1 March 2011

GI News—March 2011

[COLLAGE]

  • Low carb and low GI are not the same
  • Low GI diets do increase satiety
  • Download Pulse Canada’s gluten-free book
  • Low GI porridge for brekkie – new GI values
  • The scoop on nuts with Emma Stirling
The new ‘Half-Your-Plate’ approach in the 2010 American Dietary Guidelines wants to make mealtimes easier by dispensing with measuring and counting your veg and fruit serves a day. Now they suggest people simply fill half the plate with fruits and vegetables at each meal rather than worry what a serving of broccoli or carrots looks like. We’d tweak this and say ‘non-starchy veg’ as the starchy ones like potatoes and sweet potatoes belong in the low GI carb corner with pasta etc. But we think it’s a great idea to tell people to make fruit and veg the focal point of meals, it's what we have been saying for years. All you have to do now is keep it colourful (think rainbow on your plate), tuck in and enjoy.

Good eating, good health and good reading.

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

Food for Thought

Making a real meal deal of it
If you asked your Mum or Dad or grandparents what’s a meal or what’s for dinner, they’d probably say something like meat and three veg one of which would be potato – and here in Australia the other two might be carrots and peas/beans/broccoli. Life’s not like that any more. ‘Meal’ and ‘dinner’ are pretty meaningless terms and seem to cover anything from a choosing a variety of tapas-style sharing plates to virtually veg-free zones.

For example, a meal in a Sydney steakhouse might be a 650g Angus rib on bone served with red wine jus and your choice of chips, baked potato or mash. Salads or seasonal greens are extra. For family fare, there’s the ‘KFC Mega Meal’ which is (in Australia): ‘12 pieces of Original Chicken Recipe, 1 Maxi Popcorn Chicken or 12 Kentucky Nuggets, 2 Large Chips, 1 Large Potato & Gravy, 1 Large Coleslaw and a 1 Large Drink.’

KFC Mega Meal

What we are eating is clearly part of the cause for our expanding waistlines. Looking for a culprit, the food police and pollies found one: fast food chains. And a solution (closing them down not being an option): nutritional labelling so we can make more informed choices. Since February this year all major fast food chains in NSW Australia must display the kilojoule (calorie) counts of their food with the same prominence as the price to help us make better choices. The question is: will we?

Nicole Senior took a look at nutritional labelling in fast food joints in the US last year and reported in GI News that: ‘New York City has a nutritional labelling program which came into full swing in 2009. While it’s too early to say it’s been a flop, initial results have been disappointing. A study by New York University compared fast food purchases in New York City (with calorie counts on menus) and neighbouring Newark (without) and found there was no difference between calorie content of what customers bought in stores with calorie counts compared to those without calorie counts. This, despite the fact that 28% of NY customers said calorie counts had influenced them to order better: a classic case of saying one thing and doing another.’

Wiser heads than ours are probably pondering the whys and wherefores of consumer behaviour. But could it be that we eat food not nutrients. And that throwing numbers at us with nutritional labelling doesn’t give our brains the sort of information they are wired to use to help us make better choices picking a meal in a restaurant, food hall or fast food chain. After all, we didn't evolve eating by numbers. No-one was counting calories when the day's kill was brought back to the cave.

So here’s a thought. Why not go back to basics and make it a rule that every time a food company, restaurant, fast food chain, recipe writer, food stylist etc. tells us that what they are offering is a ‘meal’ or a ‘dinner,’ that’s what it’s gotta be. And here’s where we can make use of those rather long-winded dietary guidelines. The 2010 American ones put it (almost) perfectly recommending Americans fill half their plates with fruits and vegetables at every meal. We’d just tweak that and say ‘non-starchy vegetables’. They go in the low GI carb corner.

A balanced meal

News Briefs

‘Glycemic index may not affect appetite: Unilever study.’
The story was published in an online newsletter called ‘Food Navigator’ that’s widely read by the food industry and dietitians etc. We don’t know who wrote it, but it is misleading (to put it mildly) as we discovered when we asked Dr Alan Barclay to check it out. ‘First of all, the study wasn’t testing a solid food’ it was testing drinks and drinks on the whole are thought to be less satiating than solid foods,’ he said.

