Fiber---does more than keeps things moving :-)

http://www.diabetes-watch-blog.com/blogs/permalinks/3-2009/those-diabetics-high-fiber-diets.html

FIBER

What's up with that?  Here are some things you should know:

What are some of the health advantages of lots of fiber in your diet?

*It can help prevent and relieve constipation.
*It can help lower your risk for diabetes and heart disease.
*Lowers blood cholesterol levels.
*Helps control blood sugar levels. (It helps make food slower to digest, so you don't have as dramatic swings in blood sugar.  More about blood sugar next week.)
*Aids in weight loss.  High fiber foods are less calorie dense, so we eat less calories for the same volume of food. They make us feel full longer.


What is the difference between soluble and insoluble fiber?


Fiber is classified by how it mixes with water.  Insoluble does not mix with water, soluble does.  Both types are necessary and to be healthy we should eat both types. Here is some info from Mayo Clinic:

• Insoluble fiber. This type of fiber promotes the movement of material through your digestive system and increases stool bulk, so it can be of benefit to those who struggle with constipation or irregular stools. Whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts and many vegetables are good sources of insoluble fiber.
• Soluble fiber. This type of fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material. It can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Soluble fiber is found in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium.        http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fiber/NU00033

How much should we get?  What are ways to get more?

It is recommended that we get 21-25 grams of fiber every day for women and 25-38 for men.  Under 50 years of age you may need the lower end amount.  Most of us don't get that much!  How can we get more? 

*Eat whole grain foods. (whole grain leaves the fiber on the grain with the added vitamins that come with it.)
*Whole fruits and vegetables, including the peel when possible.
*Legumes--- beans, peas, lentils, etc. (great source!)
*Nuts and seeds (watch the fat content)

Fiber supplements are not as good because they do not provide the vitamins and minerals that come with whole foods.  Supplements may be necessary to treat medical conditions, so talk to your doctor about them.  Some people can become dependent on them.


Limit the about of processed foods you eat.  Processing usually takes out the fiber and nutrients your body needs.  Do your body a favor and eat foods as close to the way God made them as possible.  God made them.  He knew what he was doing.  :-)

Here is an example of a high fiber diet from Livestrong.com 
(Be careful if you are not used to high fiber foods to increase your fiber gradually to minimize stomach cramping until you get used to it.)

Breakfast

A good fiber breakfast meal may include 1 cup of whole grain ready-to-eat cereal with 1 cup of sliced strawberries and 1 cup of milk. Foods with 5 g of fiber or more per serving rate as high-fiber foods. Your breakfast meal should contain 5 to 10 g of fiber. Another good fiber breakfast meal includes two slices of whole-wheat toast with one slice of low-fat cheese, one container of high-fiber yogurt and a fresh orange.

Lunch

Lunch should contain about 5 to 10 g of fiber. A fiber-rich lunch meal includes 2 cups of mixed greens with grilled chicken, 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts and 2 tbsp. of raisins with low-fat salad dressing, served with 10 whole-grain crackers and one medium pear. Another fiber-containing lunch meal includes 1.5 cups of cold quinoa salad made with cooked quinoa, dried craisins, green onions and slivers of almonds, served with raw carrots and a fresh apple.

Dinner

A good fiber dinner meal may include grilled salmon with 1 cup of cooked spinach, a 6 oz. baked potato with the skin and a tossed salad with low-fat salad dressing. Another good fiber dinner meal may include a bean burrito made with 1/4 cup of black bean paste spread on an 8-inch whole wheat tortilla with low-fat cheese and served with salsa and brown rice and beans. Aim for 5 to 10 g of fiber at dinner.

Snacks

Include one to two high-fiber snacks in your diet. Examples include a small piece of fresh fruit, 1/4 cup of nuts, five whole grain crackers or 3 cups of air-popped popcorn.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/352000-examples-of-a-good-fiber-diet/#ixzz1KXjnJue0

Check out the fiber content of some of these foods:

I found that at:
http://www.cedars-sinai.edu/Patients/Programs-and-Services/Urology-Center/Prostate-Cancer/Nutritional-Information/Dietary-Fiber-for-Prostate-Cancer.aspx
Here is a link to a site where you can look up the fiber content in many foods:

http://www.wehealny.org/healthinfo/dietaryfiber/fibercontentchart.html

On Wikipedia I found some example of different types of fiber, we need both:

Some plants contain significant amounts of soluble and insoluble fiber. For example plums (or prunes) have a thick skin covering a juicy pulp. The plum's skin is an example of an insoluble fiber source, whereas soluble fiber sources are inside the pulp.^[4]
Soluble fiber is found in varying quantities in all plant foods, including:

• legumes (peas, soybeans, lupins and other beans)
• oats, rye, chia, and barley
• some fruits and fruit juices (including prune juice, plums, berries, bananas, and the insides of apples and pears)
• certain vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, and Jerusalem artichokes
• root tubers and root vegetables such as sweet potatoes and onions (skins of these are sources of insoluble fiber)
• psyllium seed husk (a mucilage soluble fiber).

