1 October 2010

GI News—October 2010

[COLLAGE]
  • 'Cruise instead of spike and crash' with low GI foods says Olympic swimming champion Ian Thorpe
  • ‘Wholegrain’ hype: is it time to redefine ‘true’ whole grain foods? Prof Jennie Brand-Miller opens the debate
  • Focus on food not nutrients – Dr David Ludwig challenges ‘dietary guidelines’ orthodoxy
  • The scoop on desserts with Emma Stirling
  • Renaming HFCS as corn sugar. Dr Alan Barclay investigates
  • 8 new GI values from the US
It’s Good Food Month here in Sydney, so it seems timely to think about enjoying good low GI food for real satisfaction and good health. To show you what we mean and give your tastebuds a treat, we are sharing a recipe from Bistro Moncur chef Damien Pignolet’s new book, Salades. In his introduction Damien gently reminds us that the role of salads in the French kitchen is quite different from the bowl of green leaves that ‘tends to pass for a salad in Australian and British cooking’. Try his ‘Rustic Salad of chickpeas, prosciutto & preserved artichoke and garlic and anchovy vinaigrette’ in this issue and I think you will agree c’ést delicieux. And low GI too!

Good eating, good health and good reading.

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

Food for Thought

Redefining wholegrains
According to market research organization Mintel, 2010 is set to be the biggest year ever for wholegrain product launches with 651 wholegrain products launched in the US. We asked Prof Jennie Brand-Miller if it was time to take a closer look at the definition of ‘wholegrains’ for product labelling.

Prof Jennie Brand-Miller
Prof Jennie Brand-Miller

‘Consume more wholegrains is enshrined in dietary guidelines around the globe and has become something of a mantra by doctors, dietitians and nutritionists. But does the science stack up to scrutiny? When you see ‘wholegrains’ (or ‘whole grains’ ) on front of pack, do you assume it’s the real McCoy? Has it got everything that the original whole grain had - all the micronutrients and characteristics that make whole grains into health foods? Well, I think we are being hoodwinked. 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.

Refined wholegrain breakfast cereal

It’s true that many scientific studies have found that consuming more wholegrains (brown bread, brown rice, brown pasta etc) is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease. For example, the Nurses’ Health Study reported that women who ate the most (an average of 2.5 servings a day) wholegrains – generally wholegrain breakfast cereals, brown rice and wholewheat bread – were 30% less likely to develop heart disease than women eating merely a single serving of these foods a week.

Unfortunately, studies like this don’t prove that wholegrains are responsible for the good health outcomes. It’s highly likely that people who choose to eat wholegrain foods are unique human beings and health conscious in all sorts of ways. They don’t smoke, they try to be physically active, they eat less red meat and more fruit and vegetables. Of course, good studies will statistically “adjust” for these confounders, as they are called. But I have a niggling feeling that not all the confounders may have been accounted for. Perhaps the person who chooses brown rice over white rice looks after their health in ways that are not yet recorded by researchers eg they eat more slowly, they breathe deeply and they get less stressed.

There are clinical trials in which wholegrains were consumed as one component of a healthy eating pattern (less saturated fat and salt, more fruit, vegies and fibre) but we can’t conclude that the presence of wholegrains were essential for the good outcome. I mention this because 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). Rather than substitute wholegrains for refined grains, the people actually ate the wholegrains as well as the refined grains, and the authors postulated that this may be the way that the average person interprets dietary guidelines that simply advise people to eat more wholegrains (and not cut back on refined grains). This study should have sounded a note of caution about health claims for wholegrain-rich foods and cardiovascular health ... but it hasn’t.

Most recently, an editorial in a scientific journal extolled the virtues of a wholegrains and the dangers of refined grains. Yet the editorial was actually prompted by a new study that found that replacing saturated fat with carbohydrates with high-glycemic index (GI) values was associated with increased future risk of myocardial infarction in a cohort of Danish men and women. In contrast, replacing saturated fat with carbohydrates with low GI values appeared to be protective.

The editorialist, however, equated high GI carbohydrates with refined carbohydrates and sugar. Unfortunately, this is unscientific, wishful thinking. The reality is that for most cereal products today, both the “white” version and the “brown” version have a high GI. Nor is it correct to imply that low GI carbohydrates are less processed and refined. Nearly all kinds of white pasta have a low GI, as do some varieties of white rice, canned legumes, fruit juices, dairy products (sweetened or otherwise), and many confectionery items containing refined sugars. Thus many low GI foods are “processed” products. Nonetheless, low GI and low glycemic load diets have been associated with good health outcomes in scores of observational studies and clinical trials. What’s more, the “health bias” that accompanies diet rich in wholegrain foods is absent because the GI is still a term that means little to many.