‘In summary,’ he says, ‘it is a poorly designed single study and it is not about GI. It is about glycemic response (not the same thing at all). There are numerous things wrong. Participants were fed between 22–24g carbohydrate for example while standard GI testing around the world (and there is an International Standard) uses 50g of available carbohydrate. In addition, they did not use glucose as a control, so the actual GI values of the test foods could not be calculated so we do not actually know if the various drinks were low, medium or high GI. Looking at the blood glucose response curves in their ‘Figure 1’ in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that differences between the GI of each test drink would be minimal, so it’s hardly surprising that they did not affect appetite.

There is level 1 evidence that low GI diets increase feelings of satiety and facilitate long term weight and body fat loss. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of GI and appetite in 2009 found that low GI meals significantly increased feelings of satiety compared with high GI meals. (Here's the reference: Wati, P. GI and satiety. MND thesis. University of Sydney). Furthermore, the Thomas et al Cochrane review found that “Overweight and obese people lost more weight on low GI diets than on high GI or other weight reduction diets and their cardiovascular risk marker profile improved as well”.’

Two words not in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans …
‘Glycemic index.’ But we still think that the new guidelines are heading in the right direction. The notable difference between the US Dietary Guidelines (pretty much the same as guidelines around the world) and previous versions is their new recommendation to limit refined grains – not quite on par with statements like ‘reduce added sugars’. To match this statement they need to say something along the lines of ‘reduce added refined starches’. You can read the guidelines HERE.

Pulse power for gluten-free diets
Pulses or legumes are an important part of the healthy low GI way of eating for everybody. They are especially important if you are on a gluten-free diet as they provide much of the fibre and nutrients found in the gluten-containing grains that you can’t eat any more. Dietitian Dr Kate Marsh recommends you put them on the menu at least twice a week – more often if you are vegetarian.

Looking for recipes? Pulse Canada has published a handy 32-page PDF booklet Pulses and the gluten-free diet put together by Shelley Case RD and Carol Fenster PhD. It covers types of pulses (legumes), health benefits, celiac disease and the gluten connection, nutrition on a gluten-free diet, buying storing and cooking pulses and a really practical section on using pulses in GF baking. There are 26 recipes – all photographed (the black bean pizza is pictured here). They haven’t estimated the recipes GI value. You can download it HERE.

Black bean pizza

The baked recipes use a variety of gluten-free flours including white and black bean flours and yellow pea flour. We asked Peter Watts who is the Director of Market Innovation at Pulse Canada about the availability of these products. ‘You can purchase a number of different pulse flours in grocery stores including pea flour, bean flour, chickpea flour,’ he said. ‘Chickpea flour and some bean flours are available in bulk. Bob’s Red Mill in the US has some nifty packaging with these products in 500 gram bags and they are quite widely available. You can also order on line – a company in Manitoba called Best Cooking Pulses just started selling pea flour and chickpea flours on Amazon. This is not to say that pulse flours are generally available – they are still usually housed in the specialty food section of grocery stores and not all stores offer them, but they are increasingly present. And consumer demand will help increase supply and distribution.’

We haven't been able to track down these flours in Australia or NZ. Let us know if you know where you can buy them.

eBook update: Nutrition for Life

Nutrition for life

It’s great to see Australian publishers finally embracing eBooks. This best seller by Catherine Saxelby (an early GI supporter) is now available as a digital download as is her Zest cookbook (with Woman’s Day Food Director Jennene Plummer.) We checked out the eBook formats for her books – Kindle and Apple are our favourites for quality and ease of use. We’d give the rest a miss frankly.

  • Got Kindle? Buy Nutrition for Life and Eating for the Healthy Heart (or the US edition titled There’s More to Heart Health Than Cholesterol) from the Kindle bookshop on Amazon HERE
  • Got Apple? Buy Nutrition for Life, Zest and Eating for the Healthy Heart from iBooks for the iPad or iPhone HERE
Prof Jennie Brand-Miller's GI books will be available in eBook formats soon they tell us. We’ll keep you posted.

Get the Scoop with Emma Stirling

The scoop on nuts

Emma Stirling
Emma Stirling APD

Nuts have made a come-back in recent years with compelling research from around the world showing that regular nibblers may dramatically boost their heart health and manage their weight and BGLs. Here’s the scoop.

