GI News – February 2017 2016

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THIS MONTH: James Rippe and Theodore Angelopoulos on why reducing added sugars without reducing calories from other sources is unlikely to achieve any meaningful benefit; OJ is OK and can be part of a healthy reduced calorie diet; Breakfast has body benefits but may contribute to weight gain in regular skippers; Sugar dietary guidelines and why one size does not fit all; Nutrition follies are nothing new – cooked dragon flesh once recommended as a cure for old age; What do young men who want to get bigger and young women who want to get thinner have in common? Get straight A’s for eyesight with good carbs like carrots, orange sweet potatoes and pumpkin that are rich in carotenoids; Three beta-carotene boosting recipes from Yotam Ottolenghi, Anneka Manning and Kate McGhie plus Kate Hemphill’s Super Noodle Salad and Gabriel Gaté’s Bean, Beetroot and Pearl Couscous Salad.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

THE WHOLE STORY

“In the complex world of nutrition and particularly in the study of how the foods we eat relate to such chronic conditions as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, we are somewhat like the fabled six blind men of the ancient Hindu fable who approach an elephant. All are highly esteemed, but all are blind. The first blind man approaches the elephant and happens to bump up against its broad and sturdy side and declares ‘the elephant is very like a wall!’ The second blind man feels the tusk and cries an elephant is ‘very much like a spear!’ The third happens to grab the elephant’s squirming trunk in his hands and boldly declares the elephant is ‘very like a snake!’ The fourth blind man palpates the leg of the elephant and declares ‘it is clear the elephant is very like a tree!’ The fifth blind man who happens to touch the elephant’s ear declares ‘even the blindest man can tell that the elephant is very like a fan’. The sixth blind man happens to grasp the swinging tail and declares to his comrades the elephant is ‘very like a rope!’ What then ensues is a long, passionate argument filled with heated dispute amongst these learned men which gets them nowhere. Although each is partly right, none of them has seen the whole picture (while learned, they are blind, after all!). This fable has been utilized in many different eras and many different cultures to recount arguments in areas as diverse as theology and politics. It illustrates the inaccuracy of seeing only a part of a subject and assuming that it is the whole. It is a cautionary tale that even learned men can sometimes be misled by their preconceived notions or only seeing a portion of the whole. Each of us sees a part of the complex puzzle and may assure our colleagues that, in fact, we have solved the entire riddle for how nutrition relates to various disease processes. The scientific and medical communities have gone down the road of speculating cause and effect without conclusive evidence many times. We blamed salt consumption for contributing to hypertension, yet recent evidence suggests that this relationship is far more complex. We blamed dietary cholesterol for contributing to heart disease and warned a generation of Americans to avoid eating egg yolks,

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although that advice has subsequently been found to lack scientific justification. The latest bête noire in nutrition is sweeteners, whether they be nutritive sweeteners, in general, and fructose containing sugars, in particular, or non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS). With the issue of sweeteners, the scientific community faces the problem of trying to offer advice without seeing the totality of the picture, much like the blind men approaching the elephant. It is time to pause and try to see the entire elephant.” That was the introduction. In their review, James Rippe and Theodore Angelopoulos attempt to provide an overview of current evidence related to added sugars and health considerations based on high quality evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCT), systematic reviews and meta-analyses of cohort studies. They conclude that “singling out added sugars as unique culprits for metabolically based diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease appears inconsistent with modern, high quality evidence and is very unlikely to yield health benefits. While it is prudent to consume added sugars in moderation, the reduction of these components of the diet without other reductions of caloric sources seems unlikely to achieve any meaningful benefit.” This is an edited extract from “Relationship between Added Sugars Consumption and Chronic Disease Risk Factors: Current Understanding” by James Rippe and Theodore Angelopoulos, published in Nutrients in 2016. You can download their review HERE.

