Your Success Stories

‘The GI can be a great friend and tool to anyone that battles weight and carb cravings.’ – Stephanie
‘I always worked out with weights, and occasional cardio. After my father died, my family broke apart. With all the stress and court drama, I turned to high carb and convenience and comfort foods. I gained 30 pounds. The good news is that I did not keep that weight on more than a year. After being checked for anxiety, I had one high random glucose reading. A few weeks later, my fasting blood glucose was normal, but my A1c was 6.9. Since Dad had diabetes, and his Dad had diabetes, I knew I had to get my “health” back. I started eating a low GI diet and alternated between low carb and moderate carb eating. However I gave up foods like bread, potatoes, white rice, and high glycemic pizza. I lost 40 pounds in a 4-month period. Eating low GI helped my blood pressure return to its previous normal readings and kept my A1c between 5.6 to 5.9. I also got my fitness back and my energy back. Watching my carbs, and aiming for lower and healthier GI carbs has been thus far a lifesaver, and a turnaround for my health! And I have maintained my weight loss, and even lost a few more pounds!



By choosing the right foods that will not elevate blood sugar on a continual exhausting basis the GI can be a great friend and tool to anyone who battles weight and carb cravings. It was instrumental in me getting my life back. Thanks to all who have made this science available -- I truly believe it is a blessing.’

Postscript: Prior to publication, Stephanie reports that her A1c is now 5.5.

‘I would recommend this action plan to anyone with a desire to lose weight, eat plenty of food and feel fantastic.’ – Lorraine
‘Over three months ago I looked in the mirror and didn’t like what I saw and decided to do something about it. After some research on line I decided to give The Low GI Diet: 12-Week Action Plan a go and to my delight I have lost 12 kilos in the 12 weeks. My husband did it as well and lost 9 kilos. We didn’t do the exercises only walking every day for 35 minutes. The menus in the book were simple to prepare and a delight for the taste buds. We have decided to stick to the low GI way of eating and get into exercise to tone up. I have serious back problems and the weight loss has helped to control the pain.’

The Latest GI Values with Fiona Atkinson

Shopper’s Guide to GI Values
This summary lists the average GI values of more than 60 common carbohydrate-containing foods to help you put the lower GI choices into your shopping trolley and on your plate. The complete 2008 International Tables with the GI of over 2,480 individual food items are published in Diabetes Care (subscription required). Alternatively look out for the 2009 Shopper’s Guide to GI Values. The Australia/NZ edition will be published in November 2008 and the US/Canadian edition in January 2009. Publishing rights for this handy little pocket guide are available for all other countries. The database at www.glycemicindex.com is currently being updated with the latest GI values. We will let you know when the update is completed.


Click on the table for a full-sized view

Where can I get more information on GI testing?
North America
Dr Alexandra Jenkins
Glycemic Index Laboratories
36 Lombard Street, Suite 100
Toronto, Ontario M5C 2X3 Canada
Phone +1 416 861 0506
Email info@gilabs.com
Web www.gilabs.com

Australia
Fiona Atkinson



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

New Zealand
Dr Tracy Perry
The Glycemic Research Group, Dept of Human Nutrition
University of Otago
PO Box 56 Dunedin New Zealand
Phone +64 3 479 7508
Email tracy.perry@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
Web glycemicindex.otago.ac.nz

See The New Glucose Revolution on YouTube

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GI News—October 2008

• 40 new GI values
• Spices protect against high blood glucose
• Why isn’t the weight coming off my waist?
• Is there a GI number I should strive for each day?
• Camomile tea and diabetes
• Can you die of a ‘broken heart’?

For a whole range of reasons we tend to classify foods as being ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Dietitian Glenn Cardwell suggests we treat ourselves to a reality check in Food for Thought. The new Canadian Diabetes Association Clinical Practice Guidelines have been published and one of the three key nutrition messages is ‘Replacing high-glycemic index carbohydrates with low-glycemic index carbohydrates in mixed meals. Read all about it in News Briefs along with reports on preventing type 2 diabetes and milk and muscle recovery. In Food of the Month, Catherine Saxelby looks at mushrooms and a new study on how they can help with weight loss. There are all our usual features too, including two low GI recipes and 40 new GI values from North America and Australia.

Good eating, good health and good reading.

GI News Editor: Philippa Sandall
Web Design and Management: Scott Dickinson, PhD

Food for Thought

All food is good
For a whole range of reasons we tend to classify foods as being ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Dietitian Glenn Cardwell suggests we change our way of thinking about food and drop the guilt trip. It’s about the ratio not the food he says in his new book, Getting Kids to Eat Well. Here’s an extract.


Glenn Cardwell

“How can all food be good for you? It doesn’t make sense and let’s face it, trustworthy friends, family and the media constantly remind us that there are bad foods that will harm us and our children. Ask yourself this, however: ‘If I eat potato chips or French fries once a month will it shorten my life or increase my chance of heart disease or getting fat?’ I suspect most of you will say ‘No’. What if you ate the same food five days a week? Your answer will probably be ‘Yes’.

We have been conditioned to think that food is either ‘good’ or ‘bad’. If I ask you to name a few good foods you are likely to list: fruit and vegetables, wholegrain cereals and bread, lean meat, legumes, reduced fat milk or soy drink, and with a little more thought you might include nuts (unsalted, of course), peanut butter, rice and pasta and some of your famous home-made custard or pesto.

If I ask you to name the bad foods, your list might seem to be endless: fast foods, deep fried foods, soft drinks, confectionery, anything with caffeine, crisps, snack foods, coloured bits in breakfast cereals, candy floss, chocolate biscuits, hundreds and thousands … Be honest with yourself – aren’t some of those ‘bad’ foods also your favourite foods? Think about hot pizza on a cold Sunday evening when you couldn’t be bothered cooking, or chocolate melting over your tongue, or a cappuccino and croissants from that great café down the road overlooking the park?



How do you feel when you eat these foods? Guilty? Worried that the food is going to laugh maniacally, bypass your digestive system and leap onto your bottom to remain forever? It is common to feel ‘bad’ after eating ‘bad’ food.

How do you feel when you eat ‘good’ food? Pleased with yourself? Happy you have control over your food and your life? A glow from nourishing your body well?

