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GI News—February 2012

2012-02-01T04:32:00.002+11:00

Prof Jennie Brand-Miller dispels 8 myths about sugars and starches;
Smart carbs for smarter kids? Dr Alan Barclay reports;
Brown foods are better than white. Nicole Senior investigates;
What does 'eat mostly wholegrain cereals' mean?
Slowly digested carbs reduce inflammation associated with chronic disease;
Brief, high-intensity workouts reduce BGLs;
The scoop on barley with Emma Stirling;
Three low GI recipes to try.

Busting Food Myths has been one of our most popular features. We like this column too, and like to explore the myths, check the evidence, sort fact from fiction and set the record straight so people become a bit more relaxed about food and eating. Sadly, we never run out of myths. Because we are always coming across stories telling people they just need to eat brown foods not white to lower the GI of their diet, we asked dietitian Nicole Senior to pull out her plucky pen and investigate the myth that white foods have no nutritional value. She also reminds us there’s a more serious side to food myths in Food for Thought, while Prof Jennie Brand-Miller dispels eight popular myths about sugars and starches in GI Update.

Good eating, good health and good reading.

Editor: Philippa Sandall
Web management and design: Alan Barclay, PhD

Food for Thought

2012-02-01T04:30:00.002+11:00

Getting savvy about nutrition in the news.
Dietitian Nicole Senior has just published Food Myths, a collection of food myths she has ‘busted’ in GI News … and more (many more). In the introduction (reproduced with permission) she asks us to think about a more serious side to these myths, puts forward some thoughts on why there are so many about diets and weight loss and provides pointers on how we can get savvy about nutrition in the news.

Food myths are prevalent in societies where food is abundant and choices are practically endless. In stark and distressing contrast, people in poor countries struggle to get enough food to survive. Are we fussy with our diets and vulnerable to food myths because we’re too well fed? By following fad diets, are we desperately clutching at ideas to narrow down our food options because they are now overwhelming? Are we looking to fix our broader unease with our hectic modern lifestyles? Has our food supply become so far removed from its source that we are reacting against it? These are deep questions that probably deserve book all on their own but I’d ask you to consider them when understanding why food myths persist. A bit of perspective is always good.

When I was putting my food myths book together, I couldn’t actually cover all the myths about diet and weight loss. I’ve often wondered why bad ‘diets’ seem to do so well. How can a diet that doesn’t work (in the long term) be so popular? How can a product that is unsubstantiated become a bestseller? It’s a tribute to good marketing but it also indicates the number of people struggling with excess weight, and the lengths they will go to in order to lose it. Unfortunately for many, the moderation message is boring and unappealing: instead, it seems as if we need to be shaken out of our old ways and shocked into submission. Perhaps moderation is far too sensible and we have a craving for risk? Perhaps we are just too impatient? Perhaps we latch on to the first person or company who seems to understand our difficulties? Who knows? The situation isn’t helped by the diet industry, which knows the moderation message doesn’t sell. It comes up with all manner of trumped-up benefits and half-baked theories about why their diets will actually work when all they are doing is selling creative ways to eat fewer kilojoules/calories.

To lose weight we must reconcile the – boring – fact that we must eat less and exercise more WITH ensuring we eat quality foods to meet our nutritional needs ... and eat foods we like ... and be able to afford them ... and please all the family ... and prepare food quickly. You can appreciate the challenges. Blacklisting particular nutrients such as carbs or fats, as many fad diets do, is not helpful. It’s a pity there are so many myths about weight loss and dieting to choose from. It’s also a great shame that so many people have wasted so much money and experienced so much heartache and disappointment at the hands of myth-spinners. I say: don’t get mad or get even—get savvy instead. Here are some organisations with scientific experts who review the evidence behind nutrition in the news.

American Heart Association
National Heart Foundation
Glycemic Index Foundation
Harvard University School of Public Health
NHS Choices ‘Behind the Headlines’

Available from bookshops and online. You can download a sample chapter HERE.

News Briefs

2012-02-01T04:28:00.001+11:00

What does ‘eat mostly wholegrain cereals’ mean?
Consume more wholegrains is enshrined in dietary guidelines around the globe and is something of a mantra with doctors, dietitians and nutritionists. Australia’s new draft dietary guidelines released in December 2011 urge us to eat mostly wholegrain’ cereals. So, how much is ‘mostly’ and how strong is the evidence? A Nutrition Reviews study that evaluated 135 articles on refined grain foods (published between 2000-2010) reports that the great majority found no association between the intake of refined grain foods and cardiovascular disease, diabetes, weight gain, or overall mortality whatsoever. A few found that very high intakes might be associated with some types of cancers. The evidence overall shows that consuming of up to 50% of all grain foods as refined grain foods (without high levels of added fat, sugar, or sodium) is not associated with increased risk of disease.

Vegetarian fried brown rice from The Low GI Vegetarian Cookbook available from bookshops and online. Photo: Ian Hofstetter.

GI News asked Prof Jennie Brand-Miller to comment. ‘This paper raises questions about the newest dietary guidelines. When health authorities recommend that we eat most grains as wholegrains, they'd like to think we will be eating more fibre (that’s probably true), more micronutrients (not likely), and lower GI carbohydrates (and that’s definitely not true!). The reality is that for most cereal products today, both the “white” version and the “brown” version have a high GI.

I’d like to suggest that we re-define wholegrains as “foods that not only contain the germ, the endosperm and the bran, but also the GI characteristics of the original grain”. At least then, we might see some real benefits of eating them. Wholegrain products might have started with the germ, the endosperm and the bran of the grain, but in many cases, the finished product has been cooked, flaked, toasted, puffed and popped beyond recognition. It’s a long, long way from the grain that came in nature’s packaging.

There are very few clinical trials that have directly compared a “brown” diet with a “white” diet that was otherwise identical. In the largest clinical trial of its sort to date, UK researchers, found that when they provided 316 overweight men and women with a range of wholegrain foods and asked them to substitute them “like for like” for refined grain foods in their typical diet over a 16 week period, there was not even a hint of difference in heart risk (cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin sensitivity and a range of common inflammatory markers) between those who substituted wholegrain foods into their diet, and those who didn’t (the control group).’

Slowly digested carbs reduce inflammation associated with chronic disease.

Associate Professor Marian Neuhouser

A diet rich in slowly digested carbohydrates reduces a marker of inflammation called C-reactive protein (associated with an increased risk for many cancers as well as cardiovascular disease) by about 22% in people who are overweight and obese, according to a study by Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in The Journal of Nutrition.

‘Lowering inflammatory factors is important for reducing a broad range of health risks. Showing that a low-glycemic load diet can improve health is important for the millions of Americans who are overweight or obese’ say lead author Marian Neuhouser PhD, RD and colleagues who also found that among overweight and obese study participants, a low glycemic load diet modestly increased – by about 5% – blood levels of a protein hormone called adiponectin, which plays a key role in protecting against several cancers, including breast cancer, as well as metabolic disorders such as type-2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and hardening of the arteries.

‘The bottom line is that when it comes to reducing markers of chronic-disease risk, not all carbohydrates are created equal. Quality matters,’ she says. ‘There are easy dietary changes people can make. Whenever possible, choose carbohydrates that are less likely to cause rapid spikes in blood glucose.’ These include legumes such as kidney beans, soy beans, pinto beans and lentils; milk; and fruits such as apples, oranges, grapefruit and pears.

Brief, high-intensity workouts reduce BGLs.

Professor Martin Gibala

Researchers at McMaster University report in Journal of Applied Physiology that brief, high intensity workouts, just six sessions over two weeks, can rapidly lower blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes. They found that just 30 minutes of high-intensity intermittent exercise a week, lowered 24-hour blood glucose concentrations, reduced blood glucose spikes after meals, and increased an important marker of metabolic health called skeletal muscle mitochondrial capacity.

What did the workouts involve? Participants rode a stationary bike for 10 bouts of 60 seconds with 1 minute between each burst of exercise. The routine also included a warm up and cool down so each session lasted 25 minutes in total. Participants showed improved blood glucose levels even though they did not lose weight during the two-week study. ‘The improved glycemic control may be linked to changes in the participants’ muscles, such as an improved ability to clear glucose from the blood after meals,’ says Professor Martin Gibala. ‘We need to conduct further research to identify the mechanisms behind these results.’ Martin Gibala explains the research HERE.

Get the Scoop with Emma Stirling

2012-02-01T04:26:00.000+11:00

The scoop on barley.

Emma Stirling APD

As new age, but ‘ancient’ grains like spelt and quinoa take over, it’s easy to forget traditional, tried-and-true players like barley – one of the oldest cultivated cereals. But if you need to watch your BGLs or want to lower the GI of your diet, you should definitely be backing barley. Rich in protein, high in cholesterol-lowering soluble fibre (beta-glucan) and packed with essential nutrients like B vitamins, pearled barley also has a very low GI (25).

Barley shopping basket The barley we buy in the supermarket is usually in the form of pearled barley and is not technically a wholegrain. ‘Pearling’ is an abrasive process which causes some loss of the outer bran layer, but still leaves a highly nutritious grain. Wholegrain barley does exist, it can be found in products labeled as ‘whole’, ‘wholegrain’ or ‘scotch’ barley in which the grain undergoes a different process to ensure all three layers – the bran, germ and endosperm – are maintained.

You’ll also find (but not low GI):
Barley flour – made by grinding the barley ‘pearls’. In the Middle East and Africa, barley flour is blended with wheat flour to produce breads or is ground and cooked as porridge.
Barley grits – are chopped grains with a shorter cooking time used in casseroles, hamburgers, soups, stews and as an ingredient in breakfast cereals.
Barley flakes – are barley grains that have been soaked to soften before being added to baked products. They may also be used to make porridge, milk puddings and breakfast cereals.
Malted barley – is used in the production of alcoholic beverages such as beer and whisky and as a flavouring agent for cereal breakfast foods and for malted milk.

How to embrace barley? So you like the idea of backing barley, but you’re not sure where to start? Try waking up to a warming breakfast porridge with barley or in Australia look for a cereal with BarleyMax – the CSIRO’s naturally modified barley grain. Or add barley to soups, stews and pilafs or grain-based salads (switch it for freekeh in my Hot smoked salmon nicoise). But the easiest way to raise the profile of barley on your plate is to use it instead of rice as a side dish or rice-based dish like Johanna’s Barley risotto with mushrooms and thyme.

Cook it, store it Steaming pearl barley takes a little longer than steaming white rice, but the method is similar (and super easy if you have a rice cooker). For the stovetop method, place 1 cup (200g/7oz) well rinsed barley in a saucepan with 3 cups (750ml) water and bring to the boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer gently for around 35–40 minutes or until the grains are tender but still a little chewy (al dente like pasta). Remove from the heat and leave to stand for a few minutes before fluffing the grains with a fork and serving. If you cook a large batch, freeze leftovers in small batches for up to 6 months. How easy is that?

Emma Stirling is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and health writer with over ten years experience writing for major publications. She is editor of The Scoop on Nutrition – a blog by expert dietitians. Check it out for hot news bites and a healthy serve of what’s in flavour.

In the GI News Kitchen

2012-02-01T04:24:00.001+11:00

American dietitian and author of Good Carbs, Bad Carbs, Johanna Burani, shares favourite recipes with a low or moderate GI from her Italian kitchen. For more information, check out Johanna's website. The photographs are by Sergio Burani. His food, travel and wine photography website is photosbysergio.com.

Broccoli with orzo soup.
Leave it to the Italians. All they do is boil fresh broccoli with some other fresh household staples and they get this wonderful tasting soup. It’s usually served in the evening with bread, cheese and wine. Servings: 4 (approx. 1 3/4 cups each)

1 tbsp olive oil
2 large scallions (spring onions), finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
450g/1 lb fresh broccoli (including stems), chopped
6 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth (stock)
1 cup orzo pasta
4 tsp parmigiano reggiano grated cheese

Cook the orzo in 2 litres (quarts) of boiling water (with 1 teaspoon salt if you wish) according to packet instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside. In the meantime ...
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or casserole over medium heat. Add the scallions, carrot, garlic and parsley and gently saute for about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli, broth and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cover. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
Puree vegetables to the desired creamy consistency. Add the pasta and heat through. Serve hot with grated cheese.

Per serve
Energy: 1120kJ/267cals; Protein 13g; Fat 5g (includes 1g saturated fat and 1mg cholesterol); Available carbohydrate 43g; Fibre 6g

Cut back on the food bills and enjoy fresh-tasting, easily prepared, seasonal, satisfying and delicious low or moderate GI meals that don’t compromise on quality and flavour one little bit with this Money Saving Meals recipe making the most of barley. For more recipes check out the Money Saving Meals website.

Brown rice & barley salad with spiced chickpeas, sweet potato and currants.
Combining the brown rice and barley like this lowers the overall GI of the meal while adding spices and roasting the chickpeas is a great way of adding lots of flavour to this salad that’s a satisying meal in itself. Serves 6

2/3 cup brown rice
2/3 cup pearl barley
3 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp tumeric
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small (250g/9oz) sweet potato, peeled, cut into 2cm pieces
1 red onion, cut into thin wedges
400g/14oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
¼ cup currants
¼ cup lightly toasted slivered almonds
2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Yoghurt tahini dressing
½ cup low fat natural yoghurt
1 tsp tahini
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp pure floral honey

Preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºF.
Cook the brown rice and pearl barley in separate pans of boiling water, with one teaspoon of cumin added to each pan. Cook stirring occasionally for 25 minutes or until al dente (pearl barley will take a little longer). Drain well. Meanwhile …
Place the sweet potato onion, and chick peas in a large bowl. Mix the remaining cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric and the olive oil together then add to the bowl with the sweet potato and toss to evenly coat. Place the sweet potato mixture in a single layer on the prepared tray and bake for 20 minutes or until sweet potato is just tender.
Toss the rice, barley, sweet potato, chickpeas, currants, almonds and coriander together in a large bowl. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
To make the dressing, mix all ingredients together until well combined. Serve the salad drizzled with a little of the dressing.

Per serve
Energy: 1680kJ/420cals; Protein 13g; Fat 10g (includes 1g saturated fat); Available carbohydrate 58g; Fibre 9g

My Meatless Mondays.
Aubergine, potato & pepper stew.
This rich, Mediterranean-inspired stew is full of flavours, which mature if there is any left over for the next day. It is an extract from The Meat Free Monday Cookbook, foreword by Paul, Stella and Mary McCartney, edited by Annie Rigg, published by Kyle books and available in good bookshops and online. If you are worried about the fat, use a little less feta cheese and pinenuts. Serves 4-6

3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into large chunks
1 medium courgette (zucchini), cut into large chunks
1 aubergine (eggplant), cut into large chunks
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 x 400g cans tomatoes
400ml vegetable stock
1 tsp caster sugar
400g can butterbeans, drained and rinsed
4 tbsp kalamata olives
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
125g crumbled feta
2 tbsp freshly chopped flatleaf parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat half of the olive oil in a large casserole dish, add the chopped onion and celery and cook until tender but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. While the onion is cooking prepare the other vegetables.
Add the remaining oil, chopped peppers, courgette and aubergine to the pan and cook for3–4 minutes. Add the potatoes, oregano, canned tomatoes and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, add the sugar, cover the pan and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Continue to cook for about 25–30 minutes until all of the veggies are tender.
Add the butterbeans and olives and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes. Check the seasoning, adding more salt and freshly ground black pepper if needed. Scatter with
toasted pine nuts, crumbled feta and chopped parsley to serve.

Per serve (based on 6 servings)
Energy: 1240kJ/290cals; Protein 9g; Fat 20g (includes 5g saturated fat and 14mg cholesterol); Available carbohydrate 16g; Fibre 6g

Busting Food Myths with Nicole Senior

2012-02-01T04:22:00.000+11:00

Nicole Senior

Myth: White foods have no nutritional value.
Fact: There are plenty of exceptions to this oversimplified dietary rule.
It would be nice if there was a simple colour rule for healthy eating. But there isn’t. This rule seems to have come about to discourage consumption/over-consumption of sugar, salt and white flour products, but eating well is a bit more complex than that. Brown sugar is on a par with white in the ‘little nutritional value’ stakes, and pink salt matches white for sodium, gram for gram. So forget about colour signifying health for these ingredients.

When it comes to grains, white rice and white pasta are important food staples around the world providing energy, vitamins, minerals and even a little protein, but they do have something missing – they have been refined and in the process lost some of their nutritional goodness. For example, white bread and flour have no bran or germ as a result. Choosing ‘brown’ or wholegrain versions of popular staples such as bread, rice and pasta delivers extra benefits in terms of fibre and B vitamins, however there’s no need to banish refined white bread, rice and pasta from the menu completely. You can still enjoy a soft white bread roll, yeasty Turkish bread (pide) or crispy pizza base. Although they’re not as good as their wholegrain equivalents, there’s no convincing evidence of harm in eating some refined grain foods in your diet according to a systematic review by Dr Peter Williams published in Nutrition Reviews. But don’t take this as license to live entirely on the whiter side of life: a study by Mozzafarian and colleagues in New England Journal of Medicine found refined grains were one of the foods associated with weight gain. And it’s a good idea to choose lower GI versions of your ‘white’ (refined) grain foods such as basmati rice and sourdough bread – white pasta is already low GI. The general recommendation for good health is to make sure at least half your grains are wholegrains – traditional oats, brown rice and pasta, and wholegrain (or wholemeal) bread and cereals.

What about eggs? Some people choose brown eggs and some like white, but truth be told, the colour of the egg has no effect on the contents. In general, chicken breeds with white ear lobes lay white eggs, and chickens with red ear lobes lay brown eggs (but even this isn’t a hard and fast rule). And of course, once you peel or crack the egg, they are all the same inside.

As for white foods such as milk, white veggies (cauliflower, onions, cannellini beans, new potatoes) and white fish – I don’t think the rule was intended to apply to these nutritious foods.

The bottom line: Enjoy a balanced diet that includes a wide variety of foods of all colours, including some ‘white’ ones for variety, health and enjoyment.

Nicole Senior is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutritionist and author of Food Myths released on February 1 and available in bookshops and online and from www.greatideas.net.au

GI Symbol News with Dr Alan Barclay

2012-02-01T04:20:00.000+11:00

Dr Alan Barclay

Smart carbs for smarter kids
Most parents know that for peak performance, it’s vital that children and teenagers eat a good breakfast before they head off to school. Now, there’s growing evidence that along with providing essential nutrients (protein, carbohydrate, fat and fibre plus vitamins and minerals like calcium and iron), making this healthy breakfast a low GI one brings extra benefits. In fact, this is where low GI carbs really deliver the ‘smarts’ improving mental performance during those difficult tasks like maths tests!

When UK researchers recently investigated the effects of meals of varying overall GI values and carbohydrate content on 60 students aged 11–14 years, they found that the kids who ate a low GI/higher carbohydrate breakfast completed the maths tasks faster and more accurately and improved their general reasoning skills and their overall attentiveness. In fact, the low GI, higher carbohydrate meal helped kids excel in the four hardest tests examined. Earlier studies with younger children and adolescents have reported similar results.

The brain boosting power of the low GI/higher carb meal isn’t really surprising as we know that glucose is the brain’s primary fuel source and it needs a steady supply of it throughout the day. Eating that healthy low GI breakfast provides the brain with a more constant level of blood glucose compared with the highs and lows of a high GI breakfast. So, here’s how you can kick start your children’s day every day of the week with a healthy low GI breakfast to truly nourish and sustain them.

7 easy low GI breakfasts

Fruit bread (e.g. Burgen Fruit and Muesli) with a smear of margarine and a little of a favourite spread (e.g. jam/honey) plus a glass of fat reduced or low fat milk
Wholegrain, low GI breakfast cereals (e.g., Kellogg’s Sustain or Guardian) with
reduced or low fat milk and fruit
Natural muesli (e.g., Morning Sun) with reduced or low fat milk (e.g. Dairy Farmers Skim)
Low GI bread (e.g. Tip Top 9 Grain; Burgen) with a smear of margarine and a favourite spread (jam/marmalade/Vegemite/peanut butter/etc.)
Low GI bread with baked beans
Low GI bread with a smear of margarine and a poached or scrambled egg (or a boiled egg with ‘soldiers’)
Plain or diet yoghurt with fresh, canned or dried fruit

For more breakfast ideas, check out Anneka Manning’s 14 easy-to-prepare low GI brekkies including the irresistible Eggs in Nests in The Low GI Family Cookbook.

The GI Symbol, making healthy low GI choices easy choices

For more information about the GI Symbol Program
Dr Alan W Barclay, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
Glycemic Index Foundation (Ltd)
Phone: +61 (0)2 9785 1037
Mob: +61 (0)416 111 046
Fax: +61 (0)2 9785 1037
Email: alan@gisymbol.com
Website: www.gisymbol.com

GI Update

2012-02-01T04:18:00.001+11:00

Prof Jennie Brand-Miller answers your questions

Prof Jennie Brand-Miller

I am always being asked about sugars and starches. This month, I thought it would be useful to dispel some of the perennial myths about them.
# Myth: Starchy foods such as potatoes and pasta are fattening.
Fact: Starchy foods are often bulky and nutritious. They fill you up and stave off hunger pangs, which means they can actually help with, rather than hinder, weight loss. The key, as with all foods, is to be choosy about the kinds of starchy foods you’re eating.

# Myth: Sugar causes diabetes.
Fact: Today, there’s consensus among health researchers and scientists specializing in diabetes that sugar in food does not cause diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition triggered by unknown environmental factors. Type 2 diabetes is largely inherited, but lifestyle factors such as a lack of exercise or being overweight increase the risk of developing it. Foods that produce high blood glucose levels may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, but sugar has a more moderate effect than many starches.

# Myth: Sugar is the worst thing for people with diabetes.
Fact: People with diabetes used to be advised to avoid sugar at all costs. But research shows that moderate consumption of refined sugar (30–50 grams or 6–10 teaspoons per day) doesn’t compromise blood glucose management. This means people with diabetes can choose foods that contain refined sugar or even use sensible amounts of table sugar. Saturated fat is of greater concern for people with diabetes than refined sugar.

#Myth: All starches are slowly digested in the intestine.
Fact: Not so. Most starch, especially in cereal products, is digested in a flash, causing a sharper increase in blood glucose than many sugar-containing foods.

# Myth: Sugar is fattening.
Fact: Sugar has no special fattening properties. It is no more likely to be turned into fat than any other type of carbohydrate. Apples and soft drinks have the same sugar content (10 percent to 12 percent). Yes, sugar is often present in high-calorie foods (cakes, cookies, chocolate, and ice cream, for instance). But it’s the total calories in those foods, not the sugar, that’s the problem.

# Myth: Diets high in sugar are less nutritious.
Fact: Studies have shown that diets containing a moderate amount of sugar (from a range of sources, including dairy foods and fruit) often have higher levels of micronutrients, including calcium, riboflavin, and vitamin C, than low-sugar diets.

# Myth: Sugar goes hand in hand with dietary fat.
Fact: Many foods high in fat are also high in sugar—think chocolate, full-fat ice cream, cake, cookies, and pastries. But most high-sugar diets are actually low in fat, and vice versa. The reason: most sources of fat in our diet are not sweet (e.g., potato chips, French fries, steak), while most sources of sugar contain no fat (e.g., soft drinks and sweetened juice drinks). Nutritionists call this the “sugar-fat seesaw.”

# Myth: Starches are best for optimum athletic performance.
Fact: In many instances, starchy foods (like potatoes or rice) are too bulky to eat in the quantities needed for active athletes. Sugars (from a range of sources, including dairy food and fruit) can help increase carbohydrate intake.

GI testing by an accredited laboratory North America
Dr Alexandra Jenkins
Glycemic Index Laboratories
20 Victoria Street, Suite 300
Toronto, Ontario M5C 298 Canada
Phone +1 416 861 0506
Email info@gilabs.com
Web www.gilabs.com

Australia
Fiona Atkinson
Research Manager, Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service (SUGiRS)
Human Nutrition Unit, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences
Sydney University
NSW 2006 Australia
Phone + 61 2 9351 6018
Fax: + 61 2 9351 6022
Email sugirs@mmb.usyd.edu.au
Web www.glycemicindex.com

See The New Glucose Revolution on YouTube

Making the Most of GI News

2012-02-01T04:16:00.000+11:00

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GI News—January 2012

2012-01-01T03:49:00.001+11:00

Putting health first no matter what your size;
Fuelling willpower to stick to New Year resolutions needs glucose;
Dr Alan Barclay on Australia’s new dietary guidelines;
Diet quality and stroke prevention;
Three low GI recipes to try;
The health benefits of low GI Meatless Mondays;
Do you need to eat meat to get enough protein?

Human routines are stubborn things, which helps explain why 88% of all resolutions end in failure according to Professor Richard Wiseman. Did you know that it takes an average of 66 days to form a new habit and for some unlucky people up to 254 days says Dr Anthony Grant Director of the Coaching Psychology Unit at the University of Sydney and that people revert to their old habits between five and seven times. What to do? Frame changes as aspirations rather than resolutions so you don’t set yourself up to fail. So, here’s a tasty New Year’s aspiration – instead of ‘going on a diet’, why not opt to go meatless on Mondays with a low GI diet based on minimally processed plant foods and moderate amounts of protein foods. It’s a flexible, liveable, and family friendly aspiration and it will also help you optimise your insulin sensitivity and decrease your insulin levels over the whole day. To top it off, it’s good for the environment and the housekeeping budget. Healthy and sustainable nutrition all round we say.

Good eating, good health and good reading.

Editor: Philippa Sandall
Web management and design: Alan Barclay, PhD

Food for Thought

2012-01-01T03:48:00.007+11:00

Meatless Mondays for healthy, sustainable nutrition.
Building your diet around low GI plant foods such as wholegrains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds gives you all the nutrients you need for long-term health and wellbeing along with plenty of protective antioxidants and phyto-chemicals. Not only that, there’s a wealth of evidence to support the fact that eating a vegetarian diet can reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer.

Back in November, Fiona Atkinson asked GI guru Prof David Jenkins about the benefits of going meatless? ‘I think the benefits are basically, on an humanitarian perspective,’ he said. ‘I used to put that as a sort of rider at the end but I think now it’s becoming the first issue as human beings. Second, I think one has to think of the environmental issues. They always say it’s a ten to one ratio for plant-based diet versus an animal -based diet in terms of land consumption, water usage, which is obviously a problem in many places, and basically environmental impact and environmental degradation. We can not afford to have the whole planet geared to feeding cattle that feed us, this seems to be an insanity that we accept because it’s palatable. I think those are really strong reasons. I think that if one is sensible and one watches B12 and one’s diet, one can live very well on a vegetarian or vegan diet.’

