The Montignac Method, a dietary approach popularized in the 1990s, particularly in Europe, centers around the principle of consuming carbohydrates based on their glycemic index (GI). This method, developed by Frenchman Michel Montignac, emphasizes the selection of low-GI carbohydrates to manage blood sugar and insulin levels, promoting weight loss and overall health.
Who was Michel Montignac?
Michel Montignac (1944-2010) was not a doctor or nutritionist, but rather an international executive for the pharmaceutical industry who struggled with his weight. Witnessing obesity in his own family, Montignac sought a solution that wasn't a restrictive diet but rather a sustainable lifestyle. He was born in Angoulême, in south-western France, and grew up in a culture where eating well is central to a good life. After studying political science at university in Bordeaux, he started a career as a manager in the pharmaceutical industry. His personal experiences and extensive research led him to develop the Montignac Method, which he detailed in several books, including "Eat Yourself Slim: The World’s Best Method to Lose Weight and Stay Slim."
Montignac was critical of traditional dieting methods. "Counting calories does not interest me," he told the New York Times in 1993. "All traditional methods of dieting have amounted to a myth as big as communism and, like communism, are destined to collapse." He explained how he believed his eating plan was different from others: "There is no deprivation and it is not a diet. It is more a lifestyle. It is designed not only to aid weight loss in the short term, but also to help people maintain their weight loss in the long term, by advocating healthy eating habits, which can also prevent illness and disease."
Core Principles of the Montignac Method
The Montignac Method distinguishes itself by focusing on what you eat rather than how much you eat. It does not require you to limit the amount of food you eat. The central tenets of the diet revolve around:
- Glycemic Index (GI): Prioritizing carbohydrates with a low glycemic index.
- Food Combinations: Strategically combining food types to optimize metabolism.
- Fat Selection: Choosing healthy fats over unhealthy ones.
Understanding the Glycemic Index
The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking system for carbohydrates based on their immediate effect on blood glucose levels after meals. It was devised by Jenkins et al. at the University of Toronto as a way of conveniently classifying foods according to the way they affected blood sugar and was developed for diabetics suffering from diabetes mellitus. High-GI foods cause a rapid and significant rise in blood sugar, while low-GI foods result in a more gradual and moderate increase. The Montignac Method emphasizes very low GI carbs, which has the effect of reducing high blood sugar and insulin levels.
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Montignac advocated for distinguishing "good" carbs (those with low glycemic levels) from "bad" carbs (with high glycemic levels), Montignac banished potatoes, white bread, white rice and white pasta from the daily menu, while promoting unrefined carbohydrates such as wholewheat pasta, grains, beans and lentils.
Strategic Food Combinations
A key element of the Montignac Method is the concept of combining foods in specific ways to enhance weight loss and prevent fat storage. The method distinguishes between two types of meals:
- Lipid-Protein Meals: These meals combine proteins and fats.
- Carb-Protein Meals: These meals largely consist of carbohydrates with a glycemic index between 35 to 50. In this meal you should avoid fats with the exception of omega 3 fats from fish or very small portions of monounsaturated fats.
According to Montignac's theory, "Bad carbohydrates", such as those in sweets, potatoes, rice and white bread, may not be taken together with fats, especially during Phase 1 of the Method. According to Montignac's theory, these combinations will lead to the fats in the food being stored as body fat.
Choosing the Right Fats
The Montignac Method places importance on the type of fats consumed. The highest quality fats are the ones high in omega 3 and monounsaturated fatty acids. The desirability of fatty foods depends on the nature of their fatty acids: polyunsaturated omega 3 acids (fish fat) as well as monounsaturated fatty acids (olive oil) are the best choice, while saturated fatty acids (butter and animal fat) should be restricted.