For all these reasons, 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 wholegrains.’

News Briefs

Back to the future with dietary guidelines
The dietary guidelines for Americans should focus on whole foods and eating patterns rather than individual nutrients, argue Dr Dariush Mozaffarian and Dr David Ludwig in the Journal of the American Medical Association pointing out that this is not a radical approach at all, but a return to more traditional, time-tested ways of eating.

Dr David Ludwig
Dr David Ludwig

‘The greater the focus on nutrients, the less healthful foods have become,’ they write. ‘The prevailing nutrient-focused approach … contributes to confusion, distracts from more effective strategies, and promotes marketing and consumption of processed products that nominally meet selected nutrient cut points but undermine overall dietary quality.’ Little of the information found on food label “nutrition facts” panels provides useful guidance for selecting healthier foods to prevent chronic disease they say.

‘In contrast … specific foods and dietary patterns substantially affect chronic disease risk, as shown by controlled trials of risk factors and prospective cohorts of disease end points. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts are consistently associated with lower risk of disease. Fish consumption reduces risk of cardiac mortality, belying categorization with other protein sources. Conversely, processed meats, packaged and fast foods, and sugar sweetened beverages increase chronic disease risk …

Healthy eating patterns share many characteristics, emphasizing whole or minimally processed foods and vegetable oils, with few highly processed foods or sugary beverages. Such diets are also naturally lower in salt, trans fat, saturated fat, refined carbohydrates, and added sugars; are higher in unsaturated fats, fiber, antioxidants, minerals, and phytochemicals; and are more satiating. Thus, a focus on foods increases the likelihood of consuming more healthy nutrients and fewer calories and decreasing chronic disease risk, whereas the opposite has arguably occurred through decades of nutrient-focused guidelines.’

Make your healthy eating pattern low GI and ‘cruise instead of spike and crash’ says Olympic swimming champion Ian Thorpe
The new GI Symbol is now appearing in its very first TV commercial thanks very much to Ian Thorpe who generously donated his time and efforts to help the GI Foundation get the word out about a healthy low GI diet. The commercial provides a brief explanation of the GI, along with a showcase of high and low GI foods. View it HERE.

GIF TV commercial

For our readers who live in the US or UK where the GI Symbol has yet to appear on foods, check out our tips on choosing foods that will lower the GI of your diet HERE.

Walk to Cure Diabetes on 17th October
Walk to Cure Diabetes is JDRF’s biggest and most popular event. It unites tens of thousands of people in raising money for research and gives family and friends the chance to get involved. Please join in and make a difference on October 17th all around Australia.

It’s a good year to step out because 2010 marks the 40th year of JDRF’s existence (it was founded in the US in 1970), the first few as a small but passionate collection of parents under the banner of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, who remarkably pushed the scientific community to focus on a disease that had been ignored for more than half a century. Today, JDRF is a global leader in diabetes research, the go-to organization for the diabetes research community, and the best source of hope for better treatments and a cure for people with type 1 diabetes and its complications.

JDRF’s mission has been constant since it was founded: to find a cure for type 1 diabetes and its complications by supporting research. Until a cure is found, JDRF is also committed to working tirelessly to develop new and better treatments to improve the lives of people who have type 1 diabetes and keep them as healthy as possible. Internationally, JDRF has been involved in funding every major type 1 diabetes breakthrough of the last four decades including:

  • Islet transplantation
  • Beta cell regeneration
  • Preventative vaccine development
  • Reduction of complications.
Type 1 diabetes is for life. It's an autoimmune disease and is one of the most common childhood diseases. Rates are increasing around the world and no one is quite sure why. About 10% of people with diabetes have type 1 in which the pancreas stops producing insulin and they have to take multiple injections daily or continuous insulin through a pump just to survive. Maintaining a balanced blood glucose level requires regulating food intake, insulin dose and exercise. For more information and to register to Walk to Cure Diabetes:
Australia
Canada
UK
USA

Get the Scoop on Nutrition with Emma Stirling

The scoop on desserts

Emma Stirling
Emma Stirling APD

As well as nourishing the body, good food plays a pivotal role in our enjoyment and celebration of life. Last month Hershey’s chocolate company launched a partnership with the American Dietitian’s Association – Moderation Nation. It’s designed to give American’s access to a free, first consult with a dietitian. But it has opened plenty of debate, including the interpretation of what the word ‘moderation’ means with healthy eating.

