High Fiber Menus Throughout the Holidays with the Glycemic Index

And what do you want for Christmas this year, asks Fiberlady? GI? GI Joe? Sorry, but I cannot consciously support the military-industrial complex by purchasing idols of warmongers for children to reenact their misplaced power. Okay, go ahead. Tell Santa.

The only GI that I can conscientiously promote is the Glycemic Index otherwise known as the GI. Originally used to manage diabetes, the theory behind the Glycemic Index is simply to reduce insulin-related problems by identifying and monitoring foods that have the greatest effect on your blood sugar.

If you want to learn (it's as easy as buttering a carrot bran muffin), here's how it works. The Glycemic Index system ranks foods from 0 (good) to 100 (not so good) according to the effect on blood sugar levels after eating. Low-GI foods (less than 55) produce a gradual rise in blood sugar that's easy on the body, keeping blood sugar levels fairly tame. Foods between 55 and 70 are intermediate-GI foods. Foods with high-GI numbers (more than 70) make blood sugar as well as insulin levels quickly surge.

Here's a simple comparison. White bread (GI=70), not a high fiber food by any means, is digested almost immediately to glucose, causing blood sugar to spike rapidly. Brown rice (GI=59), however, is digested more slowly, causing a lower and more subtle change in blood sugar. Once more. By eating a cup of All Bran cereal (GI=51), your blood sugar level will sustain you longer than a cup of corn flakes (GI=83). The numbers say it all. Corn Flakes brings up your blood sugar faster than All Bran. When blood sugar rises and falls rapidly, the body is stimulated to eat again. What? Never during the holidays.

During the holiday season you need to be particularly aware of a high fiber diet of which many are low to intermediate-GI foods. Otherwise you will be seeking a serious weigh loss plan in the new year from overeating refined and processed foods, i.e. cakes, pies, cookies.

To stave off the indulgences, eat low-GI foods such as beans, vegetables, fruits and certain whole-grains. These choices also effect the amount of fat absorbed in the body, and less calories to burn off. You stay full and away from that beckoning buffet! Fiberlady reminds you that they don't call it the holiday spread for nothing.

High fiber foods are crucial when balancing a low glycemic diet. Your blood sugar will maintain a slow, even rate so you can ease your way through holiday gatherings without too many ups and downs. You really can't fumble this balancing act because high fiber foods provide the perfect safety net on the Glycemic Index. It might be enough reason to bring GI Joe home for the holidays.

By Stephanie Shank a.k.a. Fiberlady
High-Fiber-Health

High-Fiber Foods Help with Weight Control

Walk into any supermarket or pick up any popular magazine, and you'll see recommendations to eat a low-carb diet to promote weight loss. This issue's Nutrition Hotline examines many of the fallacies associated with Atkins-type diets. A recent study adds additional support to those questioning recommendations to reduce dietary carbohydrate. Researchers from Harvard University differentiated between diets that are high in carbohydrate from whole grains and high-fiber foods and diets that consist mainly of refined-grain products. They studied more than 74,000 women for 12 years. Their results? Women who ate more whole grains weighed less than women who ate fewer whole grains. Women with the highest intake of dietary fiber had a 49 percent lower risk of major weight gain than did women with the lowest fiber intakes. The bottom line? If you're trying to control your weight, focus on high-fiber foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and eat fewer refined-grain products.

Vegetarian Journal, March-April, 2004 by Reed Mangels
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FDE/is_2_23/ai_n6021651

High-Fiber-Health

Benefits of Flax seed in Heart Disease and Cholesterol Lowering

Its high content of alpha linolenic acids has made the ancient flax seed become our modern miracle food. Alpha linolenic acid is a type of omega 3 fatty acid, similar to those found in fish such as salmon. Benefits of flax seed as shown in many studies include lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) levels. Other benefits show that flax seed may also help lower blood triglyceride and blood pressure. It may also keep platelets from becoming sticky therefore reducing the chance of a heart attack.

