GI News—January 2010

• Fat burning is free
  
• How low GI diets work for weightloss
  
• Easy ways to renovate your recipes
  
• Shaping up with strength training
  
• GI values for lactose and casein free Almond Breeze beverages
  
• Does celery take more calories to digest than it contains?
  

In this issue of GI News, we shine the spotlight on fat burning — what you need to know about burning excess amounts of it. ‘Fat burning is free,’ says dietitian Glenn Cardwell in Food for Thought. It just requires change and a lot of hard work.’ In Food of the Month and in the GI News Kitchen, we show you how to renovate your recipes with healthier and lower fat options and Dr Joanna McMillan Price in Body Work explains why strength training is arguably the best means we have of really changing the shape of our bodies and keeping us looking younger by maintaining a strong posture and frame.

Good eating, good health and good reading.

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

Food for Thought

Fat burning is free
‘People love to hear that certain foods, exercise and tablets are fat burning,’ says dietitian Glenn Cardwell.


Glenn Cardwell

‘Back in the early 1990s I was in the national media because I called fat metaboliser and fat mobiliser tablets a big fat scam. The response by the tablet manufacturers was quite clever. It was nothing. Not a word. No response meant that the story was dead in 24 hours. No response also meant that the manufacturers were acknowledging that their tablets were a scam, albeit a very lucrative one, and they didn’t have a scrap of evidence to justify their existence. They still don’t.

Fat burning is such a beautiful expression, because it implies that you require some outside influence to get you into a fat burning zone. Spoiler warning. Here is the truth. If you are currently breathing, you are burning fat. Asleep? Burning fat. Sitting? Burning fat. Watching telly? Burning fat. Fat burning is easy. Just breath.

To burn up excess fat is much harder. You will need to do much more activity to burn enough fat to lose weight. For most people, that will mean 60 minutes of activity a day. Yes, one hour. There it is again – the truth. Unpleasant news, yes?

The other side of the fat burning equation is food and drink. No food or drink will burn fat. Not one. Truth. Sure, there are adverts encouraging you to buy a book with all the ‘fat burning’ foods listed, like black tea, garlic, lettuce, celery, water, apples and by now you will have realised that they are all low calorie foods.

To burn fat you must eat less kilojoules than you burn through activity. How?

1. Eat plenty of fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, lean meat and very few cakes and biscuits, and eat only until you are no longer hungry (not until you are chockers). Do this all your life, not just four weeks.
2. Do more exercise. In other words, if you buy a bicycle, you must then ride it. Frequently.

As I said, fat burning is free. It requires change and a lot of hard work. Most people know this deep down, yet they prefer to buy hope and ignore the truth. However, the truth can be the best investment anyone ever made.’

Glenn Cardwell is an Accredited Practising Dietitian. Make sure you check out Glenn's website www.glenncardwell.com.

News Briefs

Cochrane Review finds low GI diets more effective
Not only is it hard to lose weight, there’s not a lot of consensus about the best way to do it other than ‘eat less and exercise more’. But that piece of advice on its own doesn’t seem to be able to deliver the necessary results for most of us – if we can stick to it. A Cochrane Review published in 2007 looked at six carefully conducted randomised controlled trials running from 5 weeks to 6 months and involving 202 participants. They found that overweight and obese people lost more weight (on average 1 kilogram or 2.2 pounds more) on low GI diets than on similar energy high GI or other conventional energy-restricted weight loss diets. Not only that, the low GI diet had heart health benefits, too. ‘Low GI diets appear to be particularly effective for people who are obese,’ says lead author Dr Diana Thomas, who is the Scientific Director of the Centre for Evidence Based Pediatrics, Gastroenterology and Nutrition. She went on to comment that this may be because it’s easier for people to stick to low GI diets as there’s less need to restrict food so long as the carbs have a low GI.



Finding out about fat metabolism
A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that differences in dietary GI can influence fat metabolism. The researchers looked at the effect of dietary GI on GLUT4 and FAT/CD36 gene expressions in human skeletal muscle (these are the muscles that move and support the skeleton) after a single bout of exercise. Skeletal muscle plays important role in the regulation of whole-body metabolism. In skeletal muscle, uptakes of glucose and fatty acid from circulation are facilitated by transmembrane substrate transporters (sorry we can’t make it simpler) GLUT4 and FAT/CD36, respectively.

In two separate trials in this crossover study, 8 healthy men were given a high GI meal (GI 76) or a low GI meal (GI 36) immediately after a 60-minute cycling exercise at 75% maximal oxygen consumption. Both meals had similar proportions of carbs, fat and protein. Muscle samples from deep vastus lateralis were taken by needle biopsy immediately after exercise and 3 hours after exercise.

After exercise, the high GI diet produced significantly greater glucose and insulin responses compared with the low GI diet. Both diets resulted in rapid reductions in plasma fatty acid and glycerol below fasting level. GLUT4 mRNA was downregulated by both high GI and low GI diets to a comparable extent, whereas GLUT4 protein levels were not changed during this short period. FAT/CD36 mRNA and protein levels were substantially decreased with the high GI diet below baseline, but not with the low GI diet.

Regular cola drinking linked to diabetes in pregnancy says study
Writing in December 2009 Diabetes Care, researchers report that after adjusting for known risk factors, intake of sugar-sweetened cola was positively associated with the risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy. ‘Compared with women who consumed less than 1 serving per month, those who consumed more than 5 servings per week of sugar-sweetened cola had a 22% greater GDM (gestational diabetes mellitus) risk,’ notes Dr Chen. While the data indicated a link between GDM and sugary cola, no relationship was found for other sugar-sweetened drinks. The reason for this is not clear, but Chen said one of the explanations could be the tremendous popularity of cola in the US.



Writing in an editorial of the same issue, Dr Robert Moses and Prof Jennie Brand-Miller state: ‘Epidemiological studies have limitations and often pose more questions than they provide answers. Apart from a greater focus on the prevention of maternal obesity, and a logical presumption that a high-fiber and low-GI diet could be beneficial (and are unlikely to do harm), there is currently insufficient evidence to base any firm dietary advice about how to reduce the rate of GDM. Until that evidence becomes available, we can cautiously advise that the overall quality of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are probably more relevant than the intake of any one single food. In this context one serving of a sweetened soda beverage even on a daily basis is unlikely to do harm.’