The Two Phases of the Montignac Method
The Montignac method is divided into two distinct phases:
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- Phase I: Weight Loss
- Phase II: Stabilization and Prevention
Phase I: Weight Loss
The primary goal during this phase is to choose carbohydrates with a glycemic index of 50 or below. This phase consists chiefly of eating the appropriate carbs, namely those with glycemic index ranked at 35 or lower (pure glucose is 100 by definition). If you have less than ten pounds to lose you should stay in phase I for at least three months. This is necessary to give enough time for your metabolism to be restored.
Phase II: Stabilization and Prevention
You will continue to choose carbohydrates based on their glycemic index. In the second phase, the diet allowed a moderate consumption of red wine, champagne, dark chocolate and foie gras.
A Day at the Market on the Montignac Plan
Back from the market on my first day of the Montignac plan. What we got today: Lettuce, trout fillets, fillets of a fish called "lingue", a smoked herring of which I bought only one because I want to try it out, 2 jars of pure tomato puree from the guys who grow the tomatoes, cerfeuille, tomatoes, cauliflower, oranges, chicken legs for stock, whole wheat bread containing no white flour (only farine "integrale bio", which is organic whole flour) from my regular boulanger, 2 mackerals, mushrooms called "lentin", 6 eggs, 3 large champignons de paris for stuffing, cheese: St. Marcellin, Charollais, St. Nectaire, and Bleudauvergne, nectarines, parsley, thyme, cherries, organic strawberries for jem, a celery root, and cherries.
- Yes, bread is permitted in the Montignac plan, but I will go into that in much more detail later. The most important thing to note right now is that it has to be bread that contains not one iota of refined white flour. Because of Montignac, some boulangers in France now carry their version of "pain integrale", which is bread made with only whole wheat flour which integrates the entire case of the wheat. This is the best kind, and is also the hardest to make look and taste good, which is a reason why some boulangers don't bother with it. You can also get by with "Pain Complet", whole wheat bread, although it's not the best for stage I. Because most insecticides are found on the outer wheat casing, Montignac recommends that the flour be grown under the strictly regimented "BIO" label, which assures no insecticide. We know of three places not far from where we live in Lyon that carry this type of bread (pain integrale BIO). One of them happens to be our regular boulanger! We will be having him put aside a loaf aside for us every couple of days.
- We are going to be eating more fish, because it is recommended during Stage I of the plan. Fatty fish are recommended. (I'll talk about that some more).
- Note no potatoes, carrots, or parsnips. Soups are going to be thickened with celery root and cauliflower puree.
- I will be using mushroom paste and spread for various purposes throughout stage I. I and will make a small batch to use during the week.
- Although there are plenty of "all fruit" "sugar free" jams out there, they are really pumped up with fructose - which is allowed, but I personally don't need it so sweet. I have decided to make a batch of strawberry/cherry confiture spread, using only a very small amount of fructose if necessary, to enjoy with my bread at breakfast. Thus a kio of strawberries and 700 grams of cherries.
- Cheese is allowed in unlimited amounts with the meat meals, although of course it's best to stay "reasonable" with the amounts I am eating. I won't cut down, as I already eat a fair amount of cheese. The only thing is that I won't be able to have bread with it during stage I.
- Having a good supply of stock available for soups, sauces, and braising goes without saying, and I immediately filled the stock pot. Our lunch today was rather rushed since I cleaned the regrigerator, and wanted to get to organizing the ktichen shelves, and realized that it was late already. Sauteed shrimp, and radishes with a little bit of butter. Salad with olive oil vinaigrette.Cheese: in the center a Charollais, 2 o'clock St. Nectaire, moving clockwise a slice of Tomme de Savoie, St. Marcellin, and a large wedge of Bleu d'Auvergne (only the crust showing). My next few posts will document the process of getting my kitchen equipped: which products in my fridge and in my kitchen cabinets are off limits and I have had to either toss, give to the neighbors, or put in storage out of temptation's reach (like the masa harina which I would never give up). Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!
Criticisms and Considerations
Despite its popularity, the Montignac Method has faced criticism from nutrition experts. Some argue that any calorie intake that exceeds the amount that the body needs will be converted into body fat.
