Frequently Asked Questions

Q. I have Coeliac Disease. Would SlimBuddy be suitable for me?

A. Coeliac disease requires that you follow a gluten-free diet. It may surprise you that it isn’t that hard to combine gluten-free and low GI. There are low GI foods which are gluten-free in most of the main food groups:

• temperate climate fruit e.g. apples, pears, oranges, grapefruit, peaches, plums, apricots, are all low GI.
• vegetables: all leafy green and salad vegetables have very, very low GI. Other low GI  vegetables include carrots, parsnips, beetroot and peas.
• legumes (pulses) e.g. beans, lentils, chickpeas are an excellent choice because when you add them to other food they reduce the effective GI of the meal.
• breakfast cereals: there are very few gluten-free low GI cereals. Your best move is to go for a higher GI gluten-free cereal, then lower the effective GI by adding fruit, low fat yogurt or low fat milk.
• breads: those made from chickpea flour, e.g. chapattis, are low GI.
• noodles: low GI gluten-free varieties include rice noodles, buckwheat (soba) noodles, and green bean vermicelli.
• rice: basmati.
• most nuts have little carbohydrate so have no GI and are therefore a good option. However limit the amount of nuts because they are quite high in fat (unsaturated) and therefore calories.
• low fat dairy foods and soy products, especially if calcium-enriched, but do check the labels for wheat-based thickeners which obviously you should avoid.

But as with any medical condition you should always check with your doctor.