In the GI News Kitchen

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

Fortified scrambled eggs
Italians don’t really eat eggs for breakfast but we do, whether we are in Morristown (New Jersey) or in Nimis (Friuli). Adding in some ricotta is a terrific way to fortify eggs with calcium, making this recipe a perfect choice for a simple, wholesome breakfast. In all honesty, these eggs taste so much better when I make them in Italy. I’m sure the freshly made ricotta from the local dairy farm has much to do with it!
Servings: 4

4 large eggs
1 cup egg substitute
¼ cup light ricotta
2 tbsp grated parmigiano cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
Salt and pepper, to taste

• Whisk together all the ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
• Evenly cover a medium-sized frying pan with vegetable spray. Heat over medium flame until surface is hot. Add the egg mixture and begin to stir for about 2 minutes from the outside to the center with a wooden spoon. Lower the heat if necessary to assure uniform cooking. Serve immediately.
  

Per serving (without toast)
Energy: 613 kJ/ 146 cals; Protein 16 g; Fat 8 g (includes 3 g saturated fat and 248 mg cholesterol); Carbs 2 g; Fibre less than 1 g.

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

Red beef and pumpkin curry
Check out Asian produce stores for a genuine Asian brand curry paste – they tend to be hotter (and cheaper) than supermarket brands – 2 tablespoons was plenty. The brand you have may be milder, so check the ‘serving suggestion’ on the label to see how much paste to add for four people. And there are more savings. I usually make this with light coconut milk, but by using light and creamy coconut flavoured evaporated milk you boost the protein and cut the saturated fat right back.
Serves 4

1 tablespoon peanut oil
350 g (12 oz) rump steak, thinly sliced
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons red curry paste (or to taste)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
375 ml (14 oz) can light coconut milk or light and creamy coconut flavoured evaporated milk
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) pumpkin, peeled and chopped into bite-sized chunks
120 g (4 oz) green beans, trimmed, sliced in half
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon table sugar
1½ cups basmati or a lower GI rice
chopped peanuts or chopped coriander or both (optional)

• Heat the wok or large frying pan over high heat, add the oil and when hot (not before), stir-fry the beef in two batches for 1–2 minutes until brown. Set the beef aside in a heatproof bowl.
• Stir-fry the onion for 2 minutes then add the curry paste and garlic and stir to combine. Pour in the coconut milk, stirring until the curry paste has dissolved and bring just to the boil. Add the pumpkin chunks, cover (with a lid or foil), reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10–12 minutes until the pumpkin is just tender (but not mushy). Meanwhile, cook the rice following the packet directions.
• Add the green beans and the cooked beef to the wok, and simmer for 2 minutes until everything is piping hot and the beans are tender-crisp. Add the fish sauce and sugar, a teaspoon of each at a time, to achieve a flavour balance you like.
• Spoon the rice onto four serving plates and top with the curried beef and a scattering of chopped peanuts or coriander for extra crunch and colour if you wish.
  

Per serving (with rice and made with light and creamy evaporated coconut milk)
Energy: 1826 kJ/ 436 cals; Protein 33 g; Fat 12 g (includes 4 g saturated fat and 65 mg cholesterol); Carbs 46 g; Fibre 4 g

Labna
This recipe yoghurt cheese with a creamy yet slightly sour, sharp tang is from Lyndey Milan: The best collection. Many cuisines have a version of labna (or labne) and it’s delicious at any time of the day. Save calories and use it in place of feta in cooking. Lyndey's book is available from major bookstores or online HERE.
Makes 24 balls of cheese

1 litre low fat plain yoghurt (you can use full fat if you prefer)
1 teaspoon salt
Extra virgin olive oil

To store
Fresh rosemary sprigs
1 teaspoon coriander (cilantro) seeds
2–3 red chillies

• Mix the yoghurt with salt, stirring well to remove any lumps. Scoop the yoghurt into the centre of a double layer of damp muslin and suspend over a deep bowl for 24 hours to let the whey drip out (you may like to scrape the inside of the muslin a couple of times to facilitate draining).
• Remove the resulting ‘cheese’ from the muslin and crumble onto a tray lined with paper towel. Refrigerate until firm and dry to touch. Lightly oil the palms of your hands and roll into 2.5 cm (1 in) in diameter balls. Serve fresh on crusty bread with freshly cracked black pepper or store in a jar covered with extra virgin olive oil, sprigs of rosemary and red chillies to flavour.
  

Per labna ball (made with low fat yoghurt)
Energy: 104 kJ/ 25 cals; Protein 2 g; Fat – less than 1 g (includes 2 mg cholesterol); Carbs 3 g

Per serving
Energy: 1350 kJ/ 323 cals; Protein 14 g; Fat 23 g (includes 5 g saturated fat and 118 mg cholesterol); Carbs 13 g; Fibre 3.5 g

In December we reported on Christopher Marinangeli’s study from the University of Manitoba that found that banana bread and biscotti made with whole yellow pea flour produced a lower glycemic response than the same recipes baked using wheat flour. If you enjoyed the biscotti recipe last month (do tell if you tried it), here’s the banana bread to try.



Banana bread
Makes 9 slices

280 g (9 oz) pea flour
175 g (6 oz) sugar (Logicane low GI sugar if you can buy it)
3 tsp xanthan gum
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp baking soda
2 tbsp walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped
5 bananas, mashed
3 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
Dash or two vanilla essence
Extra banana slices for garnish

• Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and place oven rack to middle position. Lightly spray the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 x 3 in (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan and dust with a little flour.
• In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices, and nuts.
• In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, oil and vanilla. Lightly fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky – don’t overmix. You don’t want a smooth batter. Over mixing will make the bread tough and rubbery. Scrape batter into prepared pan and place the slices of banana on top of the batter for garnish. Bake until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55–60 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature

Per serving
Energy: 1540 kJ/ 368 cals; Protein 9 g; Fat 15 g (includes 1.6 g saturated fat and 70 mg cholesterol); Carbs 52 g; Fibre 8 g.

Renovate your Recipes

Low fat evaporated milks
When renovating recipes, one key aim is to reduce the amount (and improve the quality) of the fats and oils in your diet. This means that delectable ingredients like cream, butter, bacon, cheese and chocolate (that appear in large amounts in chef recipes these days) need to stay on the shelf and out of your shopping basket if you’re going to whip up anything approaching a hip-and-heart-friendly recipe.

It’s not all sacrifice. Cutting out cream doesn’t mean missing out on creamy sauces or creamy desserts. How come? Products like low fat evaporated milk, or just ‘Carnation’ as lots of us know it, is a good substitute for cream and full cream milk when cooking sweet and savoury dishes. It’s sometimes called ‘the cooking milk’ and it certainly adds body to soups, sauces and custards.

Evaporated low fat milk is made by heating milk to remove about 60% of the water. The processing doesn’t destroy the nutritional benefits of milk – it’s still a good source of calcium (around 30% recommended your daily intake per serve). We looked at the saturated fat savings with a couple of low fat Carnation brand products:

• The Light & Creamy Evaporated Milk has 95% less fat than cream. It’s the one to use instead of cream in pasta sauces etc and for cutting back the fat in creamy desserts like cheesecakes.
• The Light & Creamy Coconut Flavoured Evaporated Milk has an average of 92% less saturated fat than regular coconut milk (an average of all coconut milks on the market, including light coconut milk) and is a substitute for coconut milk in laksas and creamy Southeast Asian curries (see Diane’s Red beef and pumpkin curry recipe in this issue).

