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Facts on Fiber by Lynn Grieger What dietary element can help prevent cardiovascular disease, some types of cancer, diverticulosis, irritable bowel syndrome and constipation? In addition, it helps us lose weight and may assist in decreasing insulin levels. What is it? Fiber. What is fiber? Fiber is the part of plants that our bodies can't digest. It's found in fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds, and legumes, but not in animal products such as meat and milk. Fiber helps keep our digestive tract in prime working condition, a type of weight training for the muscles that make up the digestive system. You do squats for strong legs and sit-ups for tight abs; adding sufficient fiber to your diet tones and strengthens your digestive tract. Soluble vs. Insoluble Fiber is divided into two broad categories: soluble and insoluble. Basically, soluble fiber found in fruit, vegetables, seeds, brown rice, oats, legumes and pectin helps lower cholesterol levels and protects against heart disease and some types of cancer. Insoluble fiber in whole grains, seeds, fruit, legumes, cellulose and lignin is more helpful preventing constipation and diverticulosis. Most foods contain some of each type of fiber, and you can easily buy fiber supplements that contain primarily soluble or insoluble fiber. How much fiber is enough? Shoot for 25 to 35 grams of fiber each day. If you eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables and three servings of whole grains each day, you'll come close to your fiber needs. Yet the average American consumes only 12 grams of fiber each day, barely 50 percent of what we need. No wonder so many people have trouble with constipation. Getting enough fiber There are two ways to increase your fiber intake: Choose foods high in fiber, or add fiber supplements to your routine. Here are the pros and cons of each: Fiber in foods
Fiber supplements
Fiber tips Use the following chart to help include foods naturally high in fiber in your daily choices, working toward that 25-to-35-gram goal. More isn't better: A very high fiber intake (typically, more than 60 grams on a regular basis) causes your body to lose some important minerals. Any type of fiber requires sufficient water for it to work effectively. Always drink at least eight eight-ounce glasses of liquid each day, and it doesn't hurt to drink an additional eight ounces of water whenever you eat a food high in fiber or take a fiber supplement. Not drinking enough water has consequences -- painful constipation, bloating and gas. One last tip: Increase your fiber intake gradually over a number of days or even weeks to allow your body time to adjust to the changes.
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The Facts on Fiber: Are You Getting
Enough?
Chances are, you're not
getting the amount of fiber you need in your diet. Of the 20 to 35 grams
that the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends Americans should eat daily,
11 is the average. But in this world of overly processed and overly packaged
foods, that's not surprising. Fiber used to be considered just a filler,
and we didn't worry when we stripped wheat of its bran to make bread and
other highly processed foods like cereal and crackers.
Over the past several
years, research is showing why we may want to eat more of it. In fact, the
research is so compelling that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires
the amount of fiber in a product to be stated on the food nutrition label
and has allowed four health claims on packages that link fiber to heart-disease
and cancer prevention.
Dietary fiber is the part
of the plant fiber we eat. It is divided into two categories:
No matter how good your health is, you can certainly benefit from weaving more fiber into your diet. Consider the following:
·
Weight loss: New research suggests that fiber could help cut
calories by blocking the digestion of some of the fat and protein consumed
with it. For example, if a woman keeps her calories constant but chooses
foods that double her average fiber intake from 12 g to 24 g, she would get
90 fewer calories. This equals nine to 10 pounds over the course of a year.
Fiber also provides bulk in your stomach, making you feel full and curbing
your appetite.
·
Diabetes: A February 1997 Harvard study showed that a high-sugar,
low- fiber diet more than doubled a woman's risk of Type II
(non-insulin-dependent) diabetes. By adding one or two servings a day of
beans, oats or other soluble fiber, you can lower your fasting blood-sugar
level. For some diabetics the reduction has even allowed them to lower the
amount of insulin or oral-hypoglycemic medication they need. People with
diabetes should consume 40 g of fiber a day, more than the amount for the
general public.
Now that you now know
the "why" of fiber consumption, let's focus on the "how." Getting 35 g of
fiber a day may sound like a diet for a horse, but it's actually easier and
more pleasurable than it seems.
RESOURCES:
Here's a day's
menu that provides plenty of
fiber:
Breakfast: Whole-grain cereal with fresh
fruit, juice and milk, 6 g
Total fiber for the day,
27.5 g
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Fun Fiber Facts by coryeverson.com Besides helping to prevent colon cancer, control diabetes and lowering cholesterol levels; fiber also provides roughage for proper "bowel function" by absorbing water in the large intestine to make the stool softer and easier to pass (nice subject, huh!)
These actions are important for maintaining regularity and preventing hemorrhoids and easing diverticulitis (an inflammation of the lining of the large intestine.) This should be especially of interest to travelers who often experience "frequent flyers syndrome......" otherwise known as constipation. Besides taking our fiber drink, Use It To Lose It, every morning and night:
Try adding vegetables, broccoli, spinach or peppers onto pizza or pasta. Mix them into omelets. Veggies are an excellent source of insoluble fiber.
