackerel with white wine or fried cod with cheese and breadcrumbs. Weak tea. Dinner. Vegetable soup, ham, low-fat yogurt. Still mineral water or tea.
Tuesday:
1st Breakfast. Low-fat yogurt, tangerine. 2nd Breakfast. Herbal tea, unsweetened muesli, sugar-free marmalade. Dinner. Carrot salad with lemon juice or olive oil, spinach, two small slices of cheese. Juice or black tea. Dinner. Tomato salad, lentils or beans in soy sauce. Mineral water without gas.
Wednesday:
1st Breakfast. Kiwi. 2nd Breakfast. Wholemeal bread with unsweetened jam, decaffeinated coffee with skim milk. Dinner. Roast beef, salad, slice of cheese, fish appetizer. A glass of herbal tea or orange juice. Dinner. Vegetable soup, low-fat yogurt, boiled beans or beans. Still water or homemade lemonade without sugar.
Thursday:
1st Breakfast. Fried eggs. 2nd Breakfast. Coffee with low-fat milk, a little ham. Dinner. Radish salad with sour cream, grilled hake fillet. Tea. Dinner. Cauliflower baked with cheese, green salad, low-fat yogurt. Water.
Friday:
1st Breakfast. Freshly squeezed orange juice. 2nd Breakfast. Muesli with milk, tea. Dinner. Vegetable stew, boiled chicken breast, white wine or weak tea. Dinner. Boiled brown rice with tomatoes, water.
Saturday:
1st Breakfast. Apple, low-fat yogurt. 2nd Breakfast. Oatmeal with milk, coffee or still mineral water. Dinner. Avocado salad, veal with vegetables, water or weak tea. Dinner. Boiled durum wheat pasta, a slice of ham, green salad.
Sunday:
1st Breakfast. A couple of slices of bran bread, low-fat milk. 2nd Breakfast. Low-fat cottage cheese, decaffeinated coffee. Dinner. Fish fillet with baked vegetables or arugula salad with shrimp, tea. Dinner. Berries and fruits.
Fully or partially limited products
According to the author of the diet, the method allows you to consume absolutely all foods, be it chips, sweets, coffee, etc. Typically, relaxations in the diet are typical for the second phase, when you have already achieved certain results. And it’s worth remembering that a portion of a “bad” product will be “worked off” with a double or triple portion of products with a glycemic index value below 15 and physical activity.
Despite the loyalty of the menu, Michel Montignac pays special attention to the prohibition of potatoes, corn, pasta made from white flour, white bread and honey. By the way, boiled beets and carrots should also be replaced with fresh ones.
One way or another, over time, having experienced all the benefits of the recommended menu, you will not even remember these products.
Table of prohibited products
Proteins, g | Fats, g | Carbohydrates, g | Calories, kcal | |
Vegetables and greens | ||||
potato | 2,0 | 0,4 | 18,1 | 80 |
corn | 3,5 | 2,8 | 15,6 | 101 |
Snacks | ||||
potato chips | 5,5 | 30,0 | 53,0 | 520 |
Cereals and porridges | ||||
white rice | 6,7 | 0,7 | 78,9 | 344 |
Flour and pasta | ||||
wheat flour | 9,2 | 1,2 | 74,9 | 342 |
premium pasta | 10,4 | 1,1 | 69,7 | 337 |
Bakery products | ||||
sliced loaf | 7,5 | 2,9 | 50,9 | 264 |
wheat bread | 8,1 | 1,0 | 48,8 | 242 |
Confectionery | ||||
candies | 4,3 | 19,8 | 67,5 | 453 |
cookie | 7,5 | 11,8 | 74,9 | 417 |
Ice cream | ||||
ice cream | 3,7 | 6,9 | 22,1 | 189 |
Raw materials and seasonings | ||||
ketchup | 1,8 | 1,0 | 22,2 | 93 |
mayonnaise | 2,4 | 67,0 | 3,9 | 627 |
Dairy | ||||
yogurt miracle | 2,8 | 2,4 | 14,5 | 91 |
Activia quick breakfast | 4,8 | 3,1 | 14,4 | 107 |
Cheeses and cottage cheese | ||||
curd mass with raisins | 6,8 | 21,6 | 29,9 | 343 |
Meat products | ||||
pork | 16,0 | 21,6 | 0,0 | 259 |
salo | 2,4 | 89,0 | 0,0 | 797 |
mutton | 15,6 | 16,3 | 0,0 | 209 |
Sausages | ||||
boiled sausage | 13,7 | 22,8 | 0,0 | 260 |
smoked sausage | 28,2 | 27,5 | 0,0 | 360 |
sausages | 10,1 | 31,6 | 1,9 | 332 |
sausages | 12,3 | 25,3 | 0,0 | 277 |
Oils and fats | ||||
vegetable oil | 0,0 | 99,0 | 0,0 | 899 |
Alcoholic drinks | ||||
white dessert wine 16% | 0,5 | 0,0 | 16,0 | 153 |
vodka | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0,1 | 235 |
beer | 0,3 | 0,0 | 4,6 | 42 |