Aside from alpha linolenic acid, flax seed is rich in lignan. Lignan is a type phytoestrogen (antioxidant) and also provides fiber. Researches reveal that lignan in flax seed shows a lot of promise in fighting disease -- including a possible role in cancer prevention especially breast cancer. It is thought that lignan metabolites can bind to estrogen receptors, hence inhibiting the onset of estrogen-stimulated breast cancer.

Recent studies also showed positive benefits of flax seed oil in IBD (Crohn's Disease and Colitis). Flax seed oil seems to be able to heal the inner lining of the inflamed intestines.

Moderately include flax seed in your diet. Indeed, a lot of food products contain flax seed such as bread, cereal and bakery goods. Bakers may use flax seed flour or include flax seed in baking.
by Gloria Tsang R.D.

http://www.healthcastle.com/flax.shtml

High-Fiber-Health

Fiber - Importance in Your Diet

Fiber, roughage, bran, plant bulk ... whatever you call it, we know it's important to health. Dietary fiber has been shown to protect us from heart disease, bowel disease, including constipation and diverticulosis, and obesity. It may also help to reduce blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.

You should eat between 25 and 30 grams of fiber each day to gain these health benefits. Most Americans consume only 10 to 12 grams a day. A few small changes could help alter that dramatically.

Fiber is found only in plant foods. Fruits and vegetables are a good source of fiber, especially if you eat them fresh with the skin on. Fiber is also found in whole-grain breads and cereals. You must read the ingredient list on the food label to make sure it says "whole grain". Otherwise, you may be consuming brown coloring without any additional fiber.

Beans and other legumes are an excellent and inexpensive source of fiber. Food labels also list fiber content. Foods with more than 4 grams of fiber are considered to be good sources.

The easiest way for most of us to get more fiber in our diets is to eat a high-fiber cereal for breakfast each morning. Products such as Fiber One and All Bran provide up to 13 grams of fiber in a single serving. If they aren't tasty enough, you can always combine them with your favorite cereal.

http://www.baptistonline.org/health/library/nutr4824.asp
High-Fiber-Health

Friendly fiber - brown rice consumption boosts fiber intake

The next time you decide to break your low-fat diet by having a Chinese dinner with all the trimmings at Chew Sum Fat, you could at least attempt to increase your nutritional intake. Talk the server into letting you substitute brown rice for white. Your fortune cookie could read: "You will boost your fiber intake by more than 200 percent." Ancient Chinese secret? Naw, it's just that brown rice is the whole grain, so it still contains its fiber-rich bran--and more B vitamins too.
Copyright 2003 Primedia Intertec, a Primedia Company.
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FKA/is_4_65/ai_98921144

High-Fiber-Health

Diet High In Carbs & Low In Fiber Increases Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes

Harvard researchers prospectively examined the association between glycemic index, glycemic load, and dietary fiber and the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Since increasing evidence suggests an important role of carbohydrate quality in the development of type 2 diabetes, in 1991 Harvard researchers prospectively examined the association between glycemic index, glycemic load, and dietary fiber and the risk of type 2 diabetes in 91249 young women who completed a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire that assessed dietary intake. The women were followed for 8 years for the development of incident type 2 diabetes, and dietary information was updated in 1995.

They identified 741 incident cases of confirmed type 2 diabetes during 8 years (716 300 person-years) of follow-up. After adjustment for age, body mass index, family history of diabetes, and other potential confounders, glycemic index was significantly associated with an increased risk of diabetes (multivariate relative risks for quintiles 1-5, respectively: 1, 1.15, 1.07, 1.27, and 1.59; P for trend equals 0.001). Conversely, cereal fiber intake was associated with a decreased risk of diabetes (multivariate relative risks for quintiles 1-5, respectively: 1, 0.85, 0.87, 0.82, and 0.64; P for trend = 0.004). Glycemic load was not significantly associated with risk in the overall cohort (multivariate relative risks for quintiles 1-5, respectively: 1, 1.31, 1.20, 1.14, and 1.33; P for trend equals 0.21).