Keep a cut up fresh stash in the refrigerator for snacks. High fiber veggies include carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, peppers and beans.
A baked potato with the skin is a huge improvement in fiber......peeling removes most of the insoluble fiber that is retained in the skin. Likewise, a whole apple and corn on the cob with their fiber rich peel and husk have up to 10 times more fiber compared to apple juice or applesauce or creamed corn. So try to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and less of the processed versions.
Even breads, bagels and pancakes with their first labeled ingredient as whole-grain are all good sources of insoluble fiber. Top pancakes with raisins or fruit slices to add pectin.....a soluble fiber.
Oatmeal is a gold mine full of soluble fiber. Studies show that oat bran, also rich in soluble fiber, may lower cholesterol levels. Soluble fibers mix with water in the digestive tract to form a bulky gel. This acts as a physical barrier to food absorption which helps normalize blood glucose levels, an especially important help for diabetics.
3 dried apricots, 2 dates, a fig or 4 tablespoons of raisins each have 2 grams of fiber. They are also high in iron, potassium, and beta carotene. Although calorie dense, you don't need much to get a lot of fiber.
Adding cooked, dried beans to stews or soups will add a lot of soluble fiber to your diet.
Iceberg lettuce is low in fiber, so substitute fresh spinach leaves as a base, add kidney or garbanzo beans to get a combination of soluble and insoluble fibers.
And always carry a couple safety packets of Use It To Lose It in your purse or gym bag. Unlike most other fiber products, it has both soluble and insoluble fiber, is easy to take, low in calories and tastes good. So if you just chowed down on a greasy pizza, have a fiber drink. The soluble fiber will bind to some of the fat and pull it through your system while the insoluble fiber will help push it all the way through.
It sorta gives you a double whammy!
FIBER DU JOUR Here's a couple of my favorite high fiber, healthy soups. They are so healthy, you'd think they should be sold as a health food supplement.
Squash Soup
Saute 1 large onion in water until it's transparent. Add 1 teaspoon each of cumin, paprika, dried thyme. Throw in 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, finely chopped.
Now add: 3 medium carrots, 2 medium acorn squash, 1 large potato, peeled and chopped, 13 stalks of celery, and 2 cups fresh carrot juice
Add vegetables, juice water to about 2" above the cut vegetables. Cook until all the vegetables are very soft.
Take 1/2 the vegetables and put into a food processor until smooth. Return it to the pot and add pepper to taste. This soup serves 8, has only 125 calories, 21.5 grams of carbohydrates, 0 mg. cholesterol, 2.5 grams of protein, 0 grams of fat, 60 mg. of sodium Try Peasant Veggie Soup
You can make large amounts of this and freeze it in quart containers. Just defrost it and heat when ready to serve.
Combine 4 cups of water, 2 tsp. of chicken flavored bouillon, 1-14 oz. can chopped tomatoes (no salt added), 1/4 cup dried, minced onion, 1 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. dried, whole basil, 1 tsp. minced garlic, 1/4 tsp. salt substitute and 1-4 oz. can tomato puree. Add 1 cup sliced carrots -- cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Now throw in 1-8 oz. can of mushrooms, 1 cup diced zucchini, 1 1/2 cup diced, cooked chicken, 1-8 oz. can kidney beans, 1-8 oz. can garbanzo beans, and 1/2 head of cooked, finely shredded cabbage. Add 2 tablespoons of Burgundy red wine and simmer.
This recipe makes 10 servings, at only 80 calories each.....2.0 fat grams, 9.5 grams of carbohydrates, 8 grams of protein, 44 grams of calcium. Cream of Potato, Lentil Soup This is my dad's favorite.
You'll need:
1 1/2 cup cooked asparagus 1 cup cooked lentils 3 cups non-fat beef broth 1 bay leaf 3 1/2 large potatoes, boiled and diced 1 cup chopped, cooked carrots salt and pepper, to taste 1/3 cup evaporated skim milk Maggi for seasoning In a blender, put 3 diced, boiled potatoes with 3 cups broth. Add in asparagus and puree. Add salt, pepper and Maggi to taste.......blend in skim milk.
In a pot, pour pureed mixture over finely diced carrots and lentils, remaining asparagus and diced potatoes.
This makes about 10 servings. Each cup serving has only 85 calories and loads of fiber.
You can adjust the consistency by just adding more or less water. |
Fiber and the Bodybuilder By Chad Coy
Jimmy is a top-level amateur bodybuilder and he is dieting for a competition. His diet will last for 16 weeks and in the past he has come on stage at around 5% body fat but wants to come in at about 3.5% body fat. Jimmy has had problems with constipation throughout his entire body building career. Years and years of chicken, rice, vegetables, potatoes, and protein powder have done wonders for his leanness, but the constipation has literally become just another workout. Jimmy has subsequently searched for advice on this matter and some how he found his way to the doorstep of HDT looking for answers. Here are some of the questions that we asked Jimmy to help him dial in his physique and relieve his problem.
