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November 2019 GI News

As we head into a couple of months of festivities around the world, we thought it would be timely to take a look at the large pink elephant in the room. Alcohol, the only substance that in terms of nutrition is both a food providing us with energy and a drug affecting our brain and nervous system. In Food for Thought, Nicole Senior reminds us that while there’s a lot of talk among diet tribes about all carbs (starches and sugars) being fattening and in particular and about sugar being poison, we don’t hear much about the fattening nature of alcohol. While packaged food must carry nutrition labelling including energy content, alcoholic drinks do not. While at least one large Australian company now includes nutrition information on its beers, they stand out in an industry dead against placing this very sobering information on their products. We also check out five popular soft options for social occasions and check out fresh grapes in Good Carbs Food Facts. We hope you enjoy the stories this issue, have time to try the recipes, and join in the conversation on our facebook page here, or follow us on twiiter.

Look for the GI Symbol

The easiest way to find all round healthy food choices is to look for the GI symbol. They make you feel fuller for a longer time and help control appetite.

Not all Carbohydrate foods are equal

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a relative ranking of carbohydrate in foods according to how they affect blood glucose levels.

Carbohydrates with a low GI value (55 or less) are more slowly digested, absorbed and metabolised and cause a lower and slower rise in blood glucose and, therefore insulin levels.