The researchers concluded: "A diet high in rapidly absorbed carbohydrates and low in cereal fiber is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes."

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 80, No. 2, 348-356, August 2004
http://natamcancer.org/page26.html
High-Fiber-Health

The Gift of Fiber

A few simple changes to your holiday cooking and baking can make a big difference in your family's health. Adding fiber to foods can lower cholesterol levels, prevent gastrointestinal disorders, forestall coronary artery disease, and reduce obesity and the risk of diabetes. Guidelines recommend 30-35 grams total dietary fiber daily. Here are some easy ways to increase the fiber in your meals.

* Eat high-fiber cereal or add unprocessed bran to your regular breakfast cereal.

* Use bran when making meatloaf, bread, muffins, cake or cookies.

* Use whole-grain breads made with 100 percent whole-wheat flour.

* Substitute whole-wheat flour for half of regular flour in baking.

* Use brown rice, barley, whole-wheat pasta, and bulgur.

* Eat high-fiber snacks such as dried fruits, raw vegetables, low-fat popcorn, and whole-grain crackers.

* Add kidney or garbanzo beans to canned soups and salads.

* Use barley in soups and stews.

copyright 2004 Saturday Evening Post Society
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1189/is_6_276/ai_n6258446
High-Fiber-Health

Flaxseed: As Good As It Gets

Flax could be the treasure at the end of your search for the perfect high fiber food. Flax is an oil seed productively grown in rich river valleys throughout the world. It has by far the highest amount of dietary fiber of any healthy foods. It offers soluble and insoluble fiber, a whopping 26%. One ounce of flaxseed provides 32% of the USDA's Reference Daily Intake of fiber.

Not only is flax a high fiber food, it also has protein, vitamins and minerals, and lignans. Since you're wondering, lignans are plant fibers with phytonutrients and antioxidants found in such high fiber foods such as soybeans, broccoli, some berries and pumpkin seeds.

Flax has the highest amount of lignans than other foods, about 100 to 400 times more. Neither wheat bran, rye, soybeans nor oats can compare with the amount of lignan found in flaxseeds.

High fiber friends, beware! Flax oil does not have the fiber benefit that the ground seed supplies.

The benefits of fiber from flax are only available in ground flaxseed. The body cannot get the necessary lignans and alpha linolenic acids from the indigestible unground flaxseed. It must be ground before it is consumed using a coffee grinder or blender.

It is recommended taking flaxseed twice a day. Mix ground flaxseed with your favorite beverage. It takes no time at all and will supply you with the high fiber count of 10 grams of fiber.

But this isn't the only way to have your flax. You can add ground flaxseed to bread, biscuits, muffins, cookies, cakes, waffles, or pancakes. Kids can use it as a topping on yogurt or ice cream. Try it sprinkled on pizza...they'll love it.

Another good reason to include flaxseed in your high fiber health regime is because of its high amount of alpha linolenic acid (ALA), a type of omega-3 fatty acid.

Flax's high fiber content makes it nature's lubricant and helps to prevent constipation and promotes good colon health. It absorbs and transports fats along the digestive tract at a quicker pace. Your weight is managed because of the fullness flax provides when consumed. It even promotes healthy hair and skin.

Today, flax is experiencing an amazing revival among nutritionists, health-minded folk and savvy cooks. If you want a high fiber food that does it all, flax is as good as it gets.

by Stephanie Shank a.k.a. Fiberlady
High-Fiber-Health

High Fiber Health Throughout the Holidays With The Glycemic Index

And what do you want for Christmas this year, asks Fiberlady? GI? GI Joe? Sorry, but I cannot consciously support the military-industrial complex by purchasing idols of warmongers for children to reenact their misplaced power. Okay, go ahead. Tell Santa.

The only GI that I can conscientiously promote is the Glycemic Index otherwise known as the GI. Originally used to manage diabetes, the theory behind the Glycemic Index is simply to reduce insulin-related problems by identifying and monitoring foods that have the greatest effect on your blood sugar.