Nut-rient know how Tree nuts – almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts – are a particularly nutrient dense food. They are packed with protein, healthy poly- and monounsaturated fats, fibre, plant sterols and a range of vitamins and minerals including folate, magnesium, potassium, zinc, copper and vitamin E. In fact, the vitamin E content may explain the finding from a Harvard University School of Public Health study, which found that increased nut consumption (including natural peanut butter) may improve the body’s ability to balance glucose and insulin.

Mixed nuts

GI nuts Most tree nuts contain very little carbohydrate, so most do not have a GI value. Here are the figures we have:

  • Pecans: – GI10 – ¼ cup (50g) contains 3g carbohydrate
  • Cashews: GI22 – ¼ cup or 50g contains 13g carbohydrate
  • Peanuts (GI23) are actually a ground nut and are technically a legume – ¼ cup (50g) of dry roasted peanuts will provide 5g carbohydrate.
Nuts for research The health story just keeps getting better for tree nuts since two major population research publications, the Nurses’ Health Study and the Physicians’ Health Study, found a relationship between nut consumption and decreased risk of coronary heart disease. Nuts have since been associated with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, shown to help people with existing diabetes manage their BGLs, and give you a weight loss edge (but more of that later).

What about allergy? It’s important to remember that there are also a growing number of children and adults with severe allergic reactions to peanuts and tree nuts including life threatening anaphylaxis. Many schools here in Australia are now nut free zones and that includes products like muesli bars or cookies with nuts as an ingredient. It’s a great idea to ask if any children visiting your home have special dietary needs.

Boost your intake Aim to be a regular nut nibbler, and mix up your unsalted nuts for maximum protection. It’s OK to enjoy a portion controlled, small handful (30–50g) providing about 10g fat a day. Don’t just go nuts for snacks, use them in your cooking. Why not:
  • Sprinkle slivered nuts in your stir-fries, salads and pastas
  • Make a topping or crust for fish with crushed nuts, breadcrumbs and fragrant herbs
  • Top fruit salad and yogurt with a crushed nut mix
  • Grind up a dukkah mix of Brazil nuts, coriander seeds, cumin and seasoning and enjoy with bread dipped in a little extra virgin olive oil or on lamb cutlets
  • Puree different nuts for an alternative spread to peanut butter
  • Shake some nuts into your storage container of breakfast cereal or whip up our Bircher Muesli with mixed nuts (recipe follows).
What about weight loss? Jump on over to The Scoop on Nutrition and discover how to enjoy almonds for a weight loss edge. Although it’s been around for centuries, it came as news to this dietitian.

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.

In the GI News Kitchen

Bircher muesli with mixed nuts
Lisa Yates from Nuts for Life shares her favourite nut and oat breakfast recipe that will really keep you on the ball until lunchtime. This bircher muesli with crunch keeps in the fridge for a couple of days. There’s about 30g (1oz) nuts per serving, equivalent to the recommended small handful a day. Makes 6 serves.

2 cups (180g) traditional rolled oats
1/3 cup (50g) sliced dried apricots
2 tablespoons sultanas
1½ cups (375ml) apple juice
50g (1½oz) raw pecans
50g (1½oz) raw hazelnuts
50g (1½oz) raw whole blanched almonds
50g (1½oz) raw macadamias
1 medium red apple, halved and thinly sliced
½ cup (125ml) low fat natural yoghurt
¼ cup (60ml) skim milk
2 tablespoons honey (if desired)

Bircher muesli with mixed nuts

Place
the rolled oats, apricots and sultanas in a bowl and pour over the apple juice. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF. Place all the nuts on a baking tray and bake for 5 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven, cool then chop roughly.
Add the nuts to the rolled oat mixture, along with the apple, yoghurt and milk. Stir until completely combined. Serve with a drizzle of honey if desired.