For those of us who don’t want to go all the way, there’s the low GI Meatless Mondays option. This is simply making a commitment to going without meat one day a week for your and the planet’s health. Where did the idea come from? It actually goes back nearly 100 years … We turned to the US Meatless Monday organisation for some background and discovered that during World War I, the US Food Administration urged families to reduce consumption of key staples to aid the war effort. The message was ‘Food Will Win the War’ and Meatless Monday and Wheatless Wednesday were introduced to encourage people to do their bit. The Food Administration (spearheaded by Herbert Hoover), published and distributed recipe booklets and menus. The effect was overwhelming according to Meatless Mondays. ‘Some 10 million families, 7000 hotels and nearly 425,000 food dealers pledged to observe national meatless days. In November 1917, New York City hotels saved some 116 tons of meat over the course of just one week.’

In 2003, the Meatless Monday message was revived by health advocate Sid Lerner, backed by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for a Livable Future and endorsed by 30 schools of public health. It’s now a global movement.

In the UK, Sir Paul, Stella and Mary McCartney launched the Meat Free Monday campaign in 2009. Going meatless on Mondays is a ‘fun challenge with an achievable goal that will bring many benefits, whilst providing you with the opportunity to broaden your culinary horizon along the way,’ they write in the introduction to The Meat Free Monday Cookbook. And you can listen to Paul singing all about it HERE.

For more information on Meatless Mondays, check out:
www.meatlessmonday.com
www.meatfreemondays.com
www.meatlessmondays-australia.com

To inspire you, we’ll be publishing a low GI Meatless Monday recipe every month. For recipes from vegetarian and vegan books we have previously reviewed in GI News, check out:

Prof Jennie Brand-Miller’s The Low GI Vegetarian Cookbook
New York Times best-seller Forks Over Knives
Dr Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes

News Briefs

2012-01-01T03:47:00.002+11:00

Fuelling willpower with glucose.
At a time of year when many people are resolving to go on a diet, we thought we’d remind readers that willpower seems to be affected by the brain’s glucose supplies – so don’t skip meals. Self-control requires a certain amount of glucose to operate unimpaired. Writing in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology Matthew Gailliot and researchers from Florida State University found that even relatively small acts of self control are sufficient to deplete the brain’s available supply of glucose thereby impairing the control of thought and behavior, at least until your body can retrieve more glucose from its stores or you have something to eat. Their laboratory tests with volunteers found that:

Acts of self-control reduced blood glucose levels
Low levels of blood glucose after an initial self-control task predicted poor performance on a subsequent self-control task
Initial acts of self-control impaired performance on subsequent self-control tasks, but consuming a glucose drink eliminated these impairments.

‘… the body’s variable ability to mobilise glucose may be an important determinant of people’s capacity to live up to their ideals, pursue their goals and realize their virtues’ they conclude.

The Florida study involved numerous tests but a key one found that people who drank a glass of regular lemonade (i.e. sweetened with sugar) between one task requiring self control before beginning a second also requiring a fair bit of willpower performed equally well on both tasks, while people who drank a ‘diet’ lemonade in between made more errors on the second task than on the first. They used sugar in their studies because it is fast acting and convenient, but make the point that ‘complex carbohydrates may be more effective for sustained self control.’ Research in memory tests has certainly shown that low GI carbs enhance learning and memory more than high GI carbs, probably because there is no rebound fall in blood glucose.

Diet quality a good guide in stroke prevention.

Professor Graeme Hankey

‘While we have seen a reduction in incidence of stroke and mortality in the past 20 to 30 years due to better control of blood pressure and smoking we are seeing a deceleration in that decline,’ says Prof Graeme Hankey head of Royal Perth Hospital’s stroke unit. ‘We are seeing the emergence of the beginning of a trend to increases in stroke incidence because all our kids are overweight and not exercising and we are seeing strokes in young people as diabetes and metabolic syndrome take over.’

The overall quality of a person’s diet and the amount of food they eat rather than individual foods and nutrients is a better guide to whether he or she will suffer a stroke he says in his review of a raft of international studies on risk factors for stroke in Lancet Neurology. Weighing up the evidence he says:

Poor nutrition in the first year of a mother’s life and undernutrition in utero, infancy, childhood, and adulthood predispose individuals to stroke in later life, but the mechanism of increased stroke risk is unclear.
Reliable evidence suggests that dietary supplementation with antioxidant vitamins, B vitamins, and calcium does not reduce the risk of stroke.
Less reliable evidence suggests that stroke can be prevented by diets that are prudent, aligned to the Mediterranean or DASH diets, low in salt and added sugars, high in potassium, and meet, but do not exceed, energy requirements.

Low GI eBooks now available.
Many of Prof Jennie Brand-Miller's low GI books are now available as eBooks from online retailers in Australia, the US and Canada and the UK including Amazon, Apple, ebooks.com, Google Books and Kobo.

Australia/New Zealand/UK editions (Hachette) now available

Low GI Diet Handbook – ISBN 9780733628078
Low GI Diet Shopper’s Guide 2012 – ISBN 9780733628559
Low GI Diet 12-week Weight-loss Plan – ISBN 9780733627781
Low GI Diet for Childhood Diabetes – ISBN 9780733628221
Low GI Diet for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome – ISBN 9780733628375

US/Canada editions (Da Capo Lifelong Press/Perseus Books) now available

Low GI Handbook – 9780738214139
Low GI Shopper's Guide to GI Values 2012 – 9780738215211
Low GI Diet Revolution: The Definitive Science-Based Weight Loss Plan – 9780786727803
New Glucose Revolution for Diabetes – 9780786751341
New Glucose Revolution Low GI Gluten-Free Eating Made Easy – 9780786746538
Low GI Guide to Living Well with PCOS – 9780738214498

Lentilicious.
Learn to love lentils and you’ll have a deliciously natural low GI diet and a great ingredient for ‘Meatless Mondays’. Now an enterprising pair up in the stunning hinterland of beautiful Byron Bay has made it really easy for everyone to learn to love lentils. Back in 2009, Anthea Packshaw and Sharna Glasser started their Lentilicious business and they have been enthusiastically making and marketing their range of five flavoured, pre-packed lentil meals that include herbs, spices and other flavourings ever since. The Lentilicious range of flavours includes Coconut Fusion, Lime Time, Mediterranean, Turmeric Magic and Red Chilli. All you need to do is tip the lentils into a saucepan, add cold water, bring to the boil then simmer gently for 25 minutes and the meal is ready. Each package serves 2–3 people.

The Lentilicious story Sharna and Anthea met while working at a resource centre in Mullumbimby. Passionate about vegetarian cuisine and inspired by traditional Indian dahl, they set about creating a range of delicious, modern lentil meals designed to make lentils mainstream. You can find out more about Lentilicious here.

Get the Scoop with Emma Stirling

2012-01-01T03:46:00.001+11:00

The scoop on putting health first in 2012

Emma Stirling APD

Do you have weight loss goals as part of your New Year’s resolutions? Well here's a new idea to consider. Forget about the idea of dieting altogether. That’s right. Completely put weight loss out of your mind and take a leaf out of the Health At Every Size Approach (HAES) and put healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle first.

Health at every size Championed by Linda Bacon, PhD nutrition researcher at the University of California-Davis and author of Health at Every Size: the surprising truth about your weight, the focus of HAES is on improving health outcomes, not on the “perfect” body. You see for some people, especially those who have been on the dieting roller coaster, the key is a change in mindset to avoid the repeated cycle of yo-yo dieting and lapses, relapses and collapses. Instead of weight loss as the end goal which places an emphasis on body image, you put healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle first. You may actively work on switching to more low GI choices in order to better manage your blood glucose levels, then set up a program to eat more intuitively for better digestion and next set goals to increase your physical activity to boost feelings of vitality. And guess what? Studies have shown that these seemingly small lifestyle steps, add up to huge rewards, and for some people, may in fact be finally the answer to long term weight loss success.

Health At Every Size is supported by an active community who follow these principles:

Accepting and respecting the diversity of body shapes and sizes
Recognizing that health and well-being are multi-dimensional and that they include physical, social, spiritual, occupational, emotional, and intellectual aspects
Promoting all aspects of health and well-being for people of all sizes
Promoting eating in a manner which balances individual nutritional needs, hunger, satiety, appetite, and pleasure
Promoting individually appropriate, enjoyable, life-enhancing physical activity, rather than exercise that is focused on a goal of weight loss

The jury deliberates In scientific circles the HAES approach raises fiery debate. If we focus on health and not body weight, are we admitting that we’ve lost the battle of the bulge? Is this sending a message that overweight and obesity are not harmful to long-term health? By accepting HAES are we simply driving overweight as the norm and “fat acceptance”? Or is this approach the answer for many to break free from years of restrictive and fad diet failures, improve their health and learn to have a healthy relationship with food, once and for all? You can read more about both sides of the HAES debate in this recap of a session at the last American Dietitians Association Food Nutrition Conference and Expo written by dietitian blogger Janet Helm RD.

The scoop? As we continue to battle obesity I believe that we need to explore more individualized options as it is clear that some people respond well to structured weight loss programs, whereas for others, this can be their greatest undoing. I certainly believe that HAES will help us shift our distorted mentality that super skinny, equals super healthy. We know from research that you CAN be fit if you’re fat. You only need to visit my training group and see all the different shapes and sizes working out together. Believe me there are larger people than me who can run faster, lift far heavier weights and still keep chatting as I huff and puff. And I certainly know my fair share of women that have too long a list of personal food rules and go to extremes with eating for shape, not health, that is far from nutritious. So I ask what are you doing for your health and a healthy relationship with food this New Year? I’ve made a suggested list over here on my blog The Scoop on Nutrition.

Emma Stirling is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and health writer with over ten years experience writing for major publications. She is editor of The Scoop on Nutrition – a blog by expert dietitians. Check it out for hot news bites and a healthy serve of what’s in flavour.

In the GI News Kitchen

2012-01-01T03:44:00.000+11:00

‘Spunky’ cavatelli and broccoli
Pasta with broccoli and a strong earthy olive oil is a very popular winter dish for Italians and cavatelli seem like the ideal pasta choice. Its crevices create lots of little spaces where the broccoli sauce can nest. I’ve added a hint of mustard to my broccoli puree to give it a little ‘spunk’. Another option might be a few peperoncino (red pepper) flakes. Bring 4 litres (quarts) of water to the boil to cook the pasta while the broccoli is steaming. Serves 8.

2 large stalks of fresh broccoli (approximately 1lb/450g)
1–2 large cloves garlic, sliced lengthwise in quarters
1½ tbsp sharp mustard (Dijon type)
1/2 tsp salt
1lb/450g cavatelli pasta
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

Separate the broccoli florets from the stems and cut them into small pieces. Peel the tough outer skin from the stems then cut them into small pieces. Place all the broccoli in a steam basket, wash and drain.
Add 2 cups of water to a large pot. Place the basket of broccoli in the pot. Add the garlic slices on top of the broccoli. Cover and steam gently for 15 minutes or until the broccoli is tender. Once cooked, transfer the broccoli-garlic mixture to a food processor. Reserve the cooking water. Pulse the broccoli mixture for 15 seconds. Add ½ cup of the reserved water. Pulse for another 15 seconds. Repeat with another ½ cup of water and another 15 seconds of pulsing. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts (litres) of water to the boil and cook the pasta until al dente following the directions on the packet for timing.
Whisk together the mustard and the salt in a small dish with 2 tablespoons of the cooking water. Add to the food processor. Pulse for another 15 seconds. Set aside and keep warm. (You will have about 2½ cups of this pureed sauce.)
Drain and tip the al dente pasta back into the saucepan and toss with the olive oil. Add in the broccoli mixture, toss thoroughly and serve with grated cheese.

Per serve
Energy: 880kJ/292cals; Protein 8g; Fat 9g (includes 1g saturated fat and 2mg cholesterol); Available carbohydrate 45g; Fibre 4g

Cut back on the food bills and enjoy fresh-tasting, easily prepared, seasonal, satisfying and delicious low or moderate GI meals that don’t compromise on quality and flavour one little bit with this Money Saving Meals recipe making the most of cauliflower, now in season for those readers in the midst of winter. For more recipes check out the Money Saving Meals website.

Cauliflower and Red Lentil Stew
When we spoke to Professor David Jenkins for GI News, we asked him if he would share his favourite low GI meal with us. ‘My wife has a very tasty stew,’ he said. ‘It’s like a very thick lentil soup with chunks of marinated cauliflower in it. I have to say that I could overeat on that quite easily.’ We tried it – it’s delicious, nutritious and perfect to kick start your meatless Mondays. Makes about 4–6 servings.

1 cup chopped onions
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp oregano
1 large cauliflower, chopped into florets
1 green pepper (capsicum), chopped
4 carrots, sliced or if large – diced
1 vegetable bouillon cube
½ cup water
1 cup red lentils, well rinsed
2 tbsp whole wheat flour

Gently sauté the onions in the olive oil until translucent. Add oregano, cauliflower, pepper, carrots, bouillon cube and water. Stir until well mixed, cover and simmer until cauliflower is cooked (soft rather than still crispy).
While the cauliflower is cooking, add lentils to 3 cups of water in a saucepan and boil until lentils are soft.
Sprinkle the whole wheat flour over the cauliflower mixture and stir until the stew begins to thicken, add lentils and serve.

Per serve (6 serves)
Energy: 780kJ/185cals; Protein 12g; Fat 4g (includes 0.6g saturated fat and 0mg cholesterol); Available carbohydrate 21g; Fibre 9g

My Meatless Mondays
Book cover pic

Chickpea tagine with harissa
This recipe is an extract from The Meat Free Monday Cookbook, foreword by Paul, Stella and Mary McCartney, edited by Annie Rigg, published by Kyle books and available in good bookshops and online. The book is conveniently organised by season with menu plans for 52 weeks – so you never need to eat the same meal twice! Serves 4

1 large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
1 red pepper (capsicum), deseeded and diced
1 stick celery, chopped
1 courgette (zucchini), chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
pinch saffron stamens
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 cinnamon stick
220g/7oz can chopped tomatoes
2¾ cups vegetable stock
400g/14oz can chickpeas, drained
1 tbsp clear honey
salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve
wholewheat or barley couscous harissa

Tip the cumin and coriander seeds into a small dry frying pan and toast over a medium heat for 30 seconds until fragrant. Lightly grind using a pestle and mortar. Soak the saffron stamens in1 tablespoon of boiling water.
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3–4 minutes until tender but not coloured. Add the ground spices, garlic, grated ginger and cinnamon stick and continue to cook for a further minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and tip the vegetables and the drained chickpeas into the pan. Stir to coat the veggies in the spiced mixture and pour over the stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and continue to cook for 20–25 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the honey and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Serve in bowls with whole wheat couscous and a good spoonful of harissa.

Per serve
Energy: 1200kJ/290cals; Protein 9g; Fat 12g (includes 2g saturated fat and 0mg cholesterol); Available carbohydrate 33g; Fibre 9g

Busting Food Myths with Nicole Senior

2012-01-01T03:43:00.001+11:00

Nicole Senior

Myth: You need to eat meat to get protein
Fact: There’s plenty of protein in plant foods
It’s a popular view that you need to eat meat to obtain protein, however this is far from the truth. Protein exists in many plant-based foods and in appreciable quantities.

How much do protein do we need? Well, not as much as you might think. The recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) in Australia is 46g a day for women and 64g a day for men aged 19-70 years. Check out how much protein you get from these different foods (we have rounded the figures).

Eggs contain perfect quality protein against which all other proteins are measured. Protein quality is a reflection of the number and balance of essential amino acids (protein building blocks) present.

One 50g egg contains around 6g protein

Dairy foods are great sources of protein.

1 cup of reduced fat milk contains around 9g protein
200g/7oz of low fat yoghurt contains around 13g protein
40g/1½oz of cheese (hard variety such as cheddar) contains around 9g protein

Fish & seafood are excellent sources of protein. Pesco-vegetarians eat fish but not meat.

100g/3½oz white fish (cooked) contains a hefty 25g of protein
100g/3½oz prawns/shrimp (cooked) 24g protein
100g/3½oz squid/octopus (cooked) 21g protein

Legumes (pulses) are great low GI sources of protein.

½ cup baked beans in tomato sauce provides around 7g protein
½ cup canned, drained cannellini beans provides around 8g protein
2/3 cup cooked red lentils provides around 9g protein
1 cup cooked split peas provides around 12g protein
1 cup cooked soy beans provides around 23g protein
100g (3 1/2 oz) tofu (raw) provides around 12g protein
1 cup light soy milk provides around 5g protein

Breakfast cereals, breads and grains are surprisingly high in protein, and the relatively high protein content of wheat is one of the reasons it has become such a widely grown staple food crop. Here are some low and moderate GI examples:

¾ cup Kelloggs Special K Original provides around 6g protein
¾ cup Kelloggs All-Bran provides around 7g protein
¼ cup raw traditional rolled oats provides around 3g protein
1 slice soy and linseed bread provides around 6g protein
1 cup cooked brown rice (GI 59–86, so check the tables and choose a lower GI one) provides around 5g protein
1 cup cooked pasta provides around 7g protein
1 cup cooked soba/buckwheat noodles provides around 9g protein
1 cup cooked pearl barley provides around 6g protein
1/2 cup cooked quinoa provides around 4g protein

Nuts and seeds are super nutritious foods that also contain protein.

A small handful (30g/1oz) of most nuts or seeds will deliver around 5g protein

Menu: If you enjoyed the following plant foods over the day for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, you’d easily meet the RDI for protein for men (the highest requirement).

½ cup oats 6g
1 cup milk 9g
2 slices soy and linseed bread 12g
20g cheese 5g
1 cup soba noodles 9g
100g tofu 12g
1 tub yoghurt 13g
30g mixed nuts 5g
TOTAL 69g

So, you don’t need to eat meat to get enough protein because it is easily available in plant foods. However the nutrients meat does provide more efficiently than plant foods are iron, zinc and vitamin B12. Vive le Meatless Monday!

Nicole Senior is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutritionist and author of Eat to Beat Cholesterol, Heart Food and Belly Busting for Bloke s.

GI Symbol News with Dr Alan Barclay

2012-01-01T03:42:00.001+11:00

Dr Alan Barclay

The ‘new’ Australian Dietary Guidelines, carbs and GI
The draft (there’s still time to comment) Australian Dietary Guidelines are a definite improvement on earlier versions. But they represent a mix of progress and lost opportunities and we must do much better if we are going to tackle the diabetes and obesity epidemics. We need to get them right because as Drs Willett and Ludwig point out (commenting on the US equivalent), they have a major impact on our foods and diets – government food policies, food and health programs and food regulations generally comply with them, even though the average consumer has never heard of them. Here, I am simply going to focus on a couple of key issues regarding carbs because they focus on the health problems associated with eating and drinking too many added sugars, but ignore or confuse the role of added refined starches.

Added sugars The Guidelines advise people to limit their intake of sugar-sweetened drinks. While there is some evidence that people who are obese should limit their intake of sugar sweetened beverages, there is evidence that Australians are drinking less of them, but we are still gaining weight and developing type 2 diabetes. So something else is happening ...

Starchy foods Here they take a ‘good cop’ ‘bad cop’ approach. They generally opt for the out-dated term ‘complex carbohydrate’ instead of ‘starch’, the term recommended by the World Health Organisation since 1997. This is confusing and misleading as most people don’t know that starches are complex carbohydrates – they are one and the same. Complex carbohydrates (specially wholegrain ones) are the good cops and there’s lots about their health benefits in the draft Guidelines. Starches are the bad cops and this is the term they choose to use when discussing dental caries or other health problems, e.g.: ‘Historically, the prevalence of dental caries has increased when dietary patterns have changed to include more added sugars and foods containing refined starches.’ And ‘fermentable carbohydrates (both sugars and starches) are a substrate for bacteria such as S. mutans and S. sobrinus, which increase the acid-producing potential of dental plaque’.

Glycemic Index Interestingly, every Australian Guideline in the draft has a statement comparable with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. One area where they have very obviously borrowed straight from the US is with the glycemic index. They say: ‘The review for the US guidelines also found strong and consistent evidence that glycaemic index and/or glycaemic load are not associated with body weight and do not lead to greater weight loss or better weight management. These factors were not included in the literature review to inform the revision of these Guidelines.’ However, in their critical review of the new American Dietary Guidelines, Drs Willett and Ludwig state ‘Furthermore, the quality of carbohydrates, as characterized by their glycemic index, is dismissed as unimportant, whereas we believe the evidence strongly suggests the opposite.’

We agree with Drs Willett and Ludwig: there is in fact level 1 evidence (the highest level) that low GI diets help people lose more weight and in particular body fat than regular healthy diets, and level 2 evidence that low GI diets help people keep the weight off for longer. And of course it is short-sighted to focus just on body weight with a diabetes epidemic on our doorstep. The GI is widely accepted around the world by diabetes associations as a useful dietary tool for people with diabetes to help them manage their blood glucose levels.

We will be commenting on these draft Guidelines and we urge you to do so as well. They offer Australia an opportunity to lead the world by:

Discarding an outdated term like ‘complex carbohydrate’ which does not describe how carbohydrates behave in our bodies, and
Encouraging the consumption of low GI carbohydrate foods to reduce rates of overweight, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

The GI Symbol, making healthy low GI choices easy choices

For more information about the GI Symbol Program
Dr Alan W Barclay, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
Glycemic Index Foundation (Ltd)
Phone: +61 (0)2 9785 1037
Mob: +61 (0)416 111 046
Fax: +61 (0)2 9785 1037
Email: mailto:alan.barclay@gisymbol.com
Website: http://www.gisymbol.com/

GI Update

2012-01-01T03:41:00.000+11:00

Prof Jennie Brand-Miller answers your questions

Prof Jennie Brand-Miller

In the past month, I have received two inspirational weightloss success stories from women which I want to share with GI News readers (with their permission). The stories raise weightloss questions I am frequently asked about – plateau-ing and feeling hungry all the time.

I have been following the Low GI diet since June of this year and have lost 40 pounds. I did not think it would be so easy but it truly is. I am so happy that I stumbled on it looking for a diet that I can manage. I do work in the food industry and have found that has helped a lot in creating meals for myself and family. The only concern I have now is that I want to lose at least another 15 pounds but I seem to have hit a plateau and I have not lost any weight for about 2 weeks. Will this pass because I do not wish to cut any more out of my daily intake because I notice that cravings do start when I do so.

Plateau-ing is common and normal. This is because your body weighs less and you are now eating exactly the calories (kilojoules) that you need. You are right, eating less isn’t the answer. One strategy now is to up your energy expenditure, i.e .exercise, aiming for 60 minutes every day (or 20 minutes of Peak 8s) levels to increase the metabolic rate. Some form of resistance training to build muscle mass is good. I like Peak 8s because they are so efficient. Another option is to just try to maintain your current weight for a couple of months … eating to appetite … and then try for more weight loss later. Good luck and do let me know how you go.

I am a professional female, 61 years old, and over the last 95 weeks have lost 61 kilos with a low fat, low GI, calorie controlled diet and considerable consistent exercise. No health issues apart from hypothyroidism. This weight issue has tormented me all my adult life so of course I am thrilled to finally have come this far (from 130 kilos to 68). I am struggling to lose 3 more kilos and am very interested in research about weight maintenance and appetite control. I have, and continue to be hungry all the time. All my doctor says is ‘you will get used to it – after 95 weeks! A tale I am sure you have heard many times.

Thank you for taking the trouble to write. It's an amazing amount of weight and I’m not surprised you are hungry all the time. You might like to increase your protein intake and fat intake, with good fats of course, and reduce carbs a little (just modest changes). I say this because of recent studies suggesting that a high protein, low GI diet is the best diet for weight maintenance after weight loss.

GI testing by an accredited laboratory North America
Dr Alexandra Jenkins
Glycemic Index Laboratories
20 Victoria Street, Suite 300
Toronto, Ontario M5C 298 Canada
Phone +1 416 861 0506
Email info@gilabs.com
Web www.gilabs.com

Australia
Fiona Atkinson
Research Manager, Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service (SUGiRS)
Human Nutrition Unit, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences
Sydney University
NSW 2006 Australia
Phone + 61 2 9351 6018
Fax: + 61 2 9351 6022
Email sugirs@mmb.usyd.edu.au
Web www.glycemicindex.com

See The New Glucose Revolution on YouTube

Making the Most of GI News

2012-01-01T03:40:00.000+11:00

charge others for access to the work
include all or part of the work in advertising or a product for sale, or
modify the work.

GI News—December 2011

2011-12-01T03:52:00.000+11:00

Eating fish regularly linked to lower risk of diabetes and heart disease
Low GI diet, with or without a change in weight, is good for overall health
Holiday cooking with low GI Carisma potatoes
Is a day or two of festive overeating harmless?
How to lower the GI of your baking
Submit a low GI left-overs recipe to OzHarvest for their cookbook

It’s laden table, festive fare time, so this issue we have 7 low GI recipes from colleagues from around the world to share. Our take-home message however, is to remember that food provides more than nourishment and pleasure, it can also ‘build bridges to friendship’. We were reminded of this reading a wonderful new cookbook, Monday Morning Cooking Club, whose authors have raised $230,000 for charity including OzHarvest (see Food for Thought). It’s not a diet book or health book. It’s a book about the real food that real people love to prepare and serve their loved ones and many of the recipes are low GI (the chicken and barley soup is perfect for a wet and wintry night). May you enjoy cooking and sharing good food (low GI of course!) and good times with your family and friends in the month ahead and years to come.

Good eating, good health and good reading.

Editor: Philippa Sandall
Web management and design: Alan Barclay, PhD

Food for Thought

2011-12-01T03:51:00.000+11:00

Ten million meals

“My name is Ken and I am a rough sleeper. I have been living on the streets of Sydney for the past 10 years and I am 62 years old. The years have been very hard on both mind and body, but one thing has made the past five years bearable and that is OzHarvest. They don't only feed people like me with fresh and nutritious food but they supply drop-in centres right across Sydney. We, the homeless, are forever grateful for the caring people of OzHarvest. We love and thank you OzHarvest.”