NEWS BRIEFS Drinking 2 small classes of 100% orange juice a day contributed to weight loss as part of a healthy reduced calorie diet; Breakfast has body benefits, but small study finds requiring non-breakfast eaters to eat breakfast resulted in higher caloric intake and weight gain. OJ IS OKAY The lemon-lipped brigade want to restrict (to 1 small glass a day) or even outright ban 100% orange juice because of its high sugars content. But a recent small randomised control trial of 12 weeks duration in Nutrition found drinking 2 small glasses of 100% orange juice a day (total amount 500ml or 2 cups) contributed to weight loss, enhanced diet quality, improved lipid (cholesterol and triglycerides) and insulin sensitivity and exerts anti-inflammatory activity for obese people on a reduced-energy (calorie / kilojoule) diet. One hundred per cent orange juice comes with a lot more than the natural sugars. It will provide you with your whole day’s vitamin C requirements along with folate and potassium. Drinking 2 cups (500ml) of 100% orange juice a day is like eating 4 medium-size oranges. And if you squeeze your own you can throw back the fleshy bits and get the extra fibre benefits. One medium orange (about 130 g/4½oz) has 225 kilojoules (56 calories), 1.5g protein, no fat, 10g carbs (sugars), 2.5g fibre, 190mg potassium and a low GI (42) and low glycemic load (GL = 4). One cup of orange juice (250ml/9fl oz) has 465 kilojoules (110 calories), 2.6g protein, no fat, 21g carbs (sugars), 7g fibre, 385mg potassium and a low GI (50) and low glycemic load (GL = 10).

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BREAKFAST MATTERS Breakfast jump-starts your metabolism, helps you concentrate better (no hunger pangs to distract you) and generally gets the day off to a good start. What about weight and all those people who say breakfast skippers calorie compensate later in the day and thus gain weight. It may not be true at all. A recent small (49 women) randomised controlled trial over 4 weeks published in Appetite found that “requiring non-breakfast eaters to eat breakfast resulted in higher caloric intake and weight gain”. How much weight? Over the four weeks, nearly a kilogram. Breakfast does have body benefits. Research shows that eating breakfast first thing helps stabilise blood glucose levels, which control appetite and energy. The longer you wait, the more insulin resistant you may become. This means that whatever you eat next will require an elevated insulin response, making life harder for your beta cells and probably resulting in an elevated blood glucose reading. What really matters is what you eat for breakfast. A healthy low GI breakfast can sustain you until lunchtime, prime your metabolism to burn fat and reduce your day-long insulin levels more effectively than any other single dietary change. It’s easy to put together. It just needs some:

Low GI carbs. Why? They slowly trickle glucose into the blood stream, fill you up, give you energy and can reduce your day-long insulin levels more effectively than any other single dietary change.

Protein. Why? It’s the feel-fuller-for-longer nutrient, keeping hunger pangs at bay between meals. It also lowers the glycemic load (by replacing some of the carbohydrate).

Fruit and/or vegetables. Why? A high fruit and veg intake is consistently linked with better health. If you don’t have some for breakfast it will be hard to achieve your daily target (2 serves of fruit and 5 of vegetables is recommended in Australia, for example)

PERSPECTIVES WITH DR ALAN BARCLAY

SUGAR-COATED GUIDELINES? Given the feverish focus on reducing people’s “sugar” consumption in recent years you would be forgiven for thinking that the evidence to support dietary recommendations to do so were based on high quality scientific evidence. A recent systematic review published in one of the world’s leading medical science journals reviewed all of the published evidence-based guidelines and came up with a result that was a surprise to many: “Guidelines on dietary sugar do not meet criteria for trustworthy recommendations and are based on low-quality evidence.” Searching three of the main health research databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science), grey literature (e.g., Google) and consulting experts in the field, the authors identified 9 sets of national and international guidelines for reducing/limiting sugar consumption from prestigious organisations including Australia’s National Health & Medical Research Council, the USA’s Department of Agriculture and the World Health Organisation. They used the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach to independently assess the quality of the evidence underlying each set of recommendations. For each target outcome linked to a recommendation, GRADE assigns the quality of evidence as high, moderate, low, or very low, with systematic reviews of randomised trials rated the highest and observational studies as very low. The quality of the evidence underpinning all 9 sets of guidelines was rated as low to very low, and