Non-alcoholic drinks | ||||
cola | 0,0 | 0,0 | 10,4 | 42 |
* data is per 100 g of product |
Montignac Michel
Encyclopedia of Health / Encyclopedia of Proper Nutrition
Many people lose weight using the system of the famous doctor Montignac. His books have a special charm: they have the spirit of beautiful France with its reverent and passionate attitude towards food. How can you maintain it while dieting? What is the secret of the great Frenchman?
NOT A DIET
Any restrictive diet causes resistance already in the process of dating. This pathos of cages and whips is unpleasant to us, even if the author of the method claims that with its help we will solve all problems in three weeks. And even more so if the cage and whip are for a long time or forever.
Montignac successfully dealt with this problem. He writes thick books about pleasant and tasty things, in which restrictions and prohibitions themselves are given a relatively small place. He convincingly criticizes low-calorie diets - and we wholeheartedly agree with him.
His recipes smell like a good French restaurant, and not at all like a weight loss clinic.
Montignac builds everything on natural products in the best traditions of the French school. In his recipes, you will be amazed to find a combination of broth and cream, lard, loin and bacon - all as part of a weight loss diet.
CALCULATE THE FIRST OR SECOND! Montignac divides the weight loss process into two phases. * In the first - weight loss phase - all foods with a glycemic index above 50 are strictly prohibited, * in the second - optimal weight maintenance phase - such products are allowed, but in limited quantities. For those who are generally happy with their weight, or who gain 2-3 extra pounds from time to time, the first phase is not needed. |
People who have already had to struggle with excess weight (or high cholesterol, blood pressure, lipids...) simply cannot believe it.
They are used to refusing broth and cream even separately, let alone together! When it comes to loin or goose liver, the calorie counters burn out. This is why some people who are losing weight, as well as nutritionists, perceive Montignac’s books as a cruel joke. In fact, his system is essentially an ordinary low-carb diet. It’s just that the Frenchman is not too strict and allows us some liberties, as a result of which the process of losing weight slows down somewhat, but the quality of life improves. The fact is that Montignac offers his system not as a diet, but as a way of eating, that is, for life. A diet can be tasteless and unbalanced - if only it were quick and effective. The method of nutrition should provide a person with good health, high performance and positive emotions received from food.
HYPERGLYCEMIC INDEX
For a long time it was believed that to lose weight you just needed to eat as little as possible. Anyone who has ever tried to cut calories knows that the weight comes off extremely slowly and comes back with interest at the first opportunity. That is why the discovery was so important: it turns out that it is not the excess calories that is to blame for fat deposition, but the nature of the foods consumed. More specifically, the amount of glucose that enters the blood.
We get glucose in two ways. The first is its production by the body from its own adipose tissue. The second is from food,
GLYCEMIC INDEX OF SOME FOODS Baked and fried potatoes – 95 Corn flakes – 85 Sugar – 75 White bread made from regular flour – 70 Milk chocolate – 70 Boiled potatoes – 70 Corn – 70 White rice – 70 Gray and brown bread – 65 Melon – 60 Pasta made from white flour – 55 Wholemeal bread with bran – 50 Brown rice – 50 Peas – 50 Muesli without sugar – 50 Oatmeal – 40 Fruit juice – 40 Rye bread with bran – 40 Buckwheat porridge – 40 Wholemeal pasta – 40 Colored beans – 40 Dairy products – 35 Lentils – 30 Fresh fruit – 30 Dark chocolate (60% cocoa) – 22 Fructose – 20 Green vegetables, tomatoes < 15 Lemons < 15 Mushrooms < 15 |
belonging to the carbohydrate family, such as sugars, fruits and starches.