OzHarvest is a non-denominational charity that collects and delivers perishable excess food from food wholesalers, retailers, function centres, caterers, supermarkets, corporate offices, restaurants, and cafes and delivers it to charities feeding people in need on the same day. They don't store or warehouse food. Currently they deliver 333,000 meals a month Australia wide with a fleet of 16 vans. By distributing food to those in need, they turn excess food into a resource and save thousands of kilograms of food from being dumped as landfill each year.

It all began when founding director Ronni Kahn decided that she was not prepared to be part of the waste cycle that is a natural outcome of the hospitality industry. Being part of this industry for over 20 years, she saw a lot of food thrown away. Researching options for dealing with excess perishable food, she found there was no organisation in Sydney that could collect the food on a regular and professional basis, so she set up a food rescue charity herself. Backed by The Macquarie Group Foundation which provided funds and Goodman International which provided a van and office space, OzHarvest was established and collected its first meal in November 2004.

Share your favourite low GI recipe making the most of left-overs OzHarvest is now celebrating collecting and delivering ten million meals to disadvantaged Australians by creating cookbook called Ten Million Meals which will weave together personal stories and recipes using left-overs. It will feature recipes from Jamie Oliver, Neil Perry, Matt Moran, Maggie Beer, Kylie Kwong and Bill Granger along with recipes from the rest of us who feed our families every day. How about sending in your favourite low GI one? They'd want to know a little about your recipe too. Is it a family favourite? Has it been passed down through generations? Or is it something you recently whipped up with left-overs in the fridge? The closing date for submission is 19 December 2011. Check out the guidelines HERE and let your recipe be part of a program where food builds bridges to friendship.

News Briefs

2011-12-01T03:50:00.001+11:00

Low GI diet, with or without a change in weight, is good for overall health
A randomised controlled trial from the Diogenes study published in Circulation indicates that eating a low GI diet, with or without a change in weight, is good for your overall health and will help prevent the diseases that are linked to inflammation (obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, arthritis). It’s a rather technical report, so we asked Prof Jennie Brand-Miller to explain the results for GI News readers. ‘Inflammation is the result of oxidative stress in the cells,’ she says. ‘Having too much glucose makes the cells see ‘red’. It is well known, that weight loss will reduce inflammation and risk of developing such diseases, now we know that a low GI diet alone (with or without weight loss) will reduce inflammation and risk of inflammatory diseases.’

Regularly eating fish linked to lower diabetes and cardiovascular risk
People who regularly eat fish as their primary source of animal protein have lower blood glucose concentrations and a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes are the findings of a study published in Nutrición Hospitalaria, whereas consuming red meat, especially cured meats is related to increased weight gain and obesity. Mercedes Sotos Prieto, lead author of the study which forms part of the Prevention with a Mediterranean Diet study explains how ‘in Mediterranean countries, consumption of foods that typically form part of the diet here has decreased in recent decades. The consumption of saturated fats mainly from red meats and industrial baking has increased and this is really worrying.’ The researcher points out that ‘the red meat consumption of the sample population reaches an average of once a day, which is high in comparison to dietary recommendations.’ Conducted in the Valencian Community on 945 people (340 men and 605 women) between 55 and 80 years of age, the aim of the study was to understand dietary patterns in terms of meat and fish consumption and the correlation between the Mediterranean diet and its association with CVD risk factors.

‘Various hypotheses have been put forward that attempt to explain why the consumption of fish can be related to diabetes,’ they explain. ‘The increase of omega-3 in the cells of the skeletal muscles improves insulin sensitivity.’

AMD-like lesions delayed in mice fed lower GI diet

Prof Allen Taylor
Feeding older mice a lower GI diet delays the onset of age-related, sight-threatening retinal lesions, according to a new study from the Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research at Tufts University. We usually prefer to stick to clinical trials and epidemiological studies in humans in GI News, but this research in Aging Cell appears to establish the first mature, mammalian model indicating a delay in the development of AMD-like lesions as the result of a lower GI diet. Prof Allen Taylor says: ‘The only difference between the two groups of mice we studied is the GI of their meals, which suggests that diet alone is enough to accelerate or delay the formation of lesions. These results, coupled with similar observations made by our laboratory in earlier human epidemiologic studies imply that lower GI diets hold potential as an early intervention for preventing onset and progress of AMD.’

The researchers studied middle-aged and older mice that consumed either a higher or lower GI diet. Mice fed the lower GI diet developed fewer and less-severe age-related lesions in the retina than the mice fed the higher GI diet. Compared to the mice on the lower GI diet, mice on the higher GI diet demonstrated elevated accumulations of debris known as advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in the whole retina, particularly in the cells of the RPE (retinal pigment epithelium). The RPE plays a crucial role in maintaining vision and its dysfunction results in the gradual central vision loss that is the hallmark of AMD. AGE accumulation has also been linked to tissue damage in other age-related diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Holiday cooking with Carisma

Australia’s versatile low GI spud is back in Coles supermarkets (sorry not yet Tasmania) ready for all your holiday cooking for family and friends through December and January. Here at GI News we are tossing up between Roasted Potato Salad with Capers and Turmeric Roasted Potatoes both from the Monday Morning Cooking Club cookbook.

Sadly, there are always naysayers even about spuds! ‘Potato farmer Dave’ posted a comment on Catherine Saxelby’s website review of Carisma potatoes claiming that ‘Carisma is not a potato variety but simply a clever but simple marketing trick of the potato company that sells them to Coles’. Sorry Dave, you are so wrong. Carisma is an Australian first. It is a distinct variety of potato owned by Agrico (a Dutch seed production company) and all the development (several years of it) was done here in Australia by the Mitolo Group with constant GI testing carried out by SUGiRS. If you want to know more about this low GI spud, check out Catherine’s independent Foodwatch Review and see her answer to potato farmer Dave HERE. Tasmania – you’ll have Carisma spuds in your Coles supermarkets early in 2012.

Helping Australian consumers make better choices
Easier-to-understand nutritional labelling for consumers and greater restrictions on the health claims that can be made about that food are among the Australian Government’s response to a national Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy. You can read the full press release HERE. The Government proposes:

work begin with the food industry and public health groups to develop a single front-of-pack labelling model that will assist Australian shoppers when they make choices about the food they buy
standards for nutrition and health claims on food labels such as ‘low fat’, ‘high in fibre’, etc be improved to ensure the labels reflect public health goals and provide meaningful information to consumers
improvements to back-of-pack labelling to provide consumers with better information about added sugars, fats and vegetable oils
mandating pregnancy warning labels on alcohol that are currently being used voluntarily by industry within two years.

Salt reduction – where’s the jury on this?
Back in August we reported on a recent Cochrane Review that said ‘cutting down on the amount of salt has no clear benefits in terms of likelihood of dying or experiencing cardiovascular disease (CVD).’ The researchers made this finding partly because there just haven’t been large enough trials run for long enough periods of time to prove that sodium reduction really does reduce the risk of heart attack and strokes (CVD).

Now the latest Cochrane Review (on salt) concludes that ‘we do not know if low salt diets improve or worsen health outcomes’. Here’s their plain language summary based on 167 studies between 1950 and 2011 that they reviewed: ‘Low salt diets reduced systolic blood pressure by 1% in white people with normal blood pressure and by 3.5% in white people with elevated blood pressure. The effect was similar in trials of 4 weeks or longer. There were increases in some hormones and lipids which could be harmful if persistent over time. However, the studies were not designed to measure long-term health effects. Therefore we do not know if low salt diets improve or worsen health outcomes. Most of the people who took part in the studies were whites, but in the small number of non-whites the blood pressure reduction was, if anything, greater. More research on reduced salt intake is required, particularly in non-white populations.’

Where does this leave us? First of all, salt reduction is not the only way of lowering blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease.

Losing 10 kg of excess body weight will reduce blood pressure by 5–20 mmHg
Consuming a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products with a reduced saturated and total fat content (i.e., the DASH diet) will lower blood pressure by 8–14 mmHg
30 minutes a day of regular physical activity (a brisk walk will do) will lower it by 4–9 mmHg

Our take-home message: To keep out of the emergency room, being active and enjoying an overall healthy low GI diet that’s moderate in sodium (460 - 2,300 mg a day) and lower in calories and saturated fat is good for your overall health as the latest Diogenes study (see above) has found and will help prevent obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and arthritis (diseases linked to inflammation).

Get the Scoop with Emma Stirling

2011-12-01T03:49:00.000+11:00

The scoop on staying on the health track over the holidays

Emma Stirling APD

As we enter the home stretch to the holidays, tis the season to be jolly and cocktail parties, neighbourhood gatherings, work functions and backyard BBQs crowd our calendars, just as leftovers crowd our fridge and pantry. So, how can you stay on the health track with all this abundance? And what’s the smart approach to leftovers and food gifts? Here's the scoop.

Be a host, with the most When you plan your party aim for quality not quantity. Indulging your guests with seafood may be more expensive than a bowl of chips or crackers and high fat dip, but if it’s a special occasion the investment in your health goals is worth it. If you plan a right size portion of each course for each guest, you can stay on budget and not have leftovers to tempt you. Pass on the big plates. Your favourite salads look stunning served in a drinking glass with a dessert fork at party time, just as I did for my recipe for Hot smoked salmon and freekeh nicoise.

Bring a (healthy) plate A common holiday eating trap is the family and neighbourhood get-together. Everyone is so willing to bring a dessert, dip or dish that there is often way too much (rich and creamy) food on offer, not to mention a fridge groaning with leftovers. So tell your host that you will bring your signature Moroccan chickpea salad or our Low GI, Carisma potato salad with lemon yogurt dressing. You can then skip the creamy coleslaw and creamy pasta salad and fill half your plate with veggies (even if your brought them yourself!)

Let it go Pass on the cute-shaped shortbreads and mince pies and make your own gifts like preserved lemons, herb vinegars, lovely fruit baskets with a sprinkling of exotic nuts or grow-your-own pots of culinary herbs.

Stay safe Christmas is a high risk time for food poisoning, especially in places where summer heat can affect perishable, party food quickly. You need to take special care preparing food for young children, pregnant women, the elderly and anyone whose immune system may be compromised. Follow the golden rules of food safety: use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw meats and defrost meat and poultry in the fridge or butchers cool room; transfer perishable food in an esky or icebox; keep food in the fridge until the last minute or pull out small serves throughout the party; refrigerate leftovers as quickly as possible and use within 2-3 days, discarding any items that have been on the kitchen bench or buffet too long. Get creative with your leftover ham or turkey, like in our recipe for Turkey and bean chili with avocado salsa or Cajun stuffed peppers, and you’ll sail into the New Year in great shape.

Emma Stirling is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and health writer with over ten years experience writing for major publications. She is editor of The Scoop on Nutrition – a blog by expert dietitians. Check it out for hot news bites and a healthy serve of what’s in flavour.

In the GI News Kitchen

2011-12-01T03:48:00.000+11:00

Cheese-filled leek cannelloni
This is my friend Vanda’s recipe. She was served this unusual ‘primo piatto’ at a restaurant in the mountains well above her village in northern Italy. She replicated it perfectly (she says) at home and has shared it with me. And now I’m sharing it with you. Buon appetito! Serves 4 (2 pieces each).

4 long cleaned leeks, white parts only
120g/4oz gorgonzola dolce (sweet), at room temperature
120g/4oz part-skim ricotta
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tbsp grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

Cut the leeks in half so you have 8 pieces, each approximately 10cm/4in long. Steam for approximately 25 minutes or until the leeks are very soft but still holding their shape. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Carefully cut through the outer layers and gently open. Do not cut through all the layers. Depending on how thick each leek is, separate the layers and lay them on a flat surface, overlapping 3–4 layers on each other.
Prepare the filling by mixing together the cheeses in a small bowl, using a fork to smooth.
Divide the filling among the prepared leek layers and gently roll to close.
Place the cannelloni, cut side down, in a shallow, oven-proof casserole dish, previously sprayed with vegetable oil. Drizzle the olive oil over the top of the leeks, then sprinkle the breadcrumbs and the grated cheese. Grill/broil 10cm/4in from the grill for 5–6 minutes or until the leeks are golden brown. Serve immediately.

Per serve
Energy: 880kJ/210cals; Protein 11g; Fat 15g (includes 8g saturated fat and 33mg cholesterol); Available carbohydrate 3g; Fibre 1g

Cut back on the food bills and enjoy fresh-tasting, easily prepared, seasonal, satisfying and delicious low or moderate GI meals that don’t compromise on quality and flavour one little bit with this Money Saving Meals recipe from Ian Hemphill's Just Add Spice (with Lyndey Milan and published by Penguin/Lantern). For more recipes check out the Money Saving Meal website.

Baharat beef with olives.
Spice up your holiday fare with this casserole made with inexpensive, slow-cooking cuts such as chuck or gravy beef). The book includes the recipe to make your own spice mix – but we prefer to use Herbies ready-made blend. Baharat, sometimes referred to as Lebanese seven spice, has a beautiful bouquet that conveys all the romantic fragrances of everything that is spice. We used low GI Carisma potatoes, but if they aren’t available, you can reduce the GI by mashing low GI root vegies like parsnip, carrot and butternut pumpkin with the potato. Serves 4–6.

1 tbsp olive oil
3–4 cloves garlic, chopped
1kg (2lb 4oz) lean beef, cubed
5 tsp baharat spice mix
400g (14oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
½ cup (125ml) dry red wine
12 pitted black olives
Salt
Mashed Carisma potatoes (4), to serve

Preheat the oven to 120ºC/250ºF (100ºC/210ºF fan-forced.
Heat the oil in a medium, heavy-based flameproof casserole dish over medium–low heat and soften the garlic. Do not brown.
Toss the cubes of meat in the baharat spice mix. Increase the heat to medium, add the beef to the casserole dish and cook briefly until sealed on all sides. Add the tomatoes wine, olives and ½ cup (125ml) water. Season to taste with salt if desired, but keep in mind that the olives are salty so you may not need much. Stir frequently and bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook in the oven for 2½–3 hours until the beef is very tender. Serve over a scoop of well-mashed potatoes with a salad on the side.

Just Add Spice (and baharat spice mix) is available from Herbies.

Per serve (for 6 serves without the mashed potato)
Energy: 1700kJ/400cals; Protein 38g; Fat 11g (includes 4g saturated fat and 100mg cholesterol); Available carbohydrate 28g; Fibre 3.5g

Honey baked salmon
The salmon is smothered in an aromatic mixture of honey, fresh garlic and ginger, soy sauce, coarse grain mustard, and balsamic vinegar in this fabulously simple and delicious recipe from Azmina Govindji, nutrition consultant for the Ismaili Nutrition Centre. Azmina recommends serving it on a bed of brown rice with a crisp green salad, and for that really special occasion, partnering it up with asparagus tips. Serves 2.

1 heaped tsp honey
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1–2 tsp coarse grain mustard
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2cm/3/4in chunks fresh ginger, chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 tsp chopped fresh green chillies (optional)
2 salmon fillets, each about 120g/4oz

Mix together all of the ingredients except the salmon. Marinate the salmon fillets in this mixture and set them aside for half an hour (if you have time).
Place the fillets with the marinade on a lightly greased baking tray and cook in an oven preheated to 200°C (400°F) or gas mark 6 for 10–12 minutes until just cooked.

Azmina Govindji is a Registered Dietitian and TV Nutritionist (as seen on The One Show, The Wright Stuff and This Morning). she is Media Spokesperson for British Dietetic Association and NHS Choices. Find her at twitter.com/AzminaNutrition

Per serve (without the brown rice and salad)
Energy: 880kJ/232cals; Protein 25g; Fat 13g (includes 2g saturated fat and 33mg cholesterol); Available carbohydrate 3.5g; Fibre negligible

Blood orange compote
This light, not too sweet, slightly acidic and low GI dessert makes the perfect finishing note to a big meal. The Monday Morning Cooking Club team agreed to share it with GI News readers for this special holiday fare edition. The recipe was contributed by Barbara Solomon who has been making it for years for her family and friends having adapted it way back from one she found in Janet Fletcher’s Fresh from the Farmers’ Market. Serves 6–8.

6–8 large blood or navel oranges (or a mixture of both
¾ cup LogiCane or table sugar
1 cup dry white wine
1 cinnamon stick
2–3 cloves
2 thin (5mm) slices peeled fresh ginger, lightly smashed
1 cup water

Remove 4 wide strips of peel from 1 orange, making sure there is no pith, and reserve. Cut a thin slice off the top and bottom of each orange. Using a small paring knife, slice off the peel and pith. Cut between the membranes to remove the segments and place in a serving bowl. Alternatively, cut the peeled oranges into 5mm (1/8in) thick slices.
Combine, in a saucepan, the remaining ingredients plus the reserved strips of orange peel. Bring to the boil and simmer on medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, for 10–15 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced to 1 ½ cups (375ml). Strain the hot syrup and pour over the fruit, adding the cinnamon stick to the fruit. Leave to cool. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Serve chilled.

The Monday Morning Cooking Club started back in 2006 when 6 Jewish women who live in Sydney came together on a Monday morning to share recipes and talk about food. What started as an idea to raise money for charity (over $230,000 to date), grew into a project to document their community’s somewhat obsessive relationship with food, and became a beautifully photographed (by Alan Benson) book with 100 recipes from 65 ‘contributing cooks’. It’s available from their website HERE.

Per serve (based on 8 servings using 8 oranges)
Energy: 750kJ/180cals; Protein 2g; Fat 0.5g (includes 0.1g saturated fat and 0mg cholesterol); Available carbohydrate 35g; Fibre 4g

Baked fruit medley
This deliciously simple baked fruit medley from Catherine Saxelby and Jennene Plummer’s Zest cookbook (Hardie Grant) makes a fabulous finish to festive fare. When stone fruit is in season, Jennene suggests you ring the changes and top a selection of peaches, nectarines, apricots or plums with flaked almonds and bake for 15–20 minutes. Serves 4–6

¼ cup pure maple syrup
30g/1oz light margarine
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 green apples, quartered (retain skin and core)
3 pears, quartered (retain skin and core)
200g/7oz dried figs or the softer dessert figs
3 stalks rhubarb, trimmed and sliced
low-fat ice cream to serve

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF).
Combine the maple syrup, margarine, sugar and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Heat gently, stirring, until melted and well combined.

Arrange the apples, pears and figs in a baking dish. Pour in the syrup and toss gently so the fruit is evenly coated.Bake for 15 minutes. Add the rhubarb to the dish, stirring in gently so it is coated with syrup. Bake for a further 10–15 minutes until the fruit is tender. Serve warm with a scoop of low-fat ice cream.
Zest is available from Catherine’s website, Foodwatch.
Per serve (including 1 scoop low fat ice cream)
Energy: 1325kJ/315cals; Protein 3g; Fat 5g (includes 1g saturated fat); Available carbohydrate 63g; Fibre 10g

Busting Food Myths with Nicole Senior

2011-12-01T03:47:00.002+11:00

Nicole Senior

Myth: Festive overeating is harmless.
Fact: Festive overeating can have adverse health consequences. It’s time to outsmart our primitive instincts and engage higher order thinking about how much we eat during the holidays.

The holiday season is rapidly approaching and chief cooks in households around the world are starting to think about what festive fare to serve family and friends (of course the better organised ones have already made the Christmas puddings, mince pies and cakes). Serving the special foods that are part of your cultural traditions is part of the ritual and something everyone looks forward to. In my family, ensalada rusa (Spanish potato salad) will always be on the buffet table along with other traditional Spanish and Aussie Christmas fare. It's all so tempting, it's hard not to overfill your plate ...

However, is it really harmful? Well, professor of nutrition and psychiatry at Tufts University Susan Roberts reports Americans gain an average of between five and eight pounds in the short interval between Thanksgiving and the New Year (just one month). I’d bet most of that stays put after the Christmas tree is packed away.

The big problem these days with our festive fare is the the holiday season seems to have spread way beyond that special Christmas eve dinner or Christmas lunch with parties and celebrations galore, each vying for your eating affections. However each time you overload your system with excessive food, it’s akin to metabolic assault: your blood becomes milky with fat (post-prandial lipaemia); glucose, insulin levels and inflammatory hormones rise; your blood vessels become less flexible (called endothelial dysfunction) and your blood becomes more likely to clot (or pro-thrombotic). Unfortunately for those with diabetes or pre-diabetes, these adverse effects are worse.

And did you know that rather than signalling the body to ease-off at subsequent meals, huge meals actually increase appetite for the next meal perpetuating a vicious cycle of overeating (people often say their stomach has stretched). Eating high GI foods makes things worse. It’s no wonder emergency rooms experience a rush of cardiac patients on Christmas and Boxing Day.

Surely it’s time to move on? The planet can no longer sustain such excess and our physical health is suffering as a result. Here are some tips to help you resist the pull of festive overeating and holiday weight gain:

WHAT to eat

Utilise the hunger-busting power of protein (lean meat, poultry, seafood and eggs) and low GI carbs (dense grainy breads, pasta, milk and yoghurt) as well as the low-kilojoule filling-power of vegetables and legumes.
Focus on eating modest portions of food you really like and avoid the rest
Curb the liquid calories from sugary drinks and alcohol which don’t satisfy hunger but contribute to weight gain
Avoid or limit the calorific ‘nibbles’ served before or between meals
Limit how much alcohol you drink or you will lose those higher order thinking skills to put all of this into action

HOW to eat

Decide you will retain control beforehand and eat mindfully
Avoid turning up to festive feasts starving – this increases the chances of overeating
Resist the temptation to go for seconds
Enjoy small portions of rich foods like puddings and desserts – try sharing a single serving
If you are catering, be bold in offering healthier options and cook the right quantities to avoid waste. Don't pressure guests to eat more than they need.
If you’re on the receiving end of pressure to overeat, be kind but assertive. Your health and comfort need not suffer to please others.

Many of the adverse effects of overeating can be reversed by exercise, but it’s hard to throw a ball around when you’ve fallen into a postprandial stupor and can’t get out of your chair. Perhaps the best test of eating the right amount is having some get-up-and-go a few hours after getting up from the table? Sincere best wishes to you and yours for a happy and healthy festive season.

Further reading: Why do people eat too much? by Jonah Lehrer

Nicole Senior is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutritionist and author of Eat to Beat Cholesterol, Heart Food and Belly Busting for Bloke s.

GI Symbol News with Dr Alan Barclay

2011-12-01T03:46:00.003+11:00

Dr Alan Barclay

Celebrating the low GI way
You don’t have to forsake all of your favourite foods to avoid the battle of the bulge. Watching the amount of food you eat and swapping rich and fatty high GI foods for healthy low GI alternatives will help keep you on an even keel over the festive season. Here are some practical tips for the big day:

Main course	Serve size
Roast turkey breast with Stuffing (made with a Burgen or a grainy low GI bread or traditional oats), or	1 large slice 1 scoop
Baked ham, or	1 large slice
Honey and oregano roasted leg of lamb	1 large slice
Your favourite fish or seafood (avoid deep fried or battered varieties)	1 piece fish or 4 king prawns

Starchy sides (a generous ‘scoop’ is about ½ cup)
Vegetable roasties (see recipe below), or	1 generous scoop
Blu Gourmet pearl couscous salad with vegetables and cashew nuts and sesame dressing, or	1 generous scoop
Baked, boiled or steamed Carisma potatoes, or	1–2 potatoes
Potato (made with Carisma potatoes), rice, pasta or couscous salad with vinaigrette dressing, or	1 generous scoop
Bean, lentil or corn salad with vinaigrette dressing	1 generous scoop

Plus non-starchy veggies (as much as you like, but hold the creamy dressings and sauces)
Mixed garden salad	As much as you like
Green vegetables	As much as you like

Dessert
Pavlova with light whipped cream, sliced strawberries, bananas, grapes, kiwifruit and passion fruit, or	1 small piece
Trifle with sponge finger biscuits, diet jelly, low fat yogurt with strawberries and blueberries on top and 99% fat free fromage frais, or	1 small serve
Vanilla pannacotta with strawberry salsa	1 small serve

You can watch Alan demonstrate some healthy low GI alternatives on Channel 7's Sunrise.

Honey and oregano roasted leg of lamb with vegetable roasties
(Recipe by Anneka Manning from The Low GI Family Cookbook published by Hachette in Australia and Da Capo in the US/Canada) Serves 6 (with plenty of leftovers)

1 kg leg of lamb, trimmed of all visible fat
2 large garlic cloves, sliced
8 sprigs oregano, each halved
2 tbsp pure floral honey
4 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp lemon juice

To serve
1 quantity Vegetable roasties (see recipe)
steamed, boiled or microwaved green beans

Preheat oven to 200ºC (400ºF/Gas 6). Place a rack in a roasting pan and add 1 cup water to the pan. Use a small sharp knife to cut slits all over the surface of the lamb. Poke the garlic slices and sprigs of oregano into the slits. Place the lamb on the rack in the roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes. Combine the honey, mustard and lemon juice. Brush over the lamb and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes for medium or 30 minutes for well-done. Remove lamb from oven, cover loosely with foil and set aside in a warm place for 15 minutes to rest. Carve the lamb and serve accompanied by the Vegetable Roasties and steamed green beans.

Vegetable roasties
3 Carisma low GI potatoes
1 medium orange-fleshed sweet potato (about 500g/1lb 2oz)
2 medium parsnips (about 400g/10oz)
2 medium carrots (about 250g/8oz)
1/2 medium butternut pumpkin (about 700g/)
3 teaspoons olive oil
Pinch salt (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs rosemary, thyme or oregano, leaves removed from stems

Preheat the oven to 220ºC (440ºF) and line a roasting pan with non-stick baking paper. Peel all the vegetables, deseed the pumpkin and cut the vegetables into 2.5cm chunks. Place them in the prepared roasting pan, drizzle with the olive oil and a tiny sprinkle of salt (if using), pepper and herbs. Use your hands (clean of course) to toss the vegetables to coat with the oil and seasonings. Bake for 1 hour, or until golden and tender, tossing the vegetables about 3 times during cooking so that they brown and crisp evenly. Serve immediately.