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overall guideline quality was rated as moderate, with the Australian Dietary Guidelines being the best of the bunch. It provides the qualitative advice to the Australian population to “Limit intake of foods and drinks containing added sugars such as confectionary, sugar-sweetened soft drinks and cordials, fruit drinks, vitamin waters, energy and sports drinks” but does not provide any quantitative advice about how much free/added sugars to consume as a percentage of total energy (e.g., 5%, 10% or 25%). All 9 guidelines suggested a decrease in consumption of added and/or free sugars was warranted. Although the overall direction was consistent, the rationale and evidence used to make each recommendation were inconsistent. Needless to say, this lack of consistency creates confusion for health practitioners and the public about the role that sugars play in health. For example, 5 of the 9 systematic reviews provided quantitative advice, advising people to consume from less than 5% to less than 25% of total energy (kilojoules / calories) from added / free sugars per day. The underlying rationale for the quantitative guidelines varied from risk of dental caries (5% of energy recommendation) to nutrient displacement (25% of energy recommendation). Of course, there is currently no reliable evidence indicating that any of the recommended energy intakes for added/free sugars are strongly associated with any negative health effects. The final conclusion of the reviewers was that the results should be used to promote improvement in the development of trustworthy guidelines on sugar intake. In the meantime, the challenge for governments and other advocates of public health is to determine which quantitative recommendation, if any, is most suited to a nation’s unique requirements, which are dictated by many factors including the population’s age-distribution, fluoridation of water supplies and other dental health regimens, overweight/obesity prevalence, and overall quality of the food supply, amongst many others. As with most things in life, one size does not fit all.

Alan Barclay PhD is a consultant dietitian and scientific editor of GI News (alanb@gifoundation.org.au). He worked for Diabetes Australia (NSW) from 1998–2014 and is a member of the editorial board of Diabetes Management Journal (Diabetes Australia). He is author/co-author of more than 30 scientific publications, and co-author of The Low GI Diet: Managing Type 2 Diabetes (Hachette Australia) and The Ultimate Guide to Sugars and Sweeteners (The Experiment, New York). His new book, Reversing Diabetes (Murdoch Books Australia), was reviewed in Glycosmedia Diabetes News

NUTRITION FOLLIES WITH PROF JENNIE BRAND-MILLER

HOW TO COOK YOUR DRAGON AND A MEDIEVAL CURE FOR OLD AGE

“In the Middle Ages, old age was recognised as a major cause for physical and mental impairment. Franciscan friar Roger Bacon one of the great scientific minds of the thirteenth century compiled all existing remedies against the “accidents of old age” and thus produced the ultimate medieval guide to prevent and cure old age. Intriguingly, one of his remedies involved cooked dragon flesh.”

Which all goes to show that nutrition follies are nothing new. This month I thought GI News readers would enjoy one from the past that we can all laugh at – with the wisdom of hindsight of course. While nutrition follies of one kind or another show no signs of

Dragon in fifteenth-century Italian herb © The British Library, Sloane 4016, F.38

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abating, they come from a long tradition of looking for the secrets of eternal youth and good health. How to cook your dragon is reproduced courtesy Dutch Anglo-Saxonist blogger, Thijs Porck, whose PhD was on the cultural conception of old age in Anglo-Saxon England. “Roger Bacon, a professor at the universities of Oxford and Paris, was an expert in various fields, ranging from grammar to logic, astronomy and philosophy. He also had a keen interest in the occult, alchemy and medicine. Prompted by Pope Clement IV (d. 1268), Bacon wrote the encyclopedic Opus Majus, a work that deals with virtually all fields of medieval science. In book VI of this work, on ‘Experimental Science’, Bacon touches briefly on how to cure old age, noting a particularly effective remedy made from the flesh of dragons which are only known to the Ethiopieans:

‘For it is certain that wise men of Aethiopia have come to Italy, Spain, France, England and those lands of the Christians in which there are good flying dragons, and by secret art they possess lure the dragons from their caverns. They have saddles and bridles in readiness, and they ride these dragons and drive them in the air at high speed, so that the rigidity of their flesh may be overcome and its hardness tempered. Just as in the case of boars and bears and bulls that are driven about by dogs and beaten in various ways before they are killed for food. After they have domesticated them in this way they have the art of preparing their flesh, similar to the art of preparing the flesh of the Tyrian snake, and they use the flesh against the accidents of old age, and they prolong life and sharpen their intellect beyond all conception. For no instruction that can be given by man can produce such wisdom as the eating of this flesh, as we have learned through men of proved reliability on whose word no doubt can be cast.’ (Opus Majus, trans. Burke)

The Ethiopeans, it seems, are the dragon-riders of the Middle Ages and the flesh of their domesticated dragons could cure old age! In his Opus Majus, Bacon does not touch upon the preparation of the dragon flesh, noting only that it is to be prepared in the same manner as that of other snakes.

