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Editor: Philippa Sandall
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1 December 2018
GI News - December 2018
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
FRUIT FOR THOUGHT
“There is no way that taking a pill can
replace eating fruits and vegetables … In theory, one could cram all
the good things that plants make—essential elements, fibre, vitamins,
antioxidants, plant hormones, and so on—into a pill. But it would have
to be a very large pill, and no one can honestly say what should go into
such a pill. Or in what proportions. Health issues aside, the biggest
drawback is that a pill would always taste like a pill. It can’t give
you the earthy smell and taste of a fresh ear of corn, the sweetness of a
juicy tomato still warm from the afternoon sun, the crunch of an apple,
the festive green of a snap pea or broccoli floret, or the smooth nutty
taste of an avocado. Stick with real fruits and vegetables—they taste
better and contain a bounty of phytochemicals that don’t come in
capsules.”— Prof Walter Willett, Eat, Drink and Be Healthy
It’s hard to imagine dinner time when the spotlight wasn’t on
“eat your vegetables”. But it’s not that long ago—a bit over 100 years.
The discovery of vitamins and minerals in the early years of the
twentieth century was the wakeup call and “Dr Vitamin”—Elmer Verner
McCollum (1879–1967) – was a key player in ensuring they had a bigger
part of the dinner plate. They were protective foods he said, because
“they were so constituted to make good the deficiencies of whatever else
we liked to eat”.
It’s not just the leafy ones that
matter. It’s all of them, because, as Harvard’s Prof Walter Willet says,
“so far, no one has found a magic bullet that works against heart
disease, cancer and a host of other chronic diseases as well as fruits
and vegetables seem to do”.
We are spoiled for choice
in the produce aisles. As well as the proverbial leafy greens (spinach,
lettuce and cabbage), we can take our pick from veggies that technically
are fruits such as avocado, cucumber, marrow (squash), tomato, capsicum
(peppers), and green beans; stems or bulbs such as onion and globe
artichoke; stalks such as celery and asparagus; flower stalks and buds
such as broccoli and cauliflower; and roots and tubers such as carrots,
potato and sweet potato. And there’s more, there are the protein-rich
edible dried seeds from the legume family: beans, peas and lentils.
As
for fruit, next time someone purses their lips and tells you it’s “full
of sugar,” you can sweetly smile back and tell them there’s a smart
evolutionary explanation for that and for our sweet tooth. First of all,
hunting and gathering are hard work, so discovering ripe fruits
dangling on a branch in front of us or bright berries on a bush was a
no-brainer. Sweetness told our forebears they were safe to pick and eat.
Bitterness, on the other hand, helped them steer clear of fruits with
potentially tummy upsetting toxins.
You can then
explain that the sweetness comes from natural sugars – typically
fructose (fruit sugar), glucose and sucrose ranging from a mere trace in
pucker-up limes to almost 60 per cent in dates. And although sugars in
themselves aren’t a health food, in fruits they are also accompanied by
really good stuff such as fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients
including eye-catching carotenes in orange-fleshed fruits like mangoes,
papaya and peaches and anthocyanins in all the blue/purple berries.
Why
are fruits sweet? That’s easy. They want us to eat them. Why? Well,
look at it from the tree’s point of view. When you are rooted to the
spot, you need something mobile to help you disperse your seeds. The
sweet, ripe, juicy flesh of a fruit tree’s fruit is an inducement. It
tempts us and animals, birds and insects to tuck into it and, one way or
another, spread the seeds far and wide. This successful strategy has
seen seeds become the original globe trotters.
However,
it’s unlikely we humans would make the finals if seed dispersal was an
Olympic sport. As competitors, we are outclassed. A thirsty hyena can
chomp through 18 tsamma melons in a night then disperse seeds over a
home range of some 400 square kilometres (150 square miles). This is
impressive, but possibly pales alongside a black bear sitting around
gorging up to 30,000 berries in a day, then distributing thousands of
seeds over its territory.
Read more:
WHAT’S NEW?
NOT ALL PLANT-BASED DIETS ARE CREATED EQUAL
While
plant-based diets are recommended to reduce the risk of heart disease,
some are associated with a higher risk of heart disease, according to a
study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
The
Harvard researchers created three versions of a plant-based diet: an
overall plant-based diet which emphasized the consumption of all plant
foods and reduced (but did not eliminate) animal food intake; a
healthful plant-based diet that emphasized the intake of healthy plant
foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables; and a less healthy
plant-based diet which emphasized consumption of refined grain products,
fries, white bread, sugar-sweetened beverages etc.
“When
we examined the associations of the three food categories with heart
disease risk, we found that healthy plant foods were associated with
lower risk, whereas less healthy plant foods and animal foods were
associated with higher risk,” said Ambika Satija, the study's lead
author. “It's apparent that there is a wide variation in the nutritional
quality of plant foods, making it crucial to take into consideration
the quality of foods in a plant-based diet.”
The
authors note limitations on their study: it’s observational and based on
self-reported diet assessments. It’s very important to remind people
that not all plant-based diets are created equal, but we have a couple
of quibbles about their lists. They did not look at the overall GI/GL of
diets; and their selection of “less healthy” foods which includes the
usual suspects leaves out alcohol (they say they adjusted for it), and
adds in foods/beverages that current dietary guidelines recommend as
good choices in moderation as part of a healthy eating pattern. In
particular:
- Traditional staples (regular durum wheat pasta and white rice) – often combined with significant portions of vegetables and eaten worldwide by millions of people in healthy meals that are part of their cuisine; and
- 100% fruit juices – ½ cup or 125mL is regarded as equivalent to one serving of fruit in Dietary Guidelines.
Read more
- Healthful and unhealthful plant-based diets and the risk of coronary heart disease in US adults
- Prof Clare Collins: Love meat too much to be a vegetarian? Go ‘flexitarian’.
While a predominantly plant-based diet-rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and seeds with no (i.e., vegan) or few animal products has been linked to a significantly lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, it’s not clear if it might also be linked to improved mood and wellbeing. To try and find out, researchers trawled through the available evidence. The studies involved a total of 433 people in their mid-50s, on average.
A systematic critical analysis of the results showed that quality of life – both physical and emotional – improved only in those patients on a plant based/vegan diet. Similarly, depressive symptoms improved significantly only in these groups.
Nerve pain (neuropathy) eased in both the plant based and comparator diet groups, but more so in the former. And the loss of temperature control in the feet in those on the comparator diets suggests that eating predominantly plant-based foods may have slowed the progressive nerve damage associated with diabetes, say the researchers.
Average (HbA1c) and fasting blood glucose levels fell more sharply in those who cut out or ate very few animal products and these participants lost nearly twice as much weight: 5.23 kg vs 2.83 kg. The fall in blood fats (cholesterol and triglycerides) – a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease – was also greater in those on plant based/vegan diets.
In six of the studies, those following a plant based/vegan diet were able to cut down or discontinue the drugs they were taking for their diabetes and associated underlying conditions, such as high blood pressure. Overall, the results indicated that even though the plant-based diets were more difficult to follow, at least to begin with, participants stuck to them better than those in the other groups.
Read more
- Effectiveness of plant-based diets in promoting well-being in the managements of type 2 diabetes
- Prof Clare Collins: Love meat too much to be a vegetarian? Go ‘flexitarian’.
- Tani Khara: Why do vegans have such bad reputations?
A plant-based diet high in carbohydrates can reduce body weight and body fat and improve insulin function in overweight individuals, according to a study published in Nutrients.
In the 16-week randomized clinical trial, researchers with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine placed participants in either a plant-based, high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet group or asked them to maintain their current diet. The plant-based diet group avoided all animal products and added oils and limited fat intake to 20–30 grams per day. There were no limits on calories or carbohydrate intake. The control group maintained their current diets, which included meat and dairy products. Neither group altered their exercise routines. Total carbohydrate intake did not change in the control group, but increased significantly in the plant-based diet group, both as absolute intake and as a percentage of total calories. Participants in this group focused on whole, minimally-processed carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.