Per serve
Energy: 2110kJs; Protein 44g; Fat 13g (includes 5g saturated fat and 110mg cholesterol); carbohydrate 45g; Fibre 9g; sodium 200 mg

The GI Symbol, making healthy low GI choices easy choices

For more information about the GI Symbol Program
Dr Alan W Barclay, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
Glycemic Index Foundation (Ltd)
Phone: +61 (0)2 9785 1037
Mob: +61 (0)416 111 046
Fax: +61 (0)2 9785 1037
Email: alan@gisymbol.com
Website: www.gisymbol.com

GI Update

2011-12-01T03:45:00.000+11:00

Prof Jennie Brand-Miller answers your questions

Prof Jennie Brand-Miller

I’m an avid cook, and I love December’s festive fare from the shaped special biscuits to Christmas cake and pudding and mince pies. Which flours, if any, are low GI?
To date there are no GI values for any raw flours of any kind – whether milled from wheat, soy, rice or other grains. This is because the GI rating of a food must be determined physiologically (in real people). So far we haven’t had volunteers willing to consume 50-gram portions of raw flour! What we do know, however, is that many bakery products such as scones, cakes, pikelets and crumpets made from fine flours, whether white or wholemeal, are quickly digested and absorbed. However, some products also made with fine flours, such as biscuits, are often low GI. Here at SUGiRS, we have even tested a low GI Christmas cake and low GI rum balls! So, the final GI of products made with flour is unpredictable.

With your own baking, what I suggest is that you try to increase the soluble fibre content by partially replacing flour with oat bran, psyllium or rolled oats. Of course for Christmas cake and pudding, you can also help lower the overall GI by adding lots of dried fruit. And if you like in Australia, make sure you use LogiCane, the low GI sugar. And keep those portions moderate as it’s really the calories that are the problem with these treat foods!

GI testing by an accredited laboratory North America
Dr Alexandra Jenkins
Glycemic Index Laboratories
20 Victoria Street, Suite 300
Toronto, Ontario M5C 298 Canada
Phone +1 416 861 0506
Email info@gilabs.com
Web www.gilabs.com

Australia
Fiona Atkinson
Research Manager, Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service (SUGiRS)
Human Nutrition Unit, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences
Sydney University
NSW 2006 Australia
Phone + 61 2 9351 6018
Fax: + 61 2 9351 6022
Email sugirs@mmb.usyd.edu.au
Web www.glycemicindex.com

See The New Glucose Revolution on YouTube

Making the Most of GI News

2011-12-01T03:44:00.000+11:00

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include all or part of the work in advertising or a product for sale, or
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GI News—November 2011

2011-11-01T06:58:00.000+11:00

GI pioneer Prof David Jenkins on GI and the best diet for longterm health
Prof Jennie Brand-Miller on GI and mixed meals
Babies and blood glucose
Why physical activity matters for managing BGLs
The scoop on sugar-free foods
Does taking vitamin supplements make you healthier?
New GI values for Vita-Weat Lunch slices, Up&Go Breakfast Yoghurt and Hollywood Foods More Than Pasta

Prof David Jenkin’s Glycemic index of foods: a physiological basis for carbohydrate exchange published in 1981 dramatically changed our understanding of carbohydrates and their effect on our bodies. Since then, research around the world has highlighted that the GI has implications for everybody including helping people maintain weight loss. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of its publication in AJCN, Fiona Atkinson, Manager of SUGiRS spoke with Prof Jenkins about the background to publishing the original paper and his current thoughts on GI, diet and health in general and Dr Alan Barclay reports on the incredible GI research journey.

Good eating, good health and good reading.

Editor: Philippa Sandall
Web management and design: Alan Barclay, PhD

Food for Thought

2011-11-01T06:54:00.000+11:00

Fiona Atkinson talks to Prof David Jenkins on GI, diet and longterm health
'I recently had a great opportunity to talk to Professor David Jenkins (a professor in the Departments of Medicine and Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, a staff physician in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, and the Director of the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Center, St. Michael's Hospital) to find out where the science of GI started. But we didn’t just cover GI but also other hot topics in nutrition such as vegetarian/vegan diets!'

Professor David Jenkins

FA: Did you have any idea at the time that the implications of your research and the paper Glycaemic index of foods: a physiological basis for carbohydrate exchange would be so far reaching?
DJ: We thought it would be broad because diabetes was linked with heart disease, renal disease, and with blindness. We didn’t want to even speculate how far this was going to go. We thought it was important because it was looking at diet from the physiological point of view and not simply from the chemical point of view.
FA: These days it typically takes 6 months for a paper to be reviewed/amended and then accepted for publication. Were there any challenges getting the study published at the time?
DJ: You’d be surprised, really surprised but Ted Van Itallie, who was editor of AJCN, a really nice guy and well known in terms of his work on obesity accepted the paper we sent him without revision and published it! Never before nor since have I had that treatment. The next surprise was that we got no requests for reprints, it was absolutely unnoticed for the next year. It was accepted without comment and without criticism, it was published and it was ignored.
FA: What did you do to follow up?
DJ: The data in the original publication included many studies, so we broke out many of the things already imbedded in it and started showing that pulses (beans, peas and lentils), were low GI foods; that cereal fibre didn’t necessarily make a difference and wheat fibre only made a small difference, which was again a surprise; and that pasta was different from bread. We must have done some self promotion and we referenced the original paper to make people aware that we made these discoveries before. I think people started to become interested in fibre or pasta or beans and I think that meant that there was a general interest. Out of all the papers that I’ve written and published, it’s had the slowest generation of interest but on the other hand it’s had the most sustained [interest].
FA: What do you see as the short term and long term benefits of adopting a low GI diet to prevent or treat disease.
DJ: I think that keeping glycemia under control stops you from stressing your pancreas, stops you from getting too much free radical damage and stops you from oxidising LDL [cholesterol], and stops you from glycating your haemoglobin. All these things may in the end have adverse consequences. Do I think that it matters that sleek, lean athletes who haven’t got an ounce of fat on their body, who’s blood glucose profile is flat and rarely raises above baseline are people on low GI diets. No – I think they can have high GI foods all the time and they can do what they like in life but in fact they don’t because by definition they’re trained athletes, by definition they’re incredibly disciplined, by definition they eat regularly and they exercise hard – they burn all their calories. So by definition they’re not slouches. But for the rest of us, mere mortals who don’t take any exercise and eat too much, watch too much television and do too much in front of computers and perhaps are driven to smoke – we really need to start thinking about how we are going to look after ourselves. We are becoming increasingly the norm, in fact we are the norm – the human greyhound is the abnormal person now.
FA: If you were going to give someone tips for the best things they could do for their longterm health, reducing disease risk even for the health of the planet and sustainability?
DJ: I think the first tip is focus on plant foods. The next tip is look at higher protein plus or minus the higher vegetable oil/vegetable protein foods such as nuts and legumes. Leafy vegetables are actually high in protein with very little fat and carbohydrate so these are useful. I think fruit is … should be the pleasure in life. Temperate climate fruit have a low GI so if you’re a little more overweight or a little insulin resistant you may have to forgo too many mangoes or too many bananas. Stick to apples, pears, peaches, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries – the berries – are generally good, I think that’s important. Obviously if you’re eating well, you must exercise well to the best of your ability – that’s important and often overlooked.
FA: What do you see as the benefit of going meatless?
DJ: I think the benefits are basically on an humanitarian perspective – I used to put that as a sort of rider at the end but I think now it’s becoming the first issue as human beings. Second, I think one has to think of the environmental issues. They always say it’s a ten to one ratio for plant based diet versus an animal based diet in terms of land consumption, water usage, which is obviously a problem in many places, and basically environmental impact and environmental degradation. We cannot afford to have the whole planet geared to feeding cattle that feed us, this seems to be an insanity that we accept because it’s palatable. I think those are really strong reasons. I think that if one is sensible and one watches B12 and one’s diet, one can live very well on a vegetarian or vegan diet.

Fiona Atkinson

News Briefs

2011-11-01T06:52:00.000+11:00

Babies and blood glucose
In a review in The British Journal of Nutrition of the current literature on maternal glycemia and the role of the dietary GI and its impact on pregnancy outcomes, the authors conclude: ‘Data from clinical studies in healthy pregnant women have documented that consuming a low-GI diet during pregnancy reduces peaks in postprandial glucose levels and normalises infant birth weight. Pregnancy is a physiological condition where the GI may be of particular relevance as glucose is the primary fuel for fetal growth.’

Prof Jennie Brand-Miller explains. ‘A woman’s body changes during pregnancy to ensure a steady supply of glucose to her baby,’ she says. ‘Glucose is the main fuel the baby uses to grow and it crosses freely from mother to baby through the placenta. How much glucose the baby receives depends directly on the mother’s blood glucose level and the rate of placental blood flow. If a woman’s blood glucose level is high, then higher levels of glucose will also be transferred to her baby. Babies make their own insulin from about 15 weeks to handle glucose. So the extra glucose stimulates the baby’s pancreas to make extra insulin. The extra glucose is metabolised and stored, making the baby grow bigger and fatter than normal. The good news for pregnant women is that by treating elevated glucose levels during pregnancy, the risk of any problems drops considerably. And this is where the GI comes to the fore. Foods with a low GI typically evoke a lower rise in blood glucose levels, making maintenance of normal glucose levels easier.’

Physical activity matters for managing BGLs
When healthy young people cut back their physical activity by about half for three days, they doubled their postprandial glucose responses to their meals according to findings of a study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. ‘We now have evidence that physical activity is an important part of the daily maintenance of glucose levels,’ says author Professor John Thyfault. ‘Even in the short term, reducing daily activity and ceasing regular exercise causes acute changes in the body associated with diabetes that can occur before weight gain and the development of obesity.’ Thyfault monitored the activity levels and diets of 12 healthy and moderately active young adults. When the participants reduced their physical activity by 50% for three days while continuing to enjoy the same diet, the continuous glucose monitors that they wore showed significantly increased levels in BGLs after meals. ‘This study shows that physical activity directly impacts health issues that are preventable,’ says Thyfault. ‘It is recommended that people take about 10,000 steps each day,’ ‘Recent evidence shows that most Americans are only taking about half of that, or 5000 steps a day. This chronic inactivity leads to impaired glucose control and increases the risk of developing diabetes.’

What’s New?
Event: World Diabetes Day is held on November 14. Each year WDD features a theme chosen by the International Diabetes Federation. The slogan chosen for this year's campaign is: Act on Diabetes. Now. Check the website to find out what’s happening.

Get the Scoop with Emma Stirling

2011-11-01T06:50:00.000+11:00

The scoop on sugar-free foods

Emma Stirling APD

For many years people with diabetes were told to cut out sugar completely. So it’s not surprising that we saw a huge increase in the number of products, from chewing gum to yoghurt, sweetened with alternatives. But in recent times ‘sugar free’ has come under the spotlight and the story for good health, may turn out to not be as sweet.

Sugar free does not mean calorie free. Just because your chocolate bar says ‘sugar free’ doesn’t mean that it is necessarily low in calories or will miraculously help you melt that fat away. Be careful to look at the total profile of a food by reading the nutrition information panel. If you bypass this step, you may be falling into the trap of a health halo – latching on to one prominent message and giving yourself permission to overeat or over compensate. Just because you were ‘good’ and had a diet cola does not automatically make way for a ‘sugar-free’ chocolate brownie indulgence.

Other concerns over sugar-free foods have surfaced. Some researchers have suggested that foods with artificial sweeteners may trigger hunger and cravings, but more studies are needed. And nutritionists have reported caffeine addictions when people get into the habit of swilling down large quantities of diet cola beverages all day. But it’s the new insights into dental health and that ‘sugar free’ label that’s got everyone talking.

Sugar-free foods are not all tooth friendly. We know that dental cavities can form when bacteria in your mouth convert sugars into acid, which then breaks down tooth enamel. So it would make sense that sugar-free foods would be a top choice for dental health. Indeed, some alternative sweeteners like xylitol have been shown in clinical trials to be ‘tooth friendly’. The problem is that you can’t make this same assumption for all sweeteners as a group. You see another sweetener sorbitol may be converted by bacteria in your mouth to acid. Furthermore, a recent study published in the British Dental Journal has shown that many sugar-free foods may in fact have a high acid content to start with. The presence of flavours, preservatives and other additives may make the food or drink highly acidic, which would cancel out the sugar-free benefits and could still lead to dental erosion.

The scoop Don’t panic if you enjoy sugar-free foods, these are just some new insights to keep in mind when balancing your healthy choices. Enjoying a sugar-free treat with a meal, rather than on its own and regularly brushing and flossing your teeth can minimise acid contact with your teeth.

Or perhaps you can satisfy your sweet tooth with a little sugar? Many studies in the past 20 years show that a moderate amount of sugar (e.g. 30–50 grams or 6–10 teaspoons a day) does not adversely affect BGLs (if you have diabetes) nor lead to unwanted weight gain. Keep in mind, however, that this moderate amount includes all sources of refined sugar you consume over the day – white, brown, raw, treacle, golden syrup, soft drinks, desserts, cookies, breakfast cereals or a teaspoon of sugar added to a cup of tea or coffee. For a sweet, icy treat with a healthy twist, try my recipe for Yogurt Pavlova Popsicles!

Emma Stirling is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and health writer with over ten years experience writing for major publications. She is editor of The Scoop on Nutrition – a blog by expert dietitians. Check it out for hot news bites and a healthy serve of what’s in flavour.

In the GI News Kitchen

2011-11-01T06:48:00.001+11:00

Broccoli rabe tricolore
‘Tricolore’ is how the Italians refer to their national flag. It has three colors: green white and red. And those are the colors you will see looking at you from this dish. Broccoli rabe is more popular in the US than it is in northern Italy so when I find it and make it for my friends in Friuli, they devour it! And don’t be fooled: the simplicity of this recipe belies its full-bodied taste. To clean broccoli rabe, cut away about 2cm (1in) from the bottom of the stems and remove any discolored leaves Makes 4 servings.

1 bunch broccoli rabe, cleaned
4–5 sun-dried tomatoes, cut in thin strips
¼ tsp salt
1½ tbsp good quality olive oil
30g/1oz ricotta salata, shredded

Place the broccoli rabe in a large sauté pan, add 1 cup water, cover and let simmer for approximately 8 minutes, or until stems are tender. Drain off all the water.
Add the tomatoes, salt and oil. Mix well in the pan. Transfer to serving dish. Top with prepared cheese. May be served warm or at room temperature.

Per serve
Energy: 530kJ/112cals; Protein 6g; Fat 7g (includes 1g saturated fat and 4mg cholesterol); Available carbohydrate 7g; Fibre 4g

Cut back on the food bills and enjoy fresh-tasting, easily prepared, seasonal, satisfying and delicious low or moderate GI meals that don’t compromise on quality and flavour one little bit with this Money Saving Meals dessert. For more recipes check out the Money Saving Meal website.

Vanilla pannacotta with strawberry salsa
If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll enjoy the light and healthy sweet endings Foodwatch’s Catherine Saxelby and Woman’s Day Food Director Jennene Plummer have created in their Zest cookbook. Jennene says: ‘If you don’t use gelatine very often in your cooking, remember to let it cool to the same temperature as the yoghurt mix. This minimises the risk of lumps forming and ensures you achieve that desirable creamy smoothness.’ Serves 6

2 x 200g (7oz) tubs no-fat vanilla yoghurt
2 tbsp honey (or to taste)
½ teaspoon vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract
3 tsp gelatine
1/4 cup (60ml) just boiled water

Strawberry salsa
250g/9oz (1 punnet) strawberries, hulled and chopped
1 tbsp icing sugar
1 tbsp Grand Marnier or orange juice

Chill six 80ml (1/3 cup) moulds. Combine the yoghurt, honey and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Dissolve the gelatine by whisking vigorously in hot water in a small jug. Allow to cool slightly.
Beat a little of the yoghurt mixture into the gelatine to equalise the temperature, then whisk this back into the yoghurt mixture until well combined. Pour into the prepared moulds and chill until almost set. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
Combine the strawberries, icing sugar and Grand Marnier (or orange juice) in a mixing bowl and toss together gently to make the salsa. Cover and chill until required.
Unmould the pannacottas by carefully running a blunt knife around the rim of each mould and then dipping them into hot water for a few seconds. Invert onto serving plates and shake firmly. Carefully lift away the moulds. Serve the pannacottas with a spoonful of strawberry salsa.

Per serve
Energy: 435kJ/104cals; Protein 6g; Negligible fat; Available carbohydrate 17g; Fibre 1g

Zest is available from Catherine’s website, Foodwatch.

Busting Food Myths with Nicole Senior

2011-11-01T06:46:00.000+11:00

Nicole Senior

Myth: Taking vitamin supplements make you healthier
Fact: Supplements are only helpful to cover deficiencies and only paper over the cracks of a poor diet. There are some health risks attached to popping nutrient pills.
This month’s topic came about after a study was published in the well-respected journal Archives of Internal Medicine that found women who took multivitamins were actually at increased risk of dying compared to those who didn’t. The researchers followed 39,000 older American women participating in the US Women’s Health Study between 1986 and 2008, and arrived at this startling conclusion after accounting for the usual lifestyle factors such as body weight, smoking, alcohol and exercise levels. They also found taking some individual nutrient supplements was risky, namely vitamin B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium, zinc and copper. On the plus side, they found taking calcium reduced risk. This is not the first study to find that taking vitamins and minerals in supplement form is not as healthy as it seems: a meta-analysis and systematic review of 68 randomised trials in JAMA found increased risk of dying from supplemental beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E.

Vitamins and mineral supplements are a massive global business and have a done a great job in convincing those of us concerned about our health that popping vitamins daily is a good idea, just in case. However research has demonstrated that people who regularly take nutrient supplements are least likely to need them. It’s the ‘worried well’ who are filling the coffers of supplement marketers. As many vitamins are water-soluble and excess is excreted: they are simply creating brightly coloured, nutrient-charged urine. Fat-soluble nutrients (e.g. vitamins A, D, E) can actually build up in the body to toxic levels.

But supplements are not all bad. Sometimes they are a good idea: for example taking folate if planning a pregnancy, calcium if don’t eat dairy, iron if you are female and vegetarian, vitamin D if you’re deficient, or fish oil if you don’t eat seafood. Supplements can be very beneficial for vulnerable groups such as the frail elderly and others who for medical reasons struggle to eat a nutritious diet. But as a general health tonic, forget it: you’re better off spending money on eating better.

Food is complex: there are thousands of phytochemicals in plant foods we haven’t even named yet, and more bio-active substances in animal foods being discovered all the time. No doubt there are synergies between nutrients and other substances in food we can only speculate about at this point in time. It really is rather arrogant of us to expect we can replicate the goodness in food and sell it in a bottle. So if you’re keen to boost your health and wellbeing, skip the vitamin store and head straight to the food market. You can get all you need and more from two fruit, five veggies, legumes, wholegrain and low GI grain foods, lean meat, eggs, poultry and seafood, reduced fat dairy, oils, spreads, nuts and seeds. If you feel you’re diet is inadequate see a dietitian (APD/RD) to find out if you need to take supplements, which ones, and how much to reduce the risk of harm and wasted money.

Nicole Senior is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutritionist and author of Eat to Beat Cholesterol, Heart Food and Belly Busting for Bloke s.

GI Symbol News with Dr Alan Barclay

2011-11-01T06:44:00.000+11:00

Dr Alan Barclay

The incredible GI journey
Research on the GI started a world-wide glucose revolution as it clearly showed that carbs didn’t affect our BGLs the way we thought they did at all. Initially freeing people with diabetes from overly restrictive diets, using the GI as a dietary tool has moved on to weight management and prevention of diabetes and heart disease. Today it's also being linked to inflammatory diseases, birth defects, memory, different types of cancer and healthy eyes. There’s even research that suggests that food ‘addiction’ is related to high blood glucose spikes. Prof Jennie Brand-Miller is currently involved in research applying low GI diets to pregnancy. Here are the some milestones in this new glucose revolution.

1977: Dr Phyllis Crapo and colleagues look at the effect of a range of different starchy foods on blood glucose and insulin levels in a group of 16 adults. When they compared the effect of a portion of food calculated to contain 50g available carbohydrate on the total area under the blood glucose and insulin curve for a period of 3 hours after eating, they found that corn and rice produced the lowest glucose and insulin response curves, and potato the highest, with bread in between.

1978: Using a similar methodology, Dr Mark Wahlqvist investigates the effect of 50g of glucose and a range of different starches on the total area under the blood glucose and insulin response curves in a group of 6 adults, for a period of 5 hours. Surprisingly to scientists and health professionals at that time, they found no differences in the glucose or insulin response between glucose and the different sized starches.

1981: Dr David Jenkins, Dr Tom Wolever and colleagues develop the concept of the glycemic index (GI). They fed groups of 5–10 healthy fasting adults, 62 commonly eaten foods each containing 50g available carbohydrate. BGLs were measured over 2 hours and expressed as a percentage of the area under the glucose response curve and compared with the same amount of carbohydrate consumed as pure glucose. Starchy vegetables like potatoes had the highest GI values (70%), followed by breakfast cereals (65%), cereal grains and biscuits (60%). Fruit (50%), dairy products (35%) and legumes (31%) had a relatively small affect on blood glucose in comparison. Despite controversial beginnings, the GI is now widely recognized as a reliable, physiologically based classification of foods according to their postprandial glycemic effect.

1994: American Diabetes Association guidelines drop specific recommendations for people with diabetes to limit the amount of ‘simple sugars’ – and most of the diabetes associations around the world quickly followed suit.

1995: Kaye Foster-Powell and Prof Jennie Brand-Miller publish the first International tables of glycemic index in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, bringing together all of the published data on the GIs of individual foods (almost 600). The tables show the GI according to the glucose and white bread standards, the type and number of subjects tested and the source of the data.

1997: WHO/FAO recommend that the terms ‘simple sugar’ and ‘complex carbohydrate’ no longer be used to describe carbohydrate foods. They recommend the use of the GI and total carbohydrate as the best guides to the effect of carbohydrate foods on blood glucose levels.

2002: Kaye Foster-Powell, Dr Susanna HA Holt and Professor Jennie Brand-Miller publish the revised International table of glycemic index and glycemic load values with almost 3 times the number of foods listed in the original table.

2007: The Cochrane Review of the evidence from randomised controlled trials on GI in the management of overweight and obesity finds that overweight or obese people on low GI diets lost more weight (measured in body mass, total fat mass and BMI) and improved their cholesterol profiles (total and LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol) more than those receiving conventional ‘healthy’ diets.

2008: The first systematic review and meta-analysis of all valid studies investigating the role of GI in the prevention of type 2 diabetes finds that high GI diets increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 40%. This is comparable to the increase in the risk of developing heart disease when people consume a high saturated fat diet.

To improve the quality and quantity of GI data available for research and clinical practice, Fiona Atkinson, Kaye Foster-Powell and Prof Jennie Brand-Miller publish the International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2008 in Diabetes Care listing the GI of over 2480 individual food items.

2009: The Cochrane Review of all of the evidence from randomised controlled trials on the GI in the management of diabetes finds that the use of the GI by people with diabetes leads to a 0.5% point decrease in glycated haemoglobin, or HbA1c, above and beyond that achieved by regular healthy diets, plus it reduces the risk of hypoglycaemia. A 0.5% point decrease in HbA1c is equivalent to what many diabetic medications and insulin's can achieve, and will reduce the risk of common diabetic complications by 10%–20%.

2010: The International Standard designed to measure the glycemic index (GI) of foods (ISO 26642:2010) sets out the internationally recognised scientific method to determine the GI of foods to ensure nutrition and health claims made on food labels can be trusted and to assist food producers formulate healthier low GI products.

The DioGenes study determined that a healthy low GI diet, moderately high in protein, is the best eating plan for long-term weight management.

But while the science of GI is ongoing and can be complex, lowering the GI of your diet today isn’t. It’s really simple – you swap a high GI food for a low GI food from within food categories – a low GI bread instead of a high GI one, a low GI breakfast cereal for a high GI one. Here’s how:

The GI Symbol, making healthy low GI choices easy choices

For more information about the GI Symbol Program
Dr Alan W Barclay, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
Glycemic Index Foundation (Ltd)
Phone: +61 (0)2 9785 1037
Mob: +61 (0)416 111 046
Fax: +61 (0)2 9785 1037
Email: alan@gisymbol.com
Website: www.gisymbol.com

GI Update

2011-11-01T06:42:00.000+11:00

Prof Jennie Brand-Miller answers your questions

Prof Jennie Brand-Miller

Can the GI be applied to everyday meals?
Criticism of the GI has focused on unpredictable outcomes of blood glucose values after meals because of variations in fat, protein and fibre content. Most of our meals consist of a variety of foods – not just a single food. Even though GI values are derived from testing single foods in isolation, we and other scientists have found that it is possible to predict the ranking of blood glucose responses among meals that consist of several foods with different GI values.

Concerned about the methodology of recent studies showing unpredictable responses, we and our co-researchers at the University of Toronto’s Department of Nutritional Sciences conducted studies with mixed meals on two groups of healthy subjects in Toronto and Sydney. We had previously done smaller studies, but we wanted to revisit the question, using more meals and variety in two different centres with judiciously selected foods. This time, 14 different test meals were used in Sydney and Toronto, and the food combinations reflected a range of typical breakfast choices.

Despite the variations in food factors, relative blood glucose responses remained consistent with GI measures. In fact, we were startled by the degree of predictability. The carbohydrate, fat and protein composition of the meals varied over a wide spectrum. The glucose responses varied over a fivefold range, and yet 90 per cent of that variation was explained by the amount of carbohydrate in the meal and the GI values of the foods as given in published GI tables. We found that the GI works just as predictably whether subjects consume a single portion of one item or a normal meal; we reported these findings in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

More recently, we systematically tested 121 single foods in 1000 kJ portions and 13 mixed meals in 2000 kJ servings. There were wide variations in carbohydrate, fat, protein and fibre content. We found that the GI and/or glycemic load were best predictors of the magnitude of hyperglycaemia and insulinemia, outstripping carbohydrate content in every instance. Indeed, among the mixed meals, carbohydrate was not even a significant predictor. These findings were also published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Another study in a recent issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that there is substantial uncertainty in predicting the GI of mixed meals. The limitation with this study, however, is that the investigators chose to study just 3 mixed meals with a very narrow range in predicted GI (51, 53 and 63). Not surprisingly, they found that they couldn’t distinguish between the two lower GI meals. The potato meal produced the highest response as we might expect. Ideally, in studies such as this, it makes sense to study more meals across a wider spectrum of predicted GI.