If you want to learn (it's as easy as buttering a carrot bran muffin), here's how it works. The Glycemic Index system ranks foods from 0 (good) to 100 (not so good) according to the effect on blood sugar levels after eating. Low-GI foods (less than 55) produce a gradual rise in blood sugar that's easy on the body, keeping blood sugar levels fairly tame. Foods between 55 and 70 are intermediate-GI foods. Foods with high-GI numbers (more than 70) make blood sugar as well as insulin levels quickly surge.

A GI value tells you only how rapidly a particular carbohydrate turns into glucose. It doesn't tell you how much of that carbohydrate is in a serving of a particular food. Adding protein and/or fat or increasing acidity may alter the GI of any given carbohydrate-laden food.

Here's a simple comparison. White bread (GI=70), not a high fiber food by any means, is digested almost immediately to glucose, causing blood sugar to spike rapidly. Brown rice(GI=59), however, is digested more slowly, causing a lower and more subtle change in blood sugar. Once more. By eating a cup of All Bran cereal (GI=51), your blood sugar level will sustain you longer than a cup of corn flakes (GI=83). The numbers say it all. Corn Flakes brings up your blood sugar faster than All Bran. When blood sugar rises and falls rapidly, the body is stimulated to eat again. What? Never during the holidays.

During the holiday season you need to be particularly aware of a high fiber diet of which many are low to intermediate-GI foods. Otherwise you will be seeking a serious weigh loss plan in the new year from overeating refined and processed foods, i.e. cakes, pies, cookies.

To stave off the indulgences, eat low-GI foods such as beans, vegetables, fruits and certain whole-grains. These choices also effect the amount of fat absorbed in the body, and less calories to burn off. You stay full and away from that beckoning buffet! Fiberlady reminds you that they don't call it the holiday spread for nothing.

High fiber foods are crucial when balancing a low glycemic diet. Your blood sugar will maintain a slow, even rate so you can ease your way through holiday gatherings without too many ups and downs. You really can't fumble this balancing act because high fiber foods provide the perfect safety net on the Glycemic Index. It might be enough reason to bring GI Joe home for the holidays.

by Stephanie Shank a.k.a Fiberlady
High-Fiber-Health

How much fiber is enough?

Most health organizations agree that adults should consume between 20 and 35 grams of dietary fiber each day. If, like many Americans, you have not been consuming enough fiber, it is probably best to gradually increase your intake. This should eliminate minor problems some people experience with a rapid increase in fiber intake, including stomach and intestinal discomfort and gas.

With a little planning, it is easy to reach your dietary fiber intake goal. The dietary fiber content of packaged foods is listed on the Nutrition Facts Panel. By taking a minute to read food labels, you can begin to make good dietary fiber choices. Adding a serving of red kidney beans (half cup) to your chili adds 6.5 grams of fiber. A wheat bran-rich cereal can provide as much as 15 grams of fiber per serving whereas other cereals (although nutritionally beneficial in other ways) may provide less than one gram of fiber per serving. If you do not enjoy high-fiber choices, mixing a high-fiber cereal with a low-fiber cereal is one way to get some of the benefits of both.

http://www.ific.org/foodinsight/1999/ma/fiberfi299.cfm
High Fiber Health

High Fiber Foods: How To Head Off Holiday Indulgences

Everybody knows this one. That nasty burning feeling in your throat after you unwisely devour just one more helping of Grandma Betty's double layer praline pumpkin chiffon pie. Indigestion is what most people know as heartburn. Burping, bloating and gas are all typical and socially challenging symptoms of common indigestion.

Don't think you have to avoid friends and family. Simply eat early, eat less, and stay away from foods that are the culprits of your discomfort. A fiber rich diet that includes soluble and insoluble fibers like vegetables, legumes, whole grains is a mainstay for subduing holiday overeating.