At the end of the trial, body mass index, body weight, fat mass, visceral fat volume (fat around the organs), and insulin resistance decreased significantly in the plant-based diet group. There were no significant changes in the control group.
“Fad diets often lead people to fear carbohydrates. But the research continues to show that healthy carbohydrates -- from fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains -- are the healthiest fuel for our bodies,” says lead study author Hana Kahleova, M.D., Ph.D., director of clinical research for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
Read more:
NEW GI VALUES FOR GUAVAS AND PAPAYA
These GI results are from a randomized, crossover study that compared the effects of consuming bite-sized and pureed guava and papaya in 19 healthy participants (9 elderly and 10 young adults) recruited from the general public in Singapore. Glycemic index testing was carried out following the International Standard.
Read more:
DIABETES, DRIED FRUIT AND BLOOD GLUCOSE
A recent randomised crossover study conducted in China published in Nutrients demonstrated that medium or low GI dried fruit (dried apples, dried jujubes, dried apricots and raisins), did not raise blood glucose concentrations excessively when consumed as a substitute for a high GI carbohydrate-based food (rice).
Eleven healthy, young Chinese volunteers consumed the test meals in a randomised order on seventeen separate mornings with a one-week wash-out period between each test session. The test meals included: (1) dried fruits containing 50g available carbohydrates; (2) mixed meals consisting of dried fruits and rice each contributing 25 g available carbohydrates; (3) mixed meals consisting of dried fruits and rice each contributing 25 g available carbohydrates supplemented with 30g almonds. Taking the nutrient profile and antioxidants of dried fruits into account, the researchers say they may have the potential of being included into a blood-glucose-managing diet without altering the total carbohydrate intake.
Tip: Dried fruits generally have low GI values and are a great source of fibre, but the calorie count is much greater than for fresh fruit, so watch portion size. Dried fruit can be very more-ish!
Read more:
BEWARE FERMENTED FRUIT THIS FESTIVE SEASON
The kererÅ« pigeon (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) was named Bird of The Year in New Zealand, winning the popular vote by a clear margin. This metallic green, grey and white native wood pigeon is renowned for its spectacular aerobatics, the ‘whoosh’ of its wings and its complete lack of self-discipline. Forest and Bird, who organise the annual competition, uses terms like “drunk” and “gluttonous” to describe it because it likes to gorge itself on rotten fruit on the forest floor. Some seasons, the abundance of fermented fruit can leave the pigeons so drunk they end up falling from the trees and having to be rescued.
Not a tall story says GI News editor, Philippa Sandall. “Growing up in New Zealand we had a bumper cropping Christmas plum tree in our garden that became jars and jars of jam (great for gifts). But, the tree was such a prolific producer, my mother couldn’t keep up the preserving and plums lay fermenting on the ground. One year we rescued a tipsy thrush who had seriously overindulged. It took him several hours to sober up in a cardboard box to keep him safe from the family cat.
PERSPECTIVES WITH DR ALAN BARCLAY
CAN FRUIT BE PART OF A HEALTHY DIET TODAY?
Dietary
guidelines since Day One back in the late 1970s have recommended that we
eat fruit every day for our health and wellbeing. We have plenty of
choice to meet that target – not only are there hundreds of different
kinds of fruit but, in many cases, we can opt for fresh, frozen, canned
or dried. But, in today’s “obesogenic world”, as the headlines put it,
is fruit still a healthy choice, after all, it’s primarily comprised of
carbohydrates – in particular (gasp!) sugars.
Fruit nutrition With the exception of fat-rich avocadoes
and olives, carbohydrate is the primary source of energy in most fruit.
An average piece (150g) of fresh fruit gives us 10–20g available
carbohydrate, plus a little protein (less than 2g) and even less fat
(under 1g). When it comes to fibre (soluble and insoluble), an average
piece (150g) of unpeeled, fresh apple or pear or stone fruit provides
between 2–4g of fibre. Citrus is similar when peeled. A small handful
(30g) of dried fruit provides 1.5–3g fibre per serve, and melons only
0.5–1g per average slice (75 g). Most fruits are good sources of a
variety of vitamins and minerals – in particular vitamin C, potassium
and magnesium.
It’s the sugars in fruit that gets
people’s knickers in a knot these days. Crusading diet books in recent
years have tended to encourage the belief that fruit is full of fructose
and that’s simply not the case. The average fructose content of fruit
eaten in Australia and other Western nations is around 50% of the total
carbohydrate content, with the balance coming from glucose. Pome fruits
like apples and pears have more at around 65% of the total carbohydrate
content; stone fruits like apricot, cherries and plums have much less at
around 35%. It’s also worth keeping in mind that most fruits are mostly
water (that’s why fruit is refreshing). The carbohydrate content is
typically around 10% by weight.
The GI of most apples,
pears, citrus and stone fruits is low (under 55). Melons tend to be
medium to high GI (GI 68–78), but most will have a low GL because
melons are mostly water and have very little carbohydrate. Canning
fruits in sugary syrups typically raises their GI, but fruits canned in
100% fruit juice typically have a lower GI. Drying fruits doesn’t have
much of an effect on the GI of the fruit.
Fruit and health Systematic reviews of the best available scientific evidence in humans have found that regular whole fruit consumption:
- Is not associated with weight gain in either population studies or clinical trials. Indeed, population studies generally find that the more fruit we eat, the less we weigh.
- Is associated with a decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
- Is associated with a lower risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
- Is associated with a lower risk of depression.
- Finally, people who eat more fruit (and vegetables) on a regular basis may not only feel better – they actually look better!
- 150g (1 piece) of medium-sized fruit e.g. apple, banana, orange, pear
- 150g (2 pieces) of small fruit e.g. apricots, kiwi fruit, plums
- 150g (1 cup) diced, cooked or canned fruit
- 125ml (½ cup) 100% fruit juice
- 30g dried fruit. e.g. 4 dried apricot halves, 1½ tablespoons of sultanas
- Australians two years and over, consumed on average around 1.5 serves of fruit (including fruit juice and dried fruit) with fresh or canned contributing around 1 serve, and fruit juice and dried fruit 0.5 serve.
- Children on average consumed slightly more serves of fruit than adults (1.7 compared with 1.5).
Alan Barclay, PhD is a consultant dietitian and chef (Cert III). He worked for Diabetes Australia (NSW) from 1998–2014 . He is author/co-author of more than 30 scientific publications, and author/co-author of The good Carbs Cookbook (Murdoch Books), Reversing Diabetes (Murdoch Books), The Low GI Diet: Managing Type 2 Diabetes (Hachette Australia) and The Ultimate Guide to Sugars and Sweeteners (The Experiment, New York).
Contact: You can follow him on Twitter or check out his website.
KEEPING IT GREEN – EATING FOR BODY AND PLANET
A GREENER CHRISTMAS THAT WON’T COST THE EARTH
We associate
“green” with Christmas, but many of our Christmas traditions are far
from it. By the New Year, garbage bins are overflowing and unwanted
gifts clutter our homes. To add insult to injury, family finances are in
the red. Here are our top tips for a greener Christmas that won’t cost
the earth.
Buy Greener Gifts There is nothing more wasteful than
unwanted gifts. Useless stuff is just a burden that weighs us down, and
does not represent the peace, love and joy of the season. Remember that
products always have a higher impact than services. Try giving
experiences or homemade gifts such as the cookies, jam or chutney you
are renowned for; a framed family photo; time out with a massage
voucher; or tickets to a concert or sports event.
Source Food Ethically Every
food purchase we make has an impact, both on the environment and the
people involved in producing it. We can minimise our environmental
footprint by choosing more plant-based and locally produced foods.