New GI Values from SUGiRS
Arnott’s Vita-Weat Lunch Slices
These crispy slices make a great base for your favourite toppings for lunch or a snack. You’ll find them in supermarkets in Australia. Here are the GI values for the two flavours we tested:

Soy Linseed and Sesame: GI 52 – 1 slice provides 19g available carbohydrate. The GL of this size serving is 11
Sunflower Pumpkin and Canola – GI 59 – 1 slice provides 19g available carbohydrate. The GL of this size serving is 13.

If you want to compare these crispy slices with similar products – or a slice of bread or piece of toast – here’s the nutrition information product data per 100 grams from the packaging (it wasn’t on their website when we checked just before posting this issue online):

Soy, Linseed & Sesame per 100 grams – Energy: 1720kJ; Protein: 14.5g; Fat: 11g (includes 1.3g saturated fat); Available carbohydrate: 57.1g; Fibre: 11.7g; Sodium 465mg
Sunflower, Pumpkin and Canola per 100 grams – Energy: 1720kJ; Protein: 14.3g; Fat: 11g (includes 1.4g saturated fat); Available carbohydrate: 58.1g; Fibre: 10.9g; Sodium 473mg

Sanitarium Up&Go Breakfast Yoghurt
Available in a 200g ‘squeezie pack,’ it’s a convenient way to grab a healthy yoghurt for breakfast when you are on the go. You’ll find this product in the chilled section in your supermarket and convenience outlets (Victoria Australia only). The nutrition and ingredient information is on the Sanitarium website HERE.

Strawberry and Vanilla flavours: GI: 44 (both) 1 serve (200g) provides 35g available carbohydrate. The GL of this size serving is 15

New GI Values from GI Labs
Hollywood Foods More Than Pasta
More Than Pasta is fresh pasta produced artisan style with an original Italian pasta machine to give you that ‘homemade’ pasta experience. Co-owner Gabriella Micallef says that: ‘it’s a unique product as it has been specifically developed to be significantly higher in protein (15g per 60g serving) and fibre than traditional pastas.’ Available fresh or frozen, you can buy it in Toronto and selected outlets in Canada. Visit www.hollywood-foods.com for availability and nutritional analysis. More Than Pasta:

Fettuccine: GI 31 – a 60g (2oz/1/3 cup) serving provides 17g available carbohydrate, 5g fibre and 15g protein. The GL of this sized serving is 5.
Linguine: GI 31 – a 60g (2oz/1/3 cup) serving provides 17g available carbohydrate, 5g fibre and 15g protein. The GL of this sized serving is 5.

GI testing by an accredited laboratory North America
Dr Alexandra Jenkins
Glycemic Index Laboratories
20 Victoria Street, Suite 300
Toronto, Ontario M5C 298 Canada
Phone +1 416 861 0506
Email info@gilabs.com
Web www.gilabs.com

Australia
Fiona Atkinson

Research Manager, Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service (SUGiRS)
Human Nutrition Unit, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences
Sydney University
NSW 2006 Australia
Phone + 61 2 9351 6018
Fax: + 61 2 9351 6022
Email sugirs@mmb.usyd.edu.au
Web www.glycemicindex.com

See The New Glucose Revolution on YouTube

Making the Most of GI News

2011-11-01T06:40:00.000+11:00

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include all or part of the work in advertising or a product for sale, or
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GI News—October 2011

2011-10-01T03:29:00.001+10:00

GI and reducing your risk of breast cancer
Low blood glucose and food cravings
Keep an eye on your eyesight if you have diabetes
Nicole Senior debunks the myth that canola oil and margarine cause macular degeneration
Catherine Saxelby delivers the scoop on lutein-rich spinach
Miracle foods, myths and the media – download this NHS Choices report
Free eye examination for people at risk of AMD, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma

We all take our eyesight for granted. Protecting it is one of the most important things we can do to help maintain quality and enjoyment of life. And for anyone with diabetes, it’s absolutely vital to be vigilant because there’s a higher risk for glaucoma, cataracts (‘clouding’ of the eye’s lens) and diabetic retinopathy. This issue we focus on vision, what we can do to look after it and where a healthy low GI diet comes into the picture. Of course there are all our usual features including three low GI recipes to try – Marinated eggplant slices, Zingy Italian White Bean Soup and Anneka Manning’s Tacos. Enjoy.

Good eating, good health and good reading.

Editor: Philippa Sandall
Web management and design: Alan Barclay, PhD

Food for Thought

2011-10-01T03:28:00.001+10:00

Why you need to keep an eye on your eyesight if you have diabetes
Our sight is something most of us fear losing the most. Protecting it is one of the most important things we can do to help maintain quality and enjoyment of life. And for anyone with diabetes, it’s vital to be vigilant because there’s a higher risk for glaucoma, cataracts (‘clouding’ of the eye’s lens) and diabetic retinopathy.

The good news is that in most cases the serious visual loss that can be part and parcel of diabetes can be prevented with regular eye examinations and treatment – the earlier the better.

It’s estimated that about 75% of people with diabetes in Australia will develop diabetic retinopathy. The risk is greater for those who have had diabetes for a long time or if their blood glucose isn’t well controlled. Signs and symptoms include blurred vision, floaters and spots, blank or missing areas of vision, double vision and difficulty seeing well at night. Often there are no signs or symptoms until the condition is quite advanced.

There are two stages. Background or non-proliferative retinopathy is when the weaker blood vessels begin to leak. At this stage there may be no noticeable change in vision, but without treatment it can progress to the more serious proliferative retinopathy where the retina grows new (and weaker) blood vessels that can bleed onto the retina or the vitreous (the jelly like centre of your eye). At this stage vision can be affected suddenly and seriously.

5 tips for protecting your eyesight

See an eye specialist or optometrist when you are first diagnosed with diabetes and at least every 1–2 years afterwards. If retinopathy is detected, you will need to have your eyes examined more often and you may be referred to a ophthalmologist. Get in touch with your eye care professional immediately if you notice any changes in your vision.
Because diabetic retinopathy is likely caused by both chronic high blood glucose levels and variation in blood glucose, the best way to prevent it is by keeping your blood glucose levels and HbA1c at recommended levels. Talk to your doctor or diabetes educator about this.
Your lifestyle matters. Being active every day and eating a healthy and balanced low GI diet will help you manage your blood glucose levels. The key dietary recommendations are – choosing nutritious carbohydrate foods with a low GI as your staples; being aware of how much carbohydrate you eat; getting plenty of fibre in your diet; limiting foods that are high in saturated fat; eating lean protein foods to suit your appetite including fish once or twice a week or if you are vegetarian, making sure you focus on including foods that contain quality proteins and are good sources of omega-3 fats; using monounsaturated fats (such as olive oil); eating plenty of fruit and vegetables every day and limiting your salt and alcohol intake.
If you have high blood pressure, research also shows that by reducing it you can slow the progression of diabetic retinopathy, so do see your doctor for regular checks.
If you smoke, quit.

By taking these steps to protect your vision, you’ll also improve your diabetes management. Now that's a win-win situation.

News Briefs

2011-10-01T03:27:00.002+10:00

Free eye examination for people at risk of AMD, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma

The Centre for Eye Health in Sydney (Australia), an initiative of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and The University of New South Wales, provides state-of-the-art eye imaging and visual system diagnostic services to the general community, at no charge. A major goal of CFEH is to perform detailed eye examinations for individuals particularly at risk of glaucoma, diabetic retinal disease and age-related macular degeneration. Early diagnosis means the earliest possible intervention to prevent or minimise long-term vision loss. To visit CFEH, you just need a referral from your optometrist or ophthalmologist.

Low g-eyes
Dietary factors are known risk factors for age-related macular degeneration. In ‘Food for Thought’ (May 2006) we reported on research suggesting that the quality of the carbohydrates you eat may help to bring it on — or hold it off. A 2008 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition confirms that it would be a good idea to make a low GI diet part of any AMD prevention plan along with foods you already know about such as dark green leafy vegetables, a variety of fruits (all different colours) and fish. Prof. Paul Mitchell from Sydney University’s Department of Ophthalmology says the prospective population based study shows that a high GI diet is a risk factor for early AMD – the recognized precursor of sight-threatening late AMD. ‘Low-glycemic-index foods such as oatmeal may protect against early AMD,’ say the researchers in their conclusion.

The results of this earlier Australian study have been backed up by a recent review. There are a number of reasons why high GI diets may increase the risk of the development of AMD, says Dr Alan Barclay "high post-meal blood glucose levels and high average blood glucose levels lead to increased glycation of proteins within the eye, increased oxidative stress, increased blood pressure, activation of protein kinase C, and direct gluco-toxic effects on the retina itself".

Low blood glucose affects food cravings
A small but interesting study in The Journal of Clinical Investigation reports that we lose our ability to control desire and feel an increased urge to eat when our blood glucose levels drop. The researchers from Yale University School of Medicine and the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine showed 14 healthy participants high and low calorie foods (from cake and ice-cream to tofu, fruit and vegetables) and non-food images and measured how seeing these images related to their desire for food and their brain activity under varying blood glucose conditions. Using scans to detect brain activity following a drop in participants’ BGLs, they then compared the results of the scans to the participants’ stated desires to eat different foods. They found that small drops in blood glucose activated the region of the brain that produces a desire to eat, while adequate levels of blood glucose activated the region of the brain that controls impulses. You can read the NHS Choices appraisal of the study HERE.

What's new?
#1 Download – Miracle foods, myths and the media. “Curry could save your life.” “Beetroot can fight dementia.” “Asthma risk linked to burgers.” Every day there’s a new crop of seemingly life-changing headlines about how the food we eat affects our health. This special NHS Choices report looks at some of the foods that regularly appear in the news and examines whether the reports match the scientific evidence behind them. The reviewers point out that: ‘Research into single foods on our health is notoriously difficult to carry out. We have complex diets and it is difficult to disentangle the effects of one particular food or compound from all the others we consume. This means that many of the studies behind the superfood claims have limitations. These limitations are rarely reported in the media, and even more rarely given their true significance.’ The report discusses limitations such as confounding factors, inaccurate memories, proxy outcomes and animal and laboratory studies and why RCTs (randomised controlled studies) and systematic reviews are generally the best type of study for finding out if a food has any effect. You can download the report HERE.

#2 Event – Bees, Bureaucracy and Biosecurity: Australia’s food future on a knife’s edge In September GI News, we reported bees around the world are in decline and without them it will be pretty hard to tuck into that low GI plant-based diet. Did you know:

Some 65% of Australia’s food supply (fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds) rely to varying degrees on managed European honeybees (Apis mellifera) for their pollination
Without honeybees to pollinate almonds, not one nut would set from the delicate flowers
Cooking essentials such as onions rely on honeybees
Even meat and dairy foods rely on lucerne and clovers pollinated by honeybees

‘Australia is the last remaining country to remain free of the devastating Varroa mite – the key contributor to decimating honeybee populations around the world. Australia however faces its own onslaught of challenges, which if not urgently arrested have the potential to wipe out honeybee populations in Australia within 10–20 years,’ writes fourth generation apiarist Jodie Goldsworthy in UPDATE, the newsletter of the Australian Association of Food Professionals. She says: ‘In 2008 the small hive beetle breached our biosecurity and snuck into Australia. It has now spread across much of Australia establishing itself particularly well in our environment and has changed beekeeping forever in this country for the worse. Another unwanted intruder, still classified as an “incursion” is the Asian bee (Apis cerana – Java strain) which arrived in 2007 and is currently confined around Cairns. The Asian bee is the natural host of the Varroa mite.’

As a special Q&A event for the Crave Sydney International Food Festival the Australian Association of Food Professionals has put together an expert panel to highlight and discuss the issues, and what is and isn’t being done:

Where: Australian Museum Theatrette College St Sydney
When: 23 October 11am–1pm
Cost: $25
Bookings/inquiries: 0448488080 secretariat@foodprofessionals.org.au

Get the Scoop with Foodwatch's Catherine Saxelby

2011-10-01T03:25:00.000+10:00

The scoop on lutein-rich spinach

Catherine Saxelby

If you’re not adding spinach to your meals, you're missing out on a dark green leafy vegetable that’s chock full of vitamins, minerals and plant compounds (phytochemicals). It’s one of those vegetables that is always recommended for peak health. The trick is to find ways to incorporate it into your cooking.

What’s in it? It’s an excellent source of vitamin C, folate, beta carotene (which is converted into vitamin A in the body) along with some vitamin E. An average serve (35g) provides 5 mg of vitamin C, one-eighth of the recommended daily intake.

Long famous, thanks to Popeye, for its high iron content, spinach’s iron is actually not well absorbed. It’s present but doesn’t get into the body in great amounts. Red meat, chicken and fish are better for absorbable iron.

It also offers many antioxidants and, along with other leafy greens like kale and silverbeet (Swiss chard), is one of the best sources of lutein and zeaxanthin. These two antioxidants can help protect our eyes as we age, so keeping macular degeneration at bay. I suggest eating spinach in some form – raw or cooked – at least three times a week if you have a family history of this form of blindness.

And it’s one food you can happily eat MORE of! It contains dietary fibre, virtually no fat and so few kilojoules/calories, you could eat as much as you wanted and not put on any weight.

Easy ways to enjoy spinach

Make a salad of baby spinach leaves and toss through toasted pine nuts and crumbled goats cheese. Drizzle over a good dressing with wine vinegar and olive oil.
Add 1 cup of well-drained frozen chopped spinach to your meat loaf or meat balls. It’s a great way of sneaking in vegetables to kids who won't eat any!
Toss a handful of baby spinach leaves into a curry or stir fry at the end of cooking. They will wilt in the heat of the dish, adding colour and nutrition.
Use cooked spinach as a base for eggs or fish. Think of Eggs Florentine.
Eat a baby spinach leaf salad every day or every second day.
Add chopped cooked spinach to lasagna and meatloaf.

Or try Anneka Manning’s Eggs in Nests with spinach from The Low GI Family Cookbook. You can find the recipe HERE.

Catherine Saxelby is an accredited dietitian and nutritionist and runs the Foodwatch Nutrition Centre at foodwatch.com.au.

In the GI News Kitchen

2011-10-01T03:23:00.001+10:00

Marinated eggplant slices
According to some sources, Italians have been cooking with eggplants since the 14th century. I know that it has been on our family’s table and those of every one of my relatives’ tables for my entire life, which alas, now spans many decades! This versatile fruit-vegetable can be roasted, grilled, stuffed, pureed or, as in this recipe, sauteed and marinated. Eggplants are also versatile in another way: they are considered to have diuretic, sedative and laxative properties. Feel free to cut back on the amount of oil. Makes 10 servings (2 slices each)

750g (1½lb) eggplant (common or Western types), cut into 0.5cm/1/4 in slices
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
2 tbsp capers, drained, rinsed, chopped
1–2 cloves garlic, minced
120g (4oz) large green olives, pitted, coarsely chopped
15 fresh mint leaves, chopped
salt/pepper to taste

Sprinkle salt on the eggplant slices, place them in a colander and let drain for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. Brush 4 tablespoons of olive oil on both slides of each slice, place on a tray or plate and set aside.
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4–5 eggplant slices at a time and cook until browned on both sides. When done, place each slice in an overlapping fashion in a shallow ceramic serving tray. Continue until all slices are cooked. Set aside.
In a small bowl add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the next 4 ingredients (capers through mint). Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Transfer the dressing evenly over the layered eggplant slices and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over them. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Per serve
Energy: 530kJ/126cals; Protein less than 1g; Fat 12g (includes 2g saturated fat); Available carbohydrate 0g; Fibre 3g

Cut back on the food bills and enjoy fresh-tasting, easily prepared, seasonal, satisfying and delicious low or moderate GI meals that don’t compromise on quality and flavour one little bit with this Money Saving Meals recipe from the New York Times Number 1 best-seller, Forks Over Knives. For more recipes check out the Money Saving Meals website

Zingy Italian White Bean Soup
This recipe from The Feel Good Guru Moira Nordholt begins the night before, when you will need to rinse your dried cannellini beans and cover them in water to soak. Serves 2 generously and easily 3.

1 cup dried cannellini beans (white Italian kidney beans), soaked
1 unsalted vegetable bouillon cube
4 garlic cloves, minced
Half a red onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
half a fennel bulb, diced
1 zucchini (courgette), diced
1 bunch of fresh spinach, chopped
1 tsp chopped oregano
4 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 tsp chopped parsley
Splash tamari
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lemon

Drain the beans, then put them in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until al dente.
Dissolve the bouillon cube in ¼ cup water in a large soup pot, over medium heat. Add garlic and onion. Cook, stirring constantly, until they sweat. Add celery and fennel. Allow the vegetables to heat through and soften. Cover the vegetables with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5–10 minutes.
Add zucchini, spinach, cooked beans, oregano, sage, parsley, tamari, sea salt and black pepper. Simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the zucchini is cooked but not mushy. Turn off the heat. Squeeze the juice of a whole lemon into the soup. Adjust the seasonings to your liking and serve.

Per serve (for 3 people)
Energy: 1030 kJ/ 245 cals; Protein 18 g; Fat 2 g (includes 0.3 g saturated fat); Available carbohydrate 28 g; Fibre 20g

Forks Over Knives (published by The Experiment and New York Times Number 1 best seller) is available from bookshops and online.

Tacos
There’s nothing like Anneka Manning’s tasty tacos to get the family to feast on those budget-friendly, nutrition power packs – legumes. To add a little heat to the occasion, add 1 chopped red chilli to the tomato sauce with the red kidney beans and paprika. Anneka makes her own tomato sauce (1 onion, a garlic clove and 2 cans diced tomatoes) and guacamole (1 avocado, lime juice, a garlic clove, 1 spring (green) onion, 1 tomato and coriander/cilantro). If you don’t have your own favourite recipes for these, you can find Anneka’s in The Low GI Family Cookbook. Makes 12.

2 cups tomato pasta sauce
2 x 300g (10oz) cans red kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 tsp mild paprika
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
12 taco shells
1/2 iceberg or cos lettuce, shredded
2 carrots, scrubbed, coarsely grated
1½ cups coarsely grated reduced fat cheddar cheese
1 cup guacamole

Place the tomato sauce in a medium saucepan. Add the red kidney beans and paprika and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until thick. Taste and season with pepper.
Transfer the red kidney bean mixture to a serving bowl. Place freshly ground black pepper, on the table with the taco shells, lettuce, carrots, cheese and guacamole for everyone to assemble their own tacos.

Per taco
Energy: 1035 kJ/ 250 cals; Protein 11 g; Fat 12 g (includes 5 g saturated fat); Available carbohydrate 22 g; Fibre 6 g

Busting Food Myths with Nicole Senior

2011-10-01T03:21:00.000+10:00

Nicole Senior

Myth: Canola oil and margarines cause macular degeneration.
Fact: Good fats – including canola oil and trans-free unsaturated spreads are probably protective against AMD.
One of worst things about food myths is the – albeit unintentional – harm they can cause. Such as was the case a few years back in Australia when an ophthalmologists thought he’d have a go at nutrition and started giving advice completely opposite to the prevailing dietary guidelines by recommending unhealthy fats like butter and warning against vegetable fats like canola oil and margarine spreads in an attempt to reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

He got it wrong.

Macular degeneration causes damage to the retina and is the most common cause of blindness in developed countries. The cause is not fully understood but risk factors have been identified: the strongest factors are smoking and advancing age. Overweight, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol are also risk factors, which is ironic because the advice the eye-doctor gave increases blood cholesterol levels. National dietary guidelines recommend we replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats found in vegetable oils and trans-free spreads, fish, nuts and seeds in order to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease – still our biggest killer.

The first mistake the well-meaning ophthalmologist made was devising public health advice based on only a couple of studies; second was not understanding the types of studies they relied on are not designed to prove causation; third was ignoring the fact his advice conflicted with well established evidence-based advice for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease; fourth was starting a campaign to convince others including the media; and lastly he failed to properly translate the theory from the US studies into relevant food advice in the Australian food context.

The population studies he relied on can only indicate an association that needs further investigation, and are ranked as low-level evidence. Having a proposed mechanism also bolsters a case for causation but there was none. He transposed the American food supply on to Australia’s and got the food advice wrong (for example Australian margarines are very low in trans fats). He basically pitted eye health against heart health and challenged us to choose but there’s not much point having good vision if you’re dead from a heart attack! It also wasted the valuable time of organisations like the Heart Foundation (Australia), the CSIRO and the Dietitians Association of Australia and more sensible eye specialists who had to control the damage with media communications refuting his ill-conceived advice.

Since this fiasco – which sent conflicting messages and confused people – a study conducted in Australia, the Blue Mountains Eye Study (BMES), did not find any link between vegetable oils or margarine spreads and macular degeneration. In fact they found a significantly lower risk of developing macular degeneration in those consuming higher amounts of both long and short chain omega-3 fats, such as those naturally present in fish, canola oil, linseeds, some nuts and green leafy vegetables. The BMES also found a lower risk of AMD in those eating higher amounts of zinc, and lutein and zeaxanthin: the yellow/orange coloured pigments in vegetables, fruits and eggs (and the greatest benefit was seen among participants who regularly consumed a combination of the protective nutrients as part of a low GI diet). A systematic review and meta-analysis of lutein and zeanxanthin and AMD also found a protective effect of consuming higher amounts. The benefits of other dietary antioxidants are not clear, however a Cochrane review of the evidence does not support taking dietary supplements to ward of AMD. Lowering the GI of the diet appears to be protective with several other studies showing associations between a high GI diet and AMD. What we really need is high level studies such as randomised controlled trials to find out the best diet for preventing AMD and be prudent in the mean time.

So what does the current evidence suggest we do to reduce our risk of AMD?

Don’t smoke
Maintain a healthy weight
Eat fish and seafood to obtain omega-3 fats
Eat plenty of different coloured vegetables and fruits for their beneficial phytochemical antioxidants
Make the switch to low GI carbs (the smart carbs)
Replace saturated fats from animal sources such as butter, whole dairy foods and fatty meat with unsaturated fats from vegetable oils and trans-free spreads, nuts and seeds
Minimise trans fats in partially hydrogenated oils by limiting commercially produced pastries, cakes and deep fried fast foods – be aware sources of trans fats vary by country

Nicole Senior is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutritionist and author of Eat to Beat Cholesterol, Heart Food and Belly Busting for Bloke s. She loves to see-food and eat it!

GI Symbol News with Dr Alan Barclay

2011-10-01T03:19:00.000+10:00

Dr Alan Barclay

Reducing your risk of breast cancer through a healthy lifestyle
In Australia and the US, breast cancer accounts for around 1 in 4 cases of all cancers, and the number of cases has more than doubled over the past 25 years.

There are a large number of risk factors for breast cancer that you can’t do anything about such as your genes and family background, the number of children you have, your age at when your first child is born, and your age at menarche and menopause. However, there are also a number of risk factors related to your diet and lifestyle that you can do something about.

The main risk increasers include the usual suspects.

Excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing breast cancer. The risk increases with the amount of alcohol consumed. Women who drink 2 or more standard drinks a day have about a 21% increased risk of developing breast cancer compared to those who do not drink at all.
High fat diets have been found to increase the risk of developing breast cancer by 10–15%, and high processed meat consumption (e.g. more than 3 serves a week) has been found to increase the risk by 8%.
Being overweight or obese has been found to increase breast cancer risk in women by 9% after menopause.

A recently published systematic review and meta-analysis has added another to the risk increaser list, finding that a high GI diet may increase the risk of breast cancer by 8% when a high (GI 60 or more) diet compared to a low GI diet (GI 45 or less) is consumed for 5 years or more.

Three key risk reducers are regular exercise, eating plenty of dairy foods and enjoying an all-round healthy, balanced diet.

Regular exercise reduces the risk of breast cancer by up to 25%. The American Cancer Society recommends 45–60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on 5 or more days a week to help reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.
Consuming plenty of dairy foods (that’s more than 2–3 serves a day) has been found to decrease the risk of developing breast cancer by 15%, most likely due to their high calcium content.
Eating an all round healthy diet has been shown to decrease the risk of developing breast cancer by 11%. This analysis did not take GI into account, and the one study that did found a 32% risk reduction!

How do you go low GI? To reduce the average GI of your diet by 10–15 units, simply swap any high GI foods that you may be eating with low GI alternatives. For example, swap high GI breads and breakfast cereals for low GI ones. A 10–15 unit difference for each food you eat within all of the major food groups will make a difference as it all adds up.

Here at the GI Foundation, we are big fans of the ‘this for that’ swap it approach. The reason why is relatively simple: the GI was originally designed to choose the better options within each food group.

In Australia, the easiest way to find all round healthy low GI choices is to look for foods with the low GI symbol: not only have they had their GI tested at an accredited lab, but they must also meet category specific nutrient criteria for calories/kilojoules, total and saturated fat, sodium (salt), and where appropriate fibre and calcium.

Elsewhere in the world, checkout the GI News’ 10 tips to reduce the GI of your diet, make use of the GI database at www.glycemicindex.com or pick up a copy of the annual Shopper's Guide to GI Values (it’s published in Australia, New Zealand and the US/Canada.

The GI Symbol, making healthy low GI choices easy choices

For more information about the GI Symbol Program
Dr Alan W Barclay, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
Glycemic Index Foundation (Ltd)
Phone: +61 (0)2 9785 1037
Mob: +61 (0)416 111 046
Fax: +61 (0)2 9785 1037
Email: alan@gisymbol.com
Website: www.gisymbol.com

GI Update

2011-10-01T03:17:00.000+10:00

Prof Jennie Brand-Miller answers your questions

Prof Jennie Brand-Miller

My mother has been diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration and besides being told to take lutein and zeaxanthin supplements, she was advised to up her leafy green veggie intake and to eat a healthy low GI diet. Can you explain how a low GI diet would benefit your eyes?
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects the central macula of the eye, leaving sufferers with only peripheral vision. The macula is the small yellowish spot in the middle of the retina that provides the greatest visual acuity and colour perception. It’s the macula that lets us to see fine detail and is critical to central vision helping us to recognise faces, drive a car, read a newspaper, or do close handwork. It is now one of the most common causes of blindness among older adults in the Western world and AMD Alliance International estimates that 25–30 million people are affected worldwide.