Including high fiber foods, not only during your holiday meals but in your everyday menus, is your strongest bet for improving your digestion and general health. Fiber not only reduces your risk for certain diseases and conditions such as high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and colon cancer, but your body is better able to detoxify all that you dump into it. There is less stress on your immune system.

Fiber’s greatest (and longest, if you are measuring your colon) benefit is assisting your 30-foot digestive system in improving its speed and efficiency. By speeding up the digestive process, constipation becomes a word less uttered. Naturally, sticking to a high fiber diet has many more substantial health benefits.

For starters, high fiber foods soak up fats. You eliminate most fiber without it being totally digested or absorbed into your bloodstream. That means no calories. Your high fiber meal soaks up water like a sponge and gives you that "full" feeling. While your intestines roll merrily along, the soluble fiber is truly curbing your appetite as your stomach slows down its emptying time. Your digestive system has more needed time to absorb the good nutrients from the fiber-rich food you just ate.

Fiber also binds with some carbohydrates to slow down their rate of absorption and digestion. If you suffer much from mood and energy swings, a high fiber diet around the holidays will keep your blood sugar level more balanced. This might just help you tolerate listening to Uncle Harry's fishing stories again this season.

Stephanie Shank
High Fiber Health

10 Easy Ways to Boost Your Daily Fiber

1. Consume whole fruits and vegetables instead of juice. The peels on apples and the white pith on oranges are rich sources of fiber, as are potato skins.

2. Cut back on refined foods. "Enriched flour" means the product was originally impoverished. In many refined foods, the fiber-containing parts have been removed.

3. Try a daily yogurt smoothie (See School-ade) made in the blender with a couple handfuls of fresh fruits, such as strawberries, bananas, papaya, blueberries, and pears. Blend in a heaping tablespoon of psyllium husks. Drink it quickly before it gels.

4. Snack on dried fruits, such as apricots, figs, prunes, and raisins.

5. Use whole grains instead of white. White bread and white rice have had the fiber processed out of them. (This is why white bread and white rice have a reputation for being constipating.) Instead use whole grains: bread made with whole wheat flour, whole grain cereals that contain wheat bran or oat bran, whole grain cornmeal, wheat germ, and barley. Instead of white rice, use brown or wild rice.

6. Be a bean freak. Nearly all varieties of beans are a rich source of fiber, especially kidney beans, which can be served in many forms, such as in salads, soups, bean burritos, or chili.

7. Dip it. A chickpea dip (i.e. hummus) is nutritious and fiber-rich.

8. Choose a high-fiber cereal. If you find that high-fiber cereals are not the most palatable, try mixing a couple of tablespoons of All-Bran or psyllium husks with your favorite cereal to boost the fiber content. Add lots of milk, rice beverage, or juice and enjoy.

9. Choose your lettuce wisely. Iceberg lettuce is useless as a source of fiber and any other nutrients. Spinach and romaine lettuce are healthier choices.

10. Fresh fruits have more fiber than canned fruits because much of the fiber is in the peel, which is usually removed in processing.

Article Source
High Fiber Health

Dietary Fiber Does Help Prevent Colon Cancer

Colon cancer takes the lives of more than 28,540 American men each year, and it kills nearly as many women, placing it second only to lung cancer on the list of cancer killers. New studies show that dietary fiber, previously thought to not aid against colon cancer, has a large role in preventing it, according to the August issue of the Harvard Men's Health Watch from Harvard Medical School.

Many studies have shown other benefits of fiber as well, such as reducing the risk of diabetes, intestinal problems, and heart disease. A Harvard study, for example, found that over six years, the men who ate the most fiber (averaging 28.9 grams a day) had 41% fewer heart attacks compared with the men who ate the least. Scientists have also linked a high-fiber diet to a 42% reduction in the risk of diverticulosis. That's a big benefit, since half of all Americans over age 60 have this intestinal condition.

The Institutes of Medicine have set new daily fiber intake targets for men at 38 grams for those under 50 and 30 grams for men over 50. That's more than twice the amount in the average diet, but if the scientists are right, eating that much fiber could reduce the risk of colon cancer by 40%, reports the Harvard Men's Health Watch.

