Low GI Food of the Month

Dining Downunder™ Chef Vic Cherikoff Talks about Wattleseeds
‘In September 1984, I was roasting the seeds from four or five wattle (acacia) species for the University of Sydney’s Human Nutrition Unit, where I was researching the nutritional value of the traditional foods eaten by Australia’s Aboriginal people. Women from various communities in Central Australia sent me the raw seeds and I prepared them for eating as traditionally as possible of course. And then (untraditionally) the phone rang …


Vic Cherikoff

Australia’s Aboriginal people were hunters and gatherers and the women spent much of the day (in a very relaxed manner) foraging for fruits, nuts, seeds, and insects and hunting the smaller animals. We now know that this traditional bush food diet contained all the nutrients for good health and are learning more about the impressive nutrient density of many of them. When it came to the edible species of acacia, the women usually collected fully ripe, dry seeds in coolamons or bark dishes. They added hot coals to the dish to ‘parch’ the seeds and make them easier to mill into a coarse meal, which they baked into seed cakes. For our research at the university, we also made a ‘bread’ with toasted and milled seeds that would be as similar as possible to their seed cakes. It was not only very nutritious – it had a low GI (GI 11.)



What does wattleseed ‘bread’ taste like? It depends on the species of acacia used. Over the years, I have tried around 14 different wattleseed cakes. Some were very oily with a fragrant flavour almost like a spiced, gluten-free bread; some were more like a plain damper or unleavened bread made from barley; and others came closer to buckwheat, quinoa and other grain breads.

… But, back to the seeds roasting in my pot in Sydney. By the time of got off the phone, they looked very roasted indeed. I let them cool, popped them into an electric coffee bean grinder and gave them a spin to see how they ground up. Well! The aroma! Coffee, chocolate, hazelnut, toasty, roasted flavour which was just superb. I ground the over-roasted seeds up more and then tried the dark brown, coffee-like grounds in my stove-top cappuccino machine. As the rich extract poured through, I tried it black and then with milk, which I much preferred and with a topping of frothed milk, the world's first Wattleccino™ was born. It was delicious with the milk bringing out a sweetness in the wattleseed.

How can you use wattleseed?

• If you make your own bread, try a substituting some of the wheat flour with 5% besan or chick pea flour along with 3% wattleseed.
• Use wattleseed as a crusting or coating mixed with polenta, crushed macadamia nuts or cracked buckwheat over any meat or poultry.
• Add wattleseeds to casseroles, lentil spreads, meatloaf for a nutty, roasted flavour.
• Try a baked sweet potato (kumara), mushroom and wattleseed risotto or pilaf
• Replace some of the flour (about 3%) with wattleseed when baking – muffins, banana bread, pancakes and other appropriate baked items.
• Use wattleseed extract in frappes, smoothies and juices.
• Substitute coffee with wattleseed (or use half and half) in a Wattleccino™ or Wattlatté™ .
• Boil wattleseed in water and store the mixture in the refrigerator, adding a dash of the liquid and some of the grounds to muesli, porridge and breakfast cereals.

Check out Vic’s website (www.cherikoff.net) for more ideas for using wattleseed and wattleseed extract in your cooking.

When can you buy wattleseed?
Wattleseed and wattleseed extract are available in specialty stores such as the Essential Ingredient in Australia, Surfas Restaurant Supply in LA in the US and from ISPC International in Europe or easiest of all, get some online from Vic’s website at www.cherikoff.net as it gets shipped globally.

www.glycemicindex.com: New Values Posted
Mountain bread (oat) GI 76
Kipfler potato (boiled) GI 91

Low GI Recipe of the Month

Vic Cherikoff’s Sweet Potato and Wattleseed Pudding
For lovers of pumpkin pie, here’s a whole new taste sensation. Vic uses standard measuring cups for his recipes. If you don’t have a set, use a teacup/coffee mug that holds 250 ml or 9 fl oz liquid exactly.