How you classify food will determine how you feel after eating that food. Classifying food as ‘bad’ just means you feel bad after eating it. Calling it ‘bad’ has given that food a huge amount of power, a power it hardly deserves. Nature is designed such that you should feel grateful and happy after every repast. Feeling guilty or uncomfortable after eating is neither natural nor healthy.

Try spinning it all around. Start labelling a ‘bad’ food as a ‘good’ food. Now, the ‘bad’ foods will lose their emotional power. It can no longer make you feel bad or guilty. When you call a food ‘good’ instead of ‘bad’, the power actually returns to you. Here’s the tricky bit: it is now up to you to eat all foods in amounts that are good for your health and well-being.

Like you, I enjoy eating good quality food and feel much better for it. Indeed, one reason I like to make 90% of my food very nutritious is so I have some flexibility with the other 10% to enjoy, without guilt, some pizza, black jelly beans or corn chips. They may be high in saturated fat, sugar or salt, but as they comprise only 10% of the diet they have little chance to cause harm. This 90:10 mix works for me. You can even eat a nutritious diet based on a 80:20 mix, which is the common blend that most people can enjoy. If you go to a 70:30 mix then you will likely be getting too much fat, sugar and salt in your diet.

As a counter-point, I don’t think there is much benefit in trying to get a 100:0 ratio as you are likely to become food obsessive, striving to reach something called the ‘perfect’ diet. Nothing in life is perfect. Enjoying a treat is absolutely normal and makes life interesting. There is not a scrap of evidence that the occasional chocolate, bowl of premium ice cream or croissant ever led to anyone’s early demise.”

For more information, check out www.glenncardwell.com

News Briefs

Canadian Diabetes Association announces new Clinical Practice Guidelines
One of three key nutrition messages of the new guidelines is ‘Replacing high-glycemic index carbohydrates with low-glycemic index carbohydrates in mixed meals has a clinically significant effect on glycemic control in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.’ The other two key nutrition messages:

• ‘Nutrition therapy can reduce glycated hemoglobin by 1.0 to 2.0% and, when used with other components of diabetes care, can further improve clinical and metabolic outcomes.’
• ‘Consistency in carbohydrate intake, and spacing and regularity in meal consumption may help control blood glucose and weight.’

Read the Nutrition Therapy chapter (page S40)



Type 1 kids and postmeal glycemia – does GI matter?
Insulin pump therapy offers kids with type 1 diabetes the possibility of tailoring insulin delivery to what’s in the meal they are about to eat. So, where does GI come in and does it matter? Yes. Taking account of a meal’s GI along with the type of premeal insulin bolus makes a significant difference to postprandial glycemia according to the findings of the latest study from the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne published in Diabetes Care. Their findings show that both the GI of the meal and the type of premeal insulin bolus can have important modifiable effects on postprandial glycemia. The authors conclude: ‘Our data reinforce the beneficial postprandial glycemia impact of choosing low GI rather than high GI foods with relevance to commonly eaten mixed meals.’



Preventing type 2 diabetes
Lifestyle changes, not drugs, should be the main focus for preventing type 2 diabetes was the conclusion of a lively debate at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes 2008 Meeting. Diabetes experts witnessing the contest, declared lifestyle interventions the clear winner, on the grounds that they tackle the root cause, rather than the consequences, of glucose abnormalities. Read the report.

Add spice and reduce blood glucose
When you add herbs and spices to food, you get more than great taste. Herbs and spices are rich in antioxidants and a new University of Georgia study suggests they are also potent inhibitors of tissue damage and inflammation caused by high levels of blood glucose. Researchers reporting in the current issue of the Journal of Medicinal Food, tested extracts from 24 common herbs and spices. In addition to finding high levels of antioxidant-rich compounds known as phenols, they revealed a direct correlation between phenol content and the ability of the extracts to block the formation of AGE compounds that contribute to damage caused by diabetes and aging. When blood glucose levels are high, a process known as protein glycation occurs in which the glucose bonds with proteins to form advanced glycation end products, also known as AGE compounds. The researchers found a strong and direct correlation between the phenol content of common herbs and spices and their ability to inhibit the formation of AGE compounds. Controlling blood glucose and the formation of AGE compounds can decrease the risk of cardiovascular damage associated with diabetes and aging.

Milk helps the body recover after exercise
Gulping down a glass of milk rebuilds muscles after they are damaged during physical activity according to findings published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism. The study carried out at Northumbria University in Newcastle showed that semi-skimmed milk and milk-based supplements helped preserve more muscle than sports drinks or water when consumed immediately after muscle-damaging exercise. According to the researchers, milk limits the effects of exercise induced muscle damage by providing protein and carbohydrate, which may stop the protein from being broken down. This is the first study to show that it may actually reduce muscle damage.



Eggs for brekkie help weight loss
Eating a couple of protein-packed eggs for breakfast, as part of a reduced-calorie diet, helps overweight adults lose more weight and feel more energetic than those who eat a bagel breakfast of equal calories according to a report in the International Journal of Obesity. The researchers also found that blood levels of HDL and LDL cholesterol, as well as triglycerides, did not vary compared to baseline cholesterol blood levels in subjects who ate either the bagel or egg breakfasts.



Camomile tea and diabetes
“Daily consumption of chamomile tea with meals could be potentially useful in the prevention and self-medication of hyperglycemia and diabetic complications,” write researchers from the University of Toyama (Japan) and the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research reporting in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry the findings of their experimental laboratory study looking at the effects of camomile tea and its chemical components on cells in the laboratory and in a rat model of diabetes.

Reality check: NHS Choices provides a useful guide to the science that hits the headlines says: ‘Although this study provides an insight into the effects of camomile and its components on rats and cells in the laboratory, the extrapolation of these findings to humans is very premature. In particular, the experiments relating to their effects on diabetic complications only are at a very early stage and should certainly not be taken as proof that camomile tea could prevent or improve these very serious conditions. People with diabetes should continue to follow their doctor’s instructions about diet, exercise and treatment, and should only drink camomile tea if they like it, not in the hope that it will alleviate their diabetes.’



