You may think that heart disease is an old man’s condition.  Think again – heart disease is the number one killer of Australian women. [1] In fact, women are four times more likely to die of heart disease than breast cancer. [2] One of the reasons that women tend to get heart disease at a later age than men seems to be that the hormone oestrogen may give some protection during the reproductive years.  Looking after your heart is important throughout a woman’s life.  Bürgen’s dietitian Kathy Usic provides her 5 goals to help improve heart health: 

1.     Be active every day.  Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day.  Try and enjoy aerobic exercise such as fast paced walking or cycling one to two times a week for about 60 minutes

2.     Maintain healthy cholesterol levels by eating foods rich in soluble fibre beta glucan.  Foods such as rolled oats, barley or Burgen Wholegrains and Oats are a natural source of beta glucan.

3.     Watch your blood pressure by choosing foods low in salt and eating a diet high in calcium and green leafy vegetables.

4.     Choose a diet high in heart healthy ‘good’ fats such as polyunsaturated fats from vegetable oils, nuts and seeds and monounsaturated fats from avocadoes and olive oil. Aim for at least 2 serves of oily fish every week.

5.     Enjoy a varied and colourful diet by eating 5 serves of vegetables and 2 serves of fruit everyday.   Whenever possible choose fresh seasonal produce to maximise nutrients.

[1]Australian Bureau of Statistics. Causes of Death data 2009 (3303.0). March 2011.

The May edition of the Healthy Food Guide mentions Burgen Fruit and Muesli as a Healthy Snack.

View the article here.

Healthy Food Guide is available at newsstands, supermarkets or subscription at www.healthyfoodguide.com.au.

Eating is a natural, healthy, and pleasurable activity when it's done to satisfy hunger. The bottom line is that weight management is not just about what you eat. How you eat matters just as much.  Choosing to eat “mindfully” is about giving food and eating your full attention by allowing you to feel satiated and to enjoy food without eating to excess. Our 5 Mindful Eating Tips will help you retrain your emotional connection to food so as to help you feel more satisfied which is a key ingredient for maintaining a healthy weight:

1.    Start by recognising whether you are hungry before you begin eating.  Don’t wait until you are famished as the chances are you will overeat before you realise you are full.

2.    Choose food that satisfies both your body and your mind. Savour that piece of chocolate (not the whole block!) and enjoy the taste of your food – without guilt.

3.    Set the table and create a pleasant ambiance. This will add to the enjoyment of eating and to your level of satisfaction.

4.    Don’t multitask while eating. Step away from your desk, turn off the TV and put away that magazine.  Think about each mouthful and even talk about how much you are enjoying your meal.

5. Notice how you feel when you’re finished eating. Don’t punish yourself if you overeat. Instead be aware of the physical and emotional discomfort with being overly full and create a plan to decrease the likelihood that you’ll overeat next time.

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a measure of the rate carbohydrate in foods is broken down into glucose (sugar) and released into the blood stream, where it can be used for energy. Foods with a low GI value (55 or less) are ideal, as low GI foods provide sustained energy release and help keep blood glucose levels on an even keel. This has flow on effects including improved performance, appetite reduction, weight management/loss and diabetes and heart disease risk reduction. Carbohydrate is an essential part of our diets – but not all carbohydrate foods are equal and the GI is the best way to help people chose the carbohydrate food that suits their needs.

There are three ratings for GI:

• Low = GI value 55 or less
• Medium = GI value 56 – 69 inclusive
• High = GI 70 or more

Why everyone can benefit from following a low GI diet?

10 top reasons for going Low GI.

1.       Lose more weight and body fat and keep it off by feeling fuller for longer and reducing cravings

Foods with a low GI value slowly release glucose (a kind of sugar) into the blood slowly, providing you with a steady supply of energy, leaving you feeling fuller for longer and helping to reduce the drive to eat so that you're less likely to snack and therefore more likely to reduce your total kilojoule intake.

Studies^1,2 have also shown there to be benefits in reducing abdominal fat, due to the role low GI foods play in increasing insulin sensitivity.  This allows you to burn more fat as a fuel source and process your carbohydrates more efficiently. 

It has also been proven that by eating a healthy low GI, higher protein diet after losing weight, you are more likely to maintain the weight than other weight maintenance diets³.

The low GI symbol foods are all round healthy choices in their food category, so they are lower fat, lower salt and of course, low GI. 