"You stand to gain a lot from dietary fiber, but to get all these benefits, you need to eat a good mix of high-fiber foods," says Dr. Harvey Simon, editor in chief of the Harvard Men's Health Watch. Fiber is found in abundance in vegetable products such as the bran of whole grains, the leaves and stems of plants, and nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables.

Christine Junge of Harvard Health Publications
Article Source

High Fiber Health

Blood pressure rising? Eat more fiber

Eating a high-fiber diet can lower high blood pressure and even improve healthy blood pressure levels, say Tulane University researchers in a study published in the March 2005 issue of the Journal of Hypertension.

"We performed a comprehensive analysis of data from 25 clinical trials and all the data pointed to one strong conclusion -- adding fiber to a person's diet has a healthy effect on their blood pressure," says Seamus Whelton, lead author and a medical student at the Tulane University School of Medicine. "Analyzing a large number of studies lends strength to the conclusions of clinical trials that involved too few participants to show an effect of dietary fiber on blood pressure."

The data represented 1,477 adult study participants. People who ate 7.2 to 18.9 grams of fiber a day experienced a reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Studies that continued for eight or more weeks also showed significant reductions in blood pressure.

The researchers recommend that people add fruits and vegetables to their diets in order to increase dietary fiber intake. People can also get dietary fiber in pill form, Whelton says.

"Other lifestyle changes can also help reduce blood pressure," Whelton added. He encourages people with high blood pressure to talk with their physician about lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise habits.

Whelton and his team called for further research into the role dietary fiber can play in reducing blood pressure.
Article Source
High Fiber Health

Fiber: A help during the holidays

Although it’s part of a healthy diet, most
Americans skimp on the recommended daily
amount of 30 grams of fiber. But realize that
fiber also goes a long way in helping keep
weight in check. Think about fiber’s positive
effects if you’re getting ready to overindulge
in holiday treats:

Fiber increases the feeling of fullness
and reduces hunger between meals.
People on higher-fiber diets tendency
to lose weight easier. Studies have shown
that people on unrestricted diets that were
higher in fiber lost more than four pounds
in three months.

Because the body can’t absorb most of the
fiber in foods, it passes through your
gastrointestinal tract without leaving behind
any calories.

Fiber attracts water, which help you
feel full long before you’re able to stuff
yourself with excess calories.

It also makes you chew longer, which
gives your stomach more time to tell your
brain that it’s full.

Some types of fiber and their ability to
hold on to water can help delay the emptying
of the stomach. That allows food and nutrients
to hang around longer, reducing the feeling of hunger.

Now that's something Santa's little helpers can't do.
Article Source
High Fiber Health

Fiber: low fiber diet

Dietary fiber is the indigestible portion of plant foods and an important nutrient for health. Most Americans consume less fiber than their body requires for optimal function. A low fiber diet contributes to constipation, bowel irregularity, and bowel diseases like colon cancer. Low fiber diets have caused Americans to become big consumers of laxative and stool softening agents. Most of these agents would not be needed if people added more fiber to their diets.

The recommended intake of dietary fiber is 25 to 30 grams per day. The average American adult consumes only 10 to 12 grams of fiber each day. Many consume a diet high in animal and processed foods that contain little or no fiber.

High fiber diets not only promote bowel regularity, they also reduce our risk of breast and colon cancer. Fiber also helps to reduce cholesterol and blood glucose levels.

Some intestinal disorders require low fiber diets during acute flare-ups. These include:

* intestinal inflammation
* Crohn's disease and
* diverticulitis

For these disorders, a low fiber diet is followed only for a short time as advised by a healthcare provider. A high fiber diet is normally resumed once the acute symptoms have subsided.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of fiber as are whole grain breads, cereals, pastas, brown rice, and beans.