Researchers from Tufts and Harvard universities were the first to notice the link between GI and vision. They had followed 526 women without previous visual problems from the Nurses Health Study for ten years. At regular intervals, they assessed the nurses’ diets using a food frequency questionnaire. They found that when total carbohydrate intake was constant, consuming a high GI diet was associated with a doubling of the risk of developing AMD.

Similarly, Professor Paul Mitchell, the lead researcher of the Blue Mountains Eye Study in New South Wales, and his colleagues found that a high GI diet, but not a high carbohydrate diet, was linked to an almost 80 per cent higher risk of having age-related macular degeneration within the 10 years of the study. They also found the incidence of cataracts was higher among elderly people who chose a high GI diet.

Why the link between GI and vision? Well, the retina has among the highest supplies of blood and nutrients, including glucose, and is dependent on adequate glucose delivery from the circulation to maintain its function. Because glucose stores in the retina are negligible and there are no glucose transporters in the cell membrane, it appears that glucose levels in the retina reflect whatever level is found in the blood. High levels spell trouble because excessive uptake produces high reactive charged particles called free radicals that damage all the machinery inside the cell.

Although ‘observational’ data like these studies cannot establish that the observed association is ‘cause-and-effect’, they indicate a new direction for further studies.

GI testing by an accredited laboratory
North America
Dr Alexandra Jenkins
Glycemic Index Laboratories
20 Victoria Street, Suite 300
Toronto, Ontario M5C 298 Canada
Phone +1 416 861 0506
Email info@gilabs.com
Web www.gilabs.com

Australia
Fiona Atkinson
Research Manager, Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service (SUGiRS)
Human Nutrition Unit, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences
Sydney University
NSW 2006 Australia
Phone + 61 2 9351 6018
Fax: + 61 2 9351 6022
Email sugirs@mmb.usyd.edu.au
Web www.glycemicindex.com

Making the Most of GI News

2011-10-01T03:15:00.001+10:00

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GI News—September 2011

2011-09-01T02:00:00.000+10:00

Beat your metabolic rate and burn your fat stores – Prof Jennie Brand-Miller explains
Red meat and diabetes risk
Green vegies, dried fruit, legumes and brown rice linked to fewer colon polyps
The scoop on vitamin D with Emma Stirling
New GI values for meal replacement shakes, soups and bars

Nicole Senior's new book, Belly Busting for Blokes landed on our desk recently, so we asked her to write about why a big belly is bad for your health for Myth Busting this month. (If you are interested, the book is a fun read and very practical and we have given copies to some of our favourite blokes who are finding it a bit harder to tie their shoelaces.) Prof Jennie Brand-Miller expands on the 'belly busting' theme and explains why controlling insulin levels is important for trimming your waistline and how low GI diet can help you beat your metabolic rate and burn your fat stores. There are all our usual features of course, including three delicious 'belly busting' low GI recipes to tuck into.

Good eating, good health and good reading.

Editor: Philippa Sandall
Web management and design: Alan Barclay, PhD

Food for Thought

2011-09-01T01:59:00.000+10:00

Beat your metabolic rate and burn your fat stores – Prof Jennie Brand-Miller explains how

Prof Jennie Brand-Miller

Our genetic make-up underlies our metabolic rate – how many kilojoules (calories) we burn per minute. Bodies, like cars, differ in this regard. A bigger body like a bigger car requires more fuel to run than a smaller one. When a car is stationary, the engine idles – using just enough fuel to keep the motor running. When we are asleep, the ‘revs’ are even lower and we use a minimum number of kilojoules. Our resting metabolic rate (RMR) – the kilojoules we burn by just lying completely at rest – is fuelling our large brain, heart and other important organs. Although the number of kilojoules (the amount of fuel we use) increases when we exercise or move around, the greatest proportion of the kilojoules we use in a 24-hour period are those we use to maintain our RMR.

Since your RMR is where most kilojoules are used, it is a significant determinant of body weight. The lower your RMR is, the greater your risk of gaining weight – and vice versa. And here’s where your genes come into the story as they determine whether you have a high or low RMR – it one of those things that does run in families. We all know someone who appears to eat like a horse but is positively thin. Almost in awe we comment on their fast metabolism, and we may not be far off the mark.

Men have a higher RMR than women because their bodies contain more muscle mass and are more expensive to run. Body fat, on the other hand, gets a free ride. These days, too many men and women have undersized muscles that hardly ever get a workout. Increasing muscle mass with weight-bearing (resistance) exercise will raise your RMR and is one of the secrets to lifelong weight control.

Interestingly, we know that our genes dictate the fuel mix we burn in the fasting state (overnight). Some of us burn more carbohydrate and less fat even though the total energy used is the same. Scientists believe that subtle deficiencies in the ability to burn fat (as opposed to carbs) lie behind most states of being overweight and obese.

Indeed, in their latest research, if you have one copy of a high risk gene called FTO, geneticists have found you are 30 per cent more likely to become overweight. If you have two copies, then you are 67 per cent more likely! That is the strongest association yet of a common gene with obesity. Unfortunately, one in six people of European descent carry two copies and are therefore more prone to gain weight in the current environment.

This doesn’t mean that if your genes are to blame you should resign yourself to being overweight too. But it may help you understand why you have to watch what you eat while other people don’t. Furthermore, the current epidemic of overweight can’t be blamed on our genes – our genes haven’t mutated in a space of 25 years, but our environment has. So while genetics writes the code, environment presses the buttons. Our current sedentary lifestyles and food choices press all the wrong buttons!

If you were born with a tendency to be overweight, what you eat matters more. Genes can be switched on or off. By being choosy about carbohydrates and fats you will maximise your insulin sensitivity, up-regulate the genes involved in burning fat and down-regulate those involved in burning carbs. By moving your fuel ‘currency exchange’ from a ‘carbohydrate economy’ to a ‘fat economy’, you increase the opportunity of depleting fat stores over carbohydrate stores. This is exactly what will happen when you begin to eat a nutritious, low GI diet.

News Briefs

2011-09-01T01:58:00.000+10:00

Muscle up and reduce your risk of prediabetes
A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism shows that higher muscle mass (relative to body size) is associated with better insulin sensitivity and a lower risk of diabetes and prediabetes. Although previous studies have shown that very low muscle mass is a risk factor for insulin resistance, this is the first to show increasing muscle mass to average and above average levels, independent of obesity levels, would lead to improved BGLs. ‘Our findings represent a departure from the usual focus of clinicians, and their patients, on just losing weight to improve metabolic health,’ says senior author, Preethi Srikanthan. ‘Instead, this research suggests a role for maintaining fitness and building muscle. This is a welcome message for many overweight patients who experience difficulty in achieving weight loss, as any effort to get moving and keep fit should be seen as laudable and contributing to metabolic change.’

Red meat and diabetes risk
A study by Harvard researchers published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds a strong association between the consumption of red meat – particularly when the meat is processed – and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The researchers found that, for an individual who eats one daily serving of red meat, substituting one serving of nuts per day was associated with a 21% lower risk of type 2 diabetes; substituting low-fat dairy, a 17% lower risk; and substituting whole grains, a 23% lower risk. Based on these results, they advise that consumption of processed red meat like hot dogs, bacon, sausage, and deli meats, which generally have high levels of sodium and nitrites, should be minimised and unprocessed red meat should be reduced. If possible, they add, red meat should be replaced with healthier choices, such as nuts, wholegrains, low-fat dairy products, fish, or beans (legumes).

‘The evidence linking diets high in processed meats with risk of type 2 diabetes is very consistent’ says Dr Alan Barclay. ‘While a diet moderately high in protein has been proven to help with long term weight loss, the protein should come from a variety of plant and animal sources and processed meats should be limited to no more than one serve a week.’

Green vegies, dried fruit, legumes and brown rice linked to fewer colon polyps
Eating legumes at least three times a week and brown rice at least once a week was linked to a reduced risk of colon polyps by 33% and 40% percent respectively according to the findings of a study in Nutrition and Cancer. The researchers also found that tucking into cooked green vegetables once every day or more (compared to less than 5 times a week) was associated with a 24% reduced risk; and having some dried fruit 3 times a week or more (compared with less than once a week) was associated with a 26% reduced risk. ‘Legumes, dried fruits, and brown rice all have a high fibre content known to dilute potential carcinogens,’ says lead author Dr Tantamango. ‘Additionally, cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, contain detoxifying compounds, which would improve their protective function.’

Credit: Kaye Foster-Powell's The Low GI Family Cookbook (Hachette)

What's new?
# 1 Issue – Bees are in decline. Bees are important for agriculture, the economy and the health of ecosystems and they are in decline. Without bees, it would be pretty hard and probably prohibitively expensive to eat that plant-based diet that’s so widely recommended as more than one-third of the world’s fruits, vegetables and flowering plants depend on pollination by bees. A timely, informative and beautifully written book new book, The Beekeeper’s Lament by Hannah Nordhaus, provides ‘an engaging account of the men and insects, who put food on our tables’ and the huge problems that they face today. Published by HarperCollins, it’s available from bookshops and Amazon.

#2 Download –Diabetes UK Evidence-based nutrition guidelines for the prevention and management of diabetes These guidelines for healthcare professionals and people living with diabetes provide information about nutritional interventions that will assist in making appropriate food choices to reduce risk and improve glycemic control and quality of life.

#3 Download –UK National diet and nutrition survey. Findings suggest that the overall picture of the diet and nutrition of the UK population is broadly similar to previous surveys. Intakes of saturated fat and sugars remain above recommended levels.

#4 Download – Energy density, portion size, and eating occasions: contributions to increased energy intake in the US, 1977–2006 published in PLoS Medicine suggests that efforts to reduce obesity should focus on reducing the number of meals and snacks and portion sizes. The researchers examined US population and dietary data dating back to 1977 and found that average total daily energy intake increased from about 1803 calories in 1977–78 to 2374 calories in 2003–06, an increase of 571 calories a day.

#5 Cookbook – Ian Thorpe’s Cook for Your Life

In Ian Thorpe’s first cookbook, the Olympic Gold medallist and long-time GI supporter shares some of his favourite recipes as well as his philosophy on diet gleaned from experts in nutrition and performance. Although it’s what we’d call a ‘meaty’ book (chapters cover seafood, poultry, beef and kangaroo, lamb and pork) it’s good to see many low GI ingredients featuring such as beans and lentils, parsnips, pears, pearl barley, quinoa along with a chapter of vegetarian fare. The introduction is particularly fascinating as Ian describes how he has had to rethink the way he eats at different times in his life to keep in shape from being an elite athlete to when he stopped swimming competitively. Published by Hardie Grant and available from bookshops and the iBookstore

GI Group: Make your healthy eating pattern low GI and ‘cruise instead of spike and crash’ says Olympic swimming champion Ian Thorpe who generously donated his time to enable the GI Foundation to get the word out about quality carbs and a healthy low GI. The commercial provides a brief explanation of the GI and shows a range of typical high and low GI foods:

Get the Scoop with Emma Stirling

2011-09-01T01:57:00.000+10:00

The scoop on vitamin D

Emma Stirling APD

There’s been hot debate lately about the pros and cons of getting your little ray of sunshine. Nutritionists have long understood the importance of sunlight in helping people meet their vitamin D requirements. And we are learning more and more about the role of vitamin D in good bone health and beyond. However, that gorgeous, sun-bronzed image simply doesn’t fit with today’s knowledge on sun exposure and skin cancer risk. So how do you get the balance right?

D for deficiency? According to worldwide reports, including the Medical Journal of Australia, a significant number of people may be marginally vitamin D deficient. Plus there’s evidence that the incidence of vitamin D deficiency is increasing. Those at most risk of vitamin D deficiency include people confined indoors, especially the elderly in residential care and people who cover their skin for cultural or religious reasons. However, as more people work indoors, cover up and slather on sunscreen to avoid sun exposure, Vitamin D disorders may become more common again.

A major role of vitamin D is to assist calcium absorption from the foods you eat and build strong, healthy bones. However vitamin D may also play a role in immunity, cardiovascular health, insulin responsiveness and diabetes. And according to a recent review in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, good cohort studies in Scandinavia have shown a link between vitamin D supplementation in infancy and reduced risk of type I diabetes 30 years later.

Getting your daily dose – food sources Very few foods in nature contain vitamin D and dietary sources can help boost your status. Good sources in Australia include oily fish like sardines, mackerel, salmon and tuna, eggs, fortified margarines and milks, plus red meat. Wild mushrooms and those pulsed with UV light are also a good source. In other countries, more foods are fortified with vitamin D such as breakfast cereals. Recipes like this Fusilli with Salmon and Baby Spinac h (from Catherine Saxelby's Zest cookbook) is a great place to start and will be a winner with the whole family.

Getting your daily dose – sunlight Regular, indirect sun exposure remains the best way to get your vitamin D. Generally, experts suggest that 10–15 minutes of exposure on most days on the hands, face and arms should be enough. Specific recommendations differ by country and season, time of day, cloud coverage and the environment. Jump over to the Scoop on Nutrition to read the guidelines for Australians and the International Osteoporosis Foundation position statement on vitamin D for older adults.

Move it outdoors So, make a point to move it outdoors a few times each week, as part of your recipe for healthy living. See your doctor if you are concerned about your vitamin D levels. Vitamin D levels can be checked with a simple blood test and your doctor will advise if a vitamin D supplement is necessary.

Emma Stirling is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and health writer with over ten years experience writing for major publications. She is editor of The Scoop on Nutrition – a blog by expert dietitians. Check it out for hot news bites and a healthy serve of what’s in flavour.

In the GI News Kitchen

2011-09-01T01:56:00.002+10:00

Fresh nectarines with port wine drizzle
Late summer fruit and wine is a culinary marriage made, if not in heaven, certainly in most Italian kitchens. This recipe uses a dessert port wine but other good fruity red wine choices might be Merlot, Valpolicella or Zinfandel. Sometimes when friends stop over for a late afternoon visit to our Friuli home, I’ll prepare the fruit I have on hand in this way and serve it with nut-based biscotti. This is a light, healthful, summery treat that will not interfere with the evening meal. Serves 4 (2 halves each)

4 medium nectarines, halved and pitted
4 teaspoons port wine
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 almonds, dry roasted, chopped

Drop the nectarine halves in boiling water and leave for 2 minutes. Remove the fruit with a slotted spoon and cool under running water. Gently peel back the skin with a knife. Place 2 nectarine halves each on 4 individual dessert plates. Set aside.
In an espresso cup mix the wine and vanilla. Drizzle evenly over the nectarines. Sprinkle with the almonds. Chill slightly before serving.

Per serve
Energy: 690kJ/90cals; Protein 2g; Fat 2g (includes 0g saturated fat); Available carbohydrate 16g; Fibre 3g

Cut back on the food bills and enjoy fresh-tasting, easily prepared, seasonal, satisfying and delicious low or moderate GI meals that don’t compromise on quality and flavour one little bit with this Money Saving Meals recipe from Nicole Senior and Veronica Cuskelly's Belly Busting for Blokes. For more recipes check out the Money Saving Meals website.

Spicy beef and bean chilli
You can serve this one-pot classic a number of ways. If you like to start from scratch (and save a few cents), soak dried kidney beans overnight and cook in lots of boiling water (don’t add any salt)—they’ll take about an hour. If you make extra, you can freeze them too. White corn tortillas have a low GI (53) Makes 2 hearty serves, but we found it easily stretches to 3 serves accompanied by a big garden salad.

400g (14oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 large red capsicum, finely chopped
2 tsp Mexican chilli powder
1 tsp sweet paprika
300g (10½oz) lean beef mince
400g (14oz) can diced tomatoes
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 white corn tortillas (soft)

Picture: www.furlongphoto.com

COOK
Heat the oil in a non-stick medium-sized saucepan over a low-to-medium heat. Add onion, capsicum, chilli powder and paprika and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft. Don’t rush it – this may take about 10 minutes and will really develop the flavours. Add the mince and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes to break up the mince. Stir in the beans and tomatoes and when hot reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and mix in the parsley.

SERVE
Spoon the chilli into 2 warmed bowls (or a large bowl for scooping and sharing) and serve in a soft corn tortilla wrap with salad.

Per serve (based on 2 hearty 'bloke' serves)
Energy: 2635 kJ/ 630 cals; Protein 49 g; Fat 22 g (includes 6 g saturated fat); Available carbohydrate 50 g; Fibre 17 g

Per serve (based on 3 serves)
Energy: 1756 kJ/ 420 cals; Protein 32 g; Fat 14 g (includes 4 g saturated fat); Available carbohydrate 33 g; Fibre 11 g

Baked salmon with mixed bean salsa
This low GI meal from The Low GI Diet Cookbook (available from bookshops and Amazon) provides a deliciously tasty source of vitamin D (and omega-3, too). Keep it light and easy and serve it with a leafy mixed salad or with cooked green vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus or spinach. Serves 4

4 salmon fillets (about 150g/5oz each)
1 lemon, squeezed
Bunch coriander, leaves picked
Freshly ground black pepper

Mixed bean salsa
440g/15oz can four-bean mix, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp chopped black olives
6 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Picture: Ian Hofstetter.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Put the salmon fillets in an ovenproof dish, squeeze over the lemon juice, sprinkle over half the coriander leaves and season with freshly ground black pepper. Cover with foil and bake until done to your liking (about 15 minutes for rare to 30 minutes for well done).
Make the mixed bean salsa by combining all the ingredients in a bowl. Add the remaining coriander leaves and mix well.
Place a salmon fillet on each plate and top with a generous spoonful of bean salsa and serve with plenty of green vegies.

Per serve (fish and salsa)
Energy: 1950kJ/ 460 cals; Protein 45g; Fat 24g (includes 5g saturated fat); Available carbohydrate 26g; Fibre 6g

Busting Food Myths with Nicole Senior

2011-09-01T01:55:00.001+10:00

Myth: A big belly isn’t that bad
Fact: A big belly – while very common, especially in men – is bad news for your health.
There are a lot of folks struggling to wrap their arms around their special someone, and a lot of special someones struggling to tie their own shoelaces because of a big belly. These some ones are mostly blokes because using the belly as an energy storage tank is what the male body does naturally. After the menopause, women change to a more ‘apple’ shape as well, but it’s the blokes who need the most help. While women seem to constantly think about their weight and body shape, it’s the blokes who need a bit of encouragement to see their growing girth might be a problem.

And a problem it is. A big belly is also called ‘abdominal obesity’, and the fat stored there is also called ‘visceral fat’. It is this belly-fat that increases the risk of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, high blood glucose, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes, metabolic syndrome and fatty liver. Not to mention erectile dysfunction, low testosterone levels and poor sperm quality. And it’s hard to look tidy in clothes, or find clothes that fit. Psychologically speaking, it’s a downer when people ask ‘when is the baby due?’, or when blokes can’t keep up with the kids, or can’t do the things they used to do with ease. There’s nothing good about a big belly.

Many fad diets promise the world and deliver little, leaving a trail of nutritional and psychological ‘collateral damage’, but what blokes really need is sensible advice to get them on their way. They need straight-talking, no-nonsense information which helps correct the food knowledge and skills gap. While things are gradually changing, men are at a disadvantage with food because they tend to be less engaged with it. They’ve always left it to their mother, partner, or increasingly to the food industry: they have outsourced their food. And this is where the trouble lies: leaving food to everyone else means they have lost control over what they eat. While ancient man was a champion hunter and gatherer, contemporary man can be hopeless at feeding himself in a healthy way. Blokes need to learn more about food and conquer the kitchen to bust their belly.

In my experience it’s a lot easier for blokes to bust their belly than women. They’re less emotionally tied up with food and just get on with it: you tell them what to do and they do it. But of course in order to take action they have to appreciate there is a problem and male bravado is a barrier here. It’s tough for blokes to admit the fattening world has beaten them, especially if they’re doing so well at other aspects of life (and blokes can be competitive). Rather than punching their swollen belly saying ‘it’s all muscle’ and laughing it off, more blokes need to admit they’re worried and decide to take action. This will give other blokes permission to do the same. Blokes need to shake off their ‘threatened species’ status and pick up their cutlery for the good food revolution rather than digging their grave with a knife and fork. They simply won’t believe how much better they feel with a smaller belly.

Belly busting for blokes (New Holland) is Nicole’s new book of sensible and practical advice with Veronica Cuskelly’s simple, easy and tasty recipes (featuring the hunger-busting power of protein and lower GI carbs). Check out www.bellybusting.com.au

GI Symbol News with Dr Alan Barclay

2011-09-01T01:54:00.000+10:00

Dr Alan Barclay

What's missing from traffic light labelling?
Like many countries, Australia is in the midst of an overweight/obesity epidemic and this in turn is creating an epidemic of diet-related chronic diseases, most notably type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke). Australian Government policy guidelines around food labelling have “agreed to tackle the burden of chronic disease”.

Although there is general agreement these days that excessive total energy intake relative to energy expenditure is the primary dietary factor contributing to overweight/obesity, the debate still rages in the scientific community about the specific contribution of macronutrients like fat, carbohydrate and alcohol.

Some well-intentioned Australian public health and consumer organisations are keen to see traffic light labelling on all Australian packaged foods, despite most other nations moving away from this particular front-of-pack labelling scheme. Choice, for example, recently used their model for traffic light labels to judge a range of mueslis for their fat, saturated fat, sugar and sodium content.

Here at GI News we are as keen as anyone else to give consumers a simple way to make better choices in the supermarket that will help them achieve and maintain a healthier weight. However, we don't believe that the current traffic light labelling systems are the better buying magic bullet. Here's why.

The first and most obvious flaw with traffic light schemes is that they generally don't include kilojoules/calories (that's the total energy in 100 grams of food). Given that the general aim of traffic light labelling is to help in the fight against obesity, this omission seems almost inexplicable. When pushed on this, most traffic light advocates will say that most consumers don't understand kilojoule/calories. However, if there is this gap in consumer understanding, then surely what we should be doing is helping people understand kilojoules/calories and how to use them, rather than omit them from front-of-pack labelling schemes. A side effect of leaving them off, also suggests they don't matter as much as fat, sugar and salt ...

Secondly, while most traffic light labelling schemes include total fat and sodium, they only generally include half of the carbohydrates in the serving – that old bogey sugars. However, people with diabetes and those at risk need to know how much total carbohydrate a food contains – the starch as well as the the sugar. And of course if we were really serious about front-of-pack labelling helping in the prevention and management of diabetes (and obesity), we would also incorporate GI, as there is very strong (as in level 1) evidence that a low GI diet will help with both.

Thirdly, traffic light labelling schemes tend to focus on total sugars – not added sugars (the Choice critique of the mueslis for example, gives healthy products containing dried fruit a red 'sugar' traffic light. Some healthy foods like dried fruit (which our dietary guidelines say can contribute to your 2 serves a fruit a day) naturally contain sugars. What you have to watch with these foods is the portion size because they are energy dense, and this is where those kilojoules/calories have a key role to play.

Illustration courtesy Australian Food and Grocery Council – August 2011

Any front of pack labelling scheme needs to focus on both the positive and negative attributes of food if it’s going to truly help consumers make a balanced assessment of a product. If a front-of-pack labelling scheme is not entirely evidence based but instead focuses on the bogey nutrients of the day we can be sure that they will encourage food industry to reformulate their foods and drinks to avoid the dreaded red spot, but this may have the unfortunate side effect of increasing rates of overweight/obesity and type 2 diabetes if the Australian sugar paradox is anything to go by.

For more information about the GI Symbol Program
Dr Alan W Barclay, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
Glycemic Index Foundation (Ltd)
Phone: +61 (0)2 9785 1037
Mob: +61 (0)416 111 046
Fax: +61 (0)2 9785 1037
Email: alan@gisymbol.com
Website: www.gisymbol.com

GI Update

2011-09-01T01:52:00.000+10:00

Prof Jennie Brand-Miller answers your questions
Can you explain to me why controlling your insulin levels is important for trimming inches off your waistline?
Controlling insulin levels is the name of the game when it comes to being able to tighten your belt a notch to two because insulin is a leading player in the fat storage game deciding whether you burn fat or carbohydrate to meet your energy needs. It does this by switching muscle cells from fat-burning to carb-burning.

For example, if your insulin levels are low, as they are when you wake up in the morning, then the fuel you burn is mainly fat. If your insulin levels are high, as they are after you consume a high carb meal, then the fuel you burn is mainly carbohydrate. However, if the carbs you eat are healthy low GI ones, then the pancreas doesn’t have to work as hard, it shoots out less insulin to manage your blood glucose levels and you burn more fat.

Why don’t we just ditch the carbs altogether? Well, reducing carbs doesn’t have the same benefits as swapping high GI for low GI carbs. Low carb meals don’t have desirable flow-on effects to the next meal. They don’t improve the health and function of the beta cell as low GI carbs do. And finally, low carb diets don’t improve blood fat levels over the long term. What’s more, it’s much easier for you (mentally and physically) to swap one carb source for another rather than banish them entirely from your diet. Most dieters who’ve lost weight on low carb diets join the yo-yo brigade (the yo-yo method of girth control).

New GI Values for meal replacement products from SUGiRS
SUGiRS tested the dry powder products with water following the manufacturers’ instructions.

Achievit
VLED Shake (Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry and Caffe Latte flavours) GI 22 – 17g available carbs per serving
VLED Soup (Creamy Chicken or Cream of Tomato and Veg) GI 20 – 17g available carbs per serving)

Tony Ferguson
Apricot Munch Bar GI 51 – 26g available carbs per serving (60g bar)
Berry Munch Bar 43g – 28g available carbs per serving (60g bar)
Crème of Chicken Soup GI 26 – 31g available carbs per serving
1 can (375ml) Chocolate Ready-to-Drink Shake GI 20 – 29g available carbs per serving
1 can (375ml) Espresso Ready-to-Drink Shake GI 20 – 31g available carbs per serving
Roast Pumpkin Soup GI 27 – 29g available carbs per serving
Chocolate Shake GI 22 – 29g available carbs per serving
Espresso Shake GI 22 – 30g available carbs per serving
Café Latte Shake GI 22 – 30g available carbs per serving

GI testing by an accredited laboratory
North America
Dr Alexandra Jenkins
Glycemic Index Laboratories
20 Victoria Street, Suite 300
Toronto, Ontario M5C 298 Canada
Phone +1 416 861 0506
Email info@gilabs.com
Web www.gilabs.com

Australia
Fiona Atkinson
Research Manager, Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service (SUGiRS)
Human Nutrition Unit, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences
Sydney University
NSW 2006 Australia
Phone + 61 2 9351 6018
Fax: + 61 2 9351 6022
Email sugirs@mmb.usyd.edu.au
Web www.glycemicindex.com

Making the Most of GI News

2011-09-01T01:50:00.000+10:00

charge others for access to the work
include all or part of the work in advertising or a product for sale, or
modify the work.