2.       Maintain energy levels by preventing blood glucose (sugar) fluctuations⁴

Low GI foods are broken down slowly and keep blood glucose levels stable and therefore maintain energy levels. The sustaining power of a low GI diet allows you to trickle glucose into your system over a longer period of time, and have a more stable energy level, rather than peaks and troughs of energy throughout the day. Including mostly low GI foods in each meal and when snacking assists busy people to keep themselves free of the burden of poor concentration, and energy lows.

3.       Decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes, and improves the management of diabetes ^5-8

A healthy low GI Diet has long been used for improving people with diabetes blood glucose management. People with Type 1 diabetes can also use the GI to manage their glucose levels and insulin regimes. 

Following a low-GI diet can also reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes; a lifestyle disease which affects over a million people in Australia. People with Type 2 diabetes can follow a healthy low GI diet to keep their weight under control and help manage their blood glucose levels.

Low GI diets have been shown to improve both blood cholesterol and glucose levels, and reduce insulin resistance, which is important in reducing the risk of long term diabetes-related complications

4.       Improve cholesterol levels by lowering LDL and raising HDL ^9-11

A low GI diet will increase the good blood fats – HDL’s and reduce the bad fats - LDL’s. Cholesterol levels can be improved by having more ‘good’ cholesterol and less ‘bad’ cholesterol in your blood.

5.       Decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease by reducing inflammation ^12-14

More and more evidence for the benefit of a healthy low GI diet in improving heart health is coming out each year, by:

·         Reducing post-meal blood glucose levels which improve the elasticity of the artery walls, making vessel expansion easier and improving blood flow.

·         Improving blood cholesterol levels

·         Promoting abdominal fat loss 

6.       Improve cognitive performance – fuel for the brain ^15-18

Low GI foods provide a steady supply of fuel (glucose) to the brain improving cognitive performance.  

For children and teens, eating a low GI breakfast has been associated with improved learning and better school performance. It provides a more constant level of blood glucose compared with the fluctuating glycemic response to a high GI breakfast, resulting in a smaller decline in concentration.

Eating a wide variety of low GI foods at various times throughout the day will maximize mental performance and decrease damaging spikes and drops in blood glucose levels throughout the day.

7.       Reduce acne by reducing insulin levels ^19-22

High insulin levels which result from eating high GI foods are associated with acne. A healthy low GI diet can reduce acne by more than 50% in 12 weeks.  The recommended dietary changes are simple and include eating more lean protein and low GI foods and avoiding takeaway and highly processed foods.

8.       Decrease the risk of some cancers by reducing insulin levels^23-24

Consuming a healthy low GI diet reduces both blood glucose and insulin levels, helping us to burn more fat and avoid weight gain over the longer term.  Insulin is a hormone that drives cell growth and multiplication. High GI diets are associated with an increased risk of certain cancers that are sensitive to insulin including some breast cancers and bowel cancer.

9.       Improve athletic performance through sustained energy release^25-29

Eating a healthy low GI diet is one of the best ways all Australians can maximise their performance in their chosen sport to achieve their personal best. Low GI carbohydrates are slowly digested and absorbed and help sustain performance levels.

Low GI foods have been proven to extend endurance when eaten 1 - 2 hours before prolonged strenuous exercise. 

10.   Improved pregnancy outcomes through weight and insulin management^30-33

1 in every 6 pregnant Australian women will be diagnosed with gestational diabetes in 2012. A healthy low GI diet will reduce the risk of women developing this condition.

Diabetes in pregnancy is a major health problem. There is a very strong link between higher blood glucose levels and the rate of caesarean section, the rate of shoulder dystocia (where the baby’s shoulder is too large for the birth canal) and the chance of having a very large baby.

Gestational diabetes is also linked to the epidemic of child obesity. 1 in 5 children are now classified as overweight or obese at the young age of only 2 -3 years. It has been proven that birth weight is linked to the mother’s blood glucose levels during pregnancy.

The best way to reduce birth weight and the risk of an overweight child is to help pregnant women reduce their blood glucose levels – eating a healthy low GI diet is key.