Farmers markets can be a great place to find fresh local produce that
provides a better profit for the farmers. Look for local, ethical and
sustainable food products, such as free-range turkey and sustainable
seafood. Consumable gourmet gifts like chocolate and coffee are popular
but look for Fair Trade products.
Reduce Food Waste
Discarded food not only wastes the food itself but also the energy and
resources required to grow, transport and store it. If it ends up in
landfill it produces greenhouse gases. To avoid over-catering, plan your
guest list and menu. Quickly refrigerate any leftovers in reusable
containers and give them to guests take home. If any leftover food won’t
be eaten within 3 days, freeze it for later. Avoid food scraps in
landfill and instead compost egg shells, fruit and vegetable scraps (or
put them in a worm farm). To avoid stinky garbage bins, you can bury
seafood scraps in the garden and improve the soil.
Choose Reusable Tableware
Disposable plastic cutlery, cups, plates and straws are convenient for
us but terrible for the planet. They will remain on earth much longer
than we will. Skip plastic straws altogether and choose reusable metal
cutlery, crockery and glasses. If reusable tableware is not an option,
choose biodegradable or compostable cutlery and plates (such as bamboo),
and ideally break them into smaller pieces before disposal or
composting. For gatherings, have clearly labelled tubs/bins in sight so
guests can easily recyclable cans and bottles.
Use Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping, Cards and Decorations
Come Christmas morning, millions of living rooms are littered with torn
and scrunched wrapping paper. Much of this paper, sadly, is not
recyclable due to glitter, fabric and metallic embellishments. If the
kids did the wrapping, it’s likely there’s a generous amount of sticky
tape too. Reuse pre-loved gift bags and ribbons where you can. Instead
of buying wrapping paper and greeting cards, make your own from old
maps, comic strips, newspapers, postal delivery boxes and children’s
artwork. Balloons and tinsel use a lot of finite resources and balloons
can be a nightmare for aquatic life if they end up in waterways. Instead
decorate your house with fresh flowers and compost them afterwards.
Buy a Real Christmas Tree
In theory, artificial Christmas trees are meant to last forever but
over many years they start to look ratty and the plastic pine needles
fall of. While the metal trunk may be recyclable at some centres, the
thousands of plastic pine needles are not and spend hundreds of years in
landfill. For a more environmentally friendly alternative go to a
local farm and buy a real tree that can be replanted in the New Year or
sent to the chipper afterwards and made into mulch. If you have a green
thumb you could choose an indoor potted conifer, enjoy it all year round
and decorate it each Christmas.
Use LED Lighting
LED Christmas lights are far more efficient than incandescent Christmas
lights, wasting less energy and saving you money. According to Canstar Blue,
LED Christmas lights will typically add only cents to your energy bill,
or at most a few dollars over the entire Christmas season. To save even
more energy, use a solid light setting instead of twinkling or
flickering lights. Solar LED lights are a great energy-saving option for
outdoor displays. Consider using a timer so lights are only left on in
the evening and turned off before going to bed.
Christmas in a Nutshell:
- Being “green” doesn’t mean missing out on your favourite Christmas traditions.
- Remember happiness does not come from stuff, but from doing good things including caring for the earth.
- In the true spirit of Christmas think about both the planet and people in your purchasing.
- Source plant-based, free-range, local and ethical festive fare where possible and avoid waste
Nicole Senior is an Accredited Nutritionist, author, consultant, cook, food enthusiast and mother who strives to make sense of nutrition science and delights in making healthy food delicious. Contact: You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or check out her website.
GOOD CARBS FOOD FACTS A TO Z
DATES
Fresh
dates “are so remarkably luscious that there would be no end to eating
them, were it not for fear of the dangerous consequences that would be
sure to ensue” noted Pliny the Elder long ago. In moderation however,
they make the perfect snack and they bring moist deliciousness to fruit
breads, cakes, cookies, muffins, stuffing, crumble toppings, salads or
combined with meats in tagines (try lamb and dates). And there’s more,
there’s thick, sticky date syrup enjoyed as a sweetener for thousands of
years in the Middle East and North Africa drizzled over tahini or
yogurt.
Food skills: shopping. Fresh or soft
dates such as the large plump fleshy Medjool dates with their chewy
toffee-like taste are sold loose and prepacked and are delicious in
salads, desserts and for a treat instead of chocolate (they tend to be
pricy but worth it). They should be plump and moist with glossy skins.
When buying packaged dates, check the use-by or best-before date.
Dried
dates, though a little wrinkly, shouldn't look withered, and should
still be plump and glossy, with an even colour. Avoid those with
crystallised sugar on their skins as this means they are not quite as
fresh as you might like. Unpitted dates will have better flavour than
pitted as they stay moister. If using pitted dates check as you chop as
there can sometimes be traces of stones (also called pits).
Food skills: storing. Fresh
or dried, dates keep well for a few months in an airtight container in a
cool, dry place. They also freeze very well. They will continue to dry
out and their sugars will slowly come to the surface creating white
sugar spots. Freezing prevents this.
Food skills: what’s in them.
Dates are sweet, so it’s not surprising to learn they contain 70%
sugars: a varying combination of sucrose, fructose and glucose,
depending on the variety of date. They are high in fibre and also
contain vitamins A, thiamine, niacin and riboflavin, and some iron,
magnesium, calcium and potassium. They also contain a fair bit of
sorbitol (a sugar alcohol or polyol) and that’s what makes them
excellent for promoting bowel regularity, although those with an
irritable bowel and sensitive to FODMAPS (certain sugars that can be
poorly absorbed by the body) may want to give them a miss. The rest of
us can make a date with dates over this holiday season.
Source: The Good Carbs Cookbook
IN THE GI NEWS KITCHEN
THE GOOD CARBS COOKBOOK
The Good Carbs Cookbook (by Alan Barclay, Kate McGhie and Philippa Sandall) published by Murdoch Books
helps you choose the best fruits, vegetables, beans, peas, lentils,
seeds, nuts and grains and explains how to use them in 100 refreshingly
nourishing recipes to enjoy every day, for breakfast, brunch, lunch,
dinner and dessert. The recipes are easy to prepare, (mostly) quick to
cook, long in flavour and full of sustaining goodness, so you feel
fuller for longer. There is a nutritional analysis for each recipe and
tips and helpful hints for the novice, nervous, curious or time-starved
cook.
PARSNIP, YOGHURT AND DATE SALAD
Squishy dates and
raw parsnip balance each other beautifully in this simple salad that
does not like to be kept waiting and is best served as soon as you have
tossed it. Parsnips taste better as the weather gets colder so winter is
the perfect time to relish them in their unadorned state. Preparation
time: 20 minutes • Serves: 6
4 medium parsnips (about 600g/1lb 5oz)
10 soft dates, pitted and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons roughly chopped mint leaves
150g (5oz) natural yoghurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons runny honey
2 tablespoons (40ml) olive oil
Salt flakes and freshly ground white pepper
Peel
the parsnips and cut them in half lengthways. Remove any woody centres
and discard.
Coarsely grate the parsnips into a bowl. Add the dates, mint, yoghurt,
lemon juice, honey and oil. Add salt and pepper to taste and then gently
toss all the ingredients together.
Per serve
710kJ/170
calories; 3g protein; 7g fat (includes 1.5g saturated fat; saturated :
unsaturated fat ratio 0.3); 21g available carbs (includes 16g sugars and
5g starches); 4.5g fibre; 65mg sodium; 545mg potassium; sodium :
potassium ratio 0.1
TOMATO AND FIG SALAD WITH BURRATA AND DATE-MINT DRESSING
All
the tantalising tastes and colours of summer’s best with tasty beauties
such as tomatoes and figs, come together in this sublime salad. The
witlof (add a few small cos leaves if you wish) is the crunchy base for
the tomatoes crowned with the cooling menthol taste of mint to balance
the creamy cheese. Preparation time: 25 minutes • Serves: 6
1 shallot, very finely chopped
¼ cup (60ml) date syrup
Juice 1 plump lemon
¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
salt flakes and freshly ground pepper
1 handful mint leaves, finely shredded
1 witlof, leaves separated
6 medium heirloom tomatoes
6 large fresh figs
1 burrata
2 teaspoons finely chopped lemon thyme
To
make the dressing put the chopped shallot, date syrup, lemon juice, oil
with salt and pepper to taste, in a bowl. Give it a couple of whisks
and then stir in the mint. • Arrange the witlof leaves on a platter. Cut
the tomatoes into chunks and figs into quarters roughly the same size –
and arrange casually over the witlof. Place the burrata in the centre
of the platter. Give the dressing a good stir, spoon over the salad and
scatter with lemon thyme.