GI News—August 2011

2011-08-01T06:59:00.000+10:00

Prof Jennie Brand-Miller on protein power from low GI plant foods
Nicole Senior on why meat should be a tasty side-show on our plates and not the main event
Julian Cribb's new book on how to feed a growing planet
3 delicious low GI ‘plant-based’ recipes from the GI News Kitchen
Too much potato, sugary drinks and meat linked to greatest weight gain
New GI values for breakfast cereals and Naked Pizza

‘We must think sustainably for our bodies, our wellbeing and our environment’ writes Red Lantern chef Mark Jensen in the introduction to his book The Urban Cook: Cooking and eating for a sustainable future. We agree. And we believe that a low GI diet with its emphasis on ‘slow’ carbs to fuel your body and power your life will help you do just that. We also know from very large epidemiological surveys that low GI diets are flexible, liveable, and family friendly. They also help you optimise your insulin sensitivity and decrease your insulin levels over the whole day. With their emphasis on minimally processed plant foods and moderate amounts of protein foods, they are also better for the environment. Sustainable nutrition all-round we say.

Good eating, good health and good reading.

Editor: Philippa Sandall
Web management and design: Alan Barclay, PhD

Food for Thought

2011-08-01T06:57:00.000+10:00

Nicole Senior on why meat should be a tasty side show on your plate and not the main event

Nicole Senior

Some believe that eating meat was the reason modern man evolved to have such a large brain and occupy the top of Earth’s food chain. While we can survive without it, meat is a highly nutritious food that provides essential nutrients more difficult to obtain from plant foods.

While it’s true that livestock do contribute to environmental problems, the environmental argument against meat has been infused with emotion and ideology as to whether human beings should eat meat at all. The picture has also been muddied by the rampantly excessive consumption of meat in rich countries and the environmentally damaging effects of factory farming and here in Australia the scandal in recent weeks over the cruel slaughter methods of live cattle exported to Indonesia.

But we need pragmatic solutions for a world hungry for protein. It is unrealistic to think we will stop eating meat to save the environment, however we can produce meat in a more sustainable and ethical way, and eat less to minimise our environmental impact.

Meat from any source is nutrient-rich, however red meat – which attracts the most criticism – is rich in iron necessary for healthy blood, zinc required for immunity and vitamin B12 for healthy DNA and cell division.

Sure there are vegetarians who thrive on a meatless diet, but there are also those who don’t and have to take nutrient supplements to make up the shortfall. The degree of difficulty of a meatless diet is much higher than an omnivorous diet. In poor countries where people cannot afford to eat meat, iron-deficiency anaemia is one of the most common childhood diseases. Large nations undergoing economic development are also demanding more meat, so it is more urgent than ever to build sustainability into meat production systems around the world.

Avowed carnivores and vegans are dietary extremes while health is so often found in the happy medium. If we ate according to health guidelines (Australia's Guide to Healthy Eating; USA's My Plate), both our own health and the health of the planet and all the people living on it could be improved!

Credit: Warm beef salad from Eat to Beat Cholesterol by Nicole Senior and Veronica Cuskelly (New Holland)

So, although serious meat-lovers would do well to take a leaf out of the vegetarian book by including more protective plant foods, there’s no need to banish meat from your dinner plate – just cut back so it’s a tasty side-show filling no more than a quarter of the plate rather than the main event taking over the whole plate as served up in some steakhouses.

Luckily the amount of red meat recommended for health fits in nicely with the amount suggested for environmental sustainability. Check out the figures.

A model healthy diet according to Australia’s National Health & Medical Research Council, contains 65g a day of red meat (455g/1lb per week) and the American Institute of Cancer Research: World Cancer Research Fund says to limit red meat to no more than 500g (1lb 2oz) to reduce the risk of cancer.

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Professor Tony McMichael and colleagues from the Australian National University have suggested we limit red meat to no more than 90g (3oz) a day (630g/1lb 5oz a week), based on the idea people in developed countries currently eat more than double this.

My takeout message is this – meat is nutritionally important, but we in rich countries should eat less. Eating less red meat (you don’t need to eat it every day as there is fish, chicken, pork with smaller environmental footprints as well as excellent – and low GI – plant sources of protein that we should be eating more of) will send a message to producers that they can use less intensive and more sustainable methods to produce beef. We need to focus on farming animals (and crops) more sustainably and with minimal environmental impact.

In 2010, Dietitian Nicole Senior won a DAA Outstanding Contribution Award which recognises her contribution to DAA’s Corporate Nutrition and Food and Environment Interest Groups. She played a leading role in the highly successful educational events on food and the environment called ‘Is our food costing the earth?’ held in Sydney in February in 2010 and ‘What a waste’ held in April 2011.

News Briefs

2011-08-01T06:54:00.001+10:00

Potato, sugary drinks and meat linked to long-term weight gain
‘An average adult (in the US) gains about one pound (0.5 kg) per year. Because the weight gain is so gradual and occurs over many years, it has been difficult for scientists and for individuals themselves to understand the specific factors that may be responsible,’ says Associate Prof Dariush Mozaffarian.

In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine Harvard researchers report that modest changes in specific foods and beverages, physical activity, TV-watching, and sleep duration were strongly linked with long-term weight gain. Changes in diet, in particular, had the strongest associations with differences in weight gain.

The foods associated with the greatest weight gain included potato chips, other potatoes, sugar-sweetened beverages, unprocessed meats and processed meats. Foods associated with less weight gain when their consumption was actually increased included vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts and yogurt. The most useful dietary changes to focus on for preventing long-term weight gain appeared to be:

Improving carbohydrate quality.
Eating more minimally processed foods.

‘Small dietary and other lifestyle changes can together make a big difference – for bad or good,’ said Mozaffarian. ‘This makes it easy to gain weight unintentionally, but also demonstrates the tremendous opportunity for prevention. A handful of the right lifestyle changes will go a long way.’

In Australia we are lucky enough to have the Carisma potato which has a low GI and is lower in total carbohydrate than most other varieties of potato. It's an important innovation that may help turn the global obesity pandemic around. However, you still have to be moderate with portion size (remember, it's a quarter of your dinner plate), say no thanks to fries and hold the sour cream and butter.

Better BGLs in low GL vs low fat weight loss diet

Dr David Ludwig

The findings of randomised trial comparing lifestyle modification programs for weight loss in adults with type 2 diabetes in Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice reports that ‘prescribing a calorie restricted low-GL diet to overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes resulted in greater glycemic control than was achieved with a diet with the same amount of Calories/kilojoules but that was low in fat. The advantage of the low-GL diet for improving HbA1c was apparently not attributable to weight change or calorie restriction, as these were equivalent between groups. These results add to a growing literature on the benefits of following a low-GL diet for diabetes control.’

Better HbAIc follows better weight loss in vegan vs ADA diet study

Dr Neal Barnard

Decreasing intake of high GI foods can help reduce body weight, according to a study conducted by PCRM in the Journal of Nutrition. In the 22-week randomised trial, 99 adults with type 2 diabetes were placed on either a vegan diet or the 2003 American Diabetes Association (ADA) diet. The vegan group proved better at controlling BGLs and cholesterol and achieved a greater reduction in the overall GI of their diet. After adjusting for fibre, fat, and calorie intake etc., dietary GI predicted weight loss, which in turn predicted lower HbA1c levels. ‘A low-GI diet appears to be one of the determinants of success of a vegan or ADA diet in reducing body weight among people with type 2 diabetes,’ conclude the authors.

How to feed a growing planet

Julian Cribb

Julian Cribb’s The Coming Famine: The Global Food Crisis and What We Can Do to Avoid It covers the major threats to our food supply. Cribb urges rebalancing our diets toward foods with a smaller carbon footprint and advocates ‘increased consumption of vegetables, fruits and grains and decreased consumption of high energy foods in a balanced healthy diet of the sort your great-grandmother would probably have approved of.’ In The Elephants in the Kitchen he writes: ‘As we approach the mid-century peak in food demand it becomes ever more vital to … find ways to moderate our consumption in line with what the Earth, and our own bodies, can support.’ Yes, it’s a ‘wake-up call’ book packed with facts and figures, but it also comes with some practical ‘What can I do?’ suggestions – simple things such as eating less meat, reducing waste and educating our kids about the value of food. Read more about it on the CSIRO and Amazon websites.

Online update

Lisa Taylor

#1 A new blog that’s just the recipe for women with GDM After having gestational diabetes (GDM), Lisa Taylor, the Mum behind Gestational Diabetes Recipes, created the site (with dietitian Natasha Jo Leader) because she loves food. With this recipe blog, she hopes women are able to turn their diagnosis of GDM into a more positive experience that allows them to continue to enjoy delicious food and their pregnancy but be mindful of the importance of healthy eating and lifestyle for the long term for both themselves and their children.
Try Lisa’s recipes here.

#2 www.diabeteschoices.org.uk is a round-up of diabetes news and research that’s updated every weekday. Founder/editor, Christine Michael, had the idea for this website after many years’ experience as a journalist, editor and author writing about weight management, health and diet. More recently she has specialised in writing about diabetes attending conferences, patient groups and diabetes education sessions, as well as meeting and talking with many people with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Choices provides healthy eating information, recipes and food ‘best buys’ and summaries of the latest research.

Get the Scoop with Emma Stirling

2011-08-01T06:53:00.000+10:00

The scoop on berries

Emma Stirling APD

Strawberries and cream may be a perfect match, but there are so many better ways to reap the health benefits of berries. From delicate raspberries to tart cranberries, there’s a variety to please every meal, snack or drink, not just dessert.

Apart from strawberries (GI 40), most berries actually have so little carbohydrate content it’s difficult to test their GI. Their low carbohydrate content means their glycemic load will also be low, so you really can enjoy them by the bowlful without concerns about their blood glucose impact.

Berries are also low in kilojoules and a good source of vitamin C and fibre. But it’s their potent phytochemicals that continue to make nutrition news. Blueberries have deep purple anthocyanin antioxidants which have been studied for their potential protection from Alzheimer’s disease and brain aging. And then there are vibrant red cranberries, with proanthocyanidins which may help prevent urinary tract infections (UTI’s) and bacteria from attaching to the cell lining of the bladder. I have the scoop on cranberries on my blog here.

How far do you have to travel to pick a winning berry? In recent times home grown berries have taken a back seat as exotics from around the globe like acai, goji and the new, incaberries stole the headlines. Let’s take a closer look at dried goji berries which hail from the Himalayas and claim anti-aging, weight loss and cancer fighting protection. Traditional folk medicine is able to offer up a long list of ‘guarantees’, but you need to look past these anecdotal claims and uncover any hard evidence. To date, the published scientific studies on goji berries are lacking and we do not know how bioavailable and active their antioxidants are in the body. So for daily eating rest assured, that sticking to locally grown fresh berries (or frozen out of season) will definitely enhance your antioxidant intake.

Photo credit : 'Berry Pudding', Ian Hofstetter, The Low GI Vegetarian Cookbook

Berry prep Robust berries like strawberries can be tossed under cold running water to clean. But raspberries and other delicates like blueberries, are best carefully tipped into a large bowl of cold water to bob around for a few seconds and then be scooped up with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel.

Berries are beautiful eaten fresh, scattered on breakfast cereal, added to salads or whipped into a low GI smoothie. When supplies are bumper, freeze berries in zip lock bags, or make homemade fruit spreads and coulis sauces. Try these GI News recipes:

Ripe for the picking Berry picking is one of the best ways to teach children about food and nutrition. It’s fun, tasty and not too time consuming. Just take a look at my family’s adventures berry picking in Australia here.

Emma Stirling is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and health writer with over ten years experience writing for major publications. She is editor of The Scoop on Nutrition – a blog by expert dietitians. Check it out for hot news bites and a healthy serve of what’s in flavour.

In the GI News Kitchen

2011-08-01T06:51:00.000+10:00

Barley risotto with mushrooms and thyme
I’ve just returned from our summer visit to our home in Friuli, Italy. As always, I spent loads of time with my friend, Vanda. When we are together we inevitably start talking about food – new recipes, seasonal ingredients and things like that. This time was no different. Since Vanda is not a pasta enthusiast (silly girl!), we discussed the different ways we use barley in our homes. She uses it in place of arborio rice because, being diabetic, she’s found that her blood glucose levels are much better with barley consumption. On the plane ride home, I started thinking about this recipe. I made it for dinner the other night and we liked it. I hope you will too. Serves 4

120g (4oz) mushrooms (cultivated, baby bella, cremini), halved or sliced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery (no leaves), finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup pearl barley
4 cups stock/broth (vegetable or chicken), heated
2–3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked

Warm a medium sized non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.
Pour olive oil into a large non-stick fry pan. Heat on medium-high for 30 seconds, then add the garlic and vegetables and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
Add the prepared mushrooms minus any water that resulted from their cooking. Add the barley and stir the entire mixture thoroughly. Pour 2 cups of broth into the barley-vegetable mixture, reduce heat to medium and allow to cook for about 10 minutes or until the broth has been absorbed. Stir occasionally. Slowly add in the remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until all has been used and barley is cooked. This will take another 20 minutes.
Remove from heat, season to taste, sprinkle on the thyme and serve immediately.

Per serve
Energy: 690kJ/165cals; Protein 6g; Fat 3g (includes less than 1g saturated fat); Available carbohydrate 24g; Fibre 6g

Cut back on the food bills and enjoy fresh-tasting, easily prepared, seasonal, satisfying and delicious low or moderate GI meals that don’t compromise on quality and flavour one little bit with these Money Saving Meals recipes from two books recently published. For more recipes check out the Money Saving Meals website.

Spicy Caramelised fennel, valencia orange, tomato & olive ragout
Chef Mark Jensen wants us to eat more greens for our health and the planet’s which is why the vegetable chapter in The Urban Cook contains the greatest number of recipes. ‘I’ve done this deliberately,’ says Mark. ‘Traditionally, when we conceive of a meal we first decide on the meat protein component and then we choose the accompanying vegetables. I want to challenge this notion by encouraging you to choose the vegetables first. Draw inspiration from the seasonal produce in your greengrocer’s window and only then decide on the protein.’ Serves 6 as a side dish.

2 fennel bulbs, about 600g (1lb 5oz) each
4 Valencia oranges
1/3 cup olive oil
2½ tbsp white wine vinegar
200g (7 oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
100g (3½ oz) black olives
handful parsley, roughly chopped

Trim the fennel tops, reserving any smaller stems. Trim off the bottom core of the fennel bulb, then slice it in half. Continue to slice the bulb in half until you have eight pieces about 1.5cm (5/8in) wide at the thickest edge. Repeat for the second fennel bulb.
Cut the top and bottom off two of the oranges, then remove the rest of the skin by following the contour of the orange, working from top to bottom, with your knife. Work around the orange until all the skin and pith have been removed. To segment the orange, lay it on its side and slice in between the white pith towards the middle of the orange until all the flesh has been removed. Reserve the segments and place in a bowl. Squeeze the juice from the remaining two oranges, reserving the juice.
To cook the fennel, heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the fennel and fennel stems, taking care to lay the pieces flat in the pan, without overcrowding. You may have to fry the fennel in batches. Cook for 4 minutes, or until the fennel takes on a nice caramel colour, then turn and caramelise the other side.
Add the reserved orange juice and vinegar and continue to cook until the liquid has reduced by a third.
Add the tomatoes, olives and orange segments and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir through the parsley. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and serve. This dish can be served hot or cold.
– Reproduced from The Urban Cook by Mark Jensen (Murdoch Books)

Per serve
Energy: 800 kJ/ 190 cals; Protein 2 g; Fat 13 g (includes 1.8 g saturated fat); Available carbohydrate 15 g; Fibre 4 g

Kathmandu stew
We always say that ‘people with diabetes should learn to love fabulously low GI lentils’. Did you know that they are a good source of plant protein too? You’ll be coming back for seconds with this mildly curried, mildly sweet red lentil and sweet potato stew from Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health (published by The Experiment). It’s satisfying served alone or with a simple raita made with soy yogurt, toasted cumin seeds, and cucumbers. Serves 4.

1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp fennel seeds
3 tsp curry powder
½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
pinch cinnamon
2 cups organic red lentils, rinsed
1 medium orange-fleshed sweet potato, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1–2 tsp sambal oelek or dried red chillies
4 cups water
1 small bunch of fresh cilantro (coriander), chopped

Toast the cumin seeds and powder, fennel seeds, curry powder, coriander, turmeric, and cinnamon in a cast iron frying pan on high heat until the cumin seeds start to pop.
Add the red lentils and stir until the spices are mixed in. Add a splash of water and continue cooking and stirring. Add the sweet potato, carrots, onion, sambal oelek, and 4 cups water.
Stir, cover, and bring to a boil, then stir again, turn down the heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes until the sweet potatoes and lentils are cooked. Add salt to taste, and serve garnished with fresh cilantro.
– Recipe is reproduced by kind permission of Moira Nordholt.

Energy: 1400 kJ/ 335 cals; Protein 25 g; Fat 3 g (includes 0.4 g saturated fat); Available carbohydrate 46 g; Fibre 17g

Busting Food Myths with Nicole Senior

2011-08-01T06:50:00.000+10:00

Myth: Sustainable food is only a greenie’s issue.

Fact: Sustainable food should be on everyone’s shopping list if we want quality of life for our children and grandchildren. World population is exploding and we’re starting to run out of the raw materials to grow food: land, soil, water, fossil fuel and fertiliser.

Farming We’ve done a great job in producing more food and quite cheaply, but we failed miserably in feeding everyone and feeding ourselves in a healthy way: just look at the dual-scourges of hunger and over-nutrition. We have also done terrible damage to the environment while doing it. Our food systems have simply failed to account for the environmental costs of deforestation, soil erosion, salinity, residues of artificial fertilisers and pesticides, rivers drained for irrigation and severe losses of biodiversity: an awful case of short term-ism that is now starting to bite, and hard. We only have a small amount of arable land and fertile soil which we are losing at such a rate there are new terms to describe these dual disasters: ‘peak land’ and ‘peak soil’: Some experts say we only have 60 years of topsoil left.

Climate change is the big fat blow-fly in the ointment, adding further pressure to a system already under extreme stress. Changes in temperature, rainfall, carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere and increased extreme weather events all add uncertainty and variability to growing food the way we always have. Water is another precious resource to grow food, yet our rampant over-use, inefficiency and waste is compromising future food supplies: you can add ‘peak water’ to the list. Innovative sustainable agriculture is our best hope, but many governments around the world are complacent and not funding the research needed.

People The global food system is under pressure from exploding population growth and the ‘nutrition transition’ whereby people emerging from poverty start to eat a more Western (higher protein) diet. We will have more mouths to feed, and more of them will want meat. And why shouldn’t they? Iron deficiency anaemia is one the most common childhood illnesses in the developing world and eating a little meat will fix it. And yet here we are ordering 500g (1lb 2oz) steaks in restaurants for lunch or dinner (enough meat for others for a whole week).

Choices We are lucky enough to be able to choose what we eat. Many people are already choosing better for a more equitable and sustainable food system. But there are also folks who don’t know where to start to make an impact on such huge complex problems. Here are my small but positive steps you can take to ensure you’re eating a fair share of the earth’s bounty, and moving our food system toward sustainability:

Respect and appreciate your food: it is precious and life-giving – you are lucky to have it
Base your meals on plant foods and use meat as a nutritious garnish: meats from smaller animals and eggs are nutritious and have a smaller environmental impact
Choose local, seasonal, organic produce and ‘fair trade’ when you can
Try not to overeat, and eat less highly processed ‘junk’ food
Teach your children where food comes from and how to cook healthy meals
Grow whatever vegetables, fruit and herbs you can (in a window-box if necessary)
Avoid food waste by only buying what you need and managing leftovers wisely
Recycle food packaging and compost green waste (or get a worm farm)

There are those who will read this and say I’m simplifying and moralising. Maybe they’re right. I have fallen into the abyss of over-thinking and despair but have climbed out the other side clasping at the thought that doing something is better than doing nothing. My hope is you do the same.

Want to know more? If you are interested in finding out more, hop over to my website – www.nicolesenior.com.au – for further reading tips.

Nicole Senior is an Accredited Practising Dietitian, nutrition consultant, author and food enthusiast with an interest in food and environment issues. She believes healthy food need not cost the earth.

GI Symbol News with Dr Alan Barclay

2011-08-01T06:49:00.001+10:00

Dr Alan Barclay

Is salt reduction the only answer to reducing the risk of dying of a heart attack or stroke?

“Cutting down on the amount of salt has no clear benefits in terms of likelihood of dying or experiencing cardiovascular disease (CVD).” reports a new Cochrane Review. Part of the reason for this discouraging result is the simple fact that large enough trials have not been run for long enough periods of time to prove that sodium reduction really does reduce the risk of heart attack and strokes (CVD).

To date, the evidence suggests that cutting back on dietary sodium may help reduce blood pressure by 1.1–4.1 mmHg in people with normal and high blood pressure, respectively. But salt reduction is not the only way of lowering blood pressure and therefore reducing the risk of death from a heart attack or stroke.

Losing 10 kg of excess body weight will reduce blood pressure by 5–20 mmHg
Consuming a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products with a reduced saturated and total fat content (i.e., the DASH diet) will lower blood pressure by 8–14 mmHg
30 minutes a day of regular physical activity (a brisk walk will do) will lower it by 4–9 mmHg.

And focusing on sodium reduction alone often doesn’t work as the makers of Cambell’s Soup recently found out. If you lower the salt content of certain foods too much people simply won’t buy them anymore because they don’t like the taste …

What we need to remember is that there are many risk factors for the development of CVD (heart disease and stroke) including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood glucose levels. For example, another mineral, potassium, also affects our blood pressure – high potassium intakes lower blood pressure which is why it’s important to eat more fruits, vegetables and wholegrains. And the type and amount of fat we eat has a powerful affect on our blood cholesterol levels.

Few people realise that the amount and type of carbohydrate that we eat also has an effect on our blood pressure. Dr Reaven was the first to describe the role of insulin resistance in the development of high blood pressure in the 1990s. Put simply, the kidney does not develop insulin resistance like the liver and muscles do, and as insulin levels get progressively higher in the blood, the kidneys increase their retention of sodium (in other words, we excrete less sodium in our urine), leading to higher blood pressure.

This is why an overall healthy diet that’s moderate in sodium, and lower in kilojoule/calories, saturated fat and high GI carbohydrates is the best way to reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke – not simply reducing the amount of salt or salty foods that you eat. And this is where front-of-pack labelling schemes like the GI Symbol can help. We developed category specific nutrient criteria for energy (calories/kilojoules), carbohydrate, fat, saturated fat, sodium, and where appropriate, fibre and calcium for the low GI Symbol to help make all-round healthy food choices in the supermarket easier for everybody, every day.

For more information about the GI Symbol Program
Dr Alan W Barclay, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
Glycemic Index Foundation (Ltd)
Phone: +61 (0)2 9785 1037
Mob: +61 (0)416 111 046
Fax: +61 (0)2 9785 1037
Email: alan@gisymbol.com
Website: www.gisymbol.com

GI Update

2011-08-01T06:47:00.001+10:00

Professor Jennie Brand-Miller answers your questions

I have read that we should be basing our diet mostly on plant foods for good health. But I have also read that a moderate protein diet will keep us feeling fuller for longer and help us maintain a healthy weight. What plant foods have protein and which ones are low GI?
Protein is found in many plant foods, and the good news is that many are low or lower GI foods – check the GI Database (www.glycemicindex.com) for your favourites. To give you an idea how much protein you can get from plant foods, I have selected the following foods (with their sample serving sizes) from The Shopper’s Guide to GI Values – 2011 Australian edition.

Legumes (pulses)

½ cup (150g) baked beans in tomato sauce (GI 49) provides around 7g protein
½ cup (130g) canned, drained cannellini beans (GI 31) provides around 8g protein
2/3 cup (125g) cooked red lentils (GI 26) provides around 9g protein
1 cup (180g) cooked split peas (GI 25) provides around 12g protein
1 cup (170g) cooked soy beans (GI 18) provides around 23g protein
100g (3½oz) tofu (raw) provides around 12g protein (GI not relevant)
1 cup (250ml) So Natural light soy milk (GI 44) provides around 5g protein

Breakfast cereals, breads and grains

¾ cup (30g) Kelloggs Special K original (GI 56) provides around 6g protein
¾ cup (45g) Kelloggs All-Bran (GI 44) provides around 7g protein
¼ cup (30g) raw traditional rolled oats (GI 57) provides around 3g protein
1 slice (35g) Tip Top 9-grain Original bread (GI 53) provides around 4g protein
1 slice (40g) Burgen Soy-Lin bread (GI 52) provides around 6g protein
1 cup (170g) cooked brown rice (GI 59–86, so check the tables and choose a low GI one) provides around 5g protein
1 cup (170g) cooked basmati rice (GI 58) provides around 4g protein
1 cup (180g) cooked pasta (GI 35–54) provides around 7g protein
1 cup (180g) cooked fresh rice noodles (GI 40) provides around 3g protein
1 cup (180g) cooked soba/buckwheat noodles (GI 46) provides around 9g protein
1 cup (190g) cooked pearl barley (GI 25) provides around 6g protein
1/2 cup (90g) cooked Nature First Organic quinoa (GI 53) provides around 4g protein

Nuts and seeds

A small handful (30g/1oz) of most nuts or seeds will deliver around 5g protein (GI not relevant)

New GI Values from SUGiRS
‘Be Natural’ low GI breakfast cereals

SUGiRS tested these Be Natural breakfast cereals with water (after all, you can't ask volunteers to chow down dried cereal). The serving sizes used are those recommended by the manufacturer. Served with a little reduced fat milk or a dollop of fat-free yoghurt, the GI would be a little lower.