Makes 10 portions

2 tablespoons macadamia nut oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons wattleseed
2 x 60 g (2 oz) eggs
4 cups mashed sweet potato
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (125 ml/4 fl oz) reduced fat milk
2 teaspoons wattleseed extract
½ cup roughly chopped walnuts

• Grease a 5 cm high x 20 cm square (2-inch by 8-inch) baking dish or 10 small individual ramekins. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) degrees.
• Cream the macadamia oil, sugar and wattleseed, add the eggs and mix in well.
• In a separate bowl, mix the mashed sweet potatoes, salt and baking powder. Add the potato mixture to the wattleseed mixture and mix well. Gradually add the milk to the mixture, add the wattleseed extract and the chopped nuts.
• Pour the mixture into the baking dish and bake in a moderate–hot oven for about an hour or until done. If you use individual ramekins it may cook a little faster than this.

Nutritional analysis per serving
881 kJ, 10 g fat, 5 g protein, 25 g carbohydrate, 3 g fibre, low GI

Your Success Stories

Cliff Shares His Secrets for Maintaining Tight Glycemic Control and Weight Loss
‘My low and good quality fat, medium protein, high carbohydrate and low GI diet have proved invaluable in helping me maintain tight glycemic control and long term weight loss for some years. I now weigh 93 kg—down from 118 kg back in 1980 when I was 40.

I took early retirement about 12 years ago for health reasons and because I knew that I needed to make some real lifestyle changes if I was going to have a life. Before that I had worked as an actuary, which is a very high pressure, demanding job. At 46 I was diagnosed with diabetes, some three years later I had a mild heart attack, and in 1995 I needed to take insulin to manage my diabetes. 1997 was my landmark year. I had successful six-artery bypass surgery and learned how to manage my diet using GI.

When I started using the low GI approach, the first thing I had to learn was not to focus on the GI alone but to use it as a carbohydrate selection tool in meal preparation and when shopping (where label reading is of paramount importance). Memorising which of my regular basic foods are low GI is very useful for me, as I do not have to look up the GI & GL tables very often. Also I find it essential to count my daily fat and carbohydrate intake using a simplified ‘portion’ unit method, as I must not only monitor my GL but also my total energy intake.

What works best for me is to have six small meals daily, each with two or three carbohydrate portions, depending on my BGL two hours after the previous meal and current level of physical activity. (I know that this is very compulsive. But it works for me as a disciplined daily routine, which does not unduly inhibit my quality of life). Equally important is for me to average at least one hour’s walking, or equivalent exercise, daily.

To ensure good mid morning BGL readings, I find it necessary to confine breakfast to two pieces of low GI fruit, rather than higher energy density cereal and milk with the same carbohydrate content – I eat bread and cereal later in the day when my insulin resistance is lower and I am consequently more at risk of having a ‘hypo’.

I average five or six pieces of fruit per day (at the risk of having too little bread and cereal!). And have a large plate of microwaved vegetables (mainly home grown) and side salad as part of the normal evening (fifth) meal, which is usually the only one including meat or seafood. My weekly main meal goal is: 30% seafood; 30% vegetarian; 30% poultry, pork, veal and game meat; and 10% other red meat.

Portion control is an ongoing challenge, as is insidious non hungry eating (I suffer from binge eating syndrome), especially in the evening.

From my experience, I must concede that my program would be rather difficult to maintain fully if still working full time in a demanding stressful job. Being retired makes life much easier for a diabetic. But I am well and managing well. I have no serious diabetic complications – no eye or renal problems, my heart health is stable and the main problem I have is moderate peripheral neuropathy. Just for the record: my HbA1c is now 6.1, triglycerides 1.3, cholesterol – total 3.4, HDL 1.1, LDL 1.7, and VLDL 0.6.

Send Us Your Success Story!

GI Profile

Prof Tom Wolever
Tom Wolever is a name you’ll see on many research papers involving the glycemic index. In fact his name is on the first paper ever published about slow-release carbs. GI News asked Prof. Wolever how he became involved in research in this area.


Tom Wolever

‘Research on the GI is very exciting – the more we explore, the more we discover. The health benefits are far-reaching: from diabetes risk reduction and management to long-term cardiovascular health. The power to improve health through informed nutritional choices is very rewarding.’