What's new?
Lifestyle Medicine
Edited by Prof Garry Egger (aka Prof Trim), Dr Andrew Binns and Prof Stephan Rossner
Published by McGraw Hill
This practical book written by an impressive team of renowned experts, ranges from disease prevention to modifying risk factors and rehabilitation. It was written to provide general practitioners, practice nurses, clinicians and health professionals with an invaluable resource, but its highly practical and accessible format means that it can be read by anyone who is concerned about their health or community health issues. The comprehensive text summarises aspects of lifestyle medicine by examining the causes, measurement, and management of a range of modern health problems (including diabetes, heart disease and obesity) with predominantly lifestyle-based aetiologies. It presents the latest research findings and includes practice tips, key points and professional resources. For more information, check out: www.lifestylemedicine.net.au



JDRF UK launches a new website for kids with type 1 diabetes
JDRF stands for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, an international organisation searching for the cure for type 1 diabetes. This new UK website for kids explains how kids with type 1 can help find the cure. It’s also packed with info to help kids with type 1.

World Vegetarian Day: October 1
Find out more about it.
To combine the basics of healthy vegetarian or vegan eating with the benefits of low GI carbs, check out Kate Marsh's Low GI Vegetarian Cookbook. It's packed with delicious recipes and mouth-watering photography.

Food of the Month with Catherine Saxelby

Want to lose weight? Add more mushrooms


Catherine Saxelby

Mushrooms add a rich deep savoury flavour for very few calories and are almost as indispensable as onions in cooking. Think of the difference mushrooms make to stroganoff, risotto, omelet, stir-fries, salads and of course stuffed mushrooms. It’s all due to their high content of glutamate, the naturally occurring version of the favour enhancer monosodium glutamate or MSG. They also have significant quantities of another key flavour compound, salicylate.

At only 23 calories (96 kJ) per 100 grams, mushrooms have what’s called a low ‘energy density’ – they means that they have few calories for their weight or their volume, a big plus these days when so many of our snack foods and take-aways have a high ‘energy density’.



When it comes to nutrition, there are even more bonuses. They have no fat but heaps of B vitamins, especially riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid, which, along with some vitamin D if they have been briefly exposed to sunlight, sets them apart from other vegetables. If they are grown on a compost of horse or chicken manure, they add some vitamin B12 which is often difficult for strict vegetarians to obtain. Being a fruit of a fungus and not a true vegetable, they have little vitamin C or beta-carotene, but are rich in the mineral potassium.

Watching your weight? A recent US study published in Appetite found mushrooms to be an ideal way to cut calories without losing out on flavour or a sense of fullness. You eat well and eat less!

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found they could drop the calorie content of a lunch meal by half if they substituted ground (minced) white button mushrooms for beef mince in familiar dishes like lasagna, ‘sloppy Joe’ (a kind of savoury mince) and ‘chili’ (as in con carne). When asked about palatability, appetite, satiation (post meal fullness) and satiety (general fullness), the study participants didn’t rate the mushroom meals any differently from the beef meals. And despite consuming fewer calories with the mushroom meals, they didn’t compensate by eating more later in the day.

Don’t know about you but I’d certainly be happy to double the amount of mushrooms I add and cut back on the meat or chicken or pasta – and save 20 g of fat and all those calories without feeling any pain. I wouldn’t want a dish composed entirely of mushrooms, but a 50:50 mix of beef and mushrooms in my beef casserole certainly sounds appealing.

Dietitian and popular nutrition communicator, Catherine Saxelby, is the author of Zest and Nutrition for Life



For more information on super foods and healthy eating, visit Catherine’s website: www.foodwatch.com.au

Low GI Recipes of the Month

Mushroom and asparagus noodle soup with sprouts and chilli
With mushrooms the flavour of the month, we asked Veronica Cuskelly to share one of her recipes from her new book (with Nicole Senior), Heart Food. Veronica says: ‘Don’t be dismayed by the length of the ingredient list. The flavours combine to create a truly mouth-watering soup! Why not make double quantity and freeze half in suitable portions for those days when there’s no time to cook.’
Makes 4 serves ● Each serving contains 3 serves of vegetables



1 tablespoon peanut oil
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
4 cm/1½ inch piece ginger, chopped
½ cup (30 g) sliced green onions (shallots)
1 cup (125 g) thinly sliced carrot
1¼ cups (180 g) thinly sliced red capsicum
1½ cups (100 g) sliced flat mushrooms
1½ cups (100 g) sliced shitake mushrooms
4 cups (1 litre) water
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and sliced
100 g/3½ oz rice vermicelli noodles
3 teaspoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 cup tightly packed mint leaves
100 g/3½ oz snow pea sprouts
2 small red chillies, sliced

• Heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan over a medium–low heat. Add the garlic, ginger and onion and cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes. Add the carrot, capsicum and mushrooms and stir for 2–3 minutes. Add the water, cover and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the asparagus and continue cooking for a further 1–2 minutes or until the asparagus is cooked. Stir the oyster sauce, sugar, lime juice and mint leaves into the soup.
• Meanwhile, place the vermicelli in a large bowl. Cover with boiling water and leave to stand for 2–3 minutes. Stir to separate the noodles. Drain.
• Ladle noodles and soup into bowls and top with sprouts and chilli.

Per serve
Energy 933 kJ/223 cals; Protein 9 g; Fat 5 g (includes 1 g saturated fat); Carbohydrate 34 g ( 2 exchanges) ; Fibre 7 g ; Sodium 195 mg

This month from Johanna’s kitchen: Vinaigrette asparagus with eggs
American dietitian, Johanna Burani, has a home in Friuli, in north-eastern Italy, which she visits frequently – always in pursuit of new recipes. In GI News she shares her totally simple and simply delicious low GI Italian fare.


Johanna Burani

Vinaigrette asparagus with eggs is a simple, inexpensive, wholesome dish is a definite crowd pleaser, and a typical part of an evening meal in several Mediterranean countries. Ready to eat in a flash, it is the perfect antidote to drive-through or take-out meal temptations. (Adapted with permission from Good Carbs, Bad Carbs, Da Capo Lifelong Books, New York). Food photography Sergio Burani.