References:

Weight Management:

1.       Thomas et al. Low glycaemic index or low glycaemic load diets for overweight and obesity, The Cochrane Library 2007, Issue 3

2.       Pawlak et al. Long-term effects of dietary glycemic index on adiposity, energy metabolism, and physical activity in mice. Lancet. 2004; 364(9436): 778-85

3.       Larsen et al. Diets with high or low protein content and glycemic index for weight-loss maintenance. N Engl J Med. 2010 25;363(22):2102-13.

Energy Levels

4.       Brand-Miller et al. Glycemic index, postprandial glycemia, and the shape of the curve in healthy subjects: analysis of a database of more than 1,000 foods, Am J Clin Nutr. 2009; 89: 97–105

Diabetes Management:

5.       Goyenechea et al. Effects of different protein content and glycemic index of ad libitum diets on diabetes risk factors in overweight adults: the DIOGenes multicentre, randomised, dietary intervention trial, Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2011 May 17.

6.       Thomas et al. Low glycaemic index, or low glycaemic load, diets for diabetes mellitus. The Cochrane Library 2009, Issue 1

7.       Barclay et al. Glycemic index, glycemic load, and chronic disease risk--a meta-analysis of observational studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008; 87:627-37

8.       Anderson et al. Carbohydrate and fiber recommendations for individuals with diabetes: a quantitative assessment and meta-analysis of the evidence. American College of Nutrition. 2004; 23(1): 5-17.

Improve Cholesterol Levels:

9.       Philippou et al. Preliminary report: the effect of a 6-month dietary glycemic index manipulation in addition to healthy eating advice and weight loss on arterial compliance and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure in men: a pilot study. Metabolism. 2009; 58(12):1703-8.

10.   Levitan et al. Dietary glycemic index, dietary glycemic load, blood lipids, and C-reactive protein. Metabolism Clinical and Experimental.  2008; 57: 437–443

11.   Anderson et al. Carbohydrate and fiber recommendations for individuals with diabetes: a quantitative assessment and meta-analysis of the evidence. American College of Nutrition. 2004; 23(1): 5-17.

Cardiovascular Disease

12.   Gögebakan et al. Effects of weight loss and long-term weight maintenance with diets varying in protein and glycemic index on cardiovascular risk factors: the diet, obesity, and genes (DiOGenes) study: a randomized, controlled trial. Circulation. 2011 Nov 21.

13.   Mente et al. A systematic review of the evidence supporting a causal link between dietary factors and coronary heart disease. Ann Intern Med. 2009; 169(7):659-669

14.   Barclay et al. Glycemic index, glycemic load, and chronic disease risk--a meta-analysis of observational studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008; 87:627-37

Improve Cognitive Performance:

15.   Micha et al. Glycaemic index and glycaemic load of breakfast predict cognitive function and mood in school children: a randomised controlled trial. Eur J Clin Nutr 2010; 64(9):948-57.

16.   Ingwersen et al. A low glycaemic index breakfast cereal preferentially prevents children's cognitive performance from declining throughout the morning. Appetite 2007; 49(1):240-4.

17.   Benton et al. The influence of the glycaemic load of breakfast on the behaviour of children in school.  Physiol Behav 2007; 92(4):717-24.

18.   Mahoney et al. Effect of breakfast composition on cognitive processes in elementary school children. Physiol Behav 2005; 85(5):635-45.

Reduce Acne

19.   Spencer et al. Diet and acne: a review of the evidence. International Journal of Dermatology. 2009; 48: 339–347

20.   Smith et al. The effect of a low glycemic load diet on acne vulgaris and the fatty acid composition of skin surface triglycerides. Journal of Dermatological Science 2008; 50: 41—52

21.   Smith et al. A low-glycemic-load diet improves symptoms in acne vulgaris patients: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2007; 86: 107–115.

22.   Smith, et al. The effect of a high-protein, low glycemic-load diet versus a conventional, high glycemic-load diet on biochemical parameters associated with acne vulgaris: a randomized, investigator-masked, controlled trial. J Am Acad Dermatol 2007; 57: 247–256.