Per serving (with honey)
Energy: 1850kJ/ 440 cals; Protein 10g; Fat 25g (includes 2g saturated fat and 1mg cholesterol); Available carbs 45g; Fibre 7g

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]

Baked oranges with amaretti-pistachio filling
Italians only eat produce in season. In March, Sicilian oranges reign all over Italy. They are so scrumptious that they are usually eaten as dessert, just as they are. But sometimes cooks want to present them in a fancy way for a special occasion. If you enjoy the taste of a fresh orange, wait until you taste these baked ones. The combined flavours of the amaretti (an Italian airy macaroon made from apricot paste found in most large supermarkets) and pistachios really enhance the natural goodness of the humble orange. Delicious served warm with a chocolate-covered biscotti. This recipe is made using a standard (15ml) tablespoon. The Australian tablespoon is bigger (20ml), so you only need 1½ tbsp flour, orange zest, pistachios and amaretti. Serves 4 (1 filled orange cup each)

4 medium navel oranges
2 tbsp plain white flour, sifted
½ cup (125ml) non-fat milk, warmed
½ cup (125ml) fresh orange juice
4 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp finely grated orange zest
2 tbsp finely ground amaretti
2 tbsp pistachios, coarsely chopped
1 large egg, beaten until frothy

Baked oranges with amaretti-pistachio filling

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF.
Wash and pat dry the oranges. Cut off the top ¼ of each orange. Using a grapefruit or paring knife and a teaspoon, carefully remove the pulp from inside the orange without piercing through the rind. Place the pulp in a strainer over a mixing bowl and, with a fork, squeeze out all the juice. Set the juice aside. Discard the pulp. Set the 4 orange cups aside.
In a small saucepan, add the flour and then the milk in a slow stream, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Avoid scorching by stirring constantly.
Slowly add in the next 5 ingredients (orange juice through pistachios). Continue to cook the mixture for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Set aside and allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the egg and mix well. Fill the 4 orange cups with equal amounts of the mixture, place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

Per serving (without the biscotti)
Energy: 475kJ/ 113 cals; Protein 4g; Fat 3g (includes less than 1g saturated fat and 54mg cholesterol); Available carbs 16g; 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 Money Saving Meals author Diane Temple. For more recipes check out the Money Saving Meals website.

No nuts ‘choccy’ fruit slice
Here’s a lunch box snack the kids can take to school. It has no nuts and less added sugar than most slice recipes, but it is probably moderate GI thanks to the flour. Note that I use a 20ml Australian tablespoon in my cooking. If you have a standard 15ml one, you’ll need to use 4 tablespoons cocoa and oat bran. It’s really easy to make, and you can even let all those ‘Junior MasterChefs’ at home take over the kitchen. It sure works out much cheaper than buying a pack of muesli bars. And it makes 18 pieces.

½ cup (75g) plain flour
½ cup (80g) plain wholemeal flour
½ tsp baking powder
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/3 cup (75g) brown sugar
3 tbsp oat bran
½ cup (55g) sultanas
1/3 cup (45g) sweetened dried cranberries
1/3 cup (50g) chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup (65g) dark choc bits
70g (2½oz) polyunsaturated spread, melted
2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla essence
¼ cup (60ml) skim milk

No nuts ‘choccy’ fruit slice

Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF and spray and line a 26x19cm (10x8in) slice pan with baking paper.
Mix the flours, baking powder, cocoa, sugar and oat bran together in a large bowl. Add the dried fruit and choc bits and mix well.
Combine the margarine, eggs, vanilla and milk in another bowl then pour into the dry mixture and stir until it is well combined.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until firm. Leave in pan for 5 minutes then turn out on a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container for lunch box snacks and after school treats.

Per serve
Energy: 535kJ/ 130 cals; Protein 2.6g; Fat 5g (includes 1.8g saturated fat and 24mg cholesterol); Available carbs 18g; Fibre 2g

Busting Food Myths with Nicole Senior

Myth: When it comes to food, fresh is always best.

[NICOLE]
Nicole Senior

Fact: Fresh food is great but our lifestyles no longer permit eating only fresh food.
‘Processed’ food can make a significant contribution toward health, convenience and enjoyment. I get a bit annoyed at those holier-than-thou health nutters who say we should avoid all ‘processed’ foods. It sounds great – indeed virtuous – but in reality it’s both impractical and undesirable for regular folk who are busy trying to keep work, home and family ticking over.

