GI News – April 2020

Since the inception of GI News in 2005, Philippa Sandall has been our Editor, sourcing stories from around the globe, and engaging you the reader in a fun and informative way. Sadly, after 15 years under her stewardship, Philippa has decided to retire. The March 2020 issue was her last. She never ceased to find …

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

FESTIVE EATING  April is an important month on the religious calendar for millions of people around the world, with the Passover commencing on the 8th, Easter on the 10th and Ramadan on the 23rd. Like many of life’s important occasions, feasting on certain foods and beverages and abstaining from others is an important feature of …

WHAT’S NEW?

CHOCOLATE AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE  With Easter approaching, you might be wondering about the impact of enjoying chocolate on your health. Many studies have been published looking at the health effects of chocolate, but the findings have been inconsistent. With the aim of better understanding the association between chocolate intake and chronic disease risk, a group …

PERSPECTIVES

People today may be surprised to learn that until early in the 20th century, chocolate was considered to be a health food, with a range of potential health benefits. It was used thousands of years ago by the ancient Mayans and Aztecs, and much later by Europeans between the 16th and 19th centuries, as an …

DIABETES CARE

EGGS AND DIABETES  Eggs are popular. They are delicious, convenient and easy to cook. There’s also a steady stream of scientific research looking at whether we can enjoy them as part of our daily fare, or whether we should limit them. Several recent systematic reviews examine the evidence and provide an answer for people with …

YOUR GI SHOPPING GUIDE

WHICH CHOCOLATE?  Despite its antioxidant content and low GI, eating a lot of chocolate in one helping is unhealthy, but a little bit – even every day – is not so bad. It’s an incredibly sustaining food because of its high fat content (which accounts for its low GI) and is handy for long distance …

GOOD CARBS FOOD FACTS

HOT CROSS BUNS  Hot cross buns are traditional Easter fare, despite the fact they seem to appear on supermarket shelves earlier every year, sometimes hot on the heels of Christmas! They sell like proverbial ‘hot cakes’ in my local store. Hot cross buns are a yeast-leavened sweet bread usually containing sultanas or currants and a …

THE GOOD CARBS KITCHEN

DARK CHOCOLATE ROCKY ROAD  0:30 Prep • 0:20 Fridge • 22 Servings • Dessert • Special Occasion INGREDIENTS 150g white marshmallows 1/2 cup moist coconut flakes 1/2 cup shelled salted pistachios 4 cups plain air-popped popcorn 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots 2 tablespoons dried cranberries 2 tablespoons goji berries 180g 70% dark chocolate, chopped METHOD  …