Food and nutrition

Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred energy source and are part of a healthy balanced diet.

Carbohydrates are one of the major nutrients (carbs, proteins and fats) found in foods. Many foods contain a mixture of these major nutrients.

There are three main types of carbohydrates:

1. Sugars: natural sugars (such as fructose in fruit or lactose in dairy) or added sugars which break down into glucose and increase your blood glucose levels
2. Starches: break down into glucose and increase your blood glucose levels
3. Fibre: is a form of carbohydrate that your body is not able to break down, it helps to lower your blood glucose levels, keep you feeling full and is important for good bowel health.

Glycaemic Index

Carbohydrate foods break down into glucose and enter your blood stream at different speeds. All foods containing carbohydrate will raise your blood glucose levels but will have a range of different effects. The glycaemic index system was developed to rate how different carbohydrate foods can affect your blood glucose levels.

• The glycaemic index (GI) is a ranking system for the breakdown of carbohydrate foods from 1 (low ranking) to 100 (high ranking)
• The GI rank describes how slow (low ranking) or fast (high ranking) a food is broken down and released into your blood.
• Foods with a lower ranking therefore keep your blood glucose levels lower and sustain your levels for longer.

A lower GI carbohydrate food will be slower to breakdown into glucose and supply a gradual release of glucose into your bloodstream.

• Low GI foods are those with a GI less than 55
• Examples are grainy bread, bean mixes, and yoghurt
• Intermediate GI foods have a GI between 55 and 70
• Examples are Weetabix, sweet potatoes and sultanas

A higher GI carbohydrate food releases glucose faster into your blood stream, which raises your blood glucose levels more quickly.

• High GI foods are those with a GI greater than 70
• Examples are white bread, water crackers and watermelon

A healthy carbohydrate food with a lower GI ranking is your best option. However, some low GI foods may still be higher in other less healthy nutrients such as saturated fat or salt (e.g. chocolate) making them a sometimes food. Remember portion size is also important, a larger portion of a low GI carbohydrate will still have a greater impact on blood glucose levels. .

Look for the GI symbol found on some carbohydrate foods to help guide better choices from the Glycaemic Index Foundation.

Carbohydrate counting

Understanding carbohydrate counting (carb counting) can give you greater flexibility and variation in what you eat while still managing blood glucose levels.

Anyone can learn to carb count, but depending on your type of diabetes and the medications you are on, there are different levels of carbohydrate counting.

• Carbohydrate counting can be done at a basic level by understanding which foods contain carbohydrate and counting these in serves or exchanges. This can be helpful for people with type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes.
• Carbohydrate counting can be at an advanced level, requiring measurements of the grams of carbohydrate in a food or meal, allowing the person to match their dose of insulin. This is helpful for people with type 1 diabetes, or some people with type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes who are using insulin.
• Carbohydrate counting is one tool that can help you manage your blood glucose levels along with a balance of healthy eating, physical activity, and medication or insulin (when required).
• Many phone apps are available to support you to manage carbohydrate counting i.e. Calorie King, Carbs & Cals, or Easy Diet Diary.

Our accredited practising dietitians can help you to master carbohydrate counting to suit your needs.

Your body uses fat for transporting fat-soluble vitamins, providing insulation to your organs, and maintaining your cell walls. Healthy fats play a role in heart health. Fat in foods adds to flavour, assists in cooking and helps with digestion.

Foods with fat – can be healthy and unhealthy:

Healthy fats

Unsaturated fats are the healthy fats and there are two types known as mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated, they increase your body’s healthy fats (HDL), decrease your unhealthy fats (LDL), and help lower your risk of heart disease.

• Mono-unsaturated: Such as avocado, peanuts, almonds, olives, canola and olive oils
• Polyunsaturated (omega-3 and omega-6): Such as fish (oily fish – sardines, tuna), seafood, tahini, walnuts, linseeds, oils and spreads
• Plant sterols help lower cholesterol and are found naturally in fruit, vegetables, nuts and cereals and are added to some products such as margarine, milk, yoghurt and breakfast cereals.

Unhealthy fats

Saturated and trans fats are less healthy fats because they increase the unhealthy (LDL) cholesterol levels in your body and therefore increase your risk of heart disease.

• Saturated fats: mainly come from animal foods: butter, lard, copha, cream, cheese, and fatty meats (fat on meat, chicken
  skin, and deli meats). Some vegetable products that contain saturated fats include palm oil (listed as vegetable oil) and coconut oil.
• Trans fats: mostly found in ultra process foods such as biscuits, cakes and pastries (listed as hydrogenated oils). Also naturally found in butter, dairy and some meat products.

Protein is vital for building and repairing all your body’s cells, including maintaining your muscles and bones. Protein helps produce hormones and enzymes to continue your body’s critical processes.

There are plant and animal proteins, including:

Plant proteins

• Legumes
• Grains
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Tofu

Animal proteins

• Red meat
• Chicken
• Fish
• Eggs
• Milk
• Cheese