The term ‘processed’ itself is nutritionally meaningless without qualifiers like ‘highly’ or ‘overly’ or even ‘minimally’ as just about all foods we buy are processed in one way or another – just think of basics like low fat milk, grainy bread, traditional porridge oats, rice and pasta.

There’s also a good reason why food technology has made leaps and bounds; we demanded it. I’m not saying all technological advances have been used to promote health, but on balance it’s been a great leap forward for society. Processed food is the price we pay for the life we desire, and we can’t go back. To support a global population of 9 billion – mostly urbanised – people by 2050 we’re going to need more technology to help feed the world, not less.

We now spend less time on shopping and preparing food. We demanded this because women moved out of the kitchen and into the workforce. Unfortunately men (generally speaking) haven’t assumed their share of the domestic tasks – including cooking – and the food industry has picked up the slack. It now takes 30 minutes rather than 3 hours to whip up spaghetti Bolognese using dried pasta, frozen mince, a bottled sauce and some bagged salad; an incredible feat of modern food technology when you think about it. The same meal could take a day to prepare from scratch (plus the toil of preserving the previous summer’s tomato crop). While many people moan about supermarkets, they now give us everything we could want (and lots we shouldn’t want) all under the one roof. Easy.

Processing food allows us to enjoy food from around the world. Could you imagine only being able to eat fresh food from your local area? And then having to preserve what you couldn’t consume in a few days? Buying local where you can is a great thing, but the 100-mile diet is unrealistic for most people. Australia, the USA, Canada and the UK are cultural melting pots and processed foods allow migrants to enjoy the tastes of home and the rest of us to expand our culinary horizons. International trade in food supports many developing countries as well as developed ones.

Food technology and food additives reduce food waste by prolonging shelf life and preserving seasonal produce. While there are some unfortunate individuals who are sensitive to certain food additives, their benefits are still worth it for society at large (and clear labelling allows avoidance if necessary). We forget about the untold millions of lives saved due to preservatives stopping the growth of deadly bacteria. The huge consumer concern about food additives is disproportionate to the actual evidence of harm. They undergo safety testing before they are permitted in foods and there has never been a single reported death attributed to a food additive. On the other hand, eating too much salt is a contributing factor in millions of deaths globally but it doesn’t attract the same antipathy as additives because it doesn’t need a code number. We have very high standards for the food we buy but fail to recognise the role of additives in producing its desired safety, colour, texture and flavour.

I applaud taking more time to buy quality, fresh, local produce and preparing it at home with love and care because this brings a range of health, environmental and social benefits; just don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. I’d rather be choosing from the wonderful diversity of fresh and healthier processed foods than wearing an apron 24/7. I think I’ll treat myself tonight with some low fat (and low GI) vanilla ice cream, raspberries (from the freezer) and dark chocolate shavings, followed by a decaf coffee. Try making those from scratch ...

Declaration of interest: Nicole provides nutrition consultancy services to food companies as well as the media, the organic food industry and health and community organisations. She has not worked for any companies that manufacture or market food additives.

For more real-world advice about eating for a healthy heart, check out Nicole’s website HERE.

GI Symbol News with Dr Alan Barclay

[ALAN]
Dr Alan Barclay

Low GI and low carb are NOT the same
There are a growing number of foods and beverages on supermarket shelves with packaging claims which are designed to encourage us to believe they will have a minimal impact on our blood glucose levels. Typical claims include ‘low carb’, ‘low glycemic’ and of course ‘low GI’. Catherine Saxelby’s Foodwatch website has just posted a report on ‘Sumo Salad Low GI Chicken Salad’ which hasn’t actually been GI tested and is in fact low in carbs. You can check it out HERE.

While these products may look like a good choice if you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, that’s not always the case. Undeniably, the immediate effect of what you eat or drink on your blood glucose levels is an important factor in deciding what to put in your shopping trolley. But it’s not the only one. There are many other aspects to good nutrition you need to consider including the amount of protein, the amount and type of fat and the amount of sodium … Here’s why these on-pack and point of sale claims may not be as healthy as they seem.

Low carb is far and away the most popular claim. When manufacturers reduce the carb content of a product they usually have to increase one of the other macronutrients – protein or fat – or alcohol in the case of low carb beers. While this may not be a problem if you like to buy a particular low carb product, it can become a problem if the bulk of what you eat and drink are low carb products. Here’s why.