When we eat these foods, the concentration of glucose in the blood increases sharply above the normal level (it is 1 g per liter of blood). It can increase, for example, from 1 to 1.2 g/l when you eat fruit, or up to 1.7 g/l when eating potatoes. This sudden increase in blood glucose levels is called hyperglycemia. And the ability of foods to cause it is indicated by the hyperglycemic index. The basis of the Montignac system is the preferential refusal of foods with a glycemic index above 50. Preference should be given to natural products. Thus, bananas (index 60), beets (65), carrots (85) and honey (90), although they will appear on your table only occasionally, are still more likely than cookies (70), popcorn (85), and mashed potatoes ( 90) or premium white bread (95).
Montignac allows carbohydrates with a glycemic index of 20 to 50 to be consumed without mixing with fats. For example, milk and dairy products (glycemic index about 35) should be low-fat. Oatmeal, buckwheat porridge and wholemeal pasta will have to be eaten without butter, meat and cheese - with tomato or stewed vegetables. Beans and lentils will go into salads and lean soups.
And only carbohydrate foods with a glycemic index below 15, such as soy, green vegetables, mushrooms, tomatoes, lemons, can be eaten without restrictions in any combination.
THE FRENCH ARE ALWAYS RIGHT
But if Montignac’s nutritional rules differ little from low-carbohydrate diets, then the recipes differ radically. Exhausted citizens who are losing weight can read them like poetry. They have only one drawback: complexity. At least one person in the family must really love and know how to cook.
In addition, you will have to manage to fit exquisite French cuisine into your work routine. Montignac recommends focusing on breakfast and lunch, and keeping dinner to a minimum. In life, as a rule, the opposite happens.
The Montignac system will allow you to be slim, healthy, fresh and energetic at the same time.
And finally, the last thing. Practice shows that people who have chosen real French cuisine for themselves usually do not suffer from excess weight (how to correctly calculate how much you should weigh - see Excess weight), even if they do not deny themselves small joys like fresh croissants for breakfast. There is something inherently harmonious in this cuisine: probably, the choice of products, methods of processing and combinations does not deplete the pancreas, does not upset carbohydrate metabolism and does not lead to obesity.
Montignac diet menu for a week
This is the weekly menu for the first phase of the technique. Remember to eat at the same time every day - it is forbidden to feel hungry here. You should also drink plenty of water, ginger water and weak green tea.
Rules for each meal:
- Every morning, 30 minutes before the main meal (breakfast), it is recommended to start with a portion of fresh, permitted fruit.
- Breakfasts during the first phase must contain 2 protein-lipid meals per week.
- The remaining 5 breakfasts are allowed porridge (usually oatmeal), cooked in water or skim milk without butter, combined with a sandwich of wholemeal bread, cottage cheese and vegetables.
- Lunch in the first phase is always protein-lipid: a combination of meat, fish or poultry, eggs with fresh vegetables.
- For lunch, you can use homemade mayonnaise: without sugar, flour, glucose, starch.
- Dinner in the first phase can be protein-lipid (3-4 times a week) or protein-carbohydrate (3-4 times a week).
- The basis of the diet is separate meals: cereals/rice + vegetables, meat/poultry/fish + vegetables.
- Try to use any oil when preparing dinner in minimal quantities, and also do not season vegetable salad with oil.
Monday
Breakfast |
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Dinner |
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Tuesday
Breakfast |
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Dinner |
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Dinner |
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Wednesday
Breakfast |
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Dinner |
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Dinner |
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Thursday
Breakfast |
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Dinner |
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Dinner |
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Friday
Breakfast |
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Dinner |
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Dinner |
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Saturday
Breakfast |
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Dinner |
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Dinner |
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Sunday
Breakfast |
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Dinner |
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Dinner |
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When you achieve that you are satisfied with your weight, when your well-being improves, and lightness in your body is constantly felt, then you will need to move on to the second phase of the technique. By the way, in order to feel this way for a long time, it is best to stick to this diet all your life.
