So I am going to do my best to post weekly guides and post random health tips when I can. I realize I have not gotten this thing completely organized and for that I apologize but this is a learning process for me as well.
That being said I will be posting a blog on liquids to lower your cholesterol tomorrow. Wine drinkers stay tuned!
I'll end this little