We asked the Nestle Australia Nutrition team for some tips on using evaporated milk in your cooking to get the best results.

• Avoid boiling evaporated milk as it may split (curdle), it’s best to add at the end of cooking time and heat through.
• To whip it to a thicker consistency, leave the can in the fridge overnight before whipping.
• It’s OK if you don’t need to use a whole can in your recipe. It will keep in fridge for 2–3 days after opening.

Photo courtesy Nestle Australia

If you haven’t used evaporated milk in your cooking before, it’s probably a good idea to check out some recipes on the manufacturers’ websites to give you an idea of how to get the best results. This Creamy Salmon and Dill main meal pasta recipe from the Nestle Australia website will be on the table in a bit over 20 minutes. It’s quite high in carbs, so if you need to watch your blood glucose levels, have a smaller serving. The recipe says serves 4 – but we think it will happily stretch to 6 with a big crispy garden salad tossed in a tangy vinaigrette dressing.

375 g (14 oz) fettucine
375 ml (14 oz) can Carnation Light & Creamy Evaporated Milk
1 clove garlic, crushed
grated rind 1/2 lemon
1½ tablespoons corn flour
½ cup grated zucchini (courgette)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Freshly ground black pepper
210 g (7 oz) can red salmon, drained and flaked

• Cook pasta according to directions on pack until al dente, drain and keep warm. Place the evaporated milk, garlic, lemon rind, cornflour, zucchini and dill in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring. Stir in the salmon. Pour sauce over pasta, gently toss to combine and serve.

Per serving (based on 4 serves)
Energy: 2290 kJ/ 547 cals; Protein 31 g; Fat 9 g (includes 3 g saturated fat); Carbs 80 g; Fibre 3.5 g.

Busting Food Myths with Nicole Senior

Myth: Some foods have negative kilojoules (calories)


Nicole Senior

Fact: It is impossible for a food to use more energy to digest than it contains. To create a kilojoule or calorie deficit in your body, eat a balanced diet with plenty of vegetables and be more active.
We’ve all heard the stories about celery taking more energy to digest than it actually contains, but is this true? Moreover, does it make any difference in the quest for healthy weight loss? My answer is ‘no’ to the first, but ‘maybe’ to the second.

If thinking whole fresh foods such as vegetables contain negative calories helps you to eat more of them, go ahead. The health benefit of the end certainly justifies the mistaken means by which it is achieved. If, on the other hand, the overweight and vulnerable rely on a crazy unbalanced diet featuring eating these foods in large amounts to the exclusion of nost others, then this myth should be nipped in the bud.

Although celery does not take more calories to digest than it contains, it naturally low in kilojoules – a helpful characteristic of most vegetables and the reason why sensible weight loss diets emphasise eating plenty of them. Not to mention their grocery list of other health benefits. Of course their low-kilojoule status is undermined by eating them with peanut butter or cream cheese on top (is there any other vegetable that better lends itself to filling up the middle with something tasty?). Although in my profession it may be cavalier to say it, celery doesn’t taste that great on its own. Lower kilojoule options to ‘fill the gap’ are tomato salsa or chickpea dip (hummus). My favourite way to enjoy celery is sliced in a stir fry with lots of other vegetable friends and some lean chicken, beef, pork or tofu, nestled on a bed of brown rice or noodles.

At the heart of many nutrition myths is a kernel of truth, and in this case it is the notion that whole foods rather than overly processed foods take more digestive effort and in some cases hold back a little of their energy because it’s too hard for the body to liberate. The extra digestive effort starts in the mouth as some foods need a lot more chewing. This is very positive because of the energy it requires, the way it slows down eating to allow the brain to register satiety (fullness), and of course the direct effect on strengthening the jaw muscles and massaging the teeth and gums. The hard and complex structure of some foods such as wholegrains, nuts and legumes actually prevent all their nutrients (and kilojoules) from being released during digestion and some simply pass straight through. This could be a reason why high fibre diets and diets containing nuts help with weight loss. Conversely, many processed foods are easy to overeat because they go down so easily. Think of fluffy white bread, donuts, cupcakes, mash potato, ice-cream and even juice. In the case of fluffy white bread and mashed potato, these low-digestive-effort foods have a high GI to boot. For many reasons, it’s worth working harder for your food.



Back to the celery. Whenever you encounter a myth which implies doing something as simple as eating celery (or whatever) will help you lose weight, ask yourself the following reality check questions:

• Do I like eating lots of celery?
• How long can I keep eating lots of celery?
• Will eating lots of celery make me feel deprived?
• Will eating lots of celery help me feel good about myself?
• Will eating celery prevent me from over-eating other high kilojoule foods?
• Can I eat lots of celery and still enjoy social eating with family and friends?
• Will eating lots of celery encourage me to be more physically active?

If you like great recipes that are good for you, check out Nicole’s books HERE.

Body Work with Dr Joanna McMillan Price

Get with the strength
The bottom line for successful weight control is that you need to get your diet right and start strength training. Strength training is arguably the best means we have of really changing the shape of our bodies and it keeps us looking younger by maintaining a strong posture and frame.
In fact our need for strength training increases substantially the older we get – even more so for women. Research has shown that even seniors can regain some of their previous strength with correct training so it’s never too late to start.

First and foremost, muscle is there to move limbs. But it is important for another reason. Muscle is active tissue and burns substantially more energy than fat every minute of the day and night. In other words of two women (or men) with the same weight but different body fat percentage, the one with more muscle and less fat burns more energy everyday than her (or his) fatter colleague. Over time this makes the person with more muscle content more likely to remain lean.

Muscle also plays a very active role in metabolism, particularly of glucose. Muscle takes up glucose from the blood and is the major store of glucose (as glycogen). The more muscle you have, and the more exercised those muscles are, the more efficient this process. This means that fit, strong people are far less likely to develop insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

How to start strength training: Strength training can be done using weights, resistance bags, your own body weight or makeshift weights such as bags of rice. Lifting weights is undoubtedly one of the best ways to do it, so it is well worth considering joining a gym where a qualified instructor can design you an individualised program. Most gyms and leisure centres also run strength training group fitness classes which are an excellent and fun way to strength train under expert guidance.

The lower body workout: Do 20 of exercise 1 and 2 to begin with, hold exercise 3 for the designated time, and aim to complete the sequence 2¬3 times a week (and not on consecutive days). Once you can do this easily add a second set of 20 with a brief rest between sets. The speed is important and generally the slower you go the better – you have more control and it gives the muscle time to work properly recruiting more muscle fibres. Try counting 4 seconds to contract and 4 seconds to release.