When you are in the second phase, you can not eat foods with a glycemic index value of more than 50 very often and in small quantities, with the exception of premium pasta, corn, potatoes, white rice, honey, and white bread.
If it turns out that you ate a “bad” carbohydrate, correct the situation with a large amount of fresh vegetable salad, since the fiber contained in vegetables slows down the absorption of carbohydrates and fats and softens changes in glucose levels.
Among other things, in the second phase you can drink alcohol: dry red wine or champagne. You can snack on these drinks with any cheese and vegetables.
The menu of the second phase is very similar to the menu of the first, but all kinds of snacks are added to it, consisting of cottage cheese, kefir, dried fruits, nuts, fruits, vegetables, yoghurts, and muesli. Sometimes you can allow yourself dark chocolate, desserts, pork and veal, but nutrition, one way or another, is still based on the principle of separation: pasta/cereals + fresh vegetables, meat/fish/poultry + vegetables.
Michel Montignac's diet allows you to learn a huge number of healthy and tasty recipes and, in addition, creating them yourself is also not difficult. The table of glycemic indexes recommended by the author is a great help with this.
Montignac diet, glycemic index table
Low glycemic index foods
Medium Glycemic Index Foods
High glycemic index foods
Montignac Nutrition Secrets: Montignac Foods
The basic principles of the Method are applied in all Phases of weight loss and are the main basis for achieving the desired result in weight loss.
- Eat fruits 15-30 minutes before meals so that the nutrients have time to be absorbed. It is preferable to start every breakfast (except for protein-lipid breakfast) with fruit or fresh squeezed juice.
- Try to eat at least 3 times a day and stick to meal times.
- Replace confectionery and bakery products made from high-grade white flour with gray or wholemeal black bread, eating it at breakfast or lunch.
- Beer is one of the main taboos of the Method. The drink contains malt, which increases the level of glycemia, which causes fatigue.
- Avoid sugary drinks, packaged juices, nectars, and soda. In addition to the high content of synthetic additives, the products contain sugar, which leads to a significant increase in the glycemic index. In addition, any drinks containing carbon dioxide contribute to the formation of the hated cellulite.
- Watch for moderate consumption of complex fats (cream, butter, beef, pork, lamb), which destroy the cardiovascular system. Minimize the consumption of such products by replacing them with eggs, poultry, sunflower and olive oil, duck and goose fat.
- Try replacing regular coffee with decaffeinated coffee. An acceptable alternative to this drink is chicory, a weak tea.
- Don't forget to drink plenty of fluids.
- It is allowed to eat dairy products with low (preferably zero - in the first Phase) fat content.
- Give preference to whole grain porridges (millet, pearl barley, buckwheat, wheat) instead of muesli and instant products.
- Avoid white rice , or replace it with unrefined, brown rice.
- Be moderate in your potato (no more than once a week). In addition, it is advisable not to bake it in the oven, but to boil it in the peel.
- Significantly limit your sugar . Those who cannot drink unsweetened tea or coffee can use sweeteners or honey.
- Taboo: pasta, semolina, any baked goods.
- You can't feel hungry! The body tends to “prepare for difficult times” by accumulating fat reserves. If a person is constantly hungry, the body’s precautionary mechanism will gradually begin to store incoming glucose in fat folds.
Phase 1. Nutritional features
The nutrition proposed by Michel in the first phase involves adjusting the activity of the pancreas.
The first stage of the method developed by Montignac for significant weight loss does not involve limiting the amount of food consumed, but the reasonable replacement of “bad” foods with “good” ones.
itself can last from one to three months , depending on the individual goals of the person losing weight and the characteristics of his body. In the first phase, significant weight loss is achieved by stopping the use of:
- white rice
- potatoes
- alcohol
- fatty meat
- Sahara
- baking
- any types of sweets, except natural jam and honey
- white flour bread and pasta
The habit of eating “bad” carbohydrates has made the body somewhat “lazy”.
It is easier for him to get glucose from food than to start producing it himself. Therefore, in the first week of Phase 1, you can detect signs of “resistance” of the body, which are manifested by a feeling of fatigue. To minimize symptoms, eat almonds, hazelnuts, and during physical activity, dried apricots or figs.