Fortunately, Bacon also compiled another work, entitled De retardatione accidentium senectutis [Concerning the slowing down of the accidents of old age] which was translated by Richard Browne in 1638 as “The Cure of Old Age and Preservation of Youth”. This compilation of existing medicinal writings on senescence (e.g. by Galen, Avicenna and Aristotle) does reveal how one is to prepare the flesh of serpentine beings so as to cure the “accidents of old age”:

‘… let four inches be cut off the Head and Tail, let the Guts be taken out, let them be washt very clean with Water and Salt, and let them be boiled again and again in Water and Salt, till the Flesh may easily be pulled and separated from the Bones, then let them be beaten in a Mortar, let the Flesh be anounted with the Oyl of Balm, and dryed in the Shade. And a Man must take heed, that the Sunbeams do not fall upon the Flesh before it be dried, nor afterwards; For the Sun by his Power doth spoyl the Flesh of its Vertue, so that it expels no Poyson received either by Bite, or in any Drink.’

Bacon further notes that you can spice up your dragon flesh by adding ‘Cloves, Nutmeg, Mace, Citron-Rind, Zedoary and a little Musk’. You can mix all this with wine and then make rolls and little tablets. Mmm.

Read more here

Professor Jennie Brand-Miller (AM, PhD, FAIFST, FNSA, MAICD) is an internationally recognised authority on carbohydrates and the glycemic index with over 250 scientific publications. She holds a Personal Chair in Human Nutrition in the Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise and Eating Disorders and Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney. She is the co-author of many books for the consumer on the glycemic index and health.

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FOOD UN-PLUGGED

Nicole Senior pulls the plug on hype and marketing spin to provide reliable, practical advice on food for health and enjoyment.

PROTEIN DRINKS What do young men who want to get bigger and young women who want to get thinner have in common? Protein shakes. Protein drinks of all types have hitched on the coat tails of the high protein diet trend for weight loss, but this phenomenon also crosses over into the opposite territory: the quest for weight gain (muscle). These days, the protein shake seems to be an urban accessory for some age groups. They’re usually consumed in large resealable (often branded) plastic canisters, often given as a gift with purchase of bulk containers of protein powder. You add water or milk to the powder, close the lid, and shake like heck. They are marketed enthusiastically in gyms and sold in retail stores and online. Buckets of the stuff are often seen in bedrooms of teenage boys striving to “bulk up” as part of a disturbing trend of an unrealistic male body image ideal. They are also marketed at young women to reduce body fat. What are they? Protein drinks or shakes usually have a dairy protein (whey) base, although there are versions with soy, brown rice and even pea protein. In Australia, many protein powders (but not all, so check the label) are sold as Formulated Supplementary Foods and are permitted to add higher levels of vitamins and minerals than other foods. Here is an example of an ingredients list and Nutrition Information of a top selling shake.

INGREDIENTS: Protein blend (whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, whey peptides), Cocoa, natural and artificial flavours, Lecithin, Acesulfame potassium, Aminogen®, Lactase Nutrition per serve (30g) Energy 502kJ (120cal) - Protein 24g - Fat 1g- Carbohydrate total 3g – Sugars 1g- Sodium 60mg

This whey-based protein powder sells at AUD$39.95 for 15 serves (AUD$2.65 per serve). It comes in four sizes from 450g to a 4.5kg bucket (yes, you read correctly 4.5 kilograms). As you can see from the presence of a low-kilojoule sweetener (Acesulfame potassium) in the ingredients list and the super low carbohydrate content, this product is all about the protein. What are the claims? This product has a slick video featuring ultra-lean, bulked up, tanned and sculpted models as fitspo eye candy and suggested using it “first thing in the morning, before and after exercise”... to “rebuild muscles bigger and stronger from the breakdown of training”. Other claims include that whey “digests quickly” and is “fast acting”. And in case you’re wondering, Aminogen® is a proprietary blend of branched chain amino acids (BCAA) that are claimed to “play an important role in protein synthesis... “faster muscle growth...improved performance...and boost immunity”. The trouble with proprietary blends is that