Makes 3 serves



350 g/12 oz fresh thin asparagus (about 15 spears per person)
3 hard boiled eggs, shelled and quartered
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup grated parmiggiano-reggiano cheese

Vinaigrette dressing
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar (not balsamic)
Salt and pepper to taste

• Cut or break off 5 cm/2 inches from the bottom of the asparagus spears. Wash and place them in a steam basket and then in a saucepan with 2.5 cm/1 inch of water. Cover and steam on low heat until tender, approximately 3 minutes. (If using thicker asparagus, allow 10 minutes.)
• In the meantime, in a small bowl, mash the eggs with the back of a fork until crumbled; add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
• Place cooked asparagus in a deep, oblong serving dish. Whish together the dressing ingredients and toss with the asparagus and grated cheese.
• Arrange the crumbled eggs over the asparagus and serve warm.

Per serve
Energy 693 kJ/165 cals; Protein 5 g; Fat 11 g (includes 5 g saturated fat and 11 milligrams cholesterol); Carbs 5 g; Fibre 2 g

Visit Johanna’s website for more recipes: www.eatgoodcarbs.com.

Busting Food Myths with Nicole Senior

Myth: You can’t die of a broken heart


Nicole Senior

Fact: Yes you can, but heart-friendly food shared with loved ones might well be the cure.

A broken heart may well be the stuff of romantic novels and sonnets, however modern medicine is now shining a light on the connection between the wellbeing of the human spirit and the physical health of the heart. While the traditional risk factors such as smoking, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, being too fat and not getting enough exercise are all too familiar, being depressed or socially isolated are now also accepted as significant risk factors for coronary heart disease.

Depression has been described as the most disabling illness in Australia, and the World Health Organization describes it as a leading cause of disability worldwide. Can food help? There are a number of reasons to think that it can. Firstly, there are nutritional factors that can help the function of the brain, and secondly food and eating can be a very positive influence on our well-being.



The primary fuel for the brain is glucose so it’s good to eat regular meals and keep the fuel supply going by eating low GI carbs. Porridge for breakfast, dense grainy bread for lunch and pasta at dinner may well deem these ‘happy meals’. Carbohydrates are well known for their ability to boost serotonin levels and help us feel calm – hands up who gets cranky after too long without food? While the term ‘fat-head’ is a bit sad, the brain is in fact made up almost entirely of fat and the fat you eat is important for being happy. Eating more long chain omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish may help re-wire the brain for better mood. Interestingly, countries that eat less fish have a higher incidence of depression (and vice-versa).

The term ‘breaking bread’ encompasses the idea that cooking and sharing good food can bring us closer together. While in today’s hectic lifestyle shopping and cooking can be seen as a chore, perhaps we could see them more as affirmations of love and care – for ourselves and others. Perhaps the path to a happiness and enlightenment starts in the kitchen? Maybe we all need to take a little more time for what we think is important, and what could be more important than the food we eat?

So it seems you can eat to beat cholesterol all you like, but if it ain’t heart food shared with those you love, it’s just not as good. To start this kitchen-led happiness revolution, try Veronica Cuckelly's recipes in Heart Food available from www.greatideas.net.au (and whistle while you cook!)

For more information on cholesterol and eating for a healthy (and happy) heart, check out Eat to Beat Cholesterol by Nicole Senior and Veronica Cuskelly: www.eattobeatcholesterol.com.au

Healthy Kids with Susie Burrell

Lifestyle Lesson 3: Table talk matters (with the television off)
For many modern families, the idea of sitting down together to enjoy a home-cooked meal at 6 pm each weeknight is a pretty unfamiliar scenario. Long working hours with even longer commutes, both parents at work and an increasing number of single parent families are just some reasons why the family meal seems to be going the way of dinosaurs. It’s becoming clear, however, that the simple act of enjoying a meal together as a family a few nights each week delivers a lifetime of health and psychological benefits.



Teens who sit down to eat family meals at least four times each week are significantly less likely to have weight issues or become trapped in disordered eating behaviours. Furthermore, they do better at school, can manage stress better and are less likely to abuse tobacco and alcohol. Pretty convincing stuff! As yet we can’t explain exactly why this is so, but when families sit around the dinner table, they talk and listen and scientists believe that it’s this communication that supports kids’ emotional needs, helping them become resilient and develop coping skills that they can use at school, in the playground and in social situations. Family meals also give Mum and Dad an opportunity to make sure their kids are getting the right stuff to grow and thrive and to eat their greens too – thus giving their kids a great example to follow.

So, even if you can only manage to make a date to dine with your family once or twice each week, start making an effort to do so; the rewards will repay you. And make sure that you turn the television off to let the conversation flow ...

Susie Burrell is a specialist Weight Management Dietitian at The Children's Hospital at Westmead. In her private practice, she balances her clinical work with writing for print and electronic media. For more information check out: www.susieburrell.com.au


Susie Burrell

Move It & Lose It with Prof Trim

‘Help! I’m losing off the arms and shoulders, but it doesn’t seem to be coming off the waist.’ – Jim
Fat cells on the male upper body are all similar i.e. they’re large and lipolytic meaning that they give up their fat as energy easily. The waist, for most men, is where they store reserves of fat last – it’s a good, readily accessible store which can be accessed easily in hard times, such as famine.

But this doesn’t mean fat isn’t also stored elsewhere. It’s a bit like blowing up a multi-shaped balloon. Different balloons pop out in different places when you blow. But ultimately all will expand totally if you blow hard enough. Because men typically store fat on the waist last, this tends to be the first place it comes off. But in some cases there will be losses off the arms, chin, chest etc., as well as the waist (usually there will be a corresponding decrease in waist). The idea is to keep at it. Eventually it will come off the waist as well.

If you need to lose weight, here’s a tip you won’t find in the women’s mags: Weight loss is not a linear process. You’re unlikely to lose a steady 1 or 2 kilograms per week until you get down to where you want to be. This is because weight loss is a dynamic process. Change one thing (e.g. food or exercise), and the body changes other things (e.g. metabolism, the rate at which you burn energy, etc.) to make sure that you don’t disappear.


Dr Garry Egger aka Prof Trim

For more information on weigh loss for men, check out Professor Trim.