Tips
- If you prefer, swap the burrata for fresh mozzarella which if large can be torn into mouthful pieces.
- If date syrup is not on hand, put stoned medjool dates with enough water for the consistency you want in a blender and start the processing on a low speed to allow the dates to break up, then blend on high until smooth adding lemon juice to taste.
1035kJ/245 calories; 6g protein; 15g fat (includes 5g saturated fat; saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.5); 21g available carbs (includes 20g sugars and 1g starches); 4g fibre; 145mg sodium; 485mg potassium; sodium : potassium ratio 0.3
ANNEKA MANNING: BAKECLUB
Anneka Manning is an author, food editor, cooking teacher, home economist, mother of two and the founder of BakeClub. With over 27 years' experience, she specialises in teaching the ‘why’ behind the ‘how’ of baking, giving home cooks the know-how, understanding and skill to bake with confidence and success, every time. She has written and contributed to a number of books, including The Low GI Family Cookbook (Hachette), Mastering the Art of Baking (Murdoch Books) and BakeClass (Murdoch Books).
SPICED DATE, NUT AND POMEGRANATE LOAF
This moist, fragrant date and nut loaf studded with dried cranberries and hazelnuts has a little crunch and is mildly spiced and is delicious freshly baked or toasted and topped with ricotta. Preparation time: 20 minutes (+ cooling time) • Baking time: 50–55 minutes • Serves 20
1¼ cups (300ml) freshly brewed black coffee
1 cup pitted dates, coarsely chopped
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup currants
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons honey
Slightly heaped ⅓ cup raw sugar
⅓ cup sunflower oil or 75g (2½oz) butter
1 orange, zest finely grated
2 teaspoons mixed spice
2 eggs, lightly whisked
50g (1¾oz) walnuts, coarsely chopped, plus an extra handful, coarsely chopped, to decorate
50g (1¾oz) hazelnuts, coarsely chopped, plus an extra handful, coarsely chopped, to decorate
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1½ cups wholemeal plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Glaze
2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon water
Preheat the oven to 180°/C350°F. Grease a loaf tin (21 x 10cm/9 x 4in base measurement) and line the base and two long sides with non-stick baking paper. • Combine the coffee, dates, cranberries, currants, pomegranate molasses, honey, sugar, butter or oil, orange zest and mixed spice in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil over a medium heat. Remove immediately from the heat and set aside to cool. • Stir the eggs, walnuts, hazelnuts and sesame seeds into the cooled date mixture. • Sift the flour and baking powder together, returning any bran to the flour. Add to the date mixture and use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir gently until just combined. • Pour the mixture into prepared tin and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Sprinkle with the extra nuts, pressing into the mixture slightly. • Bake for 50–55 minutes, or until the loaf is firm to the touch on the top and cooked when tested with a skewer. If it is browning too quickly, cover with foil after 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and stand in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out on a wire rack. • To make the glaze, combine the honey, pomegranate molasses and water in a small bowl. Brush over the top of the hot loaf. Set aside to cool before serving.
Tips
- Pomegranate molasses is available from specialty food stores and delicatessens.
- If honey is firm or crystallised, heat it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften before using.
785 kJ/188 calories; 3g protein; 8.5g fat (includes 1g saturated fat; saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.13); 24g available carbs (includes 17g sugars and 7g starch); 3g fibre; 76mg sodium; 244mg potassium; sodium : potassium ratio 0.3
MACADAMIA, DATE AND GOJI BERRY BARS
This dense bar is halfway between a fruit cake and a slice. Studded with macadamias, dates, goji berries and cranberries it has a real festive feel and makes a wonderful gift cut into four bars, wrapped in cellophane and tied with ribbon. Makes 24 pieces • Preparation time: 10 minutes • Baking time: 30 minutes
Macadamia oil or sunflower oil, to grease
200g (7oz) macadamia halves, toasted
150g (5oz) dried dates, coarsely chopped
100g (3½oz) dried cranberries
50g (1¾oz) goji berries
⅓ cup plain wholemeal or spelt flour
90g (3oz) raw sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 egg
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract or essence
Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F. Lightly grease a square 18cm/7in (base measurement) cake tin and line the base and two sides with one piece of non-stick baking paper. • Combine the macadamias, dates, cranberries, goji berries, flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda in a medium bowl. Whisk together the egg and vanilla. Add to the macadamia mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until evenly combined. • Press the mixture evenly into the prepared tin with your fingers or the back of a spoon. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden and aromatic. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin. • Cut into small pieces to serve.
Per piece
510kJ/ 120 calories; 1.5g protein; 7g fat (includes 1g saturated fat; saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.2); 13.5g available carbs (includes 12g sugars and 1.5g starch); 2 g fibre; 11mg sodium; 87mg potassium; sodium : potassium ratio 0.1
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Nutritional analysis To analyse Australian foods, beverages, processed products and recipes, we use FoodWorks which contains the AusNut and Nuttab databases. If necessary, this is supplemented with data from www.calorieking.com.au or http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search.
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© ®™ The University of Sydney, Australia
1 November 2018
GI News - November 2018
GI News is published online every month by the
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subscribers. Our goal is to help people choose the high-quality carbs
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particular focus on carbohydrates, dietary fibres, blood glucose and the
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Publisher: Professor Jennie Brand-Miller, AM, PhD, FAIFST, FNSA
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
A TASTE OF HONEY
To make honey, bees collect nectar from
nearby flowering plants; transform it by combining it with specific
substances of their own; and deposit it, dehydrate it, store it and
leave it in honeycombs to ripen and mature. That’s where we come in.
Ancient rock art in Spain shows our forebears braving wild bees to steal
their honeycomb; Ãric Valli’s photos document Nepal’s Gurung tribesmen
harnessed to cliff-hugging bamboo ladders to relieve Himalayan cliff
bees of their honeycomb; and on YouTube, there are numerous videos
depicting Hadza men following a honeyguide bird to a hive then smoking
out the stinging bees before helping themselves to the honeycomb. The
take-home: honey has long been highly desirable and Homo sapiens goes to
great lengths to get it.
What’s in honey? Honey, which provided our ancestors
with a tasty source of calories from carbohydrates (all sugars), also
has traces of bee larvae which add some fat, protein, vitamins, and
minerals to the nutritional mix. Today, we know that honey also contains
antioxidants.
The sweetness comes mostly from
fructose, glucose and sucrose, plus small amounts of maltose, trehalose,
turanose (varies depending on nectar source). Most honeys have more
fructose than glucose – typically 38 per cent fructose to 30 percent
glucose – but that’s not set in stone. It all depends on where the bees
have been buzzing, which is also why sweetness can vary: some are equal
in sweetness to regular granulated sugar; others are up to 50 per cent
sweeter. To achieve consistent sweetness and flavour, most commercial
honeys are blended from a mixture of honeys derived from different hives
and different floral sources.