Indulgence is the word more often found partnering desserts, not moderation. So where do sweet treats fit in a low GI diet if you want to keep a healthy weight and manage blood glucose levels?

First of all, you are more likely to stick to your dietary goals or eating plan if you include an occasional treat rather than deprive yourself. In fact, finishing your meal with something sweet can help signal the brain’s satiety/satisfaction appetite centre and stop you hunting around the kitchen for a little something extra.

Secondly, moderation is easy if you share an indulgent dessert, use a smaller bowl or make just enough so there’s no temptation for seconds or thirds.

Woman eating dessert

Most importantly desserts can be delicious way to lower the GI of your diet and up your intake of fruit and low-fat dairy foods all in one go. So, here’s the scoop on what to do:

  • Base your desserts around low GI orchard fruits like apples, pears, peaches and plums. Try poached pears in cranberry juice with a dollop of low fat vanilla yogurt.
  • Use low GI dairy foods like yogurt or fromage frais in parfaits, meringues or trifles.
  • Make a crumble topping with traditional rolled oats or natural muesli.
  • Add lime and lemon juice to desserts. Acids in food slow down stomach emptying and the rate at which carbohydrates can be digested, in turn lowering the GI.
  • Try a creamy rice pudding made with a low GI rice like basmati or Doongara Clever Rice.
For sweet inspiration check out some of Johanna Burani’s recipes in GI News like Baked spiced pears with zabaglione sauce

The trick with fitting in desserts and keeping a healthy weight, is to base the majority of your meals around foods low in energy density and leaving room for that sweet finish.

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 or subscribe for hot news bites and a healthy serve of what’s in flavour.

In the GI News Kitchen

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.

[JOHANNA]

Zucchine carbonara-lite spaghetti
The traditional carbonara recipe contains a whole raw egg and bacon, among other scrumptious ingredients. This is my vegetarian version that also eliminates even a minimal fear of salmonella by using a pasteurized egg white product instead of a raw egg. My dinner guests, even those seated around my table in Friuli, don’t seem to mind at all. As with all of my recipes, you’re your own additions and subtractions as desired. In fact, I was thinking about trying this recipe next time with a chopped toasted pinoli topping. Serves 4 (about 2 cups each)

6 long, thin zucchine (about 1¼lb/500g)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
sea salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 heaping tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (about 10 sprigs)
¼ cup egg substitute or 1 egg
3 heaping tablespoons grated cheese (pecorino or parmigiano)
1 tablespoon fat free milk
220g/8oz spaghetti, uncooked

Zucchine carbonara-lite spaghetti

Wash the zucchine, trim ends, and dice.
Cover the bottom of a large non-stick frying pan with vegetable spray. Heat the pan and then add the zucchine and garlic. Drizzle the olive oil over the mixture and stir through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pan and cook over medium-high heat for 12 minutes, or until the zucchine are tender and golden. Stir frequently to allow for even cooking. Remove pan from heat and stir in the parsley. Set aside.
Combine the egg or egg substitute, cheese, milk and some pepper in a small mixing bowl. Mix well with a fork and set aside.
Cook the spaghetti according to package directions, making sure the pasta is al dente and not overcooked. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Quickly stir in the cheese mixture and then the zucchine. Serve immediately with grated cheese on the side.

Per serving
Energy: 1201kJ/ 286 cals; Protein 13g; Fat 8g (includes 1g saturated fat and less than 1mg cholesterol); Available carbs 43g; Fibre 4g

In his new book, Salades, chef Damien Pignolet opens our minds to the vast possibilities within the genre. So give your taste buds a treat. Delectable chapters cover composed, classic, main course, warm and winter salads, salads on the side, salads for special occasions and sweet salads like ‘Papaya, blood orange and strawberry’ to finish a meal. The entrée salad we have chosen could precede any simple main course or make a deliciously simple meal on its own when you just want something light. Serves 4–6