Decrease the risk of some cancers

23.   Dong and Qin. Dietary fiber intake and risk of breast cancer: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 2011

24.   Barclay et al. Glycemic index, glycemic load, and chronic disease risk--a meta-analysis of observational studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008; 87:627-37

Improve Athletic Performance

25.   Moore et al. Effect of the glycaemic index of a pre-exercise meal on metabolism and cycling time trial performance. J Sci Med Sport. 2010 Jan;13(1):182-8

26.   Cheng  et al. Effect of dietary glycemic index on substrate transporter gene expression in human skeletal muscle after exercise. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009; 63(12):1404-10

27.   Mondazzi and Arcelli. Glycemic index in sport nutrition. J Am Coll Nutr. 2009 Aug;28 Suppl:455S-463S

28.   Stevenson et al. Dietary glycemic index influences lipid oxidation but not muscle or liver glycogen oxidation during exercise. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2009;296(5):E1140-7

29.   Moore et al. The effects of low- and high-glycemic index meals on time trial performance. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2009 Sep;4(3):331-44

Improved Pregnancy Outcomes

30.   Louie et al. Glycemic index and pregnancy: a systematic literature review. J Nutr Metab. 2010;2010:282464

31.   McGowan and McAuliffe. The influence of maternal glycaemia and dietary glycaemic index on pregnancy outcome in healthy mothers. Br J Nutr. 2010;104(2):153-9

32.   Moses et al. Can a low-glycemic index diet reduce the need for insulin in gestational diabetes mellitus? A randomized trial. Diabetes Care, 2009; 32(6): 996-1000

33.   Moses et al. Effect of a low-glycemic-index diet during pregnancy on obstetric outcomes. Am J Clin Nutr 2006; 84:807–12

Using the GI is easy.

It's all about balance. To achieve any of the health benefits of low GI eating, you need to make sure that you include plenty of low GI 'smart' carbs as part of a healthy balanced diet.

How?

Step 1. Swap high GI foods for low GI ones in the same food group. Look for the low GI symbol which will guide you to the foods that are all round healthy choices and are under 55 on the GI. Low GI Symbol foods are also low in saturated fat, moderate in sodium (salt) and a source fibre.

Step 2. Consume at least one serving of a low GI carbohydrate food at each meal and choose low GI carbohydrate foods for your snacks.

Step 3. Keep your eyes on the serving size. Be conscious of the quantity of carbohydrates you eat. Eating too much food, even healthy choices, will most likely pile on the kilos.

10 tips for reducing the GI of your diet

1. Pile half your dinner plate high with vegetables or salad

Aim to eat at least five serves of vegetables (this doesn’t include the starchy ones like potatoes, sweet potatoes or sweet corn) every day, preferably of three or more different colours.

2. Cut back on most potatoes

If you are a big potato eater and can't bear the thought of giving them up, you don't have to. Just cut back on the quantity. Choose a low GI potato such as Carisma (available in Coles supermarkets), Nicola or have one or two baby new potatoes with a small cob of corn or make a cannellini bean (they are white beans) and potato mash replacing half the potato with cannellini beans. Don't be afraid of trying other starchy vegetables like sweet potato, yams or taro - steamed, roasted or mashed.

3. Swap your bread

Instead of high GI white and wholemeal breads, choose a really grainy bread like Bürgen  or Tip Top 9-Grain; where you can actually see the grains, granary bread, stone-ground wholemeal bread, real sourdough bread, soy and linseed bread, pumpernickel, fruit loaf or breads made from chickpea or other legume-based flours.

4. Replace those high GI crunchy breakfast flakes

These refined breakfast cereals spike your blood glucose and insulin levels. Replace them 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.

5. Make your starchy staples the low GI ones

Look for the low GI rice's, serve your pasta al dente, choose less processed foods such as large flake or rolled oats for porridge or muesli and in-tact grains such as barley, buckwheat, bulgur, quinoa, whole kernel rye, or whole wheat kernels and opt for lower GI starchy vegetables.

6. Learn to love legumes (pulses)

Include legumes like beans, lentils and chickpeas in your meals two or three times a week, more often if you are vegetarian. Add chickpeas to a stir-fry, red kidney beans to a chilli, a 4-bean salad to that barbecue menu, and beans or lentils to a casserole or soup.

7. Develop the art of combining

No need to cut out all high GI carbs. The trick is to combine them with those low GI tricklers to achieve a moderate overall GI. How? Lentils with rice (think of that delicious classic Italian soup), rice with beans and chilli (go Mexican), tabbouli tucked into pita bread (with falafels of course and a dash of humous), baked beans on toast or piled on a jacket-baked potato for classic comfort food.