What about GI? We are
often asked whether honey is a better sweetener choice than regular
sugar when it comes to blood glucose levels. Again, it depends very much
on what blossom the bees were buzzing around, gathering nectar. While
most commercial blended varieties have an effect greater than or equal
to that of sugar, some honeys have a low glycemic index. The range of
glycemic-index values from all the honeys that have been tested over the
years runs from GI 32 up to GI 87 and you can check them out on the
database at www.glycemicindex.com. When the University of Sydney
Glycemic Index Research Service tested pure wildflower (single floral)
honeys—red gum, yellow box, ironbark, and others—produced by allowing
bees access only to some types of gum trees (eucalypts), they found that
these honeys all have a low glycemic index (GI 35 to 53). We would like
to think it’s possible that all pure wildflower honeys have only modest
glycemic effects, but there hasn’t been sufficient testing around the
world. We do know that Romanian locust honey appears to have the lowest
glycemic index value of all the honeys tested to date (GI 32).
Why
all the differences in glycemic impact from one honey to another? To
maintain a consistent flavor in commercial honeys, some of the more
pungent components are removed. We suspect that these removed components
are physiologically active and work to slow down absorption into the
small intestine. For example, Australian wildflower honeys might contain
alpha-glucosidase inhibitors that bees have extracted from the eucalypt
flowers. We know that these potent inhibitors exist in many plants,
and, indeed, some diabetic medications (e.g., acarbose) are based on
pure forms of these inhibitors.
In addition, it appears
that the higher the fructose content, the lower the glycemic index is.
Five German honeys with fructose content ranging from 38.5 to 43.5 per
cent not only had a low glycemic index, but also had a low insulin index
– this is a relative ranking of the effect of 240 calories/1000
kilojoules of food on blood insulin concentrations over a two-hour
period.
Read more:
- The Ultimate Guide to Sugars and Sweeteners (The Experiment Publishing)
- www.glycemicindex.com (searchable GI database)
- Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees (Basic Books)
- Ãric Valli’s honey hunters
- PHOTO: Drake Eatery, Bondi Beach: Toasted crumpet, honey, ricotta, banana, walnuts (East Coast Forest Honey – pure, raw, natural honey) – Kai Leishman
WHAT’S NEW?
HONEY LABELLING – AND MISLEADING LABELLING
Winnie
the Pooh had no problems when he wanted a jar of honey. The jar very
clearly said “HUNNY” (spelling wasn’t his strong suit), and that is
exactly what was in it. These days many jars on supermarket shelves
might say “honey” on the label, but what’s inside is in fact honey
blended with another sweetener such as corn syrup or rice syrup. The
honey has been adulterated and the product labelled in a false and
misleading way.
It’s perfectly legal for producers and food companies to market
honey blended with other sweeteners, but if they do (usually to cut
costs), they are required to label it as a blend – e.g., “blend of honey
and corn syrup” or “blend of corn syrup and honey” depending on which
ingredient is predominant. If they don’t, they can be prosecuted and
fined by the appropriate food regulatory authorities. But of course, the
regulatory authorities have to find the adulterated products first.
Here in Australia they are on the case. Recent research by Mark Taylor
and Xiaoteng Zhou at Macquarie University suggests that many commercial
honey brands have been adulterated to increase honey volume and boost
profits.
“Honey adulteration is nothing new,” they report in their “Honeygate” story in The Conversation.
“It has been on the rise since the 1970s when cheap high-fructose corn
syrup became widely available ... Some operators adulterate honey with
rice sugars that enable them to circumvent the C4 test. Some rice syrup
producers openly advertise the fact that their products will not cause
adulterated honeys to fail the C4 test. Honey can be adulterated either
during or after production. Inadvertent adulteration might happen
through overfeeding of sucrose to bees during periods when food sources
are limited, or at harvest time. This practice, if done occasionally,
can protect colonies at times of low food availability. But if used
injudiciously it can also filter through into the finished product.”
Read more:
- Legislation of honey criteria and standards
- ‘Honeygate’ deepens as new tests reveal 27% of brands are adulterated
Manuka honey isn’t a panacea or a superfood. But it is grossly underutilised as a topical treatment for wounds, ulcers and burns, particularly in the face of the looming global superbug crisis write Nural Cokcetin (Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Technology Sydney) and Shona Blair General Manager, ithree institute, University of Technology Sydney in The Conversation. Here’s their report.
Manuka honey is often touted as a “superfood” that treats many ailments, including allergies, colds and flus, gingivitis, sore throats, staph infections, and numerous types of wounds. Manuka can apparently also boost energy, “detox” your system, lower cholesterol, stave off diabetes, improve sleep, increase skin tone, reduce hair loss and even prevent frizz and split ends. Some of these claims are nonsense, but some have good evidence behind them.
Honey has been used therapeutically throughout history, with records of its cultural, religious and medicinal importance shown in rock paintings, carvings and sacred texts from many diverse ancient cultures. Honey was used to treat a wide range of ailments from eye and throat infections to gastroenteritis and respiratory ailments, but it was persistently popular as a treatment for numerous types of wounds and skin infections.
Medicinal honey largely fell from favour with the advent of modern antibiotics in the mid-20th century. Western medicine largely dismissed it as a “worthless but harmless substance”. But the emergence of superbugs (pathogens resistant to some, many or even all of our antibiotics) means alternative approaches to dealing with pathogens are being scientifically investigated. We now understand the traditional popularity of honey as a wound dressing is almost certainly due to its antimicrobial properties. High sugar content and low pH mean honey inhibits microbial growth, but certain honeys still retain their antimicrobial activity when these are diluted to negligible levels.
Many different types of honey also produce microbe-killing levels of hydrogen peroxide when glucose oxidase (an enzyme incorporated into honey by bees) reacts with glucose and oxygen molecules in water. So, when honey is used as a wound dressing it draws moisture from the tissues, and this reacts to produce hydrogen peroxide, clearing the wound of infection. The antimicrobial activity of different honeys varies greatly, depending on which flowers the bees visit to collect the nectar they turn into honey. While all honeys possess some level of antimicrobial activity, certain ones are up to 100 times more active than others.
How is manuka different to other honey? Manuka honey is derived from the nectar of manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) trees, and it has an additional component to its potent antimicrobial activity. This unusual activity was discovered by Professor Peter Molan, in New Zealand in the 1980s, when he realised the action of manuka honey remained even after hydrogen peroxide was removed. The cause of this activity remained elusive for many years, until two laboratories independently identified methylglyoxal (MGO) as a key active component in manuka honey in 2008. MGO is a substance that occurs naturally in many foods, plants and animal cells and it has antimicrobial activity. The activity of manuka honey has been tested against a diverse range of microbes, particularly those that cause wound infections, and it inhibits problematic bacterial pathogens, including superbugs that are resistant to multiple antibiotics. Manuka honey can also disperse and kill bacteria living in biofilms (communities of microbes notoriously resistant to antibiotics), including ones of Streptococcus (the cause of strep throat) and Staphylococcus (the cause of Golden staph infections). Crucially, there are no reported cases of bacteria developing resistance to honey, nor can manuka or other honey resistance be generated in the laboratory. It’s important to note that the amount of MGO in different manuka honeys varies, and not all manuka honeys necessarily have high levels of antimicrobial activity.
Manuka honey and wound healing Honey has ideal wound dressing properties, and there have been numerous studies looking at the efficacy of manuka as a wound dressing. Apart from its broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, honey is also non-toxic to mammalian cells, helps to maintain a moist wound environment (which is beneficial for healing), has anti-inflammatory activity, reduces healing time and scarring, has a natural debriding action (which draws dead tissues, foreign bodies and dead immune cells from the wound) and also reduces wound odour. These properties account for many of the reports showing the effectiveness of honey as a wound dressing. Honey, and in particular manuka honey, has successfully been used to treat infected and non-infected wounds, burns, surgical incisions, leg ulcers, pressure sores, traumatic injuries, meningococcal lesions, side effects from radiotherapy and gingivitis.