Rustic salad of chick peas, prosciutto & preserved artichoke with garlic and anchovy vinaigrette
450g (1lb) cooked dried or tinned chick peas
200g (7oz) baby spinach washed and spin dried
2 handfuls finely shredded radicchio
12 grilled preserved artichokes, drained and quartered
1 head fennel, top and bottom trimmed, finely shaved
4 thin slices prosciutto each cut into 3
½ clove garlic, any green shoot removed, finely chopped
3 anchovy fillets, drained and cut into small pieces
100ml (3 ½ fl oz) extra virgin olive oil’
20ml aged red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
A pinch salt (optional)
2–3 tbsp shredded flat-leaf parsley

Rustic salad

Place the chickpeas, spinach, radicchio, artichokes, fennel and prosciutto in a suitably sized bowl.
Lightly mix the garlic, anchovy, olive oil, vinegar and pepper in a small bowl and taste for saltiness adjusting as required (bearing in mind the saltiness of the anchovy and prosciutto). Add the parsley and pour over the salad, then toss and serve.


Cheese please Roberta Muir has just written a cheese compendium 500 Cheeses (Quintet Publishing 2010). The fact that there can even be a book called 500 Cheeses is testament to the incredible diversity of these beloved fermented milk products, produced virtually worldwide from the milk of almost every domesticated herbivore, including horses, camels, and reindeer. From simple cottage cheeses once produced in every home, through artisanal cheeses, to some of the world’s most loved mass-produced products, Roberta has it covered. A trained cheese judge and manager of the Sydney Seafood School, Roberta will be sharing some of her favourite cheese recipes with GI News readers over the coming months.

Cottage cheese makes the perfect topping
‘A simple way of preserving milk is to curdle it with lemon juice, vinegar or soured milk, and then to drain away the resulting curds,’ writes Roberta. ‘In cottages all over Europe, a cow was traditionally kept to provide milk and butter for the family; thus simple ‘cottage’ cheese made from excess milk was among the earliest cheeses. Traditionally made from skimmed milk, the cream having been used for butter, it became a healthy, high protein, low calorie food.’

As for toppings, Roberta recommends piling cottage cheese on toast, crackers, flatbread, lavosh or oatcakes with salad, seafood, chicken or meat as a quick, high-protein, low-calorie snack. Pictured here is cottage cheese piled on oatcakes and topped with slivers of cold-smoked salmon and garnished with a good grind of black pepper. This makes a lovely light meal, too.

Connage Crowdie cottage cheese
Connage Crowdie cottage cheese was voted Best Cheese in Scotland at the 2008 British Cheese Awards.

500 Cheeses is available from good bookshops and online from Amazon (UK and USA) or from New Holland in Australia.

Busting Food Myths with Nicole Senior

Myth: There are bad foods that should not be eaten at all

[NICOLE]
Nicole Senior

Fact:
There are no bad foods. It’s all about how often you eat them and whether you get enough of the good foods
The idea that ‘there are no such things as bad foods, only bad diets’ was once embraced by dietitians, nutritionists and the public alike, but more recently has lost its groove. I’d like to see the sentiment get its groove back. The language and rhetoric around food has taken on a good vs bad dichotomy that I don’t think is healthy. Viewing some foods as inherently bad does not reflect good science or good sense, and is highly subjective. It also ignores the richness and diversity of eating experiences that enrich our lives as well as the powerful emotional connections we have with food. Consider the Christmas feast, or the breaking of the Ramadan fast, or even a slice of birthday cake. Do we really want to live in a world without any cake? Is life really worth living without any chocolate? Could we really dispense with the convenience of fast food in our busy lives?

One guy who has really ‘walked the walk’ about all foods having a place is Kansas State University Professor Mark Haub. In the tradition of Morgan Spurlock in Supersize me, Haub went on a 30-day junk food diet of sweetened breakfast cereal, hot dogs, cake, muffins and cookies. He conceded to a serve of vegetables and some milk at dinner to cover his needs for protein and vitamins. His saving grace– and the stark difference between his and Spurlock’s experience – was he limited his energy intake to 1800 calories (7560kJ) a day. Spurlock deliberately overate. Haub’s dietary experiment ended on September 25. He actually lost weight. The message in this story is not to promote an all-junk-food-diet but to prove a point; it’s how much food you eat that matters for weight control. There is no need to banish these ‘fun’ foods, but simply enjoy them in appropriate amounts.

