There is a new buzzword on the dietary scene - glycaemic index (GI). It is a rating of foods according to their effect on blood glucose levels.
So now it's not the amount of carbohydrates you consume but rather it's their rate of digestion and absorption that determines the physiological response of the body.
GI is a rating scale whereby foods are ranked from 0 to 100 according to the actual effect on blood sugar levels.
At this point, if you are completely confused, a new guide by nutrition guru Patrick Holford - The Holford Low-GL (glycaemic load) Diet Cookbook - has relevance.
We liked it because it's a bright and cheerful guide packed with easy to understand information and low-glycaemic load recipes for weight loss, health and energy.
There's also an extensive guide on how to cook the GL way and it's packed with really interesting recipes developed by nutritionist Fiona McDonald Joyce.
Here are some examples:
Pork medallions with watercress salsa verde
Serves 2
2 lean trimmed pork medallions
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 anchovy fillets
15ml capers, rinsed
30ml fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
15ml fresh basil leaves
good handful of watercress, roughly chopped
freshly ground black pepper
30ml extra virgin olive oil
15ml lemon juice
Preheat grill and grill medallions for 15 minutes, turning halfway.
Make the salsa verde. Place the salsa ingredients in a mini food processor and blitz until sauce is well combined (or do this by hand, chopping everything finely and mixing it together with oil and lemon juice.) Serve a dollop of the salsa on top of each medallion.
Granola
Serves 2
15ml coconut or olive oil
15ml xylitol (sugar-free alternative available at health stores)
50g whole oat flakes
15ml flaked almonds
15ml macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
15ml pumpkin seeds
5ml ground almonds
Gently melt the oil in a frying pan with the xylitol, add the oat flakes and stir for three minutes or until they start to go golden and crisp up slightly. Add flaked almonds and macadamia nuts and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the pumpkin seeds and ground almonds.
Spiced turkey burgers
Serves 2
250g turkey mince
1 egg yolk, beaten
4 spring onions, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and with the white pith removed
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2.5ml ground cumin
2.5ml ground coriander
freshly ground black pepper
Mix the turkey mince with the rest of the ingredients and leave to sit in the fridge to marinate for at least an hour. Shape into burgers and grill under medium heat for 10 minutes, then turn and grill for a further 7 minutes.
Oriental dressing
We loved the dressing to jazz up vegetables or added to stir fries - instead of using extra fat.
10ml sesame oil
30ml tamari (wheat-free soy sauce) or soy sauce
10ml fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic crushed
10ml mirin (Japanese cooking wine)
60ml cold water
Mix all ingredients together.
Pesto crusted salmon
Serves 2
8ml olive oil
2 fresh salmon fillets
2 portions pesto
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a baking tray with olive oil and place salmon fillets on it, spreading pesto on top of them. Bake for 18 minutes or until the flesh flakes easily when pressed.
Weigh-loss menu
DAY 1
Breakfast
Low-carb muesli with berries and milk or yoghurt
Lunch
Leek and potato soup
Dinner
Pesto crusted salmon with 3 boiled baby new potatoes, roasted cherry tomatoes on the vine and rocket
Snacks
Apple with 5 almonds
Peanut butter and sunflower seed muffin
Drinks
Unlimited water, herbal teas and coffee alternatives, plus 1 glass of diluted juice
DAY 2
Breakfast
Plum yoghurt crunch and 1 thin slice toasted rye bread or 1 medium slice wholemeal toast with peanut butter or pumpkin seed butter
Lunch
Avocado gazpacho with sesame cornbread
Dinner
Pork medallions with watercress salsa verde and3 boiled baby new potatoes
Snacks
Punnet of berries
Thai mushroom broth
Drinks
Unlimited water, herbal teas and coffee alternatives, plus 1 glass of diluted juice
DAY 3
Breakfast
Scrambled eggs and mushrooms with 1 1/2 thin slices toasted pumpernickel style rye bread or 1 medium slice wholemeal toast
Lunch
Salad niçoise followed by hazelnut yoghurt
Dinner
Spiced turkey burgers with sweet potato wedges and red pepper and cucumber salsa
Snacks
Pear and pumpkin seeds
Carrot and walnut cake
Drinks
Unlimited water, herbal teas and coffee alternatives, plus 1 glass of diluted juice
DAY 4
Breakfast
Granola with apple compote and milk or yoghurt
Lunch
Chicken satay wrap
Dinner
Roasted pepper and artichoke tortilla with rocket and watercress
Snacks
2 rough oat cakes with pumpkin seed butter or peanut butter
Pear and blueberry smoothie
Drinks
Unlimited water, herbal teas and coffee alternatives, plus 1 glass of diluted juice
DAY 5
Breakfast
2 boiled eggs and 1 1/2 thin slices toasted
pumpernickel style rye bread or 1 medium slice wholemeal toast
Lunch
Stuffed pepper and green salad
Dinner
Mediterranean tomato risotto with tuna and baked fennel
Snacks
Sesame and poppy seed muffin
Tahini yoghurt
Drinks
Unlimited water, herbal teas and coffee alternatives, plus 1 glass of diluted juice