Before completing medical school, I was involved in the development of the concept of slow-release carbohydrate and the glycemic index with Dr David Jenkins and his research team, including his wife, Alexandra, playing a major role in the data analysis for the first paper on GI published in 1981. (Jenkins DJA, Wolever TMS, Taylor RH, Barker HM, Fielden H, Baldwin JM, Bowling AC, Newman HC, Jenkins AL, Goff DV. ‘Glycemic index of foods: a physiological basis for carbohydrate exchange.’ Am J Clin Nutr 1981;34:362-366)

Throughout my career I’ve had a special interest in diabetes. My research has been focused on the role of dietary carbohydrates in human nutrition and metabolism, with particular interests in insulin resistance and diabetes. It probably all started after grade 12, when I went to the UK as an exchange student, and to Oxford University to study medicine where I discovered that many of my friends helped to make ends meet by being ‘research subjects’. I joined them, at first doing breathing experiments, then donating blood for Dr David Jenkins.

I took a year off from medical studies to do an MSc on the effects of dietary fibre on blood glucose responses under the supervision of Dr Jenkins. As part of my research, I was involved in designing the first study that showed the ability of fiber to reduce blood glucose and insulin responses is related to its viscosity. We also conducted the first successful study using purified fiber supplements (guar) to treat diabetes mellitus. After completing medical school (and continuing to perform research in my spare time), I joined Dr. Jenkins at the University of Toronto to complete my PhD – on the glycemic index.

In 1995, my wife Judy and I founded an independent company to facilitate commercial food testing and research. Just to show how life goes in a full circle – Dr Alexandra Jenkins, along with Dr Vlad Vuksan, is now our partner in the expanded Glycemic Index Laboratories, and we continue to work closely with David Jenkins and his team at the University of Toronto. It is my continued pleasure to collaborate with the University of Sydney’s Jennie Brand-Miller both on research papers and in the advocacy and promotion of the benefits of GI.

I love the research with which I am involved. But just as we must all strive for balanced diet, I also think it’s important to have a balanced life. I enjoy spending time with my wife, Judy, and our three children. In fact, I have just returned from a two-week bike trip around Wales with my 15-year-old son. I also make time for involvement in church activities, fitness, and competing in my favourite sport, orienteering.

Tom Wolever is full Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, a member of the medical staff at St. Michael’s Hospital in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, President of Glycemic Index Laboratories, and is an active volunteer for the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Feedback—Your FAQs Answered

I have been low carbing (not excluding carbs all together, just switching to healthier ones) for over 3 years and have dropped my weight, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, etc. I appreciate that you don’t advocate a low carb diet – but where do you draw the line? How much carb is high, medium and low?

We believe that the type or source of the carbohydrate and fat are more important than the amount. In the end the choice of how much carbohydrate is up to the individual. A moderate carb diet would be around 40–50% of energy intake as carbs; and high over 50% of energy intake as carbs. Here’s what Prof Jennie Brand-Miller and her co-authors say in The Low GI Diet.

In 2002, the National Institute of Health (NIH) in the USA advised that a range of carbohydrate intakes could adequately meet the body’s needs while minimising the risk of disease. Specifically, they advised the following ranges:

CARBOHYDRATES:
45–65% OF ENERGY

FAT:
25–35% OF ENERGY

PROTEIN:
15–35% OF ENERGY

We like these figures because they allow for individual tailoring. The American Heart Association even ruled that as little as 40% of energy intake as carbs could be eaten and still be good for the heart. Chances are your diet already falls within these flexible ranges and, if so we encourage you to stick with what you have. If your preference is for more protein and more fat than you are currently eating, then go ahead—just be choosy about quality. We believe that you are the best judge of what you can live with for the rest of your life and, anyway, there is plenty of room for flexibility. We recommend you consume at least 130 grams of carbohydrate a day, even during active weight loss. Whatever the number, the type of carbohydrate is important. And that’s where the GI comes to the fore.’
– The Low GI Diet is published by Marlowe & Company in the US; Hachette Livre in Australia and New Zealand and Hodder Mobius in the UK.