Squats – Works legs & bottom


Stand with your feet hip width apart and your arms outstretched at shoulder height. As if you are going to sit on a bench behind you, slowly sink your hips back keeping your chest ‘proud’ and arms level, until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Return, equally as slowly, to standing so that the muscles continue to work on the return movement.

Lunge with upright row – Works legs, bottom & shoulders
You need a resistance band for this exercise. Keep a hold of the ends of the band and move one foot to the centre of the band. Step the other foot well back behind you, keeping your feet hip width apart. Maintain your weight between your two feet by keeping your back heel raised and your hips square. Lower your knee towards the floor until you have almost a right angle at each knee and the shoulder, hip and knee are aligned. At the same time pull your hands up towards your chin, leading with your elbows. Return slowly to the start position as before.

Hover – Works stomach/mid-section


Come down onto your elbows and link your hands. Lift up onto your toes until your body is flat like a plank while pulling your navel towards your spine – think of narrowing your waist or pulling in your belt another notch. If this feels tough to start with, lower your knees to the floor and hold the 3/4 position. Hold for 30 seconds to start with and gradually increase the time until you can hold for 1–2 minutes.

Dr Joanna McMillan Price is a registered nutritionist and accredited practising dietitian with a PhD from the University of Sydney. She is also a trained fitness leader and has taught group exercise classes for over 15 years. She has written several books and is a co-author of The Low GI Diet and The Low GI Diet Cookbook. www.joannamcmillanprice.com.

GI Symbol News with Dr Alan Barclay

Dr Alan Barclay

Make reducing the overall GI of your diet one of your New Year resolutions.
The easiest way to do this when shopping (in Australia and New Zealand) is to look for the GI Symbol. There are now approximately 150 different items carrying the GI Symbol in Australian and New Zealand supermarkets and grocery stores including breads; breakfast cereals; cracker biscuits; fresh and canned fruit, juice and fruit straps; dairy foods like milk, yoghurt and frozen dairy desserts; pasta, noodles and couscous; rice; snacks; and sweeteners.



7 tips for reducing the GI of your diet for breakfast, lunch and dinner and those snacks in between.

1. Replace those high GI crunchy breakfast flakes that spike your blood glucose and insulin levels with smart carbs like natural muesli or traditional (not instant) porridge oats or one of the lower GI processed breakfast cereals that will trickle fuel into your engine.
2. Swap your bread. Choose a really grainy bread where you can actually see the grains, granary bread, stone-ground wholemeal bread, real sourdough bread, soy and linseed bread, pumpernickel, fruit loaf or bread made from chickpea or other legume based flours.
3. Make your starchy staples the low (or lower) GI ones. Look for the lower GI rices like Basmati, Doongara Clever Rice or Moolgiri medium grain rice, serve your pasta al dente, choose less processed foods such as and intact grains such as barley, buckwheat, bulgur, quinoa, whole kernel rye, or whole wheat kernels and opt for lower GI starchy vegetables like lower GI potatoes (Nicola or Almera), parsnip, orange fleshed sweet potato, or butternut pumpkin.
4. Learn to love legumes – home-cooked or canned. Add chickpeas to stir fries, red kidney beans to chilli, a 4-bean salad to that barbecue menu, and beans or lentils to a casserole or soup.
5. Develop the art of combining. Combine high GI carbs with low GI tricklers to achieve a moderate overall GI. Lentils with rice, rice with beans and chilli, tabbouli tucked into pita bread, baked beans on toast or piled on a jacket-baked potato for classic comfort food.
6. Tickle those tastebuds and slow stomach emptying – try vinaigrette (using vinegar or lemon juice) with salads, yoghurt with cereal, lemon juice on vegetables like asparagus, sourdough bread.
7. Go low GI when snacking. Grab fresh fruit, dried fruit and nut mix, low fat milk and yoghurt (or soy alternatives), fruit bread etc.

What’s our New Year’s resolution? We aim to expand the range of foods carrying the GI Symbol throughout the world with a special focus on the European and North American markets. Significant investment in the development of new and innovative foods over the past couple of years will see the introduction of healthy low GI choices in a number of new categories in 2010.



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

GI Update

GI Q&A with Prof Jennie Brand-Miller



Can you explain to me how low GI diets work for weight loss?
The most important reason is likely to be the effect on day-long insulin levels – low GI foods result in lower levels of insulin over the course of the whole day. The hormone insulin is not only involved in regulating blood glucose levels, but also plays a key part in fat storage. High levels of insulin mean the body is forced to burn carbohydrate rather than fat. Thus, over the day, even if the total energy burnt is the same, the proportions of fat to carbohydrate are different. Oxidising carbohydrate won’t really help you lose weight, but burning fat will.

Dr Emma Stevenson’s research which we have reported on in GI News over the years has demonstrated over and over that, compared with healthy conventional meals, low GI meals were associated with greater fat oxidation during episodes of gentle exercise in overweight volunteers.

People who are overweight have been shown to have high glycogen (carbohydrate) stores that undergo major fluctuations during the day. This suggests that glycogen is a more important source of fuel for them. If glycogen is being depleted and replenished on a regular basis (before and after each meal, for example), it is displacing fat from the engine. Each meal restores glycogen (especially if the food has a high GI value) and the cycle repeats itself. Carbohydrate ‘balance’, as it’s called, is turning out to be one of the best predictors of future weight gain.

The benefits of a low GI diet for weight control go beyond appetite and fat burning. When you first begin a diet, your metabolic rate drops in response to the reduction in food intake, which makes weight loss slower and slower. Research shows your metabolic rate drops much less, however, on a low GI diet than a conventional diet. If your engine revs are higher, you’ll not only lose weight faster, you’ll also be much less likely to regain it.

New GI values with Fiona Atkinson
Blue Diamond Almond Breeze beverages
The new values this month were tested by our colleagues in Toronto at Glycemic Index Laboratories. These unsweetened, non dairy beverages are low calories (and carbs) in a typical serving, lactose and casein free, contain no transfats or cholesterol and are a good source of calcium and vitamin A. You can use enjoy them as a snack, on your breakfast cereal, in your cooking, for making smoothies or sauces or for adding to a cup of coffee.

