Written by Kate Bullen, APD

Written by Sophie McGough APD CDE

Finally!  We have a low glycemic index (low GI) potato available in Australia!!!  Can you tell I'm excited?

For those of you who have nothing to do with GI or diabetes this will be a none event BUT for all those potato loving people with diabetes, this will be an early Christmas present.  I have been working in diabetes for nearly 15 years and one of the biggest complaints people have is that their blood glucose level goes up too high after eating potato.  This is because until now all the varieties of potato available in Australia (that have been tested) are high GI.

Launched today the "Carisma" potato has a certified glycemic index of 55, making it the first low GI white potato in the world.  Grown in South Australia, the Carisma is a new variety of potato that has been grown over the past few years and naturally has a low GI.  The University of Sydney and the GI Foundation are not sure if it is the variety, how it is grown or how it is cooked that makes it low GI and they are currently conducting research to determine which it is.

In the meantime, there is rigorous control over its growing conditions and users need to follow the strict recommendations on how it should be cooked to maintain its low GI quality.

HOW TO COOK CARISMA POTATOES
1. Wash but do not peel the potatoes
2. Chop into 1cm cubes or slices
3. Place chopped potatoes in hot (but not boiling) water.
4. Bring water to boil for 4 minutes until potatoes are 'al dente' - should be firm but cooked through.
5. Season to taste and serve immediately.

It is very important to cook the potato as recommended because overcooking can raise the GI.  This also applies to other starchy foods such as pasta which is also only low GI if it is cooked al dente (for 10 minutes).  So if you don't peel them and cook them al dente, the carisma potato can be substituted in any of your potato dish recipes.

WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM A LOW GI POTATO?
Before you all start rushing out to buy this new variety remember that other varieties of potato are just as nutritious but just happen to have a higher GI.  So the carisma is really only useful for those people with diabetes who find that eating other varieties of potato increases their blood glucose levels.  Being low GI it will also be useful for sports people looking for a low GI carbohydrate to use as part of their carbohydrate loading and may help to keep you fuller for longer if you are trying to lose weight.

It is also worth noting the University of Sydney may find it is the 'al dente' cooking technique that is helping achieve the lower GI and we might be able to apply this techniques to other varieties of potato that haven't been tested and achieve similar results.

Carisma potatoes are available today in Western Australia and Victoria and the other state and territories will have their stock by the end of the month, with the exception of Tasmania.  For more information and recipes go to the Carisma Potato website www.carismapotatoes.com.au

I'll let you know what the family and I think once we have tasted them.  We'd love you to comment on this post if you have seen or tried them.

Written by Sophie McGough APD/CDE

So much for the follow up post on Sunday - the husband left for Bali that day and I completely forgot to post!  Can I still claim placenta brain when my bub is 4 months old???

Being that it was World Diabetes Day on the 14th November, I thought it was timely to remind you of the risk factors and signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes.  For every person diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in Western Australia, there remains one person undiagnosed.  That is the equivalent of filling every seat at Subiaco Oval with people who don't know that they have diabetes.

Why does this matter?  Diabetes means that you have a higher level of glucose in your blood.  Left untreated, this high glucose makes your blood thick and sticky - like honey running through your arteries and veins.   This puts you at higher risk of damage to these blood vessels causing heart disease, strokes, retinopathy (damage to the retina), kidney damage, amputations and other circulation problems.

The great news is that once diagnosed, type 2 diabetes can be managed through lifestyle change, medications and in some cases insulin and this blood vessel damage can largely be prevented.  The earlier we can pick up diabetes and treat it, the less damage that has already been done to these vessels and in my experience, the easier it is to treat.  Unfortunately though, the hospitals are full of people who have had a heart attack or stroke saying 'I didn't know I had diabetes????'

So take five minutes out of your day to consider your level of risk by taking the Don't Ignore Diabetes campaign's 'Am I at Risk' Tick Test' at http://www.dontignorediabetes.com.au/Am_I_at_Risk  This website also contains some great information on the prevention of type 2 diabetes.

People who have undiagnosed diabetes often have few or only vague signs and symptoms, that are often ignored.  Warning signs are; increased thirst, frequent urination, feeling tired and lethargic, blurred vision, slow healing wounds, itching and skin infections and mood swings.  If you have any of these, ask your GP to send you for a fasting glucose blood test.

Written by Sophie McGough APD/CDE

I am one of those people who only has to sniff caffeine in the evening and I'll find it difficult to get to sleep, so for years I've been drinking decaf black and green tea.  Unfortunately I think the processing that occurs to make these teas decaffeinated not only strips the caffeine but some of the flavour too!  I know there are all those different herbal teas like peppermint etc but I'm not a fan of those either (must be the English background coming out!)

A week ago, a good Mum friend of mine announced that her latest addiction was Rooibos Tea (pronounced ROY - BOS).  She immediately grabbed my attention when she told me it was naturally caffeine free and tasted great.  I'd heard about it before from my Mum who had visited South Africa where Rooibos tea originally comes from - it's culturally a big part of the Afrikaan diet and is considered to have healing properties.  It has been receiving more attention across the world in recent years due to its high level of antioxidants and phenolic compounds.

Well - one sip and I was hooked as well!  I've been drinking it with milk but you could easily drink it without if you wanted to.

To date there is no decent research in humans to prove many of the health claims that are often associated with Rooibos tea.  The best human study I found examined the effect of drinking 6 cups of Rooibos tea per day for 6 weeks on cholesterol levels.  It did find a significant improvement in LDL, HDL and triglyeride levels but this effect would need to be repeated in a randomised control trial with a larger study sample.  I can only imagine we will see more rigorous human studies being conducted in the future.

In the meantime, regardless of the other potential health benefits, I'm just glad to have a caffeine-free hot drink that I can finally relax with once the kids have gone to bed.....is that the kettle I hear boiling.....

Written by Kate Bullen, APD and Sophie McGough, APD