8. Incorporate a lean protein source with every meal

Eat lean meat, skinless chicken, fish and seafood, eggs, milk, yoghurt or cheese, or legumes and tofu if you are vegetarian. The protein portion should make up around a quarter of the plate/meal.

9. Tickle your taste buds

Try vinaigrette (using vinegar or lemon juice with a dash of extra virgin olive oil) or balsamic vinegar with salads; yoghurt with cereal, lemon juice on vegetables like asparagus, or real sourdough bread. These foods contain acids, which slow stomach emptying and lower your blood glucose response to the carbs in the meal.

10. Go low GI when snacking

If it is healthy and low GI, keep it handy. Grab fresh fruit, dried fruit, or fruit and nut mix, reduced or low fat milk and yoghurt (or soy alternatives), fruit bread etc for snacks. Limit (this means don't buy them every week) high GI refined flour products whether home baked or from the supermarket such as biscuits, cakes, pastries, crumpets, crackers, irrespective of their fat and sugar content. These really are the 'keep for the occasional treat' foods.

Keep your eye on the serve size. Remember portion caution with carb-rich foods such as rice, al dente pasta and noodles, potatoes etc. Eating a huge amount of these foods, even of the low GI variety, will have a marked effect on your blood glucose. A cup of cooked noodles or al dente pasta or rice plus plenty of mixed non-starchy vegetables and a little lean protein can turn into 3 cups of a very satisfying meal.

For more useful tips on getting low GI into your day go to www.gisymbol.com

Top 5 Low GI Foods:

1.       Most fruit and vegetables (excluding most starchy vegetables)

2.       Dense mixed grain breads e.g. Bürgen

3.       Reduced or low fat dairy products (e.g. low fat yoghurt)

4.       Pasta and noodles

5.       Legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc…)

When making a change to low GI eating it is important to concentrate on the main food groups.

·         Swap high GI breads for Low GI varieties

·         Choose a lower GI rice or low GI potato

·         Choose breakfast cereals that are low GI e.g. natural muesli or traditional oats

During the first 20 years of life our body maximises bone density. For the five to 10 years following menopause there is a sharp decline in the amount of the hormone oestrogen where some women lose up to four per cent of their bone density each year. It’s during these later years that our calcium needs increase more than ever. To help maintain both bone strength and to help minimise any loss follow our top five tips to help maximise your calcium intake:

1. 1.   Dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yoghurt are one of nature’s richest sources of calcium.  Choose at least three and preferably four serves a day.  One serve equals a cup of milk or a 200g tub of yoghurt
2. 2.   If you don’t like or can’t eat dairy foods choose alternatives such as calcium enriched soy, oat or rice milks.
3. 3.   Other non-dairy food sources of calcium include canned salmon with bones, green leafy vegetables or almonds.
4. 4.   It may be tough trying to eat so many serves of dairy foods and their alternatives everyday.  Eating two slices of Burgen Soy-Lin everyday will also help boost your calcium intake.
5. 5.   Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption with one of the richest sources coming from sunlight. Get a little sun before 10 am and after 2pm for about six to eight minutes each day.

Healthy digestion is a silent process. It takes place when we rest, eat, sleep and work. Consistent diarrhea, constipation, excessive wind, lethargy and stomach pain are all signs that your digestive system may be struggling. What is ‘normal’ depends on the individual. Our 5 tips will help with the motions...

1. Bloating is swelling in the abdomen. This is especially common in women. While bloating can be the result of infrequent trips to the toilet, it can also occur through high fibre meals, due to the additional good bacteria in the bowel.
2. There is no hard and fast rule about how often you should empty your bowels. It can range from 1-2 movements a day to one movement every 3-4 days. The normal number of trips you make to the toilet is what’s normal for you.
3. Good bowel habits are essential at any time. Don’t put off going and make some time for yourself!
4. It’s important to start off slowly when incorporating more fibre in your diet. If your body is not used to a high fibre diet, too much fibre can cause bloating and similar symptoms as not having enough fibre.
5. Drink plenty of water throughout the day as fibre absorbs water. Aim for at least 2 litres of water – approximately 8 glasses of water. This will also help alleviate bloating.

The March Edition of the Healthy Food Guide mentions the Burgen Expert Roundtable Report November 2012.

View the article here.

Healthy Food Guide is available at newsstands, supermarkets or subscription at www.healthyfoodguide.com.au

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