I think the fall from grace of ‘there’s no such things as bad foods, only bad diets’ started when the food industry started using it as a catch-cry to justify their production of less healthy ‘sometimes’ foods. In an obesity epidemic of multiple causes, there is a strong urge to lay the blame somewhere and fun foods are an easy target.

While I believe wholeheartedly that ‘sometimes foods’ have a place in a healthy diet, I do think our food supply is ‘top heavy’ in less-healthy foods at the top of the healthy eating pyramid. However, changing this situation is not helped by casting stones of food hatred from afar. Real change is achieved by engagement, understanding and collaboration. After all, the food industry is just giving us what we want. Unfortunately we like to eat fat, salt and sugar and we don’t want to pay the true cost of food. So we got cheap, less healthy food and both our health and the planet are paying a very high price. Our food supply is up to US as well as THEM.

The solution to a healthier food supply and healthier people is not demonising food – after all it’s just food. Foods are like friends, some are great friends to see often and others are friends we see on occasion. They all have their place and are all good to have. A bit of food diplomacy may be just the thing we need to work towards a new world food order where the great foods have a greater say, and the occasional foods take a back seat.

Nicole Senior MSc (Nut&Diet) BSc (Nut) is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutritionist and author of Eat to Beat Cholesterol and Heart Food . Check out her website HERE.

GI Symbol News with Dr Alan Barclay

[ALAN]
Dr Alan Barclay

Sweet truths?
Amidst a rash of ‘natural’ ‘cane sugar’ and ‘beet sugar’ claims on foods labels across the US, producers of high fructose corn syrups (HFCS) – one of the top of the pops candidates for the cause of the obesity epidemic in the US (according to various nutrition nannies) has decided it’s time to take action and join the label lingo game. To make their product more competitive with other sugars sold in the US, they are applying to the Food and Drug Administration to rename HFCS as ‘corn sugar’. They argue that HCFS products are not actually that high in fructose (typically 55%) – they are just higher than regular corn syrup (which is primarily glucose). And they are in fact just a ‘corn sugar’.

How does HFCS compare with sucrose (ie regular cane or beet sugar)? Well sucrose is composed of 50% fructose and 50% glucose. So on the face of it there’s not a huge difference there and that’s why some scientists maintain that sucrose and HCFS are nutritionally equivalent. You can read an interesting summary here.

What about GI? We know that the average GI for cane sugar is moderate (GI 65). As far as we know, no HFCS manufacturer has put their product to the test – certainly no data have been published. In theory the slightly higher fructose content of HFCS 55 might lead to a slightly lower glycemic impact than that of sucrose (regular cane or beet sugar). However, this may be offset by the fact that the glucose and fructose in it is “free” rather than bound together as is the case with the disaccharide sucrose. Sucrose has to be cleaved by the digestive enzyme sucrase before the individual sugars (fructose and glucose) are absorbed. On balance, it is likely that cane sugar sucrose and HCFS 55 have similar GI values.

What about being ‘nutritionally equivalent? Well, unlike ‘corn sugar’, some cane sugar products like brown sugar and raw sugar do contain small amounts of micronutrients including potassium, calcium and magnesium. As does Logicane (GI 50), the world’s first low GI sugar which retains most of the nutrients from the sugar cane, like minerals and antioxidant polyphenols, because of the innovative manufacturing process whereby raw cane sugar is sprayed with a molasses extract, a natural by-product of sugar cane manufacture.

Does this mean you can have more. Not at all. When it comes to calories (and dental caries) the rules haven’t changed. If you want a little sweetness in your life, keep it moderate whether it’s cane sugar, beet sugar or corn sugar (or honey or agave syrup etc for that matter too). What’s moderate consumption? About a teaspoon of sugar in a cup of tea or coffee, a couple of teaspoons on a high fibre, low saturated fat breakfast cereal, or a tablespoon or so in a baked product like a fruity muffin. The total should be no more than about 6–10 teaspoons a day which includes all sources of refined sugar you consume – what’s already in the foods you eat as well as what you add yourself.