What about eating manuka honey? Most of the manuka honey sold globally is eaten. Manuka may inhibit the bacteria that cause a sore (“strep”) throat or gingivitis, but the main components responsible for the antimicrobial activity won’t survive the digestion process. Nonetheless, honey consumption can have other therapeutic benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and prebiotic (promoting the growth of beneficial intestinal microorganisms) properties. Although, these properties are not solely linked to manuka honey and various other honeys may also work.
What doesn’t it do? There is a commonly touted belief that eating manuka (or local) honey will help with hay fever because it contains small doses of the pollens that are causing the symptoms, and eating this in small quantities will help your immune system learn not to overreact. But there’s no scientific evidence eating honey helps hay fever sufferers. Most of the pollen that causes hay fever comes from plants that are wind pollinated (so they don’t produce nectar and are not visited by bees). There is some preliminary work showing honey might protect from some side effects of radiation treatment to the head and neck that warrants further investigation. But other claims honey has anti-cancer activity are yet to be substantiated.
There isn’t any robust scientific evidence that manuka lowers cholesterol, treats diabetes or improves sleep. Although one interesting study did show honey was more effective than cough medicine for reducing night time coughs of children, improving their sleep (and their parents’). Manuka honey wasn’t used specifically, but it may well be as helpful.
Claims that anything helps to “detox” are innately ridiculous. Similarly “superfood” is more about marketing than much else, and the cosmetic and anti-ageing claims about manuka are scientifically unfounded.
Final verdict If consumers are buying manuka honey for general daily use as a food or tonic, there is no need to buy the more active and therefore more expensive types. But the right kind of honey is very effective as a wound dressing. So if manuka is to be used to treat wounds or skin infections, it should be active, sterile and appropriately packaged as a medicinal product. The best way to ensure this is to check the product has a CE mark or it’s registered with the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (marked with an AUST L/AUST R number).
Read more:
- The Conversation: Science or Snake Oil: Is Manuka Honey Really a ‘Superfood’ for Treating Colds, Allergies and Infections?
- Phenolic Compounds in Honey and Their Associated Health Benefits: A Review
- Role of Honey in Modern Medicine
- Honey and Health: A Review of recent clinical research
- Honey for Acute Cough in Children
Alyssa Crittenden is an anthropologist who studies the evolution of human behavior as it relates to nutrition and reproduction. She has worked with the Hadza who live in northern Tanzania near Lake Eyasi – one of the world’s last remaining hunting and gathering populations — since 2004. In this issue of GI News, we reprint a piece she contributed to GI News in January 2013 on the evolution of the human diet.
The ethnographic cross-cultural evidence of honey consumption, combined with depictions of honey hunting portrayed in rock art around the world, suggest that honey has long been a part of human history. Early humans, and their expanding brains, would have greatly benefited from consuming honey and bee larvae because the human brain needs glucose to fuel the high metabolic demands of neural development and function. The Paleolithic diet likely included meat, plant foods, and honeycomb – one of the sweet secrets to human evolution.
Honey and bee larvae are important foods consumed by many populations of hunters and gatherers worldwide. Foragers in Latin America, Asia, Australia, and Africa include honey and bee larvae as major components of their diet. The Hadza hunter-gatherers, an ethnic group that has traditionally subsisted from hunting and gathering, even list honey as their number one preferred food item!
The Hadza consume honey and larvae of both stingless bees and stinging bees, including the African killer bee. The Hadza locate the hives with the assistance of a wild African bird, the aptly named honey guide (Indicator indicator). The honey guide bird and the Hadza honey hunter communicate back and forth through a series of whistles and the bird guides the honey hunter, tree by tree, to the bee hive. Once the honey hunter has located the hive, he pounds wooden pegs into the trunk of the tree, climbs to the top where the hive is located, chops into the tree to expose the hive, and smokes it out by placing burning brush into the opening. Smoking the hive acts to pacify the bees by dulling the senses of the guard bees who protect the opening of the hive. The bees see the smoke as a habitat threat and focus on collecting enough honey to rebuild their hive elsewhere. This allows the hunter to collect the honeycomb without being stung by the killer bees. The honey guide bird patiently waits outside of the hive and as the honey hunter obtains his honeycomb prize, the honey guide bird is rewarded with its delicious prize – wax from the comb and bees.
Read more:
- The Importance of Honey Consumption in Human Evolution. Food and Foodways
- Clip from documentary on the Hadza (the population with whom Alyssa Crittenden has worked since 2004)
Writing in Evolution and Human Behaviour, Yale anthropologist Brian Wood and his co-researchers describe the evolution of the mutually beneficial relationship between the honeyguide bird and the hunter-gatherer in Africa investigate the origin of this special relationship. “We propose that in a first, commensal phase, honeyguides preyed upon the bee nests and discarded honeycomb that hominins made available through their honey hunting,” he writes. “In a second, mutualistic phase, honeyguides evolved the habit of actively leading hominins to bee nests. Finally, in a third phase of manipulative mutualism, hominins began to actively change the payoffs received by honeyguides – either by actively ‘rewarding’ them or by reducing their immediate payoff. The Hadza we observed did not actively reward honeyguides, but such may occur in other contexts ... Based on within-species mtDNA variation scientists conservatively estimate that I. indicator is at least 3 million years old. We think it is reasonable to assume that an initial commensal association between hominins (Ardipithecus ramidus or an Australopithicine) and honeyguides arose in the Pliocene.”
[ The Pliocene Epoch is the epoch in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58 million years BP. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch. Wikipedia ]
Read more:
PERSPECTIVES WITH DR ALAN BARCLAY
SHOULD YOU BE EATING THAT, IT’S FULL OF SUGAR?
Honey is classified as a free sugar by the World Health Organisation:
“Free sugars include monosaccharides and disaccharides added to foods
and beverages by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, and sugars
naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice
concentrates.
This is because, like all available carbohydrates (sugars and starches), honey provides a fuel for bacteria in our mouths
that may cause tooth decay. Also, while it provides small amounts of
the minerals potassium, calcium and magnesium, honey is more energy
dense than table sugar (sucrose), providing 94 kilojoules (23 Calories)
in a level teaspoon compared to table sugars 67 kilojoules (16
Calories). So, despite popular perception, the typical honey that you
will find in your local supermarket is not really any better than table
sugar from a human nutrition perspective anyway. However, it does have a
unique flavour and texture that makes it ideal for use in a range of
delicious recipes.
It’s important to remember that the
WHO Guidelines recommend that we consume less than 10% of energy from
free sugars each day. They do not say that we need to completely avoid
all free sugars, or foods and drinks that contain free sugars. For a
typical adult consuming 8,700 kJ (2,080 Calories) each day, 10% of
energy from free sugars is less than 54g of free sugars, or
approximately 13 level teaspoons a day. It’s important to note that
these guidelines are for the total day’s food and drink intake – not for
individual foods or beverages. Evidence-based guidelines for individual
foods or drinks are yet to be developed.
There is no
need to obsess over every gram of sugars in foods or drinks to achieve
the WHO recommendation – focus on the major dietary sources instead.
Simply saving sugar sweetened drinks ((soft drinks such as soda pop or
fizzy drink), cordials, energy and sports drinks), cakes (including
muffins, scones and cake-type desserts) and confectionery (lollies,
sweets or candy; chocolate) for special occasions (parties, religious
festivals) will help most people to achieve this goal based on recent
national dietary surveys.
Even people with diabetes do not need to completely avoid sugars – they too simply need to follow the WHO Guideline and aim to consume less than 10% of energy from free sugars like the rest of us.
The reason why is simple – essentially all available carbohydrate
(starches and sugars) is eventually digested, absorbed and metabolised
into glucose – the sugar in blood that is characteristic of diabetes.
And much of the excess protein that we eat can also be converted to
glucose in our liver and released into our blood. So simply avoiding
free sugars won’t necessarily improve blood glucose levels – the amount
and type (quality) of starch and protein also matters. Finally, a diet
proportionately high in saturated fat increases insulin resistance,
which in turn affects blood glucose levels. In other words, it’s the
whole diet that matters when it comes to optimal blood glucose
management – focusing on a single ingredient/nutrient isn’t enough.