Another part of the Montignac plan is based on the GI, listing "bad" and "good" carbohydrates. Any food with GI above 50 is forbidden. This is arbitrary, because many GI lists have very different values for the same foods. Thus a food may be "good" according to some lists and "bad" according to others. Furthermore, many of the foods on the "bad" lists are nourishing foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber… Critics also point out that the Glycemic Index is not easy to use, as it depends on the exact variety of the food; how it was cooked; combinations with other foods in the same meal, and so on.
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Montignac's Legacy and Other Diet Gurus
Montignac's emphasis on the glycemic index paved the way for other diets, such as the South Beach Diet. His approach, which encouraged a non-restrictive diet focusing on food quality over calorie counting, resonated with many seeking a sustainable lifestyle change.
As consumers of pop culture, it’s easy to follow celebrity fad diets and trends as opposed to dedicating ourselves to a regimented, personalized diet plan. Fad diets have that name for a reason: They’re here, they fail, and they’re gone. Unlike transient dieting trends, there are a few time-tested dieting strategies that function more as a lifestyle than a fleeting mode of eating or exercising.
Certain people throughout history have made it their life’s work to conquer the body and mind through exercise and physical fitness. They advocate for their method of eating or exercising over the course of many years. From completely abstaining from carbohydrates to running 80 miles each week while consuming sugar-laden junk foods, the diet and fitness experts featured in the following slideshow achieved guru status in a variety of ways. The question that begs an answer is: Was it worth it? Can foraging for your food or rejecting processed foods help you live a longer, healthier life?
These gurus all believed that their method of healthy living was best. In terms of contributing to longevity, however, you’ll see that some of the following lifestyles appear to have worked better than others. Daisie Adelle Davis, born in February of 1904, championed the belief that processed food is detrimental to our health. We didn’t listen to her: More than half of the American diet is currently made up of “ultra-processed foods.” Her nutritional ideas, such as eating 100 percent whole-grain breads and cereals in addition to eating liver at least once per week, appeared in multiple books from the 1950s through the early 1970s. She also advocated for the proper balance between potassium and sodium, and she urged us to consume large quantities of choline. In 1974, at the age of 70, Davis died from multiple myeloma, an incurable form of blood cancer with unclear causes.
You may remember Euell Gibbons from a 1974 Grape-Nuts commercial in which he said the cereal “reminds me of wild hickory nuts.” Before reaching fame by penning books on foraging, Gibbons had worked as a cowboy, a union leafleteer, a boat-builder, a surveyor, a merchant sailor, and later, a professional beachcomber. Often carrying no solid food and no hunting or fishing gear, Gibbons thrived on finding and consuming wild greens, nuts, honey, and seeds. His books provide recipes for casseroles, muffins, salads, and more, all from ingredients found in the wild. He died in 1975 at the age of 64 because of a ruptured aortic aneurysm, but there was plenty of buzz saying that he had poisoned himself while living off of the land.
Are you an avid proponent of leading a yoga lifestyle? If so, you may owe some thanks to Robert Bootzin. Lovingly called Gypsy Boots, Bootzin dropped out of high school in 1933 to live off the land in California with a gang of bearded, carefree companions. They eventually became known as the Nature Boys. His close connection to nature, fitness, and nutrition paved the way for the healthy, meditative lifestyles that many of us know and love today. Bootzin was a strict vegetarian, never consuming meat while also abstaining from alcohol and tobacco. He pioneered all-natural, organic, sugar-free “Boots Bars” which sound like something you could find at Whole Foods today. They were made from Medjool dates, kyolic garlic, spirulina, and wheatgrass. While the cause of his death at the ripe old age of 89 in 2004 wasn’t documented, one thing is for sure: “Don’t panic, go organic; get in cahoots with Gypsy Boots” is a slogan that humans and the planet can equally benefit from following.