Important! In addition to adjusting the daily menu, you should take care of at least minimal physical activity, which will help improve your well-being and increase the number of “melting” kilograms.
Phase 2. Montignac method
The second phase developed by Montignac allows you to consolidate the results of weight loss and eating habits. During this period, you are allowed to move away from your usual foods once a week and treat yourself to goodies.
The function of the pancreas, restored in the first phase, will cope perfectly with rare exceptions in the menu.
However, even in exceptions, you must adhere to the rules:
- Before drinking alcohol, even if it is an aperitif, you need to eat something.
- All exceptions must be examples of quality and gastronomy. Give up forever cheap sweets, snacks, and other products that do not bring true taste pleasure.
- Try not to abuse exceptions, since frequent “breakdowns” threaten a return to old eating habits.
Michel Montignac's diet, recipes
The recipes for this diet are so varied that they fit into an entire book by Michel Montignac, “190 Recipes for Delicious Weight Loss.” She became super popular all over the world! So we definitely recommend purchasing it to create useful masterpieces in your kitchen.
If this is not yet possible, pay attention to a couple of delicious dishes that will have a great effect on your figure.
Pumpkin soup with ginger
Pumpkin ginger soup
For this soup for lunch you will need:
- 0.5 kg pumpkin;
- 50 g butter;
- 2 carrots;
- 1 sweet potato;
- 1 onion;
- 50 g ginger root;
- 1 bunch of cilantro;
- 6 cloves of garlic;
- 1 tablespoon olive oil;
- 1 teaspoon coriander;
- ground black pepper;
- salt to taste.
Remove and remove the seeds from the pumpkin, peel the sweet potatoes (if you don’t have any, never replace them with potatoes) and chop them.
Grind the cilantro, onion, carrots and garlic, and grate the ginger.
Place all the prepared ingredients in a baking dish, pour in olive oil, sprinkle with coriander, salt, pepper and stir. Bake for 30 minutes at 180 degrees. Next, move all the ingredients into a saucepan, add water until it covers all the vegetables, and boil for 3 minutes. Puree the soup using a blender.
This soup is ideal served with pumpkin seeds and a splash of cream.
Cod in cheese sauce
- 0.5 kg cod fillet;
- 200 g hard cheese;
- 100 ml cream 15%;
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard;
- salt;
- ground black pepper.
In a separate bowl, mix grated hard cheese, mustard seeds and cream, add salt and pepper. Place cod fillets in a greased baking dish. Pour the prepared mixture over the fish and place in the oven preheated to 200 degrees for 20 minutes.
Seafood salad
Seafood salad
This salad is perfect for an evening meal, because you can quickly get enough of it, but at the same time, it is light.
You will need:
- 600 grams of sea cocktail;
- 1 bell pepper;
- 2 tomatoes;
- 1 cucumber;
- 6 pieces of olives;
- 6 pieces of olives;
- 1 bunch of lettuce leaf;
- 1 bunch of greens (dill, parsley, basil);
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- juice of half a lemon;
- 4 tablespoons olive oil;
- salt;
- pepper.
Place lettuce leaves in a salad bowl. Coarsely chop the bell pepper and grill it, place it on lettuce leaves. Next, add chopped tomatoes, cucumber, olives and black olives. Add seafood last.
In a separate bowl, mix chopped garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, herbs, salt and pepper and pour the mixture over the seafood salad.
Recipes for the diet from Montignac
Although the Montignac Method is based on French cuisine, the food can be easily adapted to our gastronomic preferences. Most people who are losing weight will enjoy vegetable puree soups, steamed, grilled or oven-baked fish, veal, and poultry.
Michel is confident that the process of preparing food is one of the important principles of changing eating habits.
RECIPE 1 . Salad with mushrooms and cheese
Champignons (marinated), cheese (soft varieties), egg, mayonnaise (homemade), herbs, a little ham (optional without it). Drain, dry the champignons, grate the cheese on a coarse grater, finely chop the boiled egg and ham (optional), add mayonnaise.
Instead of mayonnaise, you can use olive or sunflower oil; for a refined taste, add breadcrumbs or dried bread, sesame seeds, and lettuce.