Curly Questions

"I am a type 2 diabetic who tracks my carbs with the GI; however, I was wondering about how the GI should actually be used when other foods that are high in protein, but contain the proper amount and type of fat too, are eaten knowing this slows the digestive process and helps regulated the glucose level of the body?"
The GI was introduced to rank the glycemic nature of the carbohydrate in individual foods. The purpose was to exchange one carbohydrate source with another in mixed meals or snacks. People often ask about the effect of extra protein and fat in the food on GI and blood glucose response. Eaten alone, protein and fat have little effect on blood glucose levels, but that’s not to say they won’t affect your blood glucose response when combined with a carb-rich food. This is because protein and fat both tend to delay stomach emptying, thereby slowing the rate at which carbohydrate can be digested and absorbed. So a high fat meal will have a lower glycemic effect than a low fat meal even if they both contain the same amount and type of carbohydrate.



More importantly, a meal’s GI value doesn’t make it good or bad for you. You need to base your food choices on the overall nutritional content along with the amount of saturated fat, salt, fibre and of course, GI value. We have found that people who simply substitute a low GI food for a high one in their everyday meals and snacks (especially with their choice of breads, breakfast cereals, starchy vegetables) reduce the overall GI of their diet, gain better blood glucose control and lose weight.

"Is there a GI number I should strive for each day? Or one that I should not go over?"
We are often asked if there’s a ‘GI to shoot for’. The simple answer is no, there’s no formula. You don’t need to add up the GI each day. In fact there’s no counting at all as there is with calories/kilojoules. The basic technique for eating the low GI way is simply ‘This For That’: swapping the high GI carbs in your diet with low GI foods. This could mean eating muesli at breakfast instead of wheat flakes or a grainy low GI bread instead of normal white or wholemeal bread. So, what you need ‘to shoot for’ is identifying the high GI carbs in your current diet and swapping them for some quality low GI carbs. Dietitian Kaye Foster-Powell says in Low GI Eating Made Easy: ‘We have found that many people who substitute low for high GI foods in their everyday meals and snacks reduce the overall GI of their diet, gain better blood glucose control and lose weight.



If you are looking for some guidelines, here are some tips.
Every day you need to:

• Eat at least three meals—don’t skip meals. Eat snacks too if you are hungry.
• Eat fruit at least twice—fresh, cooked, dried, juices.
• Eat vegetables at least twice—cooked, raw, salads, soups, juices and snacks.
• Eat a cereal at least once—such as bread, breakfast cereal, pasta, noodles, rice and other grains in a wholegrain or low GI form
• Accumulate 60 minutes of physical activity (including incidental activity and planned exercise).

Every week you need to:

• Eat beans, peas and/or lentils—at least twice. This includes baked beans, chickpeas, red kidney beans, butter beans, split peas and foods made from them such as hommous and dhal.
• Eat fish and seafood at least once, preferably twice, each week—fresh, smoked, frozen or canned.
• Eat nuts regularly—just a tiny handful.

Email your curly question about carbs, the GI and blood glucose to: gicurlyquestions@gmail.com

Your Success Stories

‘I’m having fewer hypos, I am on low doses of insulin and I feel much better.’ – Sarah
‘About six months ago I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, which I managed with insulin. I read lots of handouts about how to manage diabetes with diet, but the focus was very much on reducing sugar in my diet and little about low GI foods. As a result, I continued eating breads with high GI, lots of potatoes and so on and my BGLs were all over the place. Six weeks after having my baby I found out that the diabetes was actually late-onset type 1! It was recommended that I try a low GI diet; I did lots of reading, including The New Glucose Revolution (The Low GI Handbook in Australia) and incorporated their recommendations into my diet. I have found that my BGLs are much more stable, I’m having fewer hypos, I am on low doses of insulin and I feel much better. My partner is also on the low GI diet and he feels more energetic, particularly in the mornings when he used to feel lethargic and unmotivated.’

GI Symbol News with Alan Barclay

Can you count on the carbs?


Alan Barclay

A reader recently asked about the accuracy of the carb count (in grams) on food labels. It's an excellent question and there isn't a simple answer. Under most national ‘food laws,’ two ‘carb counting’ methods are allowed.

• The amount of carbohydrate listed on the food label can be determined by ‘difference’ – the amount of protein, fat and fibre is measured, and whatever is left over is called available carbohydrate.
• Alternatively, carbs are measured by ‘direct analysis’, where each of the different sugars and starches in a food are measured and the totals are given.

Not surprisingly, carb counts based on difference will be intrinsically less reliable than those from direct analysis. But direct analysis is time consuming and rather costly, so the carb counts you see on food labels in the supermarket are typically calculated by the difference method.



Although measuring seems to be the way to go for accuracy, there’s a fair bit of natural variation in most foods we eat: they are grown in the ground, not produced under strict controls in a laboratory, so the carb count in a food can typically vary from variety to variety, crop to crop, batch to batch …

So, back to the food labels. While it is difficult to give a reliable estimate for carb quantities in packaged foods, variations of up to 20% are not unusual. That means for most of us, there’s little justification for counting carbs to the nearest gram – the values on most food and drink labels simply aren’t that accurate. However, some people (like those with diabetes) clearly need a practical system for estimating the amount of carbohydrate in foods so they can match their insulin or oral hypoglycaemic agents to what they eat. What’s the most practical tool they can use to help them do this reasonably accurately without fuss and a calculator?

Research has proven that carbohydrate exchanges (an average of 15 grams of carbohydrate per typical household serve of food, with an allowance for variation of 12–18 grams per serve) or portions (10 grams of carbs per serve) provide equally satisfactory estimates of the amount of carbohydrate in food to enable most people with diabetes manage blood glucose levels satisfactorily.