With unofficial titles like “the godfather of fitness” and the “first fitness superhero,” there’s no way of denying that Jack LaLanne knew a thing or two about exercise and nutrition. Born in September 1914, LaLanne opened one of America’s first fitness-based gyms at the age of 21. He invented many exercise machines that are commonplace in gyms today (e.g., pulley systems and leg extension machines), and he advocated for both women and the elderly to start exercising. LaLanne’s personal diet varied from three meals of meat, vegetables, and fruit daily to a pescetarian lifestyle and even vegetarianism. He avoided all manmade and processed foods as well as coffee. He also ate plenty of eggs and regularly supplemented his diet with vitamins. His diet and exercise regimen were undeniably successful: At 54 years old, LaLanne beat then-21-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger in an exercise competition. He also lived to be 96 years old, dying of pneumonia-based respiratory failure in 2011. If you’re looking for a guru-inspired longevity recipe, the LaLanne plan could be for you.
The original modern organic food advocate, Jerome Irving Rodale was truly a staunch proponent of sustainable agriculture and organic farming. In fact, Rodale is said to have helped make “organic” the widely used, popular term that it is today. Born in August 1898, Rodale suffered a heart attack at the age of 72 while participating as an interviewee on “The Dick Cavett Show.” Prior to suffering his heart attack, Rodale had proclaimed that he’d never felt better in his life, saying, “I’m in such good health that I fell down a long flight of stairs yesterday and I laughed all the way.” He was previously quoted saying, “I’m going to live to be 100, unless I’m run down by some sugar-crazed taxi driver.”
At the young age of 35 years old, Jim Fixx was unhappy with his 240-pound frame and his two-pack-a-day smoking habit. He decided to quit smoking and to get in shape by running. By the time of his death at age 52, Fixx had successfully turned his life around and become a verifiable running guru. He changed his lifestyle after picking up the sport, and he even authored a best-selling book called “The Complete Book of Running.” While running up to 80 miles a week and appearing to be in incredible physical condition, Jim Fixx continually ate fast food and junk food. He’s also rumored to have often consumed excess amounts of sugar. After having gone out on a run one day in 1984, Fixx was found dead. His autopsy revealed large amounts of plaque buildup in his arteries, leading to speculation that no matter how much exercise one does, nothing can make up for years and years of smoking and eating poorly.
If you guessed that Joseph Pilates had something to do with the controlled movement-based exercise program Pilates, you guessed correctly. Pilates (the man), born in Germany in 1883, suffered from asthma, rheumatic fever, and rickets as a young child. He made it his life’s mission to control his body through fitness, working as a gymnast, bodybuilder, self-defense specialist, circus performer, and boxer. He created the Pilates program to improve posture while strengthening muscles and improving both flexibility and stamina.
Pilates was an advocate for eating healthy, nutritional, proper foods, getting plenty of sleep, and matching your caloric input to your caloric output. This is commonly referred to as calories in, calories out. After picking up a cigar smoking habit, he died at the age of 83 from emphysema. His obituary stated that he was “a white-maned lion with steel blue eyes (one was glass from a boxing mishap), and mahagony [sic] skin, and as limber in his 80s as a teenager.”
The famous Atkins Diet was created by physician and cardiologist Robert Coleman Atkins. It was inspired by a suggestion its creator received from one Dr. Alfred W. Pennington. In 1963, Dr. Pennington told Atkins (who had recently gained a good amount of weight due to poor eating and stress) to remove all starch and sugar from his diet. Atkins took this advice and turned it into a global dieting enterprise, making his money from producing books, meal plans, and actual foods that promote his ketogenic dieting style. The death of Robert Atkins is a curious one: He died at the age of 72 in 2003 from what was reported to be a blunt impact injury of the head after having slipped and fallen. When he was admitted to the hospital, he weighed roughly 195 pounds. At the time of his death (after being in a coma for nine days), Atkins reportedly had gained an astonishing (and almost unbelievable) 63 pounds (totaling 258 pounds) from water retention. It was discovered that he had a history of congestive heart failure, heart attack, and hypertension.