In the 1980s a new type of naturally occurring dietary fibre was discovered and named resistant starch, as it “resists” digestion in the small intestine and makes its way to the large bowel. Good bacteria in the large bowel ferment the resistant starch and in the process enhance protection against bowel cancer.

Over the last twenty odd years, research into resistant starch has uncovered some compelling dietary benefits to the point where Dr David Topping, research scientist with CSIRO, states that, “Resistant starch is turning out to be as important, and possibly more important, than fibre for the health of the human bowel.”

The main problem is that Australians eating a typical Western diet are not getting anywhere near the levels of this smart carb, that has been shown to give such positive bowel benefits. So let’s take a closer look at how much you need and how you can boost your intake.

Resistant starch recommendations

It’s estimated that a typical western diet will provide around 3-6 grams of resistant starch a day, however CSIRO recommend that intakes should be more like four times this much at 20 grams a day.

What foods are naturally high in resistant starch?

Under-ripe bananas, cold, cooked potato, pasta and rice and legumes such as baked beans are all naturally sources of resistant starch.

To boost your intake:

• Lunch on Minestrone soup

• Dine on pasta and potato salads

• Takeaway sushi and California rolls

Where else can you get it?

The richest source of resistant starch is a natural Australian ingredient called Hi-Maize. It comes from a special breed of corn and is known as the invisible fibre as you can’t detect it in foods and drinks. In fact, it doesn’t alter the taste, colour or texture of food so you can use it in everyday cooking. You can buy Hi-Maize at health food shops and also find it added to many smart carb foods.

To boost your intake:

• Choose a breakfast cereal and bread with the Hi-Maize logo on pack

• Look for other foods with added Hi-Maize like pasta and dairy desserts

• Substitute ½ the flour in certain recipes with Hi-Maize

Check out www.hi-maize.com for recipe ideas

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In days gone by there wasn’t a lot of choice in milk. In most cases it came straight from the dairy or in glass bottles, with cream on top and delivered to your front door. Now, the dairy case is bursting with a huge range of milks, plus there’s the convenience of UHT long life milks too. So what is the best choice for your family?

Regular full cream (around 4% fat)

Cow’s milk is an important beverage in the diets of children and adolescents as it provides essential nutrients for growth and development including protein, riboflavin and vitamin B12, but most notably calcium. Full cream cow’s milk as a main drink can be introduced once a child is over the age of 12 months. Infants rely on additional nutrients in breast milk or infant formula prior to their first birthday.

Reduced fat (around 1.4% fat)

As milk provides about one-third of the saturated fat in the diet of children and 14 per cent in adolescents, reduced fat varieties are now encouraged for older children (over aged 2 years) in the latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents.

Reduced fat milks are also a good general choice for the whole family, especially anyone who can’t quite stomach skim.

Skim (around 0.1% fat)

Skim milk still packs a punch when it comes to calcium and is a good choice for waist watchers. Recent clinical research is definitely dispelling the myth that dairy foods are fattening. One study published last year in Obesity Research, showed that people on a kilojoule controlled diet who had 3 serves of dairy a day , lost 70% more weight (on average) than those who did not consume dairy.

Specialty milks

You can also assess whether any members of your family would benefit from specialty milk, such as one with boosted calcium or added omega 3 fats. For example, you might like to make the switch to higher calcium milk during pregnancy or breastfeeding, when calcium requirements jump by an extra 200 and 300mg a day respectively.

Flavoured milks

Research published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association shows that children who drink flavoured milk consume fewer nutrient-void soft drinks and fruit drinks than children who don’t drink flavoured milk. The study also found that children who consumed flavoured milk had higher calcium intakes (in comparison with children who do not consume flavoured milk), but they did not have higher intakes of added sugars or total fat in their overall diet.

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Try taking a journey through your bones. Stand in front of a full-length mirror in your underwear or something tight fitting. Have a close look at the general shape of your posture and begin to identify some of the bony landmarks, working from the ground up.

Feet

Place the feet underneath the hip joints, about 10-15 centimetres apart, toes pointing forward. Make sure the second toe is pointing directly ahead of you. Feel the bottom of your big toe joint, little toe joint and centre of the heel bone melting into the floor.

Knees

Let your knees soften, allowing them to absorb any imbalances in the legs and spine. Feel long at the front and back of your legs.

Sit bones and pelvis

Your sit bones should be pointing to the floor in a vertical line directly above your heel bones with your centre of gravity falling a little further forward through the front of each ankle bone. This alignment helps keep the pelvic bowl balanced without ‘spilling any water’ out of the front or back. You should now have a sense of the weight of the body being distributed through the three points of each foot. Keep the hip bones horizontally aligned, not twisted.

Spine

Lengthen the spine along a vertical line upward through the crown of the head and downward through the tailbone to the floor. Create space between the ears and the shoulders.

Rib cage

Let the rib cage hang like a basket over the pelvis and feet.

Shoulders

Feel the tips of your collarbones and the bottom most tips of your shoulderblades broadening sideways.

Head

Align the ears over the sit bones.

Check the alignment of your body side-on to the mirror.

Now place your hands on your hip bones and begin to move your pelvis gently and slowly forward and back. Notice how playing around with the placement of your pelvis affects your posture as well as your height. You will be at your tallest in neutral spinal alignment. By exploring the connection between one part of the body and another, and how the placement of one part of the body affects another you will begin to acquire good functional posture.

Find a moment to journey through the bones as often as you can to enhance your awareness of feeling your body in space. Enjoy the sensation of lightness and length that it brings.

copyright: The Australian Ballet 2005

Extracted from Bodywise, discover a deeper connection with your body; ABC Books; rrp: $34.95; fully illustrated. Available from all good bookstores.

Bodywise is written by staff at The Australian Ballet. In 2005 The Australian Ballet is performing throughout Australia and internationally. Visit The Australian Ballet’s website, www.australianballet.com.au for details.

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Ballet dancers are renowned for their grace and beauty and Bodywise, a posture book created by highly respected members of the teaching staff from The Australian Ballet, introduces the reader to some of the ideas that dancers use to help achieve their physical goals.

Bodywise presents a fresh program of exercises chosen for their simplicity, ease of learning and safety. The exercises are taken from Pilates, physiotherapy, Alexander Technique and yoga.

The program is demonstrated in step-by-step photos by dancers from The Australian Ballet and is suitable for just about everyone, including those with limited physical ability or low levels of fitness.

It teaches you to enjoy your body more and helps you to uncover your own grace and elegance.

Bodywise is written by staff at The Australian Ballet. In 2005 The Australian Ballet is performing throughout Australia and internationally. Visit The Australian Ballet’s website, www.australianballet.com.au for details.

Bodywise, discover a deeper connection with your body; ABC Books; rrp: $34.95; fully illustrated. Available from all good bookstores.

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