What
about the sugars in fruit? Fresh, canned and dried fruits and fruit
juices are all sources of sugars and energy, and in theory, if consumed
in excess, may contribute to weight gain and tooth decay. The reality
is, however, that many people struggle to consume the minimum two serves
a day according to recent dietary surveys, and the best available
scientific evidence for whole fruit and juice do not show an association with weight gain. Both whole fruits and juice can contribute to tooth decay, however.
While
limiting our daily free sugars intake to less than 10% of total energy
is wise, it does not mean we cannot still enjoy foods and drinks that
contain sugars – what we consume, how much we consume, and how
frequently we consume foods and drinks that contain sugars is what
really counts. History has proven that prohibition doesn’t work. Be
mindful instead.
Listen to Alan talk about sugars on Sydney radio station 2GB (Note: there is an advertisement at the beginning of the segment).
Alan Barclay, PhD is a consultant dietitian and chef (Cert III).
He worked for Diabetes Australia (NSW) from 1998–2014 . He is
author/co-author of more than 30 scientific publications, and
author/co-author of The good Carbs Cookbook (Murdoch Books), Reversing Diabetes (Murdoch Books), The Low GI Diet: Managing Type 2 Diabetes (Hachette Australia) and The Ultimate Guide to Sugars and Sweeteners (The Experiment, New York).
Contact: You can follow him on Twitter or check out his website.
KEEPING IT GREEN – EATING FOR BODY AND PLANET
PALM OIL: FRIEND OR FOE?
Palm trees are often associated
with tropical beaches, sunsets and vacations, so you may be surprised to
learn some species produce an oily fruit, from which we extract palm
oil. Oil from oil palms (Elaeis guineensis, and Elaeis oleifera)
is the world’s cheapest and most popular vegetable oil. Its neutral
flavour and aroma, long shelf life and good shortening properties make
palm oil a common ingredient in many food products such as biscuits and
chips. Palm oil is also very versatile and used broadly across personal
care products such as laundry detergents, toothpaste and cosmetics, and
is also used in plastics and biofuels. In the EU and USA, if palm oil is
used it must be listed in the ingredients list but in Australia it can
fall under the more generic ‘vegetable oil’ label or technical names
like Palmitate, Sodium Laurel Sulphate or its botanical name E. guineensis. You may be consuming more palm oil than you realise.
Does palm oil impact the environment? On the plus side, palm oil production is the most efficient of all oil crops.
One acre of oil palm can produce up to eight times more than other oil
crops. This is an environmental benefit, however there are significant
down sides. There are millions of hectares of available cleared land
suitable for sustainable palm oil production in Indonesia. However,
businesses can make extra income from selling cleared timber to help
offset the costs of establishing a palm oil plantation and deforestation
is common adverse environmental result. This occurs in countries like
Indonesia and Malaysia where most of the world’s palm oil is produced.
The United Nations Environment Program estimates 7 million hectares of
forests are cut down every year – a massive area roughly the size of
Portugal. Deforestation destroys the habitats of animals such as
orang-utans, rhinos, tigers and elephants. The slash and burn method is
the fastest and cheapest method to clear land; sadly many animals lose
their homes or are burned alive. Displaced animals often wander back
into plantations where they may be stolen by poachers or killed by
plantation workers that consider them to be pests. Burning forests also
releases carbon dioxide into the air, contributing to global warning.
The bad news is forests in Malaysia and Indonesia often sit on carbon
rich peat lands and release even more carbon into the atmosphere when
burned – an environmental double whammy.
Unfortunately eliminating palm oil from the food supply won’t stop deforestation. Palm oil production generates more oil than any other major oil crop:
6 times more oil than rapeseed (canola) and 10 times more oil than soy.
If we switch to another oil this will worsen the deforestation issue.
Palm oil also generates much needed income for some of the poorest
people in the world, therefore ceasing production would have economic
ramifications.
Is palm oil good or bad for our health?
Palm oil is not a healthy choice. Palm oil contains a mixture of fats,
of which roughly 50% is saturated fat. This type of fat increases the
“bad” LDL cholesterol in the blood, which is a risk factor for heart
disease. The Heart Foundation recommends that less than 10% of your total daily energy intake should come from saturated fat.
However, trans fats are even worse and many (cheap) replacements for
palm oil are partially hydrogenated and contain trans fats. Trans fats
increase “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, but also reduce
the “good” HDL cholesterol. Palm oil is not a nutritional superstar, but
at least it doesn’t have trans fats and it contains less saturated fat
than coconut oil and butter. The best oil choices for health are more
unsaturated oils vegetable oils such as olive oil and canola oil,
however these are more expensive and do not provide the same technical
properties as palm oil.
The most sustainable choice While
it is not realistic to stop using palm oil, we should encourage food
companies to choose more ethically and sustainably produced palm oil.
There is Certified Sustainable Palm Oil
(CSPO) that does not involve clearing land where there are high
concentrations of endangered species or vulnerable ecosystems. Some
companies are making steps in the right direction toward being CSPO by
being members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
Palm oil in a nutshell:
- Palm oil is the most commonly used oil in the world, but its production contributes to global warming, deforestation and threatens endangered animal species.
- If using packaged products, look for Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO).
- For good health, choose products that contain healthier oils like olive, canola or sunflower oil.
Nicole Senior is an Accredited Nutritionist, author, consultant, cook, food enthusiast and mother who strives to make sense of nutrition science and delights in making healthy food delicious. Contact: You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or check out her website.
GOOD CARBS FOOD FACTS A TO Z
Honey
Honey
is made by bees after gathering nectar from flowers. It’s a beautiful
image and a lovely example of the generosity of Mother Nature (or the
greed of man, depending on your world view). It’s also a great example
of how food can be regional. Much like winemakers talk of the “terroir’
(soil, climate, topography) influencing the characteristics of wine, the
characteristics of honey are influenced by the flowers within gathering
distance of the hive.
Honey,
as they say, is “so hot right now” due to the trend of growing your own
food. From the mega-trend of growing veggies and herbs in your backyard
or balcony is emerging the DIY apiculture (bee-keeping) movement. There
are now services such as Sydney’s Urban Beehive that will install a
hive at your place and help keep your buzzing friends healthy, happy and
producing your own honey “Ã la maison”. And there is this book for
beginners on the subject. Small scale beekeeping is also being
encouraged to help save our honey bees, which are under threat from all
sides: primarily from colony collapse disorder, but there are other
problems as well such as varroa mite and in Australia the risk of Asian
bees breeching our borders. Suffice to say we’re all in trouble if the
bees disappear because of their pivotal role in pollinating food crops.
From
a health perspective, overall, honey is no better than table sugar and
nutritionally they are very similar. However, don’t give honey to babies
under 12 months. Why? It can become contaminated with the bacteria
clostridium botulinum, and children under the age of 12 months are
particularly sensitive to the toxin produced by the bacteria – botox
(yes, the same one used in facial injections for anti-aging treatments).
The
clever thing about honey is that besides tasting wonderful it has all
kinds of medicinal uses. It’s great for soothing sore throats
(traditionally mixed with lemon juice), more effective than
over-the-counter medicines for children’s coughs, and special “active”
honeys such as Manuka from New Zealand are used to treat wounds.
In
terms of culinary uses, the options are many and varied, but sometimes
the simple things are the best. Fresh wholegrain toast with honey is a
reliable classic, as is porridge with a golden drizzle. Personally, I
think peanut butter is wonderful with honey on toast. Chinese honey soy
chicken is a lovely dalliance between sweet and savoury and exemplifies
how honey goes so nicely with meats of all kinds: honey glazed ham is
but one famous example. Naturally honey is gorgeous in baked goods and
delicious in hot or cold drinks such as smoothies, cordials, teas and
coffee. And here’s one out of the box: it’s delicious with cheese. “The
lovely Spanish tradition of eating cheese with honey is worth adopting.