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© ® & ™ The University of Sydney, Australia

GI News—April 2006

In This Issue:

• Food for Thought
  —Potato Lovers Look Back to a Healthy Future
  
• GI News Briefs
  —Memorable Meals
  —Men are Different
  —A Heart-healthy Diet
  —Devaluing the Value of GI
  
• GI Values Updates
  —How do you know if it’s low, medium or high GI?
  
• Low GI Food of the Month
  —Wild About Blueberries
  
• Low GI Recipe of the Month
  —Lemon Semolina Pudding with Berry Coulis
  
• Success Stories
  —Jeanne: ‘I lost over 100 pounds using a combination of good eating habits and low GI foods.’
  —Anne’s Story: Battling hypoglycemia
  
• Books, DVDs, Websites: What’s New?
  —The Spanish language edition of The New Glucose Revolution
  —The Korean language edition of The New Glucose Revolution
  —Translate GI News and www.glycemicindex.com to another language
  
• Feedback—Your FAQs Answered
  —How relevant is the GI for athletes in terms of carbohydrate metabolism?
  —I have recently been diagnosed with celiac disease (gluten sensitivity) on top of diabetes. It's extremely hard to find both low GI and wheat-free foods. Any suggestions?
  —I am a type 1 diabetic and enjoy an occasional beer or dry wine. What’s the real deal on the GI of alcoholic beverages?
  

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Food for Thought

Potato Lovers Look Back to a Healthy Future
There’s a ‘modest positive association between the consumption of potatoes and the risk of type 2 diabetes in women’ write the authors in a prospective study reported in the February 2006 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. ‘This association was more pronounced when potatoes were substituted for whole grains.’ The Harvard investigators conducted a prospective study of 84,555 women, aged 34 to 59 years with no history of chronic disease, who were enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study. The women completed a validated food frequency questionnaire and they were followed up for 20 years with repeated dietary assessments. During the study, 4,496 participants were diagnosed as having type 2 diabetes. After adjustment for age and dietary and non-dietary factors the researchers found that those with the highest potato intake (around one serving a day) had a modestly elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes (about 20% higher). The link was strongest among obese women, who are already at increased risk of the disease, suggesting that heavy potato consumption may pose a particular problem for them, the researchers point out. ‘These data support a potential benefit from limiting the consumption of these foods in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes,’ conclude the authors. ‘Substitution of these sources of carbohydrate with lower glycemic, high-fibre forms of carbohydrates such as whole grains should be encouraged.’



Cutting back on potatoes is something many people on a low GI diet find hard to do. So what’s the answer?
First of all, there’s no need to say ‘no’ to potatoes altogether just because they may have a high GI. They are fat free (when you don’t fry them), nutrient rich and filling. Not every food you eat has to have a low GI. So enjoy them but in moderation.

Secondly, look for the lower GI varieties of potato or serve them in a way that reduces the glycemic response. University of Toronto researchers found that the GI of potatoes ranged from 56 to 89 depending on variety and cooking method (Journal of the American Dietetic Association). Precooking and reheating potatoes or consuming cold cooked potatoes (such as potato salad) reduced the glycemic response. The highest GI values were found in potatoes that were freshly cooked and in instant mashed potatoes. Margareta Leeman and her colleagues at the University of Lund in Sweden found that preparing potatoes the day before and serving them cold as potato salad with a vinegary vinaigrette dressing can lower the GI (European Journal of Clinical Nutrition). In Low GI Eating Made Easy, dietitian Kaye Foster-Powell suggests steaming small new potatoes (with their skin for added nutrients), or bake a jacket potato and add a tasty topping based on low GI beans, chickpeas or corn kernels.

Third, remember that potatoes are a relative newcomer to the Western dinner plate. Athough the Spanish brought them back to Europe from South America in the mid-sixteenth century, people tended to regard them with suspicion and fit only for animals. They didn’t become a regular part of the European diet until the late eighteenth century. And it wasn’t until the nineteenth century that we really developed a taste for them replacing traditional wholegrain staples such as wheat, barley, rye and oats, which have much lower GI. So look back to a healthy future and add variety to your meals by enjoying wholegrains, legumes, pasta, noodles, basmati rice on a regular basis and potatoes occasionally. You’ll reduce the overall GI and GL of your diet and your risk of chronic disease.