Almond Breeze® Original: GI 25
Per 8 fl oz (240 ml cup) serving you'll get 40 cals (168 kJ), 1 g protein, 3 g fat, 2 g total carbs (includes 1 g fibre)

Almond Breeze® Unsweetened Vanilla: GI 25
Per 8 fl oz (240 ml cup) serving you'll get 40 cals (168 kJ), 1 g protein, 3 g fat, 2 g total carbs (includes 1 g fibre)

Almond Breeze® Refrigerated Unsweetened Vanilla: GI 22
Per 8 fl oz (240 ml cup) serving you'll get 40 cals (168 kJ), 1 g protein, 3 g fat, 2 g total carbs (includes 1 g fibre)

Almond Breeze® Unsweetened Chocolate: GI 22
Per 8 fl oz (240 ml cup) serving you'll get 45 cals (189 kJ), 2 g protein, 3.5 g fat, 3 g total carbs (includes 1 g fibre)



Raw almonds have a GI of 25. For more information, check out the Blue Diamond Growers website HERE.

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

Australia
Fiona Atkinson



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

See The New Glucose Revolution on YouTube

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Weight loss drug Qnexa submitted to the FDA for approval

The Phase 3 clinical program evaluated Qnexa in more than 4,500 patients in the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The average baseline weight in one trial was 223 pounds and another trial had an average baseline weight of 256 pounds. All patients were asked to follow a diet representing a 500-calorie/day deficit and advised to implement a simple lifestyle modification program. "The weight loss of up to 37 pounds combined with significant improvements in weight-related medical conditions, such as hypertension and diabetes, demonstrates the importance of treating obesity, which has become a major epidemic in the United States," Leland F. Wilson, chief executive officer for Vivus, said in a statement. Across both 56-week studies, the most commonly reported side effects were dry mouth, tingling and constipation, the application said.



Source: UPI

The Couch Potato Diet

The Couch Potato Diet, a handy guide for anyone who wants to lose weight but still eat fun foods like pizza and cookies. The three basic tenants he preaches: add fiber, reduce fat, and reduce sugar. Diets don’t work, Ladas notes, if the changes aren’t something you can live with every day. “You’ll go back to old ways unless you take smaller steps, start to exercise and create a diet that eliminates excess calories.”  “I lost over 50 pounds five years ago when I started the plan,” he says. “I knew it was different. It worked within my lifestyle,” and similarly, he thought it would resonate with “busy middle-aged folks, people who have trouble with the fact that their metabolism has slowed down.”   By substituting healthful foods for more healthful choices, he’s able to create recipes for nachos, pizza and even homemade ice cream. Interestingly enough, the diet book that’s patterned after the couch-potato lifestyle still advocates exercise. “Exercise is a tough sell with couch potatoes,”he notes. “It’s their worst nightmare, but the benefits of exercise are too great to ignore.



Read more on: Projo.com

Capsiplex can burn calories while you sit at your desk

Capsiplex's makers say the capsule, which is made from hot peppers and capsicum and is used by Hollywood stars Jennifer Lopez, Brad Pitt and Britney Spears, can eat up as many calories as 80 minutes of walking or a 25-minute jog. Trials at the University of Oklahoma showed adults taking Capsiplex burned off 278 more calories before, during and after a bout of exercise than those on placebos. A spokesman for Capsiplex said: 'For decades, scientists have known about the weight-loss potential of red-hot peppers. The problem has been the ability to consume such a highly concentrated amount, but we have overcome this by putting a protective coating on the ingredients which stops any gastric irritation.



Source: DailyMail

SLIMR™ gastric band, the sensation of a smaller stomach suggested through hypnosis

Tooley has developed a multi-faceted 27-week weight loss protocol that combines the power of the sub-conscious mind with the appetite-limiting features of a gastric band. Tooley's unique program provides a lower risk, lower-cost option for those considering lap band surgery, or for whom diets do not work. The "SLIMR™ gastric band," is making its debut in the United States at the Tooley Weight Wellness Clinic in Torrance, California. "The sensation of a smaller stomach suggested through hypnosis offers results similar to a physical gastric band inserted by laparoscopic surgery, commonly called a lap band. The mind is very powerful, and what you think becomes real for you," says Duncan Tooley, CHt, Certified Medical Hypnotist and developer of the program.

Read more on: The Medical News

A genetic mutation may be the real reason overweight children cannot shift the pounds

"This is the first evidence that copy number variants have been linked to a metabolic condition such as obesity," said Dr Matt Hurles from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, one of the leaders of the study. Findings show for the first time that the condition can be a genetic one, rather than the result of over feeding. Dr Sadaf Farooqi from Cambridge University added: "This study shows that severe obesity is a serious medical issue that deserves scientific investigation. "It adds to the growing weight of evidence that a wide range of genetic variants can produce a strong drive to eat.



Read more: Telegraph.uk

Primary Obesity Surgery Endoscopic (POSE), a new type of transoral weight loss surgery

POSE is a type of restrictive surgery that reduces the stomach’s capacity through the use of a flexible tube that is inserted into the mouth to reach the stomach. Because POSE is an incision-free procedure, it offers several benefits including reduced risk of infection, shorter recovery periods, and no visible scarring. Though long-term results are not yet available, doctors believe POSE will be an effective surgical options for patients who need to lose between 50 and 100 pounds. “The safety of this compared to any other intervention for weight loss is phenomenal,” said Dr. Michael Thomas, the site investigator for the Louisiana study.



Source: My Big Life

GI News—December 2009

• Lower the GI of your baking with pea flour
• New GI values for chocolate mud cake, pavlova, Christmas cake, Christmas mince pies and rum balls
• A sensationally delicious and healthy festive feast from the GI News Kitchen
• Low GI prunes forge ahead as the most super of the super fruits

We all know that Christmas and the new year can be perilous for the waistline. This issue of GI News helps you slip into damage control mode to help you successfully navigate your way through December’s festivities as you relax as the year winds down. For starters, dietitian Amanda Clark has come up with a quick guide to party favourites to help you indulge a little without going overboard. Here’s what you get for 100 calories: 1 sliver-sized piece Christmas cake, 1 Lindt Lindor Ball, 14 cashews, 60 g smoked salmon, 1 small packet (20 g/¾ oz) potato crisps, 1 small party pie or party sausage roll or mini spring roll, 150 ml (5 fl oz) red or white wine or champagne, 60 ml (2 fl oz) port or 45 ml (1½ fl oz) spirits, 275 ml (9 fl oz) can light beer or 1 cup soft drink or 3/4 cup juice.

Good eating, good health and good reading.

Editor: Philippa Sandall
Design: Scott Dickinson, PhD
Web management: Alan Barclay, PhD

Food for Thought

The veggies have it – again
Healthy eating is one of the best gifts a mother-to-be can give her growing baby says dietitian Kaye Foster-Powell in her Low GI Family Cookbook. ‘We shape our children’s health and wellbeing from the moment they are conceived. What a woman eats when she is pregnant influences her baby’s health in many ways. The nourishment her baby receives in the womb shapes how its body grows. The flavours of the foods she eats can play a part in her child’s later food preferences, and her baby’s birth weight can predict the risk of chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease later in life.’