Source
High FIber Health

High Fiber Diet Highly Effective in Lowering Cholesterol

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and nuts may reduce cholesterol levels and consequently lower the risk of heart disease as effectively as state-of-the-art drug therapy, results of a recent study reveal.

However, the diet contains three to four times more fiber - mostly from leafy vegetables - than the traditional Western diet and may be difficult to adhere to.

A significant percentage of adults in the Western world are candidates for cholesterol-lowering drugs. Possibly a better way forward, nutritionally and environmentally, is to retrace our steps to the original diet of humans and incorporate more plant foods in today's diets.

The researchers investigated the effects of three diets on 10 healthy individuals. Each person followed a vegetarian diet rich in fruits, vegetables and nuts containing 100 grams of fiber; a diet of mostly cereals and legumes, containing 40 grams of fiber; and a low-fat diet that contained 25 grams of fiber, for 2 weeks. Nutrition guidelines recommend that most people consume 25 to 35 grams of fiber daily. Each diet was separated by 9 months and contained about 2,500 calories a day, according to the report in the April issue of Metabolism.

After just 1 week, individuals on the high-fiber diet lowered total cholesterol by about 20% and reduced LDL (''bad'') cholesterol by about 30%.
SOURCE: Metabolism 2001.

Article Source
High Fiber Health

Fiber And Coughs

If you have had a persistent cough and nothing seems to help, try eating more fiber. A new study at the University of California at Davis suggests fiber may help protect the lungs from ailments like a cough with phlegm.

The study of 44,000 people found that people who ate the most fiber had the lowest rate of problems like a productive cough.

Fiber-rich foods like apples, pears and soy products appeared to have the biggest lung protecting benefits.

Researchers believe the protective benefit comes from specific antioxidants called flavonoids in these foods.

Article Source
High Fiber Health

Make Plans Now for Diabetes-Healthy Holiday Gatherings and High Fiber

Holiday gatherings and parties pose a special challenge for people with diabetes. The key to a diabetes-healthy gathering is having a variety of healthy food selections.

If you have diabetes, follow these tips to help keep your blood sugar level in the normal range throughout the holidays and the winter months ahead:

* Eat a low-calorie, healthy snack before you leave home. That way you won't overeat when you get to the party.
* Have a plan for what, when, and how much you will eat. Check out the buffet table and then select the healthy foods that fit your meal plan.
* Contribute your favorite healthy dish to the holiday buffet.
* Eat slowly and enjoy every bite. Eating slowly reduces your chances of eating too much.
* Drink water. Water is the healthy, no-calorie beverage.

If you are hosting a holiday gathering, here are just a few ideas of what you can do to help your guests with diabetes:

* Offer a variety of low fat, high fiber foods. That means fresh fruits and vegetables, grilled or broiled lean meats, fish, and turkey and chicken without the skin. Cut down on mayonnaise, oil, and butter and increase fiber with whole grain breads, peas, and beans.
* Transform traditionally high fat and high calorie foods into low fat healthier versions. For example, use nonfat or 1 percent milk instead of whole milk or cream. Try low fat cottage cheese and plain yogurt instead of cream cheese.
* Be supportive of your family members and friends with diabetes. Encourage loved ones to stay in control of their disease. If you see them slipping, don't chastise or scold them--keep encouraging them.

Article Source
High Fiber Health

Holiday Temptations

December is when most of us put on those extra pounds from eating too much of the wrong foods. If we take an inventory of our health, set some goals and lay down a few rules, we will not have as much weight to lose in January.

Now, let's take an inventory. Do we weigh more or less than twelve months ago? Are we exercising? Are we eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables? Are we eating whole wheat bread and pastas instead of the white ones? Are we watching our salt, fat and sugar consumption? Are we drinking 8 glasses of water a day?

If you are like me and find it hard to stay on track this month, then let's set some goals. My biggest temptation is from double dipped chocolate pecans. The other goodies my patients bring in the office are also very tempting. I am setting a goal to eat fruit and just a few of the other treats. I also have a goal to eat just a few of the double dipped chocolate pecans instead of the whole bag.