  • It is generally advisable for people with diabetes to avoid high protein diets (more than 25% of kilojoules/calories from protein) because of possible harmful effects on your kidney function (a common complication of diabetes).
  • We don’t need to tell you that high fat diets (that’s more than 35% of kilojoules/calories from fat) tend to lead to weight gain (fat provides more than double the kilojoules/calories per gram than carbs or protein). And the problem with weight gain (apart from the obvious one) is that it can decrease your insulin sensitivity. In addition, if too much of the fat is saturated or trans fat (more than 10% of kilojoules/calories), it will have an adverse affect on cholesterol levels, leading to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. And once you’ve put it on, it’s really hard to get it off for good.
Moderate carbohydrate diets (45–60% of kilojoules/calories) on the other hand, tend to be lower in calories/kilojoules and higher in fibre than high fat or protein diets which is why they are widely recommended for people with diabetes.

Low carb or low glycemic on labels does not necessarily mean a food or drink is low GI at all. The carbs in products with packages proclaiming they are 'low carb' or 'low glycemic' can and often do have a high GI, and again, if you over-consume them it can have detrimental effects on your beta cell function, blood triglyceride and free fatty acid levels. It also affects satiety (feeling full).

To help make healthy low GI choices easier, we developed the GI Symbol Program. It was our response to the raft of false claims and it’s your guarantee that the food is an all-round healthy choice and that it also has been tested and really is low GI.

Foods with the GI Symbol

Help us get the GI Symbol on more foodsTo help bring more healthy low GI foods to your local supermarket:
1. Buy products that carry the Certified Low GI symbol. They are delicious and healthy, and their sales support us.
2. Write a thank you email to the manufacturers’ of healthy low GI foods customer care departments to help ensure that they continue to bring healthy products to market.
3. Call or email manufacturers encouraging them to join the GI Symbol Program.

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

Professor Jennie Brand-Miller answers your questions

‘I like to eat a wide variety of vegetables. In fact I love having a rainbow on my plate. But some of my favourites like pumpkin seem to have moderate or even high GI values. Does that mean people with diabetes shouldn’t eat them?’

People with diabetes can happily tuck into pumpkin (GI66), beetroot (canned beetroot GI64), swede/rutabaga (GI72) as well as turnips, parsnips (GI52), carrots (GI39) and green peas (GI51). Unlike potatoes, sweet potatoes and cereal products including corn, these vegetables are low in carbohydrate so their glycemic load is low for typical servings. And like other green and salad vegetables including onions, tomatoes, capsicum/peppers and broccoli, they are packed with micronutrients. They should be considered free foods for everyone to eat to their heart’s content.

New GI values from Fiona Atkinson at SUGiRS
An all Goodness brekkie
Goodness Superfoods produce a range of low GI ready to eat brekkie cereals and porridges made with CSIRO’s modified (not GM) barley grain. We reported three Goodness Superfoods ready-to-eat cereals (45g or 1½ oz a serving) a year ago, as a reminder, here’s how they rated in the GI stakes.

  • Heart 1st: GI 46 – available carbs 20g
  • Digestive 1st GI 39 – available carbs 21g
  • Protein 1st GI 36 – available carbs 17g
    Porridge

    And here are the latest GI values for two types of Goodness Superfoods porridge (made according to packet instructions with water, nothing else added).
    • Traditional Barley+ Oats 1st (GI47) – available carbs (for a 40g serving prepared with water) 25g carbohydrate.
    • Quick Sachets Barley+ Oats 1st Apple & Honey (GI55) – available carbs (for a 35g serving prepared with water) 25g carbohydrate.
    Alternatively, top your favourite foods (fruit, yoghurt, ice cream) with a spoon of two of their FibreBoost Sprinkles (GI34) to improve inner health and be regular.

    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

    [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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    Help us get the GI on more foods
    To help bring more healthy Low GI foods to your local supermarket:
    1. Buy products that carry the Certified Low GI symbol. They are delicious and healthy, and their sales support us.
    2. Write a thank you email to the manufacturers’ of healthy low GI foods customer care departments to help ensure that they continue to bring healthy products to market.
    3. Call or email manufacturers encouraging them to join the GI Symbol Program

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