Of course, the amount of carbohydrate in a food is only one part of the equation when it comes to good health – the GI is equally important for all of us. Email us for more information: alan@gisymbol.com

Contact
Dr Alan W Barclay, PhD
CEO, Glycemic Index Ltd
Phone: +61 2 9785 1037
Mob: +61 (0)416 111 046
Fax: +61 2 9785 1037
Email: mailto:alan@gisymbol.com
Email: alan@gisymbol.com
Website: www.gisymbol.com.au

The Latest GI Values with Fiona Atkinson

Woolworths Select pasta meals and instant noodles
Alfredo Pasta & Sauce GI 57
Cracked Pepper & Cheese Pasta & Sauce GI 48
Four Cheese Pasta & Sauce GI 55
Macaroni Cheese Pasta & Sauce GI 48
Sour Cream & Chives Pasta & Sauce GI 50
Creamy Bacon Carbonara Pasta & Sauce GI 54
Instant Noodles (Beef, Chicken and Oreintal) GI 52

The Latest GI Values from GI Testing in Canada
President's Choice ® Blue Menu ™ breads and cereals
Oatmeal Loaf GI 63
Whole Grain Oatmeal Bagel GI 58
Whole Grain Multi-Grain Flax Bagel GI 52
Whole Grain Cinnamon Raisin Bagel GI 55
Whole Grain Jalapeno Corn Tortilla GI 35
Whole Grain Chipotle Red Pepper Tortilla GI 47
Lavash Whole Grain Flatbread GI 43
Omega-3 Granola Cereal GI 51



President's Choice ® Blue Menu ™ cookies, cake, muffins & bars
Fruit & Nut Whole Grain Soft Cookie GI 56
Oatmeal Double Chocolate Soft Cookie GI 42
Oatmeal Raisin Whole Grain Soft Cookie GI 49
Apple Crisp GI 48
Cinnamon Coffee Cake GI 62
Two-Bite Brownie GI 39
Whole Grain Banana & Prune Muffin GI 53
Whole Grain Carrots, Dates, Pineapples & Walnuts Muffin GI 55
Fruit & Nut Mixed Berries & Almonds Chewy Multi-Grain Bars GI 63

President's Choice ® Blue Menu ™ pasta
Fettuccini GI 54
Tricolour Linguini Sun-Dried Tomato, Basil and Original Nest GI 42
Tricolour Linguini Sun-Dried Tomato, Basil and Original Nest GI 52
Whole Grain Lasagna Sheets GI 59
100% Whole Wheat Spaghetti GI 45
100% Whole Wheat Penne Rigate GI 51
100% Whole Wheat Lasagna GI 46

President's Choice ® Blue Menu ™ convenience meals
9-Vegetable Vegetarian Patty (frozen) GI 54
Whole Grain Pizza Kit GI 65
Tomato & Herb Chicken with Vegetables GI 29
Chicken & Rotini Soup GI 38

Click for more information on Loblaws brands President's Choice ® Blue Menu ™ products

COBS Bread Higher-Fibre Low GI
White Block Loaf GI 46
White Block Loaf Small GI 46
White Roll GI 50

Where can I get more information on GI testing?
North America
Dr Alexandra Jenkins
Glycemic Index Laboratories
36 Lombard Street, Suite 100
Toronto, Ontario M5C 2X3 Canada
Phone +1 416 861 0506
Email info@gilabs.com
Web http://www.gilabs.com

Australia
Fiona Atkinson



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

New Zealand
Dr Tracy Perry
The Glycemic Research Group, Dept of Human Nutrition
University of Otago
PO Box 56 Dunedin New Zealand
Phone +64 3 479 7508
Email tracy.perry@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
Web glycemicindex.otago.ac.nz

See The New Glucose Revolution on YouTube

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GI News—September 2008

• No one diet has a monopoly on good health
  
• 7 healthy eating habits from Greece
  
• The latest on diet and diabetes risk
  
• Life stages and critical mass with Prof Trim
  
• Spotlight on glycemic load claims
• GI values for Woolworths Select range
  

This month, Dr Antigone Kouris shares some healthy eating habits from from Greece and Catherine Saxelby looks at the benefits of oregano and rosemary . In Curly Questions, we ask you to pitch in with your thoughts on stretching the food budget. 'Spend as much as you can at the greengrocer, as much as you need in the butcher's shop, and as little as you can at the grocer, ' is one suggestion. We'll be interested in your ideas. There are all our usual features too, including delicious recipes and Robert's incredible 25 kg weight loss Success Story.

Good eating, good health and good reading.

GI News Editor: Philippa Sandall
Web Design and Management: Scott Dickinson, PhD

Food for Thought

No one ‘diet’ has a monopoly on good health
Just as there’s no one superfood, there’s no one super diet that’s going to be right for everybody. The recent Israeli head-to-header published in the New England Journal of Medicine adds to the growing evidence that the optimal diet for weight loss, for example, can be either low fat, Mediterranean-style or low carb (providing you aren’t pregnant or have kidney disease). When it comes to eating for your long-term health and wellbeing, our view is that your dietary approach is strictly up to you and again can be low fat, Mediterranean-style or lower carb (with the above provisos). Just make sure it's a balanced healthy one that doesn’t cut out entire food groups and does include a wide variety of foods. It also needs to be enjoyable so you actually want to stick to it. That’s because out here in the real world most of us don’t have the sort of backup they get in weight-loss trials like the Israeli one (eighteen 90-minute small-group workshop sessions over two years plus six 15-minute motivational phone calls when the compliance going gets tough).

Keep in mind:

1. Not all carbs, fats or proteins are created equal. It’s the slow low GI carbs, good mono- and poly-unsaturated fats and lean protein you need.
2. To achieve substantial weight loss, diet alone won’t do it. Despite the backup, the average weight loss in the Israeli study was a very modest 10–14 pounds (4-6 kg) over 2 years. So you’ve got to pick up the pace and get moving for 3o minutes every day.
3. Tightening your belt a notch is not enough. Check out the ‘extras’ – the value-added benefits that will reduce your risk of diabetes and heart attack, help control blood glucose levels and improve your overall health and vitality.

A low GI traditional Mediterranean-style diet delivers the ‘extras’
Numerous studies link living longer and lower risks of heart disease, diabetes and cancer to a traditional Mediterranean-style of diet which would also have been low GI thanks to the abundance of legumes and less processed grains. Although dietary habits vary around the Mediterranean, there are some key ones found in most places. Dr Antigone Kouris, who has carried out extensive research on the Mediterranean diet and longevity, picks out 7 healthy eating habits from a traditional Greek diet for long-term health and wellbeing.