Sources of insoluble fiber include:

• whole grain foods
• wheat and corn bran
• nuts and seeds
• potato skins
• flax seed
• lignans
• vegetables such as green beans, cauliflower, zucchini (courgette), celery, and nopal
• some fruits including avocado, and bananas
• the skins of some fruits, including tomatoes^[5]

Try a higher fiber diet! Your body will thank you and I bet you will feel better!

Get healthier today--- :~)

The Basics of Vitamin D

Right now, many people have low levels of vitamin D in their body since our body makes vitamin D with sunlight and people from northern places cannot get the exposure to the sun they need during the winter (because of the angle of the sun.)

This can cause a number of health problems including soft bones (rickets), increased asthma symptoms, cancer, increase in weight gain later in life, cognitive problems in older adults, depression, fatique, and muscle weakness.  You may want to increase your vitamin D consumption before these problems develop.

One study even found that people with a vitamin D deficiency when they were diagnosed with breast cancer had a 94% greater chance of the cancer spreading.  Scary. In addition, they had a 74% greater chance of dying over the next 10 years. http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/slideshow-vitamin-d-overview



Vitamin D is added to some dairy and other products and is found naturally in fish, fish liver oils, and egg yolks. We can also get it in winter by getting a vitamin D lamp that can help our body generate the vitamin D it needs.  Or you can always head south, below the latitude of Los Angeles, in winter to get your vitamin D.  Your body can store extra in your fat cells for a short period.

http://thenaughtynutritionist.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/its-cold-lets-get-some-vitamin-d3-but-on-a-beach/

For some, however, supplements may provide a great source.  Not all supplements are created equal.  Some may not be absorbed very well or be high quality enough to really help you.  According to one source, the type of Vitamin D that is most effective is D3.
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/slideshow-vitamin-d-overview

If you currently have a deficiency, you may need more vitamin D to help restore your body to normal, but the recommendations from the Institute of Medicine are:


"Guidelines from the Institute of Medicine call for increasing the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin D to 600 international units (IU) for everyone aged 1-70, and raising it to 800 IU for adults older than 70 to optimize bone health."
 http://www.webmd.com/diet/vitamin-d-deficiency

 How do you know if your vitamin D levels are low?  A simple blood test from your doctor will tell you.  There are at home tests you can order over the internet if you prefer that option.

Not getting enough sunlight or enough food sources of milk are the most common reasons people are deficient.  Some other reasons for a vitamin D deficiency might be:  you have dark skin. (This reduces body's ability to synthesize vitamin D), your kidneys as they age have a harder time converting vitamin D to a form you can use, your digestive tract cannot absorb enough vitamin D for you, or you are seriously overweight.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/vitamin-d-deficiency

Here is a link with an interesting slideshow from WebMD about Vitamin D.
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/slideshow-vitamin-d-overview

I hope this helps!  Get healthier this week!

The benefits of drinking enough water

What is the big deal about drinking enough water?  I did some research and here is what I found:

Our body is 60-75% water and we are constantly breathing it out of our mouth.  It needs to be replenished. 

By the time you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated!

Sometimes when you feel hungry, it may actually be thirst.  Drink some first and see what you think.

Lack of water can cause fatigue and headaches (your brain is 90 %water).

Some of the waste from our body is carried out by urine.  Not enough water, not enough cleansing.

Our blood can get dehydrated, causing problems.  Water carries nutrients and oxygen to our cells.  Don't interrupt that!

Water helps regulate our body temperature.

Water protects and moisturises our joints.

Dry skin can be a sign of dehydration.

Dark colored urine and constipation are indications you are not drinking enough water.

This is making me thirsty!!!  Go get a drink of water.

Some sites I read:
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/10-reasons-to-drink-more-water.html
http://www.mangosteen-natural-remedies.com/benefits-of-drinking-water.html

http://www.centralbasin.org/blog/