GI DIET - LOW GI FOODS

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The Glycaemic index (GI) measures the effect of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. Foods with a high GI value will be quickly broken down through digestion and release glucose speedily into the bloodstream. Low GI foods are digested slowly and are gradually absorbed into the bloodstreams as glucose, causing a steady rise in blood sugar levels.

Eating foods with low GI levels may help with weight control, as well as improving diabetics' long-term control of their blood sugar levels. Food containing high GI levels can be detrimental to your body, especially if you are overweight or sedentary. A lower GI  diet will keep your energy levels balanced and can help to improve long term blood glucose control. It will also reduce the risk of  heart disease and improve blood cholesterol levels. Because low GI foods take longer to digest they make you feel fuller for longer, and so GI diets are popular with people trying to lose weight. Another benefit to people seeking to lose weight is that low GI foods can prolong physical endurance.

The glycaemic index classifies carbohydrates based on how quickly and how high they boost blood sugar compared to pure glucose. Foods with a high glycemic index, like white bread, cause rapid spikes in blood sugar. Foods with a low glycemic index, like whole oats, are digested more slowly, causing a lower and gentler change in blood sugar. There are many different lists available on line or in books detailing the GI value of foods. All lists categorise food as Low GI value (a score less than less than 55), Medium GI value (score 56-69) and a High GI value (score of 70 or more).

However, there are some foods that are particularly low in GI value and these are detailed below:

Apples
Apples have a low glycaemic index of 28. They have many health benefits and are a great healthy snack.

Baked Beans
The baked bean is a rich source of protein, fibre, iron and calcium. It contains carbohydrate that, like that in apples, is of the low GI variety with a value of 40. 

Cherries
With a GI of 20, cherries provide many health benefits.


Grapefruits
Grapefruits are packed full of fibre and micro nutrients.  They have a GI index of just 20, and may well have fat burning qualities too.

Lentils
Lentils are packed full of fibre, folate and iron, and have a GI value of  16.

 

Multi grain bread
Bread containing many seeds and wholegrain have a low GI of 42, which can protect against heart disease, reduce hunger pangs, and help with weight control.

Oats
Oats have a GI value of 36 and will help keep you full and energised.

Vegetables
Some of the top low GI vegetables include: broccoli (10), cabbage (10), carrots (16), capsicum (10), cauliflower (15), chillies (10), corn, frozen (47), eggplant (15), lettuce (10), mushrooms (10), onions (10), peas, frozen (39), tomatoes (15).

Yogurt
Low fat yogurt has a value of 16.  It can be used to accompany fruit or even as frozen yogurt.

Low GI foods:

• Wholegrain or mixed grain breads (granary, rye, linseed)
• Pasta, buckwheat and bulgar wheat
• Most vegetables
• Low fat milk, diet yogart
• Apples, apricots, citrus, cherries, grapes, mangos, pear, plums, prunes, kiwi, strawberries
• Sweet potato
• Porridge
• Oatmeal biscuits
• Dark chocoloate, peanuts, cashew nuts

Medium GI foods:

• Pitta, muffins, crumpets
• Basmati rice, coucous, quinoa
• Beans and pulses; ice cream, low fat custard
• Apricot, banana, pineapple, fruit juice, mixed dried fruit, dried figs, sultanan and raisins
• New potatoes, boiled potatoes
• Shredded wheat
• Rich tea, digestives, shortbread
• Honey, reduced sugar jams

High GI foods:

• White breads, wholemeal bread, baguettes, bagels; brown rice, white rice, rice cakes, crackers
• Beetroot and broad beans
• Soya milk, rice milk
• Dried dates, melon, jam and marmalade
• Chips, instant potao, roast potato, mashed potato
• Rice krispies, cornflakes, sugary cereals, sultana bran
• Crackers, custard creams, bourbon biscuits
• Sugar, glucose tablets, soft drinks, sweets.

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GI DIET - VEGETABLE PIZZA

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This pizza is a low GI recipe which will gelp you achieve and maintain a sensible weight as well as a nutritionally balanced diet. u

Ingredients

Pizza base:
8 oz wholegrain flour
1 teaspoon dried yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
125 ml warm water

Pizza topping:
1 can chopped plum tomatoes
1/2 roasted onion, chopped 

110 g / 4 oz red peppers, sliced
1 tablespoon oregano leaves
110 g / 4 oz ricotta
25 g / 1 oz pine nuts
Rocket leaves
Black oilves

Method

To make the base place the flour, yeast and salt into a bowl and make a well in the centre.  Slowly add in the warm water and mix together. Place the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface and knead the mixture to form a smooth dough.

Stretch the dough using your knuckles to form a pizza base and place onto a 12" pizza tray.  Allow to sit for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Scatter the vegetables and oregano over the pizza base, and dot with ricotta and season with pepper.

Place in the oven for 12 minutes until cooked thoroughly and the base is crispy.