‘The Greek version of the traditional Mediterranean diet is low in saturated fat (due to low intake of animal foods), high in monounsaturated fat (mainly from olive oil, olives, nuts) and omega-3 fats (fatty fish, wild greens, nuts), high in plant protein (from grains, nuts and legumes), moderate in animal protein, moderate in carbohydrate, and high in fibre (from legumes, nuts, vegetables and fruits). Traditional meals included large quantities of salads or cooked vegetables (especially dark green, leafy artichokes) rich in olive oil (which helps absorb the fat soluble antioxidants) and legumes – these were eaten frequently as a meal in place of meat (this is also good for the environment!). Traditional Greeks consumed wholegrain sourdough bread daily, usually with a meal (rather than as a meal) but unlike their Italian counterparts, rice and pasta were consumed less frequently. Wine was consumed in moderation and almost always during meals. In addition, many traditional Greek foods are high in magnesium (dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, Greek coffee) which can help improve insulin function and also add cinnamon (cassia) to many sweets which may help lower blood glucose levels.’

7 healthy eating habits from the traditional Greek diet

• Eat legumes as a meal at least once a week – The beans have it – they are easy on the budget, nutritious, filling, low in kilojoules and low GI. They have been associated with long-lived food cultures such as the Japanese (soy, tofu, natto, miso), the Swedes (brown beans, peas) and the Mediterranean people (lentils, chickpeas, white beans). Harvard researchers who persuaded 26,000 Greek people to record their food intake for eight years found that eating less red meat and more peas, beans and lentils cut the risk of cancer by 12%. British Journal of Cancer
  
• Eat lots of dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, rocket, endive, chicory, amaranth and mustard greens (found in Australian supermarkets as choy sum, buk choy, Chinese spinach) which are also excellent sources of magnesium and plant omega-3 fats). These can be steamed/boiled and served with olive oil and lemon juice or throw them into salads, soups, stir fries or casseroles. And while you are cooking, be generous with herbs like oregano, rosemary, dill and mint – they make vegetables taste great so you eat more of them. Don’t serve them up plain, either. A little dressing goes a long way – Greeks like to add oil/lemon/vinegar to vegetables (and starchy foods) which not only boosts the flavour, but it helps to lower the overall GI of the meal.
• Eat a range of brightly coloured vegetables including tomatoes and capsicum – they're high in antioxidants, including lycopene. Add them to slow cooked stews with meat along with garlic, onion and olive oil – this style of cooking produces less carcinogens than grilling and barbecuing.
• Use extra virgin olive oil – the recent University of Navarra study published in the British Medical Journal reported that sticking closely to a Mediterranean-style diet may protect against the development of type 2 diabetes and identified extra virgin olive oil as a key constituent for diabetes protection noting that studies have reported it may protect against insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome.
• Enjoy some fermented foods like yoghurt, feta cheese and olives that may help provide gut healthy bacteria. In the traditional Greek diet, milk intake was rather low, but consumption of sheep/goat cheese and yoghurt was moderate; goat feta cheese has less fat (around 16%) than most yellow cheeses (more than 25% fat). Top salads and vegetable stews with feta.
• Eat fish and seafood – Rich in omega-3 fats, they were eaten more often than animal meats because until recently meat was expensive whereas fish consumption was a function of proximity to the sea.
• Snack on nuts and seeds – Traditional snacks in Greece include pumpkin seeds, roasted chickpeas, almonds, walnuts, as well as dried and fresh fruit.

Antigone Kouris

Dr Antigone Kouris is a dietitian and nutrition research fellow from Monash University.

Contact: info@healthyeating.com
For more information on the Mediterranean diet and some delicious traditional Greek recipes: www.healthyeatingclub.org

News Briefs

High GI diet speeds progression to type 1 diabetes in at risk kids
A high GI diet increased the rate of progression to type 1 diabetes in children with high levels of islet autoimmunity is the finding of an observational study published in August Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. This is ‘perhaps due to increased demand on the beta cells to release insulin,’ writes Prof Jill Norris and co-authors in their conclusion. The research team followed children already at increased risk of type 1 diabetes for genetic reasons who are taking part in the DAISY study (Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young). Of 1,776 children in the study, 89 developed islet autoimmunity and 17 subsequently developed type 1 diabetes.
Correspondence: jill.norris@uchsc.edu

Islet autoimmunity is the development of antibodies made by the immune system that attack insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. These antibodies are considered a strong predictor of type 1 diabetes.

Mealtimes and metabolic syndrome
We are what we eat it's said, but a new study in Obesity suggests we may also be how often we eat. Skipping meals is widespread these days – too busy, wanting to lose weight, endless reasons. Scientists from the Karolinska Institutet found that skippers (those who said they rarely ate a regular breakfast, lunch and dinner) had on average a bigger waist and greater risk of metabolic syndrome than those who ate more regular meals in their study of 3,607 men and women. They also tended to have more signs of insulin resistance.



Regular breakfast, weigh-ins and no fast food = better BMI
Want to lose weight? Then eating breakfast regularly, weighing yourself regularly and cutting way back on fast food are three healthy habits you need to adopt report researchers with the Look AHEAD Research Group (Action for Health in Diabetes) in Diabetes Care. They evaluated the weight loss strategies adopted by 5,145 participants with diabetes and a BMI of at least 25 in the Look AHEAD trial. To get their weight under control, 60% of the participants had done things like eat more fruits and veggies, cut out sweets and eat fewer high-carb foods). What the survey found, however, was that the study participants with a lower BMI weighed themselves at least once a week and had the following healthy eating habits:

• Eating breakfast at least six days a week
• Eating regular meals and snacks, and
• Eating less than 2 fast food meals a week

BMI stands for Body Mass Index. Check yours HERE.



The latest on diet and diabetes risk
Three long-term studies in July's Archives of Internal Medicine look at the links between diet and type 2 diabetes risk.