Mel y mato is a popular Catalan dessert of ‘mato’, a fresh unsalted
cheese made from cow’s or goat’s milk (you can substitute ricotta but it
won’t be so good) with a dribble of honey ‘mel’ in Catalan.” – Claudia
Roden, The Food of Spain. – Thanks to dietitian Nicole Senior for this
report.
IN THE GI NEWS KITCHEN
SPEAKEASY’S HONEY ROASTED BABY CARROTS WITH HOUSE LABNE, HAZELNUT PRALINE, AND FRESH HERBS
Speakeasy Bar
is a warm and welcoming communal space in Bondi Beach that serves
simple and delicious food (mostly tapas-style share plates) inspired by
Asian and Mediterranean dishes. They use honey from local beekeepers in
Bellingen in northern NSW.
Serves 4 as a share plate.
2 bunches baby (Dutch carrots), scrubbed
¼ cup (60ml) honey
Juice 1 orange
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon paprika
1–2 teaspoons ground cumin
Pinch salt
To serve
½ cup labne
1 tablespoon crumbled hazelnut praline
Picked leaves fresh herbs such as dill, mint and coriander
½ small Spanish onion, thinly sliced in rings and marinated in lemon vinaigrette
Preheat
the oven to 180°C/350°F. • Combine the honey, orange juice, olive oil,
paprika, cumin and salt in a mixing bowl and toss carrots to coat well
with the marinade. • Place the carrots in an oven roasting tray, pour
over the marinade and cover with foil. Cook for 20 minutes or longer
depending on thickness of the carrots. Serve the carrots with a dollop
of labne and the fresh picked herbs and marinated onion rings. Sprinkle
over the crumbled hazelnut praline.
Per slice
Energy
970kJ/ 230Cal; protein 4g; fat 10g (includes 3g saturated fat;
saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.4); available carbohydrate 31g
(includes 30g sugars; 1g starches); fibre 6g; sodium 175mg; potassium
450mg; sodium : potassium ratio 0.4
ANNEKA MANNING: BAKECLUB
Anneka
Manning is an author, food editor, cooking teacher, home economist,
mother of two and the founder of BakeClub. With over 27 years'
experience, she specialises in teaching the ‘why’ behind the ‘how’ of
baking, giving home cooks the know-how, understanding and skill to bake
with confidence and success, every time. She has written and
contributed to a number of books, including The Low GI Family Cookbook (Hachette), Mastering the Art of Baking (Murdoch Books) and BakeClass (Murdoch Books).
ANNEKA MANNING’S BANANA BREAD
This recipe is a favourite in our house and I love it as much as the
kids do. It includes many ingredients such as pure floral honey,
bananas, buttermilk and oat bran, that are perfect for ‘better-for-you’
baking. Makes 20 pieces • Preparation time: 15 minutes • Baking time:
45–50 minutes
Melted unsalted butter, to grease
100g (3½oz) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup single-origin floral honey
2 eggs
2 large very ripe bananas (about 400g/14oz)
⅓ cup buttermilk
1¼ cups wholemeal spelt flour
½ cup unprocessed oat bran
1½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Preheat
the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a 21 x 11cm/8 x 3in (base
measurement) loaf pan with melted butter and line the base and the two
long sides with a piece of non-stick baking paper. • Combine the butter
and honey in a large mixing bowl and beat with electric beaters until
well combined and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well
after each addition until well combined. • Peel and mash the bananas and
stir into the mixture with the buttermilk using a spatula or large
metal spoon to combine well. • Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and
cinnamon together into a mixing bowl and return any husks to the bowl.
Add the oat bran and stir to combine. Add to the banana mixture and use a
large metal spoon or spatula fold in until just combined. • Spoon into
the prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted
into the centre comes out clean. Stand in the pan for 5 minutes before
turning onto a wire rack to cool. • Store the banana bread in an
airtight container in a cool place (but not in the refrigerator) for up
to 3 days. • To freeze, wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and then
seal in a freezer bag or airtight container before freezing.
Alternatively, pack slices in an airtight container and interleave with
freezer wrap or non-stick baking paper). Thaw the slices at room
temperature or toast straight from the freezer.
Per slice
Energy
500kJ/ 120Cal; protein 2g; fat 5g (includes 3g saturated fat; saturated
: unsaturated fat ratio 1.5); available carbohydrate 16g (includes 10g
sugars; 6g starches); fibre 2g; sodium 94mg; potassium 111mg; sodium :
potassium ratio 0.8
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Nutritional analysis To analyse Australian foods, beverages, processed products and recipes, we use FoodWorks which contains the AusNut and Nuttab databases. If necessary, this is supplemented with data from www.calorieking.com.au or http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search.
Disclaimer GI News endeavours to check the veracity of news stories cited in this free e-newsletter by referring to the primary source, but cannot be held responsible for inaccuracies in the articles so published. GI News provides links to other World Wide Web sites as a convenience to users, but cannot be held responsible for the content or availability of these sites. All recipes that are included within GI News have been analysed however they have not been tested for their glycemic index properties by an accredited laboratory according to the ISO standards.
© ®™ The University of Sydney, Australia
1 October 2018
GI News - October 2018
GI News is published online every month by the
University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and the
Charles Perkins Centre, and delivered to the mailboxes of our 97,000
subscribers. Our goal is to help people choose the high-quality carbs
that are digested at a rate that our bodies can comfortably accommodate
and to share the latest scientific findings on food and diet with a
particular focus on carbohydrates, dietary fibres, blood glucose and the
glycemic index.
Publisher: Professor Jennie Brand-Miller, AM, PhD, FAIFST, FNSA
Editor: Philippa Sandall
Scientific Editor/Managing Editor: Alan Barclay, PhD, APD, AN
Contact GI News: glycemic.index@gmail.com
Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
TOPPING UP THE TANK
It’s often said that we run on fuel
just as a car runs on petrol. In fact we burn a mix of three key fuels
that we get from the foods and drinks we consume. Nutrition scientists
call these fuels “macronutrients” because our bodies need lots of them.
They provide us with energy (calories or kilojoules) along with vitamins
and minerals and phytonutrients. They are (in alphabetical order):
- Carbohydrates (sugars and starches) from fruit, vegetables, legumes, grains, some nuts and milk. These foods give us much more than energy, they provide us with the fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients we need. – 1 gram of carbohydrate contains 4 calories or 17 kilojoules.
- Fats from nuts, seeds, oils, avocados, fish, meat, dairy foods and coconuts provide us with the fatty acids that are part of our cell membranes and they help us absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. – 1 gram of fat contains 9 calories or 37 kilojoules.
- Proteins from dairy foods, eggs, fish, meat, chicken, legumes, nuts and grains. These are the body builders. They maintain our body tissues and help us meet our needs for certain vitamins (especially B vitamins) and minerals (especially iron, zinc and calcium from dairy foods if you eat them). – 1 gram of protein contains 4 calories or 17 kilojoules.
Mother’s milk provides the perfect mix of nutrients—carbs, fat, protein and many vitamins and minerals—for our babies to grow and thrive and that’s all they need (or baby formula) for the first six months of life. But after infancy, we have considerable flexibility in our fuel mix options because we are omnivores. Our diet is not limited to One Size Fits All. It doesn’t need to; it never has because we evolved to be adaptable. That’s what made us successful in populating the planet and thriving in very different parts of the world with very different food supplies.
These days, our tastes and our family and cultural background play a large part in what we eat and like to eat. Remember, it’s the overall quality and quantity of the foods we consume – what we put on our fork or pick up with our fingers or chopsticks is what really matters. That means building healthy eating habits and being a good role model for the kids – they are watching us more carefully than we will ever know.
–Reproduced from The Good Carbs Cookbook (Murdoch Books) with permission.