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GI DIET - FOOD AND DIETING

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There are no bad foods, just bad diets with too much fat and sugar and too little fruit and vegetables.  There is nothing wrong with eating a fried breakfast, a cream cake, fish and chips, a bar of chocolate or crisps, provided you only do so occasionally. Health problems are likely to occur when your diet is dominated by high fat and high sugar foods.

Do not eat high fat and high sugar foods to excess but enjoy as as part of a balanced diet. Divide your plate into sections and you will find space for a small amount of these foods.  Do not feel that you have to concentrate your diet solely on low GI foods, but instead balance your diet by including them where possible. The backbone of the low GI diet is about balance, enjoyment and health.

Unhealthy diets can lead to health problems such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, digestive problems such as irritable bowl syndrome and coronary heart disease.

The UK Governments eight guidelines for a healthy diet are:

• Enjoy your food
• Eat a variety of different foods
• Eat the right amount to be a healthy weight
• eat plenty of foods rich in starch and fibre
• Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables
• Don't eat too many foods that contain a lot of fat
• Don't have sugary foods and drinks too often
• If you drink alcohol, drink sensibly

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GI DIET - DAIRY FOODS

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Diary foods such as milk and yogurt provide an excellent source of calcium in your diet, which is important for bone health. Milk contains the sugar lactose and therefore has a low GI value.

Dairy foods are relatively low in calories. Select skimmed milk, low fat cheeses such as edam and use small portions of full fat cheeses.  Eat diet yogurts and low fat fromage frais to keep the calorie level down.


It pays to check the labels for certain products like yogurt to check for added sugar. Regular cheeses are a major source of saturated fat so check the label carefully for a low fat variety. Choose a light, soft margarine with a low level of trans or hydrogenated fats. Full fat milk contains 3.9 per cent fat, semi-skimmed milk 1.6 per cent fat and fully skimmed milk 0.1 per cent fat.


The best diary foods to eat on a low GI diet include skimmed milk, buttermilk, soya milk, low fat trans margarine, fat free/1 percent fat cheese, cottage cheese, fat free yogurt, whole eggs, egg whites.  Avoid foods high in GI such as full fat milk, chocolate, butter, milk, hard margarine, full fat or regular cheese, full fat yogurt and sour cream.

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5 A DAY PORTIONS

GI DIET - FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

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The World Health Organisation recommends that we eat five portions of fruit and vegetables per day because of the health benefits they provide.  This is good news for people following a low GI diet as most fruit and vegetables have a low GI score.

Fruit and vegetables are a source of vitamins that act as powerful antioxidants, which have a protective effect on the immune system and can lower levels of cancers and heart disease.  Eat them unpeeled and cook in chunks rather than mashing or pureeing them as the digestive process has to work harder and the GI level is lowered.

Many fruits such as cherries, grapes, grapefruit, mangoes, oranges, peaches and pears have a low GI as well as being low in calories.  Incorporating these items in your diet will be a valuable addition to meals.

Potatoes, plantains and green bananas are not included as part of your five portions as they are considered starchy carbohydrate food.  Green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, lettuce and sprouts all contain little carbohydrate and so have a negligible GI.

Fruit and vegetables with low GI
Apples, bananas, cherries, dried apples, dried apricots, grapefruituit, grapes, kiwi fruit, mangoes, oranges, peaches, pears, plums, prunes, strawberries.
Baked beans, black eye beans, butter beans, chickpeas, haricot beans, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, small new potatoes boiled in skin, peas, soya beans, sweet potatoes, sweetcorn.

Fruit and vegetables with a medium GI
Dried figs, melon, pineapple, tinned apricots, tinned fruit cocktail, tinned peaches.
Beetroot, carrots, potatoes peeled and boiled.


Fruit and vegetables with a high GI
Dates, tinned lychees, watermelon.
Broad beans, jacket potatoes, mashed potato, parsnips, pumpkins, swede.

A portion of fruit or vegetables includes:
A slice of melon, pineapple or mango
Two small fruits such as plums
One tablespoon dates, sultanas or dried apricots
Three tablespoons tinned or stewed fruit
Bowl of salad
Small glass fruit juice
Medium sized apple, pear, banana or peach
Teacup of small fruits such as cherries or grapes


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HOW TO GROW MARROW FROM SEED

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Marrows belong the the gourd section of the cucumber family.  You may only need a few plants as marrows are large, spreading plants and will take up considerable space in your plot. Each plant will yield approximately four marrows.

Marrows prefer a heavy soil and a sunny, sheltered position. Select a well drained bed and incorporate plenty of manure into the plot during the previous winter.

Prepare the soil for sowing by preparing planting pockets. Space the plants 60 - 120 cm apart (depending on variety). Dig a hole 30 cm deep by 30 cm wide and fill with a mixture of well rotted manure and soil. Mound the top of the hole by 6 cm to make a ridge and sprinkle fertiliser over the surface.  Sprinkle slug pellets across the surface of the soil.