Sugar –sweetened beverages and diabetes: Julie Palmer and colleagues (Slone Epidemiology Center, Boston University) analysed diet and health questionnaires completed by 43,960 African American women who did not have diabetes when the study began back in 1995. They found that drinking two or more soft drinks each day was associated with a 24% increase in diabetes risk and drinking two or more fruit drinks each day was associated with a 31% increase in diabetes risk compared with women who had less than one soft drink or fruit drink per month, respectively. They noted no association between type 2 diabetes risk and diet soft drinks, grapefruit juice, or orange juice.



‘Our study suggests that the mechanism for the increase in diabetes risk associated with soft drink consumption is primarily through increased weight. Reducing consumption of soft drinks or switching from sugar-sweetened soft drinks to diet soft drinks is a concrete step that women may find easier to achieve than other approaches to weight loss,’ they write. ‘It should be noted that consumption of fruit drinks conveyed as high an increase in risk as did consumption of soft drinks. Fruit drinks typically contain as many or more calories compared with soft drinks and, like soft drinks, may not decrease satiety to the same extent as solid food.’

Type 2 diabetes, vitamin C, and fruit and vegetable consumption: Anne-Helen Harding and colleagues (Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, England) found that higher blood levels of vitamin C were associated with a substantially lower risk of developing diabetes in 21,831 adults followed up for 12 years European Prospective Investigation of Cancer-Norfolk). ‘Because fruits and vegetables are the main sources of vitamin C, the findings suggest that eating even a small quantity of fruits and vegetables may be beneficial and that the protection against diabetes increases progressively with the quantity of fruit and vegetables consumed,’ they conclude.

Low-fat diets and diabetes risk: Lesley Tinker and colleagues (Women's Health Initiative, Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center, Seattle) conclude that: ‘Weight loss, rather than macronutrient composition, may be the dominant predictor of reduced risk of diabetes.’ They analysed a sample of 48,835 post-menopausal women who, had been randomly assigned to either a ‘usual diet’ group, or a ‘low-fat intervention diet’ group where they were encouraged to eat more fruits, vegetables and grains. Over an eight-year period, around 7% of women in both groups developed type 2 diabetes. ‘Trends toward reduced incidence (of diabetes) were greater with greater decreases in total fat intake and weight loss,’ they report. The women in the low-fat diet group lost an average of 1.9 kg or 4.2 lbs more than women in the usual diet group, although the study's intention wasn't weight loss.

What's New?
12 Steps to Healthy Eating
Nutrition for Life audio CD
‘Forget dieting and eat for life,’ says Catherine Saxelby in step 1 of her new 30-minute CD where she cuts through the confusion with practical tips to help you achieve your optimum weight, reduce your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes and discover how to eat for a healthy brain, eyes, skin and body. Listen to her 12 steps to healthy eating in the car or at home. The CD is ideal for people who are blind or vision impaired as they are often unable to get the reliable health and nutrition information they need. Did you know that your stomach is only the size of your fist clenched? Imagine this and you’ll soon realise that it doesn’t take a lot of food to fill that amount of space ... find out how to listen to your stomach in Catherine's podcast below.




Play the Podcast above or download here

Magic Foods for Better Blood Glucose
Reader’s Digest Australia
This new edition of Magic Foods from the editors at Readers Digest (the US edition featured in May 2007 GI News) has been completely revised and updated Australian and NZ market. Lavishly photographed and beautifully designed by Susanne Geppert, it features an introduction by Prof Jennie Brand-Miller and has been endorsed by the GI Symbol Program. It’s packed with recipes, menus and foods to help people achieve better blood glucose management.



Submissions invited on draft updated type 2 diabetes guidelines
Invitation for Submission of Comments on the Draft Updated Primary Prevention Guideline, Draft Update Case Detection and Diagnosis Guideline, Draft Blood Glucose Control Guideline, and Draft Kidney Disease Guideline (Diabetes Australia)

Busting Food Myths with Nicole Senior

Myth: Kids don't get high cholesterol


Nicole Senior

Fact: Children can have high cholesterol and the numbers are increasing in step with the number of children who are overweight and obese. The risk factors for high cholesterol in children are the same as those for adults. That is, being overweight or obese, eating too much saturated fat, and having a family history of high cholesterol.

OK, so kids do get high cholesterol – so what? Unfortunately, the longer the body carries too much cholesterol around in the blood, the greater the chances of having a heart attack or stroke. Children who have high cholesterol are more likely to experience these devastating events at an earlier adult age. The first evidence of the damage high cholesterol can cause in youth came from post-mortems of teenage soldiers killed in World War II. Their coronary arteries were already showing the fatty build-up of atherosclerosis. The fact these soldiers were probably on the fitter and slimmer side makes you shudder to think what may be happening in the blood vessels of today’s obese, sedentary kids. Add to this the increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes in children and teenagers and you have a potent recipe for a heart attack in the third or fourth decade.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently announced recommendations to prescribe cholesterol-lowering statin drugs to obese children as young as eight. Oh dear – a classic case of closing the gate after the horse has bolted! Their position has understandably attracted a lot of criticism, the main argument being the problem should be solved by diet and lifestyle change rather than drugs.

Also contained in the AAP recommendations is the more palatable advice that some high-risk toddlers as young as one could switch to reduced fat milk. Traditional advice was only to switch at two years of age so as not to compromise calorie/kilojoule intake for growth. However in the case of a child at high risk of obesity or with a strong family history of cardiovascular disease, reduced fat milk can help manage cholesterol levels with no adverse effects on growth or development. Even if your family is low risk, switching to reduced fat milk when children are two years is recommended. This will help everyone’s cholesterol to stay down, and prevents ‘multi-milk confusion’ in your refrigerator. As many household nutrition managers and grocery buyers (Mums and Dads) will attest, the family will eat/drink what’s there.

Whether a child already has high cholesterol, or to prevent the problem in the first place, kids need to ‘eat to beat cholesterol’ as much as grown ups to keep their hearts healthy. The evidence is convincing that diet works without side effects and nourishes the whole family as well.

For heart-friendly recipes the whole family will love, try Heart Food by Veronica Cuskelly and Nicole Senior available from www.greatideas.net.au
For more information on cholesterol and what you can do about reducing high cholesterol in adults and kids, check out Eat to Beat Cholesterol by Nicole Senior and Veronica Cuskelly: www.eattobeatcholesterol.com.au