Before going to a party or a function, eat a healthy-filling snack at home. When I know I will be facing tempting food, I usually drink the fiber drink I recommend with grund flaxseeds and oat bran mixed in apple juice.

It helps to have rules to follow before indulging at holiday meals and parties. Eat lightly and get plenty of exercise the day before and the day after a party or dinner. If it is a buffet, start with the raw vegetables, salads and fresh fruit. Choose the sandwiches made with whole wheat bread and chicken or turkey instead of ham. It also helps to keep the calories down if you avoid foods that have mayonnaise in them. When you get to the sweets, hopefully you'll only have room for just a small sampling. Drink water instead of punch or eggnog.

When preparing your holiday foods, use healthier ingredients. Substitute whole wheat flour for white flour and cut back on the fat, salt and sugar. If you usually serve ham, have turkey instead. Desserts made from scratch are much healthier than those out of a box or the grocery store. Do like Cindy does and study the recipe ahead of time and make the necessary changes in order for it to be healthier. When you cut the butter in half, it still tastes just as good. The same goes for the salt and sugar.

Here are a few tips for you as we approach a new year. The cost of exercise equipment can be deducted this year from your income tax. There are certain criteria you have to meet, so check with your accountant. Also, check with your physician to see if there are any overdue tests you need to have done this month before you have to start all over on your health insurance deductible. The mammogram, the PSA, the potassium level if you are on a fluid pill, the occult blood test or better yet, a colonoscopy could all be considered. A cholesterol check, including something called "lipoprotein little-a" could put you in the mood for eating right over the holidays.

By Robert M.Richey,M.D.
Article Source
High Fiber Health

Fat fighting foods: these easy fiber fixes fight hunger and promote health

On top of scrambling a dozen egg whites, grilling four chicken breasts, opening three cans of tuna and scheduling your pre- and post-workout supplements and shakes, fiber might be the furthest thing from your mind. But it could also be just the weight-loss edge you need. Along with providing myriad health benefits, dietary fiber can help you control hunger and lose weight.

How does fiber help? "First is the chew factor," notes Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, director of sports-medicine nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "Foods that have fiber take longer to eat.

"Second, foods that have fiber take a little longer to empty from the digestive tract, so you feel fuller longer," adds Bonci, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and author of the ADA's Guide to Better Digestion (2003).

"Third, foods that have soluble fiber, such as oatmeal and mature beans, help stabilize blood sugar over the day, so you don't feel as hungry," she explains.

Seems like you'd be foolish not to have fiber if you're trying to control your weight. Since fiber also helps prevent cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other maladies, you should be screaming for fiber by now.

Muscle & Fitness, June 2004 by Jo Ellen Krumm
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High Fiber Health

Controlling Holiday Appetites Naturally With Fiber

Sometimes you just need a little help with your weight loss efforts, especially during the holidays. The holidays are infamous for bringing holiday spreads that can make any dieter cringe – appetizers, drinks, meals and desserts all add to unwanted holiday weight gain. But with the right knowledge, and the right tools, you can help suppress unruly appetites and boost your metabolism to help you keep your weight maintenance goals and avoid holiday weight gain.

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that cannot be digested by the body. As it moves through the digestive tract it may bind to some of the fat present there from the foods you’ve just eaten, preventing it from being absorbed into the body. The fiber and whatever fatty substance it is bound to, such as triglycerides or cholesterol, is excreted in the stool and adds bulk, which supports colon health. Focusing on a fiber-rich diet may help you lose weight as fiber aids weight loss in these three ways:

1 - Fiber-rich foods may decrease fat-absorption
2 - Eating fiber gives you a feeling of fullness, thus suppressing appetite
3 - Foods high in fiber are generally low in calories. All three factors help support and optimize your weight loss efforts

Enjoy your guilt-free holiday eating!

http://www.lifescript.com/channels/healthy_living/
Holiday/controlling_holiday_appetites_naturally.asp

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