Be Natural Cashew, Almond, Hazelnut & Coconut Muesli GI 54 – 27g available carbs and 5g protein per 2/3 cup (45g) serving
Be Natural Multi-Grain Porridge GI 53 – 22g available carbs and 4.8g protein per sachet (40g) serving
Be Natural Pink Lady Apple & Flame Raisin Muesli GI 51 – 31g available carbs and 4.3g protein per 3/4 cup (45g) serving

Naked Pizza
Pizza is basically a flat bread (the crust) with toppings. That's why it's great to see a low GI grainy crust (it's over to YOU to choose the healthier toppings on offer). We have to say there was no shortage of volunteers when GI Labs in Toronto were testing Naked Pizza’s Original grainy pizza crust. Co-founder Jeff Leach says they set out ‘to create a better-for-you pizza without additives and with fewer calories, more protein and fibre and less fat that people can enjoy as part of a healthy lifestyle.’ The multigrain crust includes 10 grains and seeds plus prebiotic fibre from agave plants and added probiotics (for digestive health). A gluten-free crust is also available. ‘Our number one seller is the Superbiotic, followed by the Mediterranean and then the Omnivore,’ says Jeff.

1 slice medium-sized Naked Pizza Original crust GI48 – 9g available carbs, 5g fibre and 3g protein plus sauce, cheese and toppings

Remember: pizza is for sharing! That means enjoy a slice or two with friends or family: don't eat the whole pizza on your own.

You can read more about Naked Pizza (what’s on the menu, what's in it and where you can buy it) HERE.

GI testing by an accredited laboratory
North America
Dr Alexandra Jenkins
Glycemic Index Laboratories
20 Victoria Street, Suite 300
Toronto, Ontario M5C 298 Canada
Phone +1 416 861 0506
Email info@gilabs.com
Web www.gilabs.com

Australia
Fiona Atkinson

Research Manager, Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service (SUGiRS)
Human Nutrition Unit, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences
Sydney University
NSW 2006 Australia
Phone + 61 2 9351 6018
Fax: + 61 2 9351 6022
Email sugirs@mmb.usyd.edu.au
Web www.glycemicindex.com

See The New Glucose Revolution on YouTube

Making the Most of GI News

2011-08-01T06:45:00.000+10:00

charge others for access to the work
include all or part of the work in advertising or a product for sale, or
modify the work.

GI News—July 2011

2011-07-01T05:16:00.000+10:00

Being healthy on the inside no matter what number you see on the scales
‘New cure for diabetes’ shout the headlines ... Dr Alan Barclay investigates
The scoop on loving low GI lentils
Prof Jennie Brand-Miller on insulin sensitivity
Reduced fat intake may reduce diabetes risk without weight loss

‘It’s what's inside that counts’ applies to the food we eat as well as having a kind heart suggests Nicole Senior busting the myth that ‘all fat people are unhealthy’. ‘We need to put nutrition and health as a priority over the obsessive quest for ‘the body beautiful,’ she writes. We gave her space in Food for Thought to expand on this with tips on staying healthy on the inside no matter what number you see on the scales. Plus there are all our usual features in this issue including three delicious recipes from the GI News Kitchen to try.

Good eating, good health and good reading.

Editor: Philippa Sandall
Web management and design: Alan Barclay, PhD

Food for Thought

2011-07-01T05:14:00.001+10:00

Nicole Senior on being healthy on the inside

Nicole Senior

In Eat to Beat Cholesterol, I wrote: ‘Some people are genetically programmed to be larger and the effort to slim down substantially is unrealistic. If this is you, be as healthy as you can. You are better off being fat and enjoying a healthy diet than being fat and eating badly. The same goes for physical activity – you are better off being fat and fit, than a fat couch potato.’

What this boils down to is that if you are larger it doesn’t mean you are – or have to be – unhealthy. As my Mum reminded me the other day, ‘It’s what inside that counts.’ Eating the right foods and exercising regularly can balance the health ledger in your favour and give you better numbers ‘on the inside’ too – your BGLs, cholesterol and blood pressure.

We also need to put nutrition and health as a priority over the obsessive quest for ‘the body beautiful’. Happiness, contentment and wellbeing are more than what size clothing we wear. Here are my tips to be healthy on the inside.

Choose top-quality fuel This simply means you give your body the fuel it needs to protect your health and improve your performance in every aspect of life. In fuel for motor vehicles, octane level is important; in fuel for people, nutrient density is the key. Nutrient-dense foods offer more ‘bang for your kilojoule buck’.

Balance the fuel mix The fuel mix you put into your body is just as important as race fuel in a Formula One car. You need it to be balanced between the food groups and nutrients to give you the right mix of power and endurance. Eating to be healthy on the inside you need to:

Power up with protein – Lean red meat, pork, chicken, fish, seafood, eggs and legumes (beans, lentils and chickpeas).
Re-fuel with carbs (look for the low GI ones) – Grain foods such as low GI grainy breads and breakfast cereals, pasta, noodles, low GI rice like basmati or Doongara Clever Rice and starchy vegetables like lower GI potatoes (Carisma or Nicola), orange-fleshed sweet potato, corn, carrots, butternut pumpkin and parsnips.
Rust-proof with fruit and veg – Tomatoes, onions, broccoli, mushrooms, lettuce, capsicum, celery, zucchini (courgettes), peas, cabbage, beans and beetroot etc. Fruit and berries such as apples, oranges, bananas, pears, grapes, kiwifruit, plums, nectarines, rockmelon, papaya (paw paw), mango and strawberries etc.
Reinforce your frame with good dairy foods – Reduced fat milk, yoghurt, cheese and custard.
Grease the machine with the right oils – Sunflower, olive and canola oils; spreads like margarine or peanut butter; nuts and seeds, and avocado.
Prevent overheating with fluids – Water, juice, cordial, tea and weak coffee

And remember, your body was designed to move, so move it and keep it in working order to give yourself the strength and fitness to cope with whatever life throws at you. Cars, sedentary jobs, technology and the quest for convenience have all made it easier to do very little. If you want to be active, you usually have to plan to make it happen. Apart from not smoking, being physically active is the most powerful step you can take for being healthy on the inside.

News Briefs

2011-07-01T05:12:00.001+10:00

Little evidence that increasing soy improves BGLs
In a meta-analysis in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition evaluating the effects of soy foods and supplements on glycemic control Dr Suzanne Ho and colleagues conclude that: ‘there was not a significant overall effect of soy intake on improvements of fasting glucose and insulin concentrations; however, a favorable change in fasting glucose concentrations was observed in studies that used whole soy foods.’

Reduced fat intake may reduce diabetes risk without weight loss
‘What is important about this study,’ says Prof Barbara Gower, ‘is that the results suggest that diet quality, not quantity, can make a difference in risk for type 2 diabetes.’ The researchers provided 69 healthy overweight individuals with one of two calorically identical diets for eight weeks – either a reduced carbohydrate, higher fat diet (43% carbohydrate, 39% fat), or a standard diet of 55% carbohydrate and 27% fat. At the end of the study, those on the lower-fat diet had significantly higher insulin secretion and better glucose tolerance and tended to have higher insulin sensitivity. The researchers took into account any minor fluctuations in weight during the study, and provided participants with the amount of food necessary to maintain weight.

Tossing and turning? You may need to up your high GI carbs

Eating high GI and high GL meals increased the availability of tryptophan in healthy volunteers reports a study in the British Journal of Nutrition. ‘These findings may have clinical relevance for management of conditions where increased serotonin production is considered beneficial, primarily for promotion of sleep in patients with insomnia). Specific research would be required to assess the risk–benefit of using high-GI meals to promote sleep against current strategies for clinical management of insomnia,’ conclude the authors. ‘It’s still early days,’ says Prof Jennie-Brand-Miller, ‘and needs to be confirmed by larger, long-term studies before recommending people with sleep problems, many of whom may well have diabetes or pre-diabetes, start experimenting with high GI meals.’

Does it matter where your protein comes from?
‘In the small amount of literature available there is no striking evidence that the one protein source is preferable to another in weight-reducing programs. However, animal proteins, especially those from dairy, seem to support better muscle protein synthesis than plant proteins. This could potentially enhance energy expenditure, but no conclusion can be drawn from the scant evidence. Some studies, but not all, demonstrate the higher satiating effect of whey and fish proteins than other protein sources.’ Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases.

Enjoy pears
Juicy, sweet pears are one of the world’s most loved fruits (we are all fans here) and this year’s Australian crop is a bumper one. ‘The past few seasons have brought anguish for many growers with the Black Saturday bushfires, flooding and inclement weather almost decimating crops,’ says fourth generation grower Gary Godwill. ‘To get pears to harvest this year we battled rain and flooding, and had our pickers wading through water just to get to the trees. However, we’ve been rewarded with the early Williams’ pear crop up by 60% compared to last year and the current Packham’s harvest expected to be large and one of best quality crops we’ve ever seen.’

Pears (GI38) are a healthy snack rich in fibre and vitamin C. They have a low GI because they are high in fibre and most of their sugar is fructose. Although the flavour of a fresh pear on its own is hard to beat, here are some tips to up your intake:

Poach or bake them in a light syrup or red wine with a touch of cardamom.
Think outside the square by baking them with spices, roasting them with meat, or adding them to bruschetta.
Toss firmer pears in salads with walnuts and greens (witlof and rocket go well).
Pop softer pears into a soup or smoothie for added flavour.

Bookshelf: The CSIRO and Baker IDI Diabetes Diet and Lifestyle Plan

CSIRO and Baker IDI joined forces with Julie Gibbs’ ever-creative team at Penguin Australia to produce this attractive guide to managing type 2 diabetes (or reducing your risk of getting it). They offer two dietary approaches – Option 1 is a higher protein plan; Option 2 has a little less protein and a little more carbohydrate – and four kilojoule-restricted plans. To get you started, there are 6-week (6500kJ) plans for both Option 1 and Option 2 and around 80 recipes, many photographed.

The recipes don’t come with a familiar nutritional analysis, instead they tell you the units (based on kilojoules) of protein, vegetables, ‘bread’ (by this they mean starchy vegetables and grains), fats, dairy and fruit per serve. If you find counting your carbs the best way to manage your BGLs and spread your carbs evenly over the day, you’ll find this approach novel as the ‘bread’, ‘dairy’ and ‘fruit’ units are based on kilojoules not that familiar 10–15 gram carb exchange.

We asked Alan Barclay if this would matter. ‘It’s not that different in the real world to 10–15 gram carb exchanges – and probably both models would achieve similar results. But it won’t work for those counting grams of carbs of course, like those using insulin pumps.’

Get the Scoop with Emma Stirling

2011-07-01T05:10:00.000+10:00

The scoop on low GI lentils

Emma Stirling APD
It’s easy to forget about the little guy at times. Fora little legume, lentils pack as powerful a nutrition punch (and are more convenient) as bigger members of their family like beans and chickpeas.

If you have diabetes, back this little guy. Rich in protein, high in fibre and packed with nutrients like B vitamins, folate and minerals, all fresh and canned lentils have a low GI. Although opting for handy canned convenience increases the GI somewhat, lentils are still a very smart carb choice ... just take a look:

GI26 (red, home cooked)
GI30 (green, home cooked)
GI52 (green, canned)

A serving is ¾ cup cooked lentils.

How to prep and dress? So you like the idea of backing the little guy, but you’re really not sure how to get dried lentils ready for action? Shop around for a variety of colours from red, orange, green and brown. You can purchase lentils whole, split or skinned depending on variety. Whole lentils lend themselves better to salads and sides, whereas split are commonly used in soups, but there are no hard and fast rules and all are easy on the budget.

Measure out your required quantity of dry lentils – as a rule of thumb they will more than double in volume once cooked as they soak up liquid from the cooking broth, water or dish. Wash your lentils well to remove dirt and check that there are no little stones hiding in your measured serve. Laying washed lentils on a clean tea towel is an easy way to check for grit. Dried lentils will keep fresh in an airtight container for months.

Easy as peasy meal ideas The best thing lentils have going for them is that they do not require soaking overnight like many other pulses and are quicker to cook, within 15–30 minutes and your done (just check the cooking time on the pack). Adding lentils is as easy as adding frozen peas to a dish during the cooking process (you just have to allow a bit more time). There are many authentic recipes and side dishes designed around lentils, like Indian dhal, but you can simply keep them on hand and toss in to your existing recipes. You may like to give the little guy a go and:

Transform a simple pot of vegetable soup into something substantial by adding a cup or two of lentils.
Extend a stew or casserole with a cup or two of lentils. Great to help the leftovers feed the whole family.
Add a sprinkle of canned lentils into your meat ball or burger base to up the dietary fibre.
Thicken sauces and salsas with pureed lentils. If it’s a new taste sensation for your family, add just a little for starters until their palates adjust to the slightly earthier flavour.

Once you start searching around you’ll uncover more about this little guy than you ever imagined. Lentils really are the quiet achiever, just like in this stunning recipe for Ocean Trout with Lentils. We know you’ll soon be a lentil lover too, or perhaps you already are? Love to hear your tips and recipe links below.

Emma Stirling is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and health writer with over ten years experience writing for major publications. She is editor of The Scoop on Nutrition – a blog by expert dietitians. Check it out for hot news bites and a healthy serve of what’s in flavour.

In the GI News Kitchen

2011-07-01T05:08:00.000+10:00

Zucchine in agrodolce
Nothing beats early homegrown summer squash fresh grown. Zucchine are tender and lusciously filled with the flavors of the fertile earth they grow out of. This is an old traditional Sicilian recipe whose sweet and sour (agrodolce) flavors “ripen” a few days after it is made. Other herbs can be used: basil, flat-leaf parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme. Makes six ½ cup servings.

2 small cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
900g (2lb) zucchini/courgettes (about 6 large)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup (125ml) red wine vinegar
6 leaves fresh mint

Heat barbecue grill (indoor or outdoor).
Combine the garlic and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Set aside. Wash and pat dry the zucchini. Cut off the ends. Cut the zucchini lengthwise into ½cm/¼in diagonal slices. Add slices to the mixing bowl and, with your hands, toss to coat them with the oil-garlic mixture.
Place the slices on the grill for 6–10 minutes, turning once. Do not overcook. The grilling time will depend on the heat of the grill. An indoor grill takes about 10 minutes. When done …
Place the zucchini in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the sugar, vinegar and remaining olive oil over the slices. Gently toss, spoon the mixture in a shallow serving dish and sprinkle with small, hand-ripped pieces of mint. Serve cold or at room temperature. Best if served after 1–2 days in the fridge.

Per serve (1/2 cup)
Energy: 400kJ/95cals; Protein 2g; Fat 7g (includes 1g saturated fat); Available carbohydrate 6g; Fibre 2g

Cut back on the food bills and enjoy fresh-tasting, easily prepared, seasonal, satisfying and delicious low or moderate GI meals that don’t compromise on quality and flavour one little bit with our Money Saving Meals recipes. For more recipes check out the Money Saving Meals website.

Spicy Moroccan chickpea & lentil soup
This soup will thicken slightly on standing. You can replace the chickpeas with soy beans or any kind of white bean. This soup is also delicious topped with low fat natural yoghurt. It was originally published in The Low GI Vegetarian Cookbook (Hachette) Serves 6

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2.5cm (1in) piece fresh ginger, finely grated -- (1 in)
3 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp saffron threads soaked in 2 tablespoons boiling water
400g (14oz) can Italian chopped tomatoes
4 cups good-quality vegetable stock
4 cups water
1 cup (250g) red lentils, rinsed well
2 x 400g (14oz) cans chickpeas, drained
1/3 cup chopped coriander
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, plus extra to serve
salt and freshly ground black pepper
low-fat natural yoghurt to serve

Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–7 minutes or until softens. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin and chilli powder. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add the saffron threads and soaking liquid, tomatoes, stock, water and lentils to the pan. Cover and bring to a simmer and cook gently, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Add chickpeas and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the coriander and parsley. season to taste and serve with a dollop of yoghurt and extra chopped parsley.

Per serve
Energy: 1222kJ/ 292cals; Protein 19g; Fat 7g (includes 1g saturated fat); Available carbohydrate 33g; Fibre 2g

Manfredi at Bells chef, Stefano Manfredi, is recognised as one of Australia’s leading exponents of modern Italian cuisine. Since the 1980s, he has owned and operated restaurants in the Sydney area, written on food and cooking (these days a weekly food column for the Sydney Morning Herald's Spectrum), published four books, presented master classes and made television appearances. He also leads a cooking tour annually to Italy and enjoys making salami and sausages with his friend Pino. This month he shares a tagine with GI News readers.

Stefano Manfredi

Lamb and lentil tagine
As the days cool a little, appetites grow keener for foods that give warmth and comfort. The cook senses this change and thoughts turn to ingredients that require slower cooking. To my mind, lentils are the perfect comfort food – soothing, flavoursome and able to absorb many other flavours.

Gently heat 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil in a tagine base or heavy casserole pot, and add a pinch of saffron, a teaspoon of powdered turmeric and 1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger. Lightly fry for a minute then add a chopped onion, 2 chopped carrots and a chopped celery heart (including the tender celery leaves). Stir well and lightly fry for 2–3 minutes. Add 1 cup of well-washed lentils and a lamb shoulder cut into 2cm (1in) pieces. Mix well and add enough water to just cover all the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper, stir, and place the lid on. Place the tagine (or casserole) into a preheated 180ºC/350ºF oven for 50–70 minutes until the lamb and lentils are thoroughly cooked. Once out of the oven, roughly chop a bunch of coriander and squeeze in the juice of a lemon. Check for seasoning and serve.

You can see the final result HERE.

– For more of Steve’s recipes, go to: www.manfredi.com.au

Busting Food Myths with Nicole Senior

2011-07-01T05:06:00.000+10:00

Myth: Fat people are unhealthy.

Nicole Senior

Fact: You can be ‘fit and fat’. No matter what your weight, you can improve your health and reduce your risk of disease by being physically active and eating a healthy diet.
Last month we heard from Professor Steven Blair about his research showing even obese people can be healthy provided they are physically active. Describing himself as ‘short, fat and bald’ but physically fit made me laugh endearingly but also added ‘weight’ to his argument: he is a man who literally ‘walks the walk!’ You can be healthy at any size provided you are physically active but what you eat also matters.

Did you know heavier people have lower risk of osteoporosis? Being heavier puts more pressure on your bones and your body toughens them up to take it – especially if you are physically active: chalk one up for the fatties! Being thin actually increases your risk of osteoporosis for the same reason, but exercising regularly and eating enough calcium rich foods can even up the score. When it comes to bones, exercise and food are important for everyone.

Think about Morgan Spurlock in the film ‘Supersize me’ who overate (one time to the point of throwing up) every day for a month on fatty burgers, fries and shakes. Even though he was not obese at the end, his blood test results read like the ‘wreck of the Hesperus’ because he had overdosed on ‘sometimes foods’ full of saturated fat and low in fibre. Both fat and thin people can eat badly and have high cholesterol levels, and equally anyone can achieve normal cholesterol levels by eating a cholesterol-lowering diet with the right balance of fats; that is, mostly unsaturated fats from oils, spreads, nuts, seeds and fish, along with plenty of fibre from vegetables, fruits and wholegrains.

Fat people can have normal blood pressure as well provided they eat little salt and enough vegetables, fruits, wholegrains and low fat dairy foods (and exercise). Overweight people can also have healthy blood glucose levels and protect against type 2 diabetes by enjoying a balanced diet low in saturated fat, high in fibre, and including low GI foods and being physically active.

What we eat matters at any size. We all need to set nutrition and fitness goals that are realistic and right for us. We can’t all do 2 hours a day in the gym, and there’s no shame in that. We also need to put nutrition and health as a priority over the obsessive quest for ‘the body beautiful’. Happiness, contentment and wellbeing are more than what size clothing we wear. It’s unfortunate that bigger people attract such negative perceptions because this can lead to low self esteem and poor eating habits; why take care of yourself with good food if you think you’re unworthy?

Good self-acceptance is important for engaging in healthy behaviours. It’s like my mother always said, ‘It’s what inside that counts’ and this applies to the food we eat as well as a kind heart.

For more great information and delicious recipes for staying healthy on the inside, check out Nicole’s website at eattobeatcholesterol.com.au.

GI Symbol News with Dr Alan Barclay

2011-07-01T05:04:00.000+10:00

Dr Alan Barclay
A new cure for diabetes?
A new study in the Lancet has crunched the numbers and tells us that in just under 30 years, the number of adults with type 2 diabetes has more than doubled from 153 million in 1980 to 347 million in 2008 . Most due to increasing numbers of larger, older people. It’s thought that risk factors like obesity, lack of physical activity and poor diets account for the rest.

Not to worry. There’s a ‘cure’ shout the headlines a few days later when a new two-month ‘extreme diet’ that ‘offers a hope of a cure for type 2 diabetes’ was published in Diabetologia. Cure? Let’s take a look.

Eleven obese people with type 2 diabetes were put on a very low calorie diet (600 cal/2500 kJ a day). It consisted of three sachets of Optifast a day plus non-starchy vegetables (salad greens, onions, capsicum/peppers).

After eight weeks they lost an average of 15.3 kg/34 lbs (around 15% of their body weight) and their BGLs and triglyceride levels returned to normal, their pancreatic and liver fat levels decreased, and their livers became sensitive to the effects of insulin again. A big improvement – but what happened next?

Most of the stories neglected to mention that three months later, the weight came back: there was an average weight re-gain of 3.1 kg (7 lbs) when the participants were ‘provided with information about portion size and healthy eating’ and 3 out of the 11, or 27% of participants ‘had recurrence of diabetes’. No details on the ‘healthy eating’ advice was given.

A new cure? Not really. What the study shows is that if you go on a very low calorie diet your symptoms of type 2 diabetes will go into remission if you are obese (not everyone with type 2 diabetes is obese of course). However, remission is the key word. Because type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disease – it’s not something you catch – your symptoms will return if you slip back to your old lifestyle.

It's not possible to live your life on Optifast or similar products. So, the essential ingredient is what healthy eating plan should you follow after you have lost that initial 15% of your body weight to prevent weight re-gain and a return of diabetes symptoms – and that part of the study was sadly neglected…

Regular readers of GI News will recall that the Diogenes study we covered last year found that a moderately high protein, low GI diet was the best plan for longer-term weight loss maintenance. Interestingly, the first phase of this study also involved use of a very low calorie diet like Optifast. This successful combination (very low calorie diet followed by a moderately high protein, low GI diet) may help some people with type 2 diabetes put their diabetes in to remission and keep it that way for a much longer period of time.

For more information about the GI Symbol Program
Dr Alan W Barclay, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
Glycemic Index Foundation (Ltd)
Phone: +61 (0)2 9785 1037
Mob: +61 (0)416 111 046
Fax: +61 (0)2 9785 1037
Email: alan@gisymbol.com
Website: www.gisymbol.com

GI Update

2011-07-01T05:02:00.000+10:00

Professor Jennie Brand-Miller answers your questions

Many of the studies you write about in GI News talk about ‘insulin resistance’ and ‘insulin sensitivity’. Can you explain these terms?
Insulin is a hormone that plays several critical roles in our health and wellbeing. It’s been called the MASTER hormone because it regulates so many things, including our blood glucose levels. When we eat carb-rich foods like bread, breakfast cereals, pasta, rice or noodles, starchy vegetables like potatoes and fruit, our body converts them into a glucose (a sugar) that is absorbed from the intestine and becomes the main fuel that circulates in our blood. When glucose levels in the blood rise after a meal, the beta cells in the pancreas shoot insulin out into the blood to drive the glucose into the cells so it can be put to work either as an immediate source of energy or converted to glycogen (a stored energy source), or to fat.

If you require relatively normal or low levels of insulin to process your BGLs (blood glucose levels), you are what’s called ‘insulin sensitive’ – a good thing.

Insulin resistance, on the other hand, means that the body does not react in a normal way to insulin in the blood. It is insensitive, or ‘partially deaf’, to insulin. Think of it like this: just as we may shout to make a deaf person hear, the body makes more insulin in an effort to drive glucose where it’s supposed to go. So moving glucose into cells necessitates the release of large amounts of insulin.

A healthy low GI diet plus physical activity are the most powerful ways you can optimise your insulin sensitivity and decrease insulin levels over the whole day. The latest paper from the Diogenes study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that an ‘increase in dietary protein and a reduction in GI content over a 6-month ad libitum dietary intervention are related to a lower drop-out rate and produced favourable effects on glycaemic control and insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese subjects after an initial body-weight loss.’

GI testing by an accredited laboratory North America
Dr Alexandra Jenkins
Glycemic Index Laboratories
20 Victoria Street, Suite 300
Toronto, Ontario M5C 298 Canada
Phone +1 416 861 0506
Email info@gilabs.com
Web www.gilabs.com

Australia
Fiona Atkinson

Research Manager, Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service (SUGiRS)
Human Nutrition Unit, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences
Sydney University
NSW 2006 Australia
Phone + 61 2 9351 6018
Fax: + 61 2 9351 6022
Email sugirs@mmb.usyd.edu.au
Web www.glycemicindex.com

See The New Glucose Revolution on YouTube

Making the Most of GI News

2011-07-01T05:00:00.000+10:00

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GI News—June 2011

2011-06-01T04:34:00.001+10:00

This for that – how to ‘swap it, don’t stop it’, the low GI way
The scoop on low GI winter fruit with Emma Stirling
Fit people come in all shapes and sizes – Prof Steven Blair
Nicole Senior checks out claims that ‘thin people are healthier’
Achieving health at every size – Dr Linda Bacon
How much exercise do you need to do to reduce your HbA1c?
The latest on low GI carbs and exercise – Prof Jennie Brand-Miller
‘If not dieting what then?’ asks Dr Rick Kausman

‘There is no doubt that obesity poses serious health risks for some people in our community. But perhaps if we were more sensible and less hysterical about obesity, we may actually find it easier to engage and support the people who need it most,’ write Dr Samantha Thomas and Assoc Prof Colin McLeod. ‘Research clearly shows that people who are obese feel that simplistic and exaggerated public claims about obesity have led to a culture of blame and shame. Some describe that the public pressure to lose weight has led them to engage in radical and risky weight loss attempts, and pushes them further away from essential services that could help them improve their health and wellbeing.’ In this issue of GI News, we take a look at the fit/fat debate and the Health at Every Size Movement along with all our regular features and of course recipes from the GI News Kitchen for you to try.

Good eating, good health and good reading.

Editor: Philippa Sandall
Web management and design: Alan Barclay, PhD