Chad: Jimmy how much fiber do you eat every day?
Jimmy: I really could not tell you!
Chad: Do you know how many calories, grams of protein-carbs-and fat you eat...how about the water and supplements you take?
Jimmy: Of course I know that stuff! I have to know that to get into shape.
Chad: What if I told you that fiber is just as important to getting shredded as anything else.
Jimmy: At this point I will try anything to pull off those last few pounds of FAT!
Chad: Jimmy did you know that by having enough fiber in your diet you could alleviate the constipation that you have always had, decrease your body fat, enhance protein absorption, detox the digestive tract, decrease your chances for heart disease, and help your body better utilize the carbohydrates that you eat?
Jimmy: Fiber does all that? Why doesn't everyone eat more fiber?
Chad: Yes. Fiber helps with all those things! Most people just don't eat enough of the right foods that contain soluble fiber. You see, there are two types of fiber; soluble and insoluble. We get insoluble from cellulose in the vegetables we eat, and although it is a fiber, it does not attract water to it like soluble fiber does. You see, soluble fiber comes from foods like oatmeal, legumes and other whole grains. As most bodybuilders get close to a show they cut down on the amount of whole grains they are eating so they can keep getting leaner and this works, but by doing this most bodybuilders end up constipated.
Jimmy: I know. I have been there and there is nothing worse than not being able to use the bathroom. I usually end up with hemorrhoids the last month or so before a show!
Chad: Jimmy that is a visual that I really did not need, but I think it will get the point across. You see Jimmy, soluble fiber attracts water and then absorbs it making the soluble fiber expand. When this happens the fiber then scrapes the colon and collects the undigested food that is in the gut and passes it! Just a little fact, the average adult in the western world is carrying at least 5 pounds of undigested food in their digestive tract! Just think how much better your abs will look once you clean yourself out! You could achieve the above by just eating the whole grains, but then you might not be so ripped. There are several commercial products on the market that would get you the fiber that you need, but they either taste like sawdust or they are loaded with sugar so that you can get them down.
Jimmy: I can eat just about anything if I know it will help, but I can't afford to take in too many calories and after eating 16 weeks of dry chicken and no sweets I would want something that tastes good!
Chad: I have been there. That is why HDT developed the FIBER-PSYLL product. I used to just use the straight Psyllium, but that is like eating cardboard. After awhile I just say "forget it!".
HDT started their research into fiber about a year ago and after some digging found a product named Fibersol II made by a Japanese firm known as MATSUTANI. Fibersol II is a spray-dried powder produced by the pyrolysis and controlled enzymatic hydrolosis of cornstarch. Although this stuff comes from corn and has to be labeled as maltodextrin, it is a 90% soluble fiber which means that it has much fewer calories as a normal maltodextrin has! In fact, HDT's product has 14 grams of total carbohydrates and only 25 calories thanks to the Fibersol II. Fibersol II is tasteless, dissolves instantly in water and helps maintain healthy intestinal regularity. With over ten years of research Fibersol II has been shown to: maintain normal, healthy levels of serum cholesterol and blood triglycerides, help maintain normal, healthy blood glucose levels, and help maintain normal, healthy intestinal regularity.
One serving of FiberPsyll has a whopping 12 grams of dietary fiber... that is roughly 50% of what doctors recommend for a healthy colon! This fiber is split between Fibersol II and an extremely fine ground Psyllium husk seed.
While passing through the intestines, psyllium swells, acting like a sponge to gather and remove intestinal matter. This stimulates and lubricates the bowels and helps move waste through the colon.
Fiber-Psyll tastes like a light and pulpy lemonade. My wife won't use hardly any product - and she even likes this stuff!
Like I had said before, eating enough fiber can alleviate the constipation that you have always had, decrease your body fat, enhance protein absorption, detox the digestive tract, decrease your chances for heart disease, and help your body better utilize the carbohydrates that you eat!
These are not just some claims made up to hype the product. These have been proven through University research!
So Jimmy, in essence, you need to take at least one serving of HDT Fiber-Psyll daily. Better yet, take 2 servings!
Chad Coy is a graduate from Purdue University with extensive studies in exercise physiology and nutrition. From 1991-1992 Chad was the Undergraduate Strength and Conditioning Coach for Purdue, as he pursued his semipro Football career from 1991-1998. Chad spent his early years in the Dietary Supplement Industry working for a Natural Products Distributor while writing for many health and sports nutrition magazines and professional journals. Chad played a key role in developing the Human Development Technologies line and is currently employed as their head of Research and Development. Owning his own Powerhouse Gym in Kokomo Indiana, Chad is a member of the US Strength Team, the 2001 Alternate for the WORLD'S STRONGEST MAN held in Zambia, Africa and is training to qualify for the 2002 World Strongman Competition. Chad has competed in and placed at many power lifting competitions and strongman events, and he uses this forum to lecture throughout the country on training, nutrition and motivational topics.
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