RECIPE 2 . Baked chicken breast with cheese.
Salt the meat (or pour a few tablespoons of soy sauce), pepper, drizzle a little olive oil, sprinkle with grated hard cheese and herbs, place a tomato ring on top and wrap in foil.
Bake in the oven for 18-25 minutes.
RECIPE 3 . Zucchini soup
1 onion, 2 medium zucchini, 1 clove of garlic, curry powder, 120-150 ml cream, 0.5 l chicken broth.
Finely chop the onion, chop the zucchini into slices. Sauté the chopped onion and zucchini in a frying pan with butter - they should be soft, but not fried. Transfer the vegetables to a blender and beat well, add broth, curry and cream, mix in a blender, heat to a boil.
In case of failure
Let's say circumstances are such that you ate a “bad” product, or even more than one.
In the case of the Montignac technique, there is a clear action plan in case of failure:
- Having lost your temper once, you shouldn’t think that everything is allowed until tomorrow and run to the store for donuts. Pull yourself together and make your next meal as healthy as possible within your diet.
- If a breakdown occurs in the second stage, eat according to the rules of the first phase for the next 2-3 days.
- If a breakdown occurs at the first or second stage, you need to reduce salt intake and increase the consumption of green tea and water.
- If you have a breakdown, increase your time doing cardio or walking outdoors.
Pros and cons of the Montignac diet
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Montignac diet, reviews and results
The Montignac diet, reviews of those who have lost weight sound extremely positive, has long conquered the world. Indeed, entire families adhere to it, not limiting themselves to delicious dishes. And nutritionists themselves are inclined to support the usefulness of this method, because it contains the main principles of healthy separate nutrition.
- “... I’ve been eating Montignac for 5 years now, and I switched my husband to this diet. Initially, I went on a diet to lose at least 15 kg of weight. During the first phase (over 3 months) only 10 kg was lost, the remaining 5 kg disappeared over the next eight months. Then I got so used to feeling lightness in my body that I decided not to give up this nutrition, and I’m already very used to it. Of course, at first you just need to read a bunch of information and understand the combination of products. The diet ensures a healthy body and spirit throughout life, so the highest praise goes to the diet and its author”;
- “... I recently discovered the book “Secrets of Nutrition” by Michel Montignac in a bookstore and leafed through it. I was captivated by the fact that there were no exhausting short-term diets, after which you want to eat everything in your path, so I bought it. For a long time, about a month, I delved into all the lists, tables, combinations of “bad” and “good” products. And so, with a fairly large amount of knowledge, I decided to build my nutrition according to its principles. I didn’t have much excess weight, so in 2 months of the first phase I lost 5 kg. And then I started eating according to the rules of the second phase, preparing healthy dishes, sometimes the forum helped me find recipes. So already 7 months of my proper nutrition are producing visible results: the quality of my body and skin is at the highest level, my mood is always wonderful, there is no heaviness. And if something is not clear in the diet, or you don’t want to buy a book, the method has its own official website, where all the necessary GI tables and basic principles are presented.”
Diet price
In order to find out the approximate cost of the Montignac method, we took as a basis the average prices for necessary products in large cities of Russia: Novosibirsk, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Krasnoyarsk, Kazan.
Based on the menu option proposed above, a week in the first phase of the Montignac diet will cost 2500-3200 rubles: you will need to buy about 8-10 kg of vegetables, 3 kg of fruit, 2-3 kg of poultry, 3-4 kg of fish, cereals for morning meals, eggs, dairy and fermented milk products.
The entire first phase of this diet (on average 2 months) will cost about 19,000-26,000 rubles. In the second phase, you will be allowed to give yourself some indulgences, such as sweets, homemade cakes, wine, nuts, dried fruits, fatty meats. Thus, if desired and possible, the cost of a month on the Montignac diet may change slightly and amount to 11,000-14,000 rubles.
Of course, expensive products can be successfully replaced with less expensive ones, but with similar characteristics, and sometimes even more useful: salmon with mackerel, pork with chicken, Golden apples with local ones. It is important to find the most suitable option for your body for the maximum benefit from this nutrition plan and, most importantly, observe the results.