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we never truly know what they are as their composition is the company’s intellectual property making it impossible to assess their safety and effectiveness (or not). The retail website for this product suggests it only be used under medical or dietetic supervision. I suspect most people use it without any expert advice at all. Are the claims true for muscle gain? To be fair there is some research showing that well timed, and appropriate amounts of protein after resistance training exercise can support muscle growth. However, many people already eat far more protein than they need through their daily food. By simply adjusting the timing and make-up of their recovery meal or snack, they could achieve the same results as using a protein powder. Are the claims true for weight loss? While it’s true that higher protein diets have achieved good results in supervised diet trials, drinking protein shakes as a snack on top of your usual meals is not a proven aid for weight loss. You can still gain weight if you consume more kilojoules (calories) than you need. And there are plenty of studies to show weight loss from diets with lower protein content too. Do you need them? Advanced Sports Dietitian Alison Patterson, spokesperson for Sports Dietitians Australia agrees that many people who use protein drinks probably don’t need them. “Eating a wide variety of foods in a mixed diet usually provides all the protein necessary for muscle growth and recovery. Where many get it wrong is with the timing of their protein – it’s important to spread protein over the day, rather than have infrequent big ‘hits’ of protein. Of course, it’s also important to remember that muscle gain needs more than protein – carbohydrate intake needs to also be considered and an appropriate resistance training program is essential (plus, you need the right genetics!). In some cases, protein drinks may be appropriate, but for the majority of people, protein rich wholefoods such as fruit smoothies, Greek yoghurt with nuts or poached eggs on toast will give all the benefits of protein powder, plus the addition of extra nutrients (such as carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals) needed for muscle growth and recovery. In all cases, those wishing to use a protein powder, should seek individualised advice from an Accredited Sports Dietitian to ensure that they are not wasting their training effort or money”. What are the downsides? Protein powders are expensive. A similar product to the one described here could be made at home for a fraction of the cost using skim milk powder, cocoa and a sweetener to taste. Moreover, this amount of protein could be provided by other regular foods such as milk, yoghurt, meat, chicken, fish or eggs along with a bunch of other useful nutrients as well. Protein powders have a large environmental footprint. These highly processed “supplements” require vast quantities of raw ingredients (such as milk) to extract the protein, large factories to process them, and considerable amounts of transport and packaging to get them to stores. It does seem a profligate use of our global food resources when most people who use them don’t need them and millions of others in the world don’t have enough food at all. It is also important to consider the health and safety risk of using supplements and protein powders. Worldwide the supplement industry is poorly regulated and in some instances products have been found to be contaminated with ingredients harmful to health (such as lead) or illegal performance enhancing substances (such as anabolic steroids). If considering supplements, using products independently tested by third party testing services (such as Informed Sport) is recommend. What is the take-out message?

In most cases, protein needs can be easily met through protein rich wholefoods – however it is important to get the amount and timing right to maximise the benefits.

A DIY milk shake with an extra scoop of skim milk powder does the same job at lower cost.

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Protein powders are highly processed foods with loads of additives and a high environmental footprint.

Marketing to young men reinforces the very muscle-bound male body image ideal that is contributing to body image dissatisfaction and eating disorders in males.

Nicole Senior is an Accredited Nutritionist, author, consultant, cook, food enthusiast and mother who strives to make sense of nutrition science and delights in making healthy food delicious. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or check out her website

KEEP GOOD CARBS AND CARRY ON

GET STRAIGHT A’S FOR EYESIGHT Vitamin A deficiency is the most common form of malnutrition leading to blindness worldwide, but it is rare in countries like Australia. But it can happen as Kerry Moore discovered trying to find the cause of her son’s encroaching blindness. Nobody had an answer until Prof Stephanie Watson diagnosed vitamin A deficiency. “It's associated with a bit of food faddiness where kids might not like food textures and tastes so they end up with an incredibly bland diet,” she said. “We need a certain amount of vitamin A and without it the cells don't mature normally.” Our bodies can’t make vitamin A. They need to get it from food. Top dietary sources are milk, liver, dark green veg like broccoli and spinach and good carbs like carrots, orange sweet potatoes and pumpkin because they are rich in carotenoids. What are carotenoids? They are nature’s pigments. They colour veggies such as carrots, sweetcorn and tomatoes; fruits such as apricots and bananas; flowers including buttercups, daffodils and marigolds; and also canaries and the yolks of eggs. The glorious reds, golds and oranges of ripe fruits and autumn leaves also come courtesy of carotenes. Currently there are some 600 known carotenoids, which (depending on their structure) are categorized either as xanthophylls or carotenes. The word “carotenoid” comes from carrots. Heinrich Wilhelm Ferdinand Wackenroder had naming rights because he was the first to spot this pigment back in 1831. Like so many scientific discoveries, there was an element of serendipity. Seeking a cure for parasitic worms, he pressed out carrots and found himself with a significant amount of “reddish juice” which he isolated, crystallized and found himself with an orange-yellow pigment he called “carotene”. Carrots (apart from white ones) are a good source of carotenoids and easy to crunch, juice or cook to ensure your body gets the vitamin A it needs.