If you want to know more about Logicane (currently available in Australia and NZ), drop me an email: alan@gisymbol.com

New GI Symbol

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

GI Q&A with Prof Jennie Brand-Miller

Jennie

Gary now wears pants that are three sizes smaller and his wife is thrilled that he doesn’t snore anymore!
I am always delighted when people take the time to share their GI success stories with me. As I so often say when I reply to them: it really makes my day. Choosing low GI carbs, the ones that produce only small fluctuations in your blood glucose and insulin levels, can help you feel fuller for longer and increase your energy levels, making weight loss achievable and sustainable. This month in GI Update, I am sharing Gary’s story sent to me by my US colleague dietitian Johanna Burani RD. Here’s how Johanna tells it:

‘Gary is a 58-year old hard working property manager, responsible for running large pieces of real estate throughout the US, in cities like New York, Miami, Dallas and Boston, writes Johanna. ‘His racing-the-clock, arduous, commuter lifestyle hasn’t enabled him to find the time or energy to address his poorly controlled diabetes (A1C 8.4), his hypertension (BP 160/100) and, least of all, the extra weight he has been carrying around for too many years. In fact, he is convinced that his long workweek has been a consistent contributor to his stress and declining health.

At the gentle prodding of his concerned wife, Gary looked for a way to improve his health by changing his diet without changing his hectic lifestyle. Through his endocrinologist’s office, he made an appointment with me to help him plan out well- balanced meals that included some low GI carb choices. He quickly realized that by including some ‘trickler’ (low GI) carbs in all of his meals, he could feel as full as when he loaded up on high protein foods and avoided carbs. He made sure to include a low GI snack, like cocoa powdered almonds on his bus ride home after work to stave off hunger before dinner. And he surprised himself at how much he actually enjoyed fresh vegetables and fruits with his meals.

In just three months, Gary now says he feels ‘born again’. He says: “Before, I hated myself and just wanted to feel better. Now, I feel 20 years younger. This is the easiest diet I’ve ever been on in my life. I can take it with me wherever I need to go. And best of all, I’m never hungry.”

At his last doctor’s visit, Gary had lost 32lb, his basal insulin dose was decreased by more than 60%, his A1C dropped 2.4% to 6.0. He now wears pants that are three sizes smaller and his wife is thrilled that he doesn’t snore anymore. “Eating this way has given me my life back. I can’t believe how good I feel and how happy I am.”’

New GI values from GI Labs in Toronto
Beanitos®: crunchy low GI chips made from whole beans instead of potatoes, wheat, soy or corn
Bean Brand Foods® has developed a 100% Always Corn-Free™, crunchy, bean chip which is available nationwide throughout the US and Canada. Beanitos is a viable alternative to potato, corn, soy or wheat-based snack products and the lab-tested chips are certified gluten free. They also have a low GI and they won’t give you gas. A serving of 10 chips (1oz/30g) provides 4g protein and 10g available (or net) carbs. They are a very good source of fiber (5g per serving), so to quote the manufacturer (we think tongue in cheek): ‘don't eat a whole bag full of Beanitos the first time you switch.’ (There are 6 servings per packet.)

  • Beanitos Black Bean Chips – GI 33
  • Beanitos Pinto Bean & Flax (linseed) Chips – GI 44
  • Beanitos Black Bean Chipotle BBQ Chips – GI 42
  • Beanitos Pinto Bean & Flax Cheddar Chips – GI 43
For more information, check out the manufacturer’s website: www.beanitos.com

Ultra Lo-Gly juice beverages

Back in March 2010, we published the GI values of Lo-Gly juice beverages. The company has now developed a range of very low GI (and low calorie) juice beverages sweetened with blue agave nectar and stevia that provide from 25–35 calories per 1 cup (8fl.oz/240ml) serving (105–147kJ).
  • Ultra-Lo Gly Acai-Blue Juice Beverage (21% juice): GI 23 (9g carbs per cup)
  • Ultra-Lo Gly Mango Mojito (13% juice): GI 23 (7g carbs per cup)
  • Ultra-Lo Gly Pomegranate (17% juice): GI 19 (8g carbs per cup)
  • Ultra-Lo Gly Pomegranate Mojito (12% juice): GI 19 (8g carbs per cup)
Each flavour is certified kosher and the nutrition information panels are on the website at www.lo-gly.com. The Lo-Gly juice beverages are available in the US. For more information contact Lo-Gly marketing manager Don Necochea:don@Lo-Gly.com

GI testing by an accredited laboratory
North America

Dr Alexandra Jenkins
Glycemic Index Laboratories
36 Lombard Street, Suite 100
Toronto, Ontario M5C 2X3 Canada
Phone +1 416 861 0506
Email info@gilabs.com
Web www.gilabs.com

Australia
Fiona Atkinson

[FIONA]

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

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