You can grow marrows directly into the beds outside or you can start them off indoors to achieve an early crop.

Growing marrows outdoors


You can plant your marrow seeds directly into the bed from May onwards when the last frosts have passed.  Alternatively, you can plant your marrow seeds three weeks earlier if cloches are used to protect the seedlings from frost and increase the temperature of the soil.  It is advantageous to place your cloches on the ground a couple of weeks prior to planting as this will warm up the soil.

Sow three seeds spaced 4 cm apart in the centre of the pocket at a depth of 2 cm. Cover with a cloche if required.  Thin out the seedlings to leave the strongest seedling when their first true leaves have appeared.

Growing marrows indoors


You can sow the seed from mid March until May. Fill 7cm pots with John Innes 'seed and potting' compost and sow two seeds per pot. Plant the seeds on their side and 2 cm deep. Place in a warm, bright position between 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit (a heated propagator is ideal). The seedlings will germinate in 5-8 days.


When the seedlings emerge remove the weaker one from each pot. You can plant out the marrow seedlings in June after hardening off in a cold frame for three weeks from the end of May when late frosts have passed. Water the pots well prior to planting and avoid holding the plants by their stems as this will damage them. You may wish to cover the plants with a cloche for a few weeks if the weather is cool.

Maintenance

Keep the soil moist by watering well around the plants; too much water around the base of the plant can cause the plants to trot off .  You can add a mulch around the plants in the summer before the fruits have formed to aid water retention.

Keep the soil topped up with slug pellets to avoid damage by these pests. Once the fruits have started to swell feed the plants with a tomato feed every 14 days.

Marrows are ready to harvest 10-14 weeks after planting (August till October), when the fruits when they are 20-25cm long. You can check if they are ready by pushing your thumbnail into the surface near the stalk; if it goes in quite easily the marrow is suitable for picking. Cut them where they lie and lift them away. 

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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MARROW AND A COURGETTE?

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It can be difficult to tell the difference between some vegetables, and it is quite common to use the terms interchangeably in shops and supermarkets.

Marrows and courgettes are both members of the squash family, sharing many common characteristics. But what is the difference between marrow and a courgette apart from the size?  Does a large courgette ever become a marrow or a small marrow ever become classified as a courgette?

Courgettes and marrows are summer squashes, belonging to the cucurbit family.  Courgettes, zucchinis and marrows all derive from the same plant, but are categorised according to their size and maturity when harvested.


The varieties of squash typically known as a ‘courgette’ is in fact a selected form of marrow specifically harvested at a young age.  Courgettes are the young fruit of several types of marrow, often picked when they are the size of a cigar.  Zucchinis are picked when they reach 15-20 cm long. Marrows are harvested from the same plant when they are mature and has reached their full size.


There is no difference between a courgette and a marrow except their stage of development when they are harvested.



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HOW TO GROW BROCCOLI FROM SEED

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Broccoli is a valuable vegetable to include within your diet as it is high is vitamin C and contains many cancer fighting properties.

Belonging to the cabbage family Brassica, broccoli like to grow in a well drained bed that is rich in organic matter. Select an area that is reasonably sunny to grow your crop.  During the autumn work dig the bed over to a medium tilth, incorporating plenty of well rotted manure or compost into the soil. If the soil is acidic the crop will benefit from you adding an application of lime to the soil.

In the spring add a general fertiliser such as Growmore to the soil 3 weeks prior to sowing the seed. Broccoli does not like lose soil so do not fork over the bed prior to planting the seeds, but instead gently tread over the surface and rake lightly to remove any debris.


Sow your seeds thinly into drills 1 cm deep in a seed bed, leaving 15 cm between rows. Cover with soil and water gently. As they grow thin the seedlings to prevent them becoming spindly and weak, leaving spacing's of 6-8 cm between each plant. When the plants have matured to 8 cm high they should be transplanted. Water the plants the day before moving and plant the seedlings in their permanent bed 3 cm deeper than they were growing in their seed bed and 30 cm between each plant. Water gently.

Keep the soil free of competing weeds and feed occasionally with a liquid fertiliser. Water regularly during dry spells to prevent a low yield and add a mulch to conserve moisture. Birds can be problematic and uproot your crop at this stage so protection will be required. In addition, you may want to prevent cabbage white butterflies laying their eggs on your plants by covering them with netting.


During the growing season keep an eye out for pests and diseases such as cabbage root fly and caterpillars. Draw up soil around the stems in early winter and regularly stake plants to ensure the stems are firm.

Early purple varieties are ready for harvesting from January but the main harvesting season for purple and white varieties is mid spring. Green varieties are ready for cutting from autumn through to the onset of winter frosts. Cut your broccoli when the spears (flower shoots) are formed but prior to the small flower buds opening. Remove the central spear first and allow the side shoots to develop, which can be picked regularly.

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