Orange carrots contain beta and alpha carotene pigments.

Yellow carrots contain xanthophylls and lutein, both linked to better eye health

Red carrots contain lycopene and beta-carotene

Purple-skinned carrots (they usually have orange flesh) contain anthocyanin, and beta and alpha carotene.

White carrots have no pigment, but are packed with fibre and all the digestive benefits that brings.

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There are even more benefits as Nicole Senior points out: “Being root vegetables, carrots of any colour are high in fibre for digestive health. They also have impressive amounts of vitamin K for healthy bones, vitamin C for immunity and potassium to maintain ideal blood pressure. And if that wasn’t enough, munching on carrots is good for the teeth and gums too because they massage the gums and increase production of saliva which rinses out the mouth and helps to protect against decay.”

Berries – fresh Per 100 grams

GI Available CARBS

GL Beta-carotene

Blueberries 53 11g 6 39ug

Strawberries 40 4g 1.5 6ug

Temperate climate fruits – fresh

Per 100 grams

GI Available CARBS

GL Beta-carotene

Apricots 34 7g 2 198ug

Cherries 63 11g 7 56ug

Grapefruit 25 5g 1 10ug

Nectarines 43 8g 3 65ug

Oranges 42 9g 4 75ug

Peaches 42 8g 3 123ug

Plums 39 14g 5 147ug

Tropical fruits and melons – fresh

Per 100 grams

GI Available CARBS

GL Beta-carotene

Bananas (av) 52 20g 10 23ug

Mangos 51 15g 8 1550ug

Papaya (pawpaw) 56 7g 4 240ug

Pineapple 59 11g 6 10ug

Rockmelon (cantaloupe)

68 5g 3 770ug

Watermelon 78 5g 4 333ug

Vegetables Per 100 grams

GI Available CARBS

GL Beta-carotene

Beetroot – canned 64 9g 6 5ug

Carrots – raw 39 7g 8 6065ug

Corn on the cob – cooked

48 20g 10 69ug

Peas – cooked 51 6g 3 142ug

Pumpkin – peeled and cooked

66 4 3 438ug

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Swedes (rutabaga) – cooked

72 4g 3 1ug

Sweet potato (orange fleshed) – cooked

61 15g 9 2096ug

Winter squash (butternut pumpkin) – cooked

51 7g 3 1088ug

IN THE GI NEWS KITCHEN THIS MONTH

We dug into our archive to provide you with tasty ways to boost your beta-carotene and came up with three all-time favourites from Yotam Ottolenghi, Anneka Manning and Kate McGhie plus Kate Hemphill’s Super Noodle Salad; and in GI Foundation News, Gabriel Gaté’s Bean, Beetroot and Pearl Couscous Salad.

BETA-CAROTENE BOOSTERS Yotam Ottolenghi’s Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Fresh Figs, Anneka Manning’s Chicken, Carrot and Pumpkin Soup with Quinoa and for dessert, Kate McGhie’s spectacular Whole Roasted Pineapple with Citrus and Warming Spices.

ROASTED SWEET POTATOES AND FRESH FIGS. This unusual combination of fresh fruit and roasted vegetables is one of the most popular at Ottolenghi. It wholly depends, though, on the figs being sweet, moist and perfectly ripe. Go for plump fruit with an irregular shape and a slightly split bottom. Pressing against the skin should result in some resistance but not much. Try to smell the sweetness. The balsamic reduction is very effective here, both for the look and for rounding up the flavours. To save you from making it you can look out for products such as balsamic cream or glaze. Serves 4. 4 small sweet potatoes (1kg/2lb 2oz in total) ⅓ cup olive oil 2 tbs balsamic vinegar 20g (¾oz) caster sugar 12 spring onions, halved lengthways and cut into 4cm (1½in) segments 1 red chilli, thinly sliced 6 fresh and ripe figs (240g/½lb in total), quartered 150g (5oz) soft goat’s cheese, crumbled (optional) Maldon sea salt (optional) and black pepper Preheat the oven to 240C/220C Fan/Gas Mark 9. • Wash the sweet potatoes, halve them lengthways and then cut each again similarly into 3 long wedges. Mix with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, 2 teaspoons of salt and some black pepper. Spread the wedges out on a baking sheet, skin-side down, and cook for about 25 minutes until soft but not mushy. Remove from the oven and leave to cool down. • To make a balsamic reduction, place the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer

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for 2–4 minutes, or until it thickens. Be sure to remove the pan from the heat when the vinegar is still runnier than honey; it will continue to thicken as it cools. Stir in a drop of water before serving if it does become too thick to drizzle. • Arrange the sweet potatoes on a serving platter. Heat the remaining oil in a medium saucepan and add the spring onions and chilli. Fry on a medium heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring often, making sure not to burn the chilli, and then spoon the oil, onions and chilli over the sweet potatoes. Dot the figs among the wedges and then drizzle over the balsamic reduction. Serve at room temperature with the cheese crumbled over, if using.

Per serve (without the goat’s cheese) 1890kJ/ 451 calories; 11g protein; 24g fat (includes 6g saturated fat; saturated:unsaturated fat ratio 0.33); 47g available carbs (includes 25g sugars and 22g starch); 6.5g fibre Recipe reproduced with permission from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi (Random House) – available from good bookshops and online.

CHICKEN, CARROT AND PUMPKIN SOUP WITH QUINOA Serves 6 1 small brown onion, finely chopped 1 leek (pale section only), cleaned, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced 2 medium carrots, scrubbed, diced 1 celery stick, diced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tsp ground cumin 2½ cups water 4 cups salt-reduced chicken stock 500g/1lb 2oz chicken breast or tenderloin fillets, trimmed ¾ cup quinoa, rinsed 400g/14oz pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, cut into 1cm (½in) pieces freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2–3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley Combine the onion, leek, carrots, celery, garlic, cumin and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the onion is tender. • Add the remaining 2 cups water, the chicken stock and the chicken. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and cook, very gently, for a further 2–5 minutes or until the chicken is just tender. Remove the chicken from the soup with a slotted spoon and set aside. • Add the quinoa to the soup. Bring back to a simmer over high heat then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the pumpkin and simmer for a further 5 minutes or until the pumpkin and quinoa are tender. • Meanwhile, use 2 forks or your fingers to shred the chicken. Add the chicken to the soup and heat through. Taste, season with pepper and serve immediately sprinkled with the parsley. Per serving Energy: 1060kJ/250cals; Protein 27g; Fat 6.5g (includes 1.8g saturated fat); Available carbohydrate 21g; Fibre 4g

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WHOLE ROASTED PINEAPPLE WITH CITRUS AND WARMING SPICES Sweet-sharp, heady pineapple is regarded as the king of fruit and the symbol of hospitality. Dice leftover roasted pineapple and use as a cereal topper, in muffins, pikelets or salsa to spoon over salmon or smoked trout. This is a very forgiving recipe so use whatever spices and juice you prefer. The cooking time will vary according to the ripeness of the fruit – underripe fruit may take longer to soften, while very ripe fruit will cook quicker. Preparation time: 20 minutes • Cooking time: 55 minutes • Serves: 6 1 large ripe pineapple whole cloves for studding ⅓ cup dark honey ⅔ cup orange juice 3 whole star anise 1 cinnamon stick 4 cardamom pods, smashed ½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped 2 plump limes, finely grated zest and juice 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves, to sprinkle Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). • Trim both ends off the pineapple, so it sits steadily on the chopping board. Using a serrated knife and working from top to bottom, following the curve of the fruit, remove the peel. To remove the little black ‘eyes’, and create an attractive finish, cut a spiral groove around the entire fruit. Stud the flesh evenly all over with the cloves. • Put the honey, orange juice, star anise, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, vanilla seeds and lime zest and juice in a pan over a low heat. Stir until the mixture comes to boiling point. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand about 10 minutes to infuse the flavours. • Place the pineapple in a large baking pan and pour over the spice syrup, turning it to completely cover. Stand the pineapple upright and roast for about 45 minutes, basting it with the juices from the pan often, or until caramelised and very tender. Remove the pineapple and leave to cool reserving the juices in the pan. • Serve the pineapple sliced with juices spooned over and sprinkle with mint. This is delicious served with yoghurt or crème fraîche. Per serve 535kJ/ 128 calories; 1.5g protein; 0.5g fat (includes 0g saturated fat; saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.0); 29g available carbs (includes 29g sugars and 0g starch); 3g fibre; sodium : potassium ratio 0.04

