LOW GLYCAEMIC INDEX DIET INFORMATION

What is the Glycaemic Index (GI)? GI Measures how fast a food triggers a rise in blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. Carbohydrates that break down quickly during digestion have the highest glycaemic indexes; the blood glucose response is fast and high. Carbohydrates that break down slowly gradually release glucose into the blood stream and have low glycaemic indexes.

Benefits of a low GI diet:

Smaller rises in blood glucose levels after meals, minimising insulin secretion and a sudden drop in blood sugar Aid weight management and weight loss They can also improve diabetes control, reduce the risk of insulin resistance and protect against gestational diabetes The body's sensitivity to insulin can improve Low GI foods can help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise Low GI diets are useful for women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Low GI foods promote satiety and keep you fuller for longer

Low GI foods can prolong physical endurance and help you achieve peak performance Low GI foods play an important part in treating and preventing heart disease Inclusion of low GI foods at each meal reduces cholesterol & triglyceride levels You can strike a happy balance between low fat and low carb diets - you can have your carbs but must choose them with care

Key points for following a low GI diet

• The low GI diet is a healthy, balanced diet which involves choosing a variety of high fibre carbohydrate/low fat foods
• You don't have to avoid all high GI foods to eat a low GI diet
• The GI is not intended to be used in isolation. Food choices should be based on the overall nutritional content of a food such as saturated fat, salt, fibre and GI value
• Just because foods have a low GI doesn't necessarily make them good choices. Some high fat foods have a low GI, which gives a falsely favourable impression of these foods, especially in the case of foods high in saturated fat. Because fat takes longer for the stomach to digest, potato chips or french fries have a lower GI than baked potatoes. Yet the saturated fat in these foods has a number of deleterious health consequences including an increased risk of heart disease. It is important to look at the type of fat in foods rather than avoid it completely
• You do need to include a low GI food at every meal
• If you're not already eating low GI foods, about half the carbohydrate choices in your day need to be exchanged from high GI to low GI types
• Consider both the GI of the food and the amount of carbohydrate it contains (ie. the Glycaemic Load -GL). For example, pumpkin has a GI of 75 (high) but a normal serve contains only 6g of carbohydrate, giving it a GL of only 4.5 (low). However, if the high GI foods you choose are also high in carbohydrate, eat them in smaller quantities to reduce their GL
• Use the GI to compare foods of a similar nature (eg. bread with bread) and the GL when you note a high GI but low carbohydrate content per serve (eg. pumpkin)
• Look for foods tested by the International Diabetes Institute (IDI) and given a low GI ranking.
• Keep an eye out for brands that produce low GI products, such as Freedom Foods. Their products include low GI breakfast bars, muesli, cereal, biscuits, fruit spreads, vegetable burgers, pastas, and confectionary

Glycaemic Index	Fruits / Vegetables	Carbohydrates	Others
Low	Fruits: Apples, pears, oranges, bananas, cherries, grapefruit, plums, prunes, tomatoes Vegetables: Beans, peas, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, onions	Bread: Whole wheat, multi-grain, rye, oatmeal Whole grain crackers, cooked pasta, oatmeal, brown rice	Dairy products: Low fat yoghurt, whole/low fat/skim milk Eggs, meats
Medium	Fruits: Mangoes, pineapples, apricots, sultanas, melon Vegetables: Potatoes (boiled, new, tinned), beetroot	Wholemeal bread, oat bran, muesli, crumpets, hamburger buns, white rice	Popcorn, Mars bars, honey
High	Fruits: Watermelon Vegetables: Mashed potatoes, parsnips	White bread, bagels, Coco pops, rice cakes, cornflakes, puffed wheat, steamed white rice	Chips/french fries, jellybeans

Things to remember

• The glycaemic index (GI) rates carbohydrates according to how quickly they raise the glucose level of the blood
• The glycaemic load (GL) rates carbohydrates according to the glycaemic index and the amount of carbohydrate in the food
• A low GI rating of a food does not mean you can eat a larger serve of that food - the total amount of carbohydrate and kilojoules consumed are still important
• Choose a diet containing plenty of fruits, vegetables and legumes but with smaller helpings of potatoes and less highly refined grain products and concentrated sugar