Recent News 
The Glycemic Index: Is it the next diet fad?
US Revamps Food Nutrition Guidelines
Rice Eaters Have Healthier Diets
The Glycemic Index: Is it the next diet fad?
Atkins and South Beach diet regimens emphasised low carbs and high proteins, and have been all the rage with millions of Americans looking to become slimmer and trimmer. After two years of searching labels for low carbohydrate counts, the growth in sales of low-carb foods has waned. It appears that many followers of the latest food fads found that these “quick-fix” diets weren’t very easy to follow and/or didn’t turn out to be the fix they thought they would be. T he latest fab is the “glycemic index,” and it happens to be one of the foundations of the low-carb diet. It helps people understand the impact that carbohydrates from individual foods have on blood sugar. The importance of this is that high blood-sugar levels lead to the production of insulin, a hormone that causes the body to store excess carbohydrates as fat. Eat a carbohydrate that is lower in sugar and contains fiber — blueberries, for example — and the amount of glucose entering your bloodstream comes at a slower and more steady rate. That means fewer blood-sugar spikes, lower insulin levels and, hopefully, less fat. Not only do people who follow the index tend to lose weight, but researchers have found that it can reduce the amount of LDL (the so-called "bad") cholesterol. It is not a substitute for exercising or eating sensible portions . The good thing about the glycemic index is that it is a proven formula developed for a medical purpose. In that light, as long as it is seen as a useful tool — rather than a magic bullet — it will no doubt be of great help in America’s battle against obesity.
(Excerpted from Today April 6, 2005)
Emerging Top Food Trends
Food trends once primed to focus on families are reshaping as Baby-boomers become empty-nesters, and health-related products are booming worldwide. Health became a key driver to the world's food marketplace in 2004. The Top 10 Food Trends are:
- Quick Fix - Time to prepare food is still at a minimum.
- Drive-and-Go - Takeout service at full service restaurants is growing.
- Inherently Healthy - More people are eating more fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and yogurts.
- Fancy - The premium foods market is projected to grow.
- Farm-Friendly - Foods deemed to be closer to the farm are capturing consumers' dollars.
- Layered Flavors - Layering flavors is sending sales of food such as cheeses, condiments and ethnic foods soaring.
- Grazing - Seven million vending machines are in the U.S.
- Low-, No- and Reduced - With low-carb interest waning, consumers are returning to watching their fat and calorie intake.
- Do-It-Yourself Doctoring - Shoppers are trying to manage or treat conditions through diet.
- Global Gangbusters - Convenience and ready-meals are accelerating worldwide.
(Excerpted from News Release Wire, Apr. 14, 2005)
Fiber in Foods
Fiber has beneficial effects such as decreasing the risk of coronary heart disease, improving laxation and possibly helping reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes. Fiber from whatever fruit, vegetable or grain source offers benefits that prove the value of good carbohydrates. Fiber in the form of polysaccharides is noted as important in applications involving alternative sweeteners. Interest is primarily in inulin and oligofructose.
(Excerpted from Milling & Baking News March 15, 2005)
Be Choosy about Carbs
Most people who are trying to lose weight start by counting calories -- even weighing and measuring out precise portions. But a new study suggests you might be more successful if you focus on changing the types of foods you eat. Overweight and obese adults who followed the principles of The South Beach Diet lost more weight and body fat compared to dieters who adopted a low-fat, portion-controlled plan. By modifying the amount and type of carbohydrates and increasing lean sources of protein, people are able to lose almost twice the amount of weight and body fat as people who follow a more traditional approach of counting calories and limiting portions. This approach seems to enhance weight loss and may have important influences on regulating calorie balance. The South Beach Diet focuses on the right carbohydrates, the right fats and lean sources of protein to help people feel more satisfied on fewer calories.
(Excerpted from Market Wire April 4, 2005)
Low to smart
Carbs are OK in small doses, so long as you're eating the right ones. You really can't strip all carbohydrates out of your diet, you need it, it's a fuel source. Now, Low Carb has migrated from 'low carb' to 'smart carb. Some food makers confused consumers with a glut of products that came out when some manufacturers realized this was really a hot thing. Still, the trend isn't dead, research shows that low-carb product sales are up 6 percent this year. But that's much less than the triple-digit sales gain last year, when low-carb dieting hit its peak.
(Excerpted from Newhouse News Service April 2, 2005)
US Revamps Food Nutrition Guidelines
The U.S. government discarded its one-size-fits-all food pyramid in favor of 12 different triangle-shaped guides, each geared to people's differing lifestyles and nutritional needs. Inside the familiar pyramid shape, rainbow-colored bands representing different food groups run vertically from the tip to the base. The old single, triangle-shaped pyramid had a horizontal presentation of food categories that many found confusing. Exercise is key to the new system and is represented on the new pyramids by the figure of a person climbing steps toward the tip. Also in store are new Internet tools to help follow the guidelines.
(Excerpted from Dow Jones International News April, 19 2005)
Rice Eaters Have Healthier Diets
People who eat rice have healthier diets, eat more fruits and vegetables, consume less added sugar and fat and are likely to have a lower body mass index than non-rice eaters, according to a new study. The data suggest that including rice as part of a healthy, balanced diet can be linked to overall healthier eating patterns. The data also indicate that the rice eaters are more likely to eat a diet consistent with the 2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines. The data show that rice eaters also consume more nutrients, such as folic acid, potassium and iron that are contained in rice products, and that they appear to manage their weight better than non-rice consumers. This is good news for Americans looking to make a change in their diet because it suggests that adding rice to the diet may promote healthier food choices.
(Excerpted from PRNewswire April 12, 2005)