STICKS, SEEDS, PODS AND LEAVES Kate Hemphill’s light and easy everyday fare with culinary spices and herbs. Kate absorbed an intimate knowledge of all aspects of herbs and spices from her parents and grandparents. She is a trained chef who has worked as a recipe writer and cookery teacher. She contributed the recipes to Ian Hemphill’s best-selling Spice and Herb Bible and you will find more of her recipes on the Herbies spices website: www.herbies.com.au SUPER NOODLE SALAD Get the year off to a healthy start with this delicious noodle salad. Herbie's Spice Tonic blend includes turmeric, beetroot powder, sweet paprika, cassia, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, cloves,

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lemon myrtle, and green cardamom. Stir a teaspoon into a glass of fruit or vegetable juice, add to yoghurt, or sprinkle over chicken or fish before cooking for a Moroccan flavour. If you don’t have it, substitute a Moroccan spice blend. Prep time: 15 mins • Cook time: 15 mins • Serves: 2 200g (7oz) buckwheat noodles ½ avocado 1 carrot, spirulised or julienned ¼ cup edamame (soy beans) handful of cooked spinach or silverbeet half punnet of micro coriander or sprouts 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds Dressing 1 tsp freshly grated ginger 1 tsp honey 3 tbsp (45ml) extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp (45ml) apple cider vinegar 1 tsp Herbie's Spice Tonic blend pinch salt Cook buckwheat noodles to manufacturer's instructions, and rinse well under cold water. Whisk dressing ingredients together. • Toss noodles in half of the dressing then assemble salad bowl by placing noodles in the base, then arranging vegetables on top. • Drizzle over remaining dressing and sesame seeds. Per serve Energy: 2935kJ/700 cals; protein: 11.5g; fat: 32g; saturated fat: 6g (saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.23); available carbohydrate: 85g; fibre: 10g; 125mg sodium; 727mg potassium (sodium : potassium ratio 0.17)

GLYCEMIC INDEX FOUNDATION NEWS

CSIRO’s Total Wellbeing Diet have a new survey designed to find out what your diet type is.

The scientists behind the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet have looked at what triggers us to make the food choices we do. They believe that understanding yours can be the key to losing weight and learning healthier eating habits.

The new survey will reveal what your diet personality is. Are you triggered by social situations? By stress? Or perhaps simply by good food?

This 5-minute Diet Types survey can help you find out why you eat and how you can learn to eat better.

Take the survey now to find out what your Diet Type is – it’s free!

We also have this delicious pearl couscous salad to share with you from the team at Blu Gourmet

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Pearl Couccous

GABRIEL GATÉ’S BEAN, BEETROOT AND PEARL COUSCOUS SALAD 1 cup pearl couscous juice of 1 lemon 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 tsp chilli paste 2 tablespoons low-fat natural yoghurt 8 canned baby beetroots (or freshly cooked) 400g (14oz) can Four Bean Mix 2 tomatoes, diced ½ small red onion, diced ⅓ cup chopped parsley 1 tbsp finely sliced mint leaves Bring 3 cups of water to the boil in a saucepan and cook the pearl couscous for 10 minutes. Drain and refresh under the tap. • In a salad bowl, mix the lemon juice with the garlic, chilli paste and yoghurt. • Peel and dice the beetroots then place in a salad bowl with the dressing. Add the rinsed, drained beans, the tomatoes, pearl couscous, onion, parsley and mint. Toss gently and serve. Per serve 1130 kJ/ 270 calories; 13g protein; 1g fat (includes 0.2g saturated fat; saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.25); 47 g available carbs (includes 11g sugars and 36g starch); 10g fibre; 530mg sodium; 637mg potassium; sodium : potassium ratio 0.83

Dianna Crisp is the Communications and Partnership Manager at the Glycemic Index Foundation, a not-for-profit, health promotions charity. Email on info@gisymbol.com For more on the GI Foundation go to www.gisymbol.com, like us on Facebook or follow

us on Twitter

Copyright © 2017

Editor: Philippa Sandall Science Editor: Alan Ba r cla y , PhD GI Symbol Program : Dianna Crisp Contact: info@gisymbol.com T echnical p r oblems or faults: info@gisymbol.com GI testing: sugirs.manager@sydne y .edu.au

For mo r e info r mation on pe r mission to r ep r oduce any of the info r mation pertained in this newsletter please contact info@gisymbol.com

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