A new study published in Pediatric Diabetes reinforces the healthy eating message revealing the results of a Swedish study that suggest that pregnant women who eat vegetables every day seem to have children who are less likely to develop type 1 diabetes.

‘This is the first study to show a link between vegetable intake during pregnancy and the risk of the child subsequently developing type 1 diabetes, but more studies of various kinds will be needed before we can say anything definitive,’ says lead author and clinical nutritionist Hilde Brekke from the Sahlgrenska Academy.


Hilde Brekke

The researchers analysed blood samples from 5724 five year-olds in the study. In type 1 diabetes, certain cells in the pancreas gradually get worse at producing insulin, leading to insulin deficiency. Children at risk of developing type 1 diabetes have antibodies in their blood which attack these insulin-producing cells.

Of the children tested, 3% (191 children) had either elevated levels of these antibodies or had fully developed type 1 diabetes at the age of five. These risk markers were up to twice as common in children whose mothers rarely ate vegetables during pregnancy. The risk was lowest among children whose mothers stated that they ate vegetables every day.

Applying the term ‘vegetables’ to all vegetables except for root vegetables, the researchers looked at the mothers’ (self reported) daily consumption of veggies. The most frequently consumed vegetables in Sweden between 1996–99, when the data was originally collected, were tomatoes, cabbage, onions, lettuce and cucumbers.



‘We cannot say with certainty on the basis of this study that it’s the vegetables themselves that have this protective effect, but other factors related to vegetable intake, such as the mother’s standard of education, do not seem to explain the link,’ says Brekke. ‘Nor can this protection be explained by other measured dietary factors or other known risk factors.’

For a delicious way to up your veggie intake, tuck into Johanna Burani’s ‘Baked Belgian Endive’ recipe (see GI News Kitchen in this issue).

News Briefs

Chinese herbs show promise for diabetes prevention
A recent Cochrane review examined 16 randomised controlled trials of 15 different Chinese herbal medicines traditionally used for blood glucose control. ‘Chinese herbal medicines have been used for this purpose for a long time, so there is plenty of anecdotal evidence for their safety and effectiveness, but we were interested to find out whether scientific research could provide a basis for recommending these alternative treatments,’ says lead researcher, Suzanne Grant of the Centre for Complementary Medicine Research at the University of Western Sydney in Australia.

The researchers considered data from 16 clinical trials including 1,391 people who received 15 different herbal formulations. They found that the herbs generally helped lower ‘and normalise’ blood glucose levels in people with ‘pre-diabetes’. According to their findings, combining herbal medicines with lifestyle changes is twice as effective as lifestyle changes alone at normalising blood glucose levels. Trials included in the review lasted from one month to two years. No adverse effects were reported in any of the trials.

‘Our results suggest that some Chinese herbal medicines can help to prevent diabetes, but we really need more research before we can confidently say that these treatments work,’ says Grant. ‘The real value of the study is as guidance for further trials. We need to see more trials that make comparisons with placebos and other types of drugs, and better reporting on the outcomes of these trials.’

‘If people with pre-diabetes do want to try an herbal product,’ says Grant, ‘they should first consult their doctor and, ideally, take any herbs under a guidance of a health provider qualified in herbal medicine.’ In traditional Chinese medicine, herbs are recommended based on individuals’ unique situations, and not as a one-size-fits-all prescription. As far as safety, the review found no serious side effects attributed to the herbal products. However, Grant noted, like all medicines, herbs have the potential for unexpected side effects or interactions with other drugs.



Lower GI of your baking with whole pea flour
We are often asked for tips to help people lower the GI of their baking from cakes to cookies and muffins, slices and winter warming puddings. A new study published in the Journal of Food Science suggests that that using whole yellow pea flour instead of wheat flour will certainly help.


Christopher Marinangeli

PhD candidate Christopher Marinangeli, MSc, RD, of the University of Manitoba and colleagues baked banana bread and biscotti using either whole yellow pea flour or whole wheat flour as the primary ingredient. Subsequent GI testing in 19 healthy volunteers found that the whole pea flour banana bread and biscotti produced a lower glycemic response that was similar to plain boiled whole yellow peas. The whole yellow pea biscotti produced a lower glycemic response than biscotti containing whole wheat flour. The volunteers found the flavour of the banana bread and biscotti made with whole yellow pea flour acceptable.



‘We add Xanthan gum to all recipes because it creates a better texture to the final product since the pea flour lacks gluten, says Christopher Marinangeli whose team made this tiramisu using whole yellow pea flour. We are currently testing the tiramisu recipe in the GI News Kitchen and will publish it early in the new year. Meanwhile, here’s the biscotti recipe used in the study. If you use the new low GI sugar (Logicane) says GI Symbol’s Dr Alan Barclay, you will lower the GI of your baking even more!

Whole pea flour chocolate and hazelnut biscotti
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
280 g whole yellow pea flour
3 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 cup (200 g) white sugar
100 g hazelnuts, toasted, skins removed and chopped
85 g semi sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon instant coffee
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cloves

Preheat oven to 150ºC (350ºF) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

• In a small bowl whisk together the eggs and vanilla extract. Set aside.
• In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer) beat the flour, xanthan gum, sugar, baking powder, salt, spices, and espresso powder until combined. Gradually add the egg mixture and beat until a dough forms, adding the chopped nuts and chocolate chips about halfway through. With floured hands divide the dough in half.
• On a lightly floured surface roll each half of dough into a log about 25 cm (10 in) long and 5 cm (2 in) wide. Transfer logs to the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 7.5 cm (3 in) apart, and bake for about 35–40 minutes, or until firm to the touch (logs will spread during baking). Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.
• On a cutting board, with a serrated knife, cut each log crosswise, on the diagonal, into 2 cm (3/4 in) slices. Arrange the slices on the baking sheet and bake 10 minutes, turn slices over, and bake another 10 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

We know that pea flour is unlikely to be in a supermarket aisle near you right now. Chris suggests checking Asian/Indian food stores for it. Otherwise substitute with chickpea flour (besan).

For more information, contact the University of Manitoba’s Richardson Center for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals, 196 Innovation Drive, Winnipeg MB, R3T 2N2 Canada. peter_jones@umanitoba.ca

Foodwatch with Catherine Saxelby

The once humble prune forges ahead as the most super of the super fruits



Christmas is just around the corner and it’s a time when we turn to fruit cake, fruit and nut slices, nuts, dried fruit … which makes me think of prunes.

One of the loveliest of all dried fruits, prunes are one of my favourite snacks and ingredients. There’s something so appealing about their flavour, it’s one that teams with pork and lamb as well as homely compotes to serve with custard or creamy rice. And they’re the ideal snack when you crave something sweet but don’t want lollies or chocolate. And they are really dried plums, usually from D’Agen or Moyer varieties, and are one of the more nutritious dried fruits and deserve to be included in your meals.

Laxative reputation: Prunes have long had a reputation as a gentle laxative and digestive aid. Obviously they’re high in fibre – a serve of prunes gives you 4 grams of fibre, as much as from two slices of wholemeal bread.

However their laxative effect is not just due to their fibre. Prune juice, which has little fibre, is equally as effective. Nutritionists believe it’s due to a combination of three unusual prune components – high levels of sorbitol (a natural sweetener found also in pears and apples), dihydroxyphenyl isatin and chlorogenic acid. All three have an ability to stimulate intestinal movement.

Fibre can help keep hunger pangs at bay. Most of the fibre we eat isn't absorbed, so it doesn't contribute kilojoules/calories which is why high-fibre foods feature so prominently in weight loss diets. Plus, 6 prunes have just 400 kJ or 95 calories!


Photo courtesy Aus Prunes

Good for nutrition: A serve of 5 or 6 unpitted prunes (around 50 g or nearly 2 oz) makes a quick healthy nibble. They have virtually no fat and 22 g carbohydrate (of which 16 g are sugars which accounts for their natural sweetness). They have a low GI of 40 so they’ll stick with you for longer and help you manage your blood glucose levels. You also get a healthy dose of beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body, plus a number of minerals notably potassium and boron, plus a little iron.

Weight for weight, prunes have more potassium than bananas. Studies have shown potassium helps prevent hypertension (high blood pressure) and stroke. Their high potassium content also protects the heart and kidneys from damage by too much salt. The average diet in countries like Australia, NZ, the UK and the US and Canada has too much sodium and not enough potassium.

Prunes score high for antioxidants too – at least equal to that of well known antioxidant-rich blueberries. Antioxidants help to slow the oxidative damage to our bodies and may slow the aging process

Seems I’m not the only person to love them. Last year, according to the Australian Prune Industry Association, Australians spent more than $30 million on prunes and consumed a staggering 3500 tonnes of them.

To find out more about the power of prunes and for some great recipes to make the most of them in your day visit Aus Prunes or Sunsweet



BBQ prunes with poached oysters
This recipe from Aus Prunes is the perfect finger food for a festive feast – you can whip them up in just 15 minutes. And if you are calorie counting at this time of year, 1 serving has 48 calories 200 kilojoules.

Makes 12

12 small fresh oysters
Juice ½ lemon
1½ cups chicken stock
12 large pitted prunes
6 slices prosciutto, fat trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
Spray oil
Sprigs rosemary

Drizzle the oysters lightly with lemon juice. Heat the chicken stock until simmering. Poach oysters gently for 1½–2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain and cool. Place a poached oyster in the centre of each prune. Roll a slice of prosciutto around each prune and secure with a tooth pick. Spray lightly with oil and sprinkle with a few rosemary leaves. Place prepared prunes on hot BBQ with a few sprigs of rosemary and cook for 3–5 minutes.

Each piece
Energy: 200 kJ/ 48 cals; Protein 4 g; Fat 1.5 g (includes 0.5 g saturated fat and 14 mg cholesterol); Carbs 4 g; Fibre 1 g

Catherine Saxelby is an accredited dietitian and nutritionist and runs the Foodwatch Nutrition Centre. For more information and delicious recipes the whole family will love, visit foodwatch.com.au.

In the GI News Kitchen

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

Baked Belgian Endives
Italians love ‘indivia’. Vegetable greens, raw and cooked, play a prominent role in Italian meal planning all year long but some are given special attention for holiday meals. This recipe has graced our table at Christmas and special family events. The exquisite blending of its flavors belies the simplicity of the preparation of this side dish.
Serves 8 (2 halves each)

8 endives (witlof), approximately 5 oz (150 g) each
2 tablespoons salted butter
pinch salt
pinch sugar
½ cup (approximately 2 oz) crumbled gorgonzola
5 walnut halves, chopped (about 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts)

• Preheat the oven to 190ºC (375ºF). Cover the bottom of an oven-proof casserole with vegetable spray.
• Trim a thin sliver off the root end of each endive. Slice vertically each endive in half taking care to keep loose leaves together. Under running water, gently wash them, shake off excess water and pat dry with a paper towel.
• Melt the butter in a heavy, deep skillet, large enough to accommodate the endives in one layer. Lower the flame and place the halved endives in the skillet cut side down. Sprinkle the salt and sugar. Cover tightly and cook slowly for 15 minutes.
• Using 2 spoons or small tongs, carefully turn the endives over and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.
• When the endives are full cooked, carefully transfer them to the prepared casserole. Pour over any pan juices, sprinkle the cheese and the nuts on top and bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot.
  

Per serving
Energy: 336 kJ/ 80 cals; Protein 2 g; Fat 6 g (includes 3 g saturated fat and 14 mg cholesterol); Carbs 1 g; Fibre less than 1 g

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

Boeuf Bourguignon inspired by Julie and Julia
You get the flavour without spending a fortune in my simplified version of this classic French dish. It’s a heart-warming, make-ahead dish for wintry weather. I have cut back on the amount of meat and used shortcut bacon instead of a chunk of bacon to cut back on the sat fat. (Short cut bacon is a 'half rasher' - the streaky (belly), narrow portion of the rasher has been removed leaving the choice cut eye meat.) But I did use a good-ish red wine and a little butter (it is a French dish) combined with olive oil. Of course you can substitute margarine if you prefer. Serve with mashed potato (a low GI potato one preferably) or sweet potato and green beans. To cut the fat and calories, have a smaller serving and enjoy the hearty flavour.
Serves 6

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
800 g gravy beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped into chunks
150 g (5 oz) shortcut bacon, fat trimmed, chopped into large dice
½ teaspoon dried thyme
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1½ cups red wine
1 cup beef stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
8 small pickling onions, peeled, and halved if large-ish
300 g (10 oz) button mushrooms
¼ cup parsley

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF).
• Chop the meat into largish chunks (remember, meat shrinks when cooked).
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter and all the oil in a large saucepan and brown the meat well in 2 batches on a high heat. Remove all meat from pan. Add the onion, carrots, bacon and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally on a low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and wine, bring to the boil and simmer for about 3 minutes until the wine has reduced a little. Stir in the stock, tomato paste, bay leaf and beef, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
• While the casserole is simmering away, Place the pickling onions on an oven tray lined with baking paper and mix with remaining butter that has been melted, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until soft.
• Add the mushrooms the casserole dish and continue cooking, covered, for 15 minutes until the meat is tender and the mushrooms are softening. Stir in the roasted onions and cook for another 5 minutes until heated through. Top with parsley.

Per serving
Energy: 1700 kJ/ 406 cals; Protein 36 g; Fat 20 g (includes 8 g saturated fat and 95 mg cholesterol); Carbs 10 g; Fibre 5 g

Gratineed fruit
This made-in-minutes (about 15 minutes) recipe from Lyndey Milan: The best collection. Fast, fabulous food makes the perfect sweet and light finish to a festive feast. Choose fresh seasonal fruit – it’s hard to go past mangoes or strawberries for a summery dessert. If serving with wine, choose a sweeter style of sparkling wine. Lyndey's book is available from major bookstores or online.
Serves 4



2 large mangoes (allow 1 cheek, sliced per person)

Zabaglione
2 egg yolks
4 teaspoons marsala
4 level teaspoons caster sugar
Zest of 1 lemon

• Prepare the fruit and preheat the grill (if it is one that takes time to warm up).
• Put all the zabaglione ingredients in the top of a double boiler, or straight into a saucepan if you are careful. Beat with a balloon whisk over a gentle heat until the whole thing has trebled in volume and is light and frothy throughout.
• Put the fresh fruit into ramekins and top with the zabaglione. Pop under a preheated griller until brown. Be careful not to burn it.

Per serving
Energy: 960 kJ/ 229 cals; Protein 4 g; Fat 3 g (includes 0.8 g saturated fat and 106 mg cholesterol); Carbs 42 g; Fibre 5 g



Home cooking with low GI ingredients is a new feature in GI News. Libby Warne and her husband Dan made the decision to eat the low GI way to help Dan manage his blood glucose (he has type 2 diabetes) and to lose some weight. They post all the recipes Libby creates and cooks on their website with Dan’s photos. For more recipes, check out lowgicooking.com

Baked lemon and raspberry cheesecake
For me the party season is a killer for lashing out on various combinations of sugar, butter, cream and eggs – so I am all for alternatives. Enter stevia. With this cheesecake you can treat your friends and family with a lower-cal version of baked cheesecake – the sweet stevia offsets the tangy lemon and the bright red raspberries piled on top of the creamy base make it the perfect centrepiece for any occasion. Prepare it a day ahead to allow time to set and cool. And just have a sliver if you need to watch your weight. Of course, substitute an equal amount of sugar if you don't have stevia. Just be aware that there'll be more calories and carbs than in our nutritional analysis.
Serves: 10



Base
1 cup whole almonds
1 cup wholegrain oats
1/2 cup wholegrain, wholemeal flour
1/4 cup grapeseed (or olive) oil
3 teaspoons hermesetas stevia
3 tablespoons (about 50 ml) lemon juice
1 egg

Filling
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) smooth ricotta
1/2 cup lemon juice
Seeds of one vanilla bean scraped off (or 1 teaspoon vanilla essence)
Zest of one lemon grated finely (2 level teaspoons flat)
3 heaped tablespoons stevia hermesetas
4 eggs

Topping
Fresh raspberries or thawed frozen raspberries

• Preheat the oven to 160ºC/325ºF. Lightly grease a 30 cm/12 in diameter springform pan with olive oil.
• To make the base, pulse almonds and oats together in a food processor with a sharp blade, until coarse grains form, but chunks of almond are scanty. Add the flour, stevia and egg and continue to pulse. While pulsing, gradually add the olive oil and lemon juice, checking the consistency as you go. The end result should press together in your fingers and form a crumbly dough that holds together well, but does not stick to your fingers. Scrape out crumbed mix into the springform pan. Press down, loosely at first, then gradually more firmly. When flat, press down more tightly using a cup with a flat base, till the surface is as smooth as possible. Bake for 10 minutes then remove from oven.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Combine ricotta and eggs in the (cleaned) processor and pulse for 2–3 minutes until completely smooth. Gradually add lemon juice, zest, vanilla bean scrapings and stevia.
• Pour topping into base, and bake for 40 minutes or until golden and just set in the centre. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Refrigerate overnight.
• Remove from fridge half an hour before serving. Transfer the cheesecake to plate you wish to serve it on and top with raspberries. Fresh blueberries, strawberries, passionfruit, or mango would also make excellent toppings. You can also add 2 tablespoons of liqueur to the cheesecake while cooking in place of half the lemon juice – cointreau is particularly good, and amaretto is my absolute favourite.

Per serving
Energy: 1350 kJ/ 323 cals; Protein 14 g; Fat 23 g (includes 5 g saturated fat and 118 mg cholesterol); Carbs 13 g; Fibre 3.5 g

Busting Food Myths with Nicole Senior

Myth: We can grow more food or import it. Technology will find a solution to food supply.


Nicole Senior

Fact: We must make some changes if our children are to inherit a decent quality of life.
While many of us are lucky enough to pick and choose what we eat for good health, we need to act now for our children to enjoy this privilege in the future. There’s much each one of us can do, and as the saying goes, think global, act local.

I attended the Sydney Food Fairness Alliance’s sydneyfoodfairness.org.au Food Summit 2009 recently and listened to a number of experts share some of the challenges ahead for Sydney (where I live) for human health and the health of the planet. It may well apply to your city too. Some of the key problems Sydneysiders need to deal with are food waste, poor agricultural practices and loss of agricultural land. With the super-indulgence of Christmas around the corner, food waste seems appropriate to tackle head on this month.

In New South Wales, 38% of the average household garbage bin is filled with food waste – about 800,000 tonnes a year. Look at it this way, we throw out about $600 million worth of fresh food because we don’t get to around to cooking it. And it’s not just a Sydney problem. Research conducted in 2004 found Australians were throwing away $5 billion worth of food every year– the equivalent of one out of every five grocery bags.

As well as throwing money out the window, food waste in landfill is an environmental disaster. Not only are the inputs of energy, water, feed and fertiliser squandered, but for every tonne of food waste, almost a tonne (about 9/10 of one actually) of greenhouse gas is produced.

Adding insult to injury is the large number of people who don’t get enough to eat, both at home and abroad. More than a million Australians for example – many of them children – experience food insecurity on a regular basis.

What can we do? Research shows, many people simply have no idea of the impact their food waste has, so awareness is vital. The UK is doing a great job with their campaign http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/.

Make avoiding food waste in your home your Number One New Year’s Resolution. With some simple changes to your shopping and storing routines you can help save your pennies and our planet.

• Plan your meals a few days or a week ahead. A little planning goes a long way.
• Make a shopping list – and stick to it.
• Shop smart. Only buy what you need. Don’t be seduced by specials for foods you won't eat.
• Store fresh food properly so that it keeps well.
• Look after leftovers. This includes the veggie peelings and scraps from preparing the meal and the meal itself. Don’t automatically bin vegetable peelings. A compost or a worm farm can happily gobble up scraps while producing natural fertiliser for your garden or a community garden.
• Store the meal leftovers properly and transform them into new dishes or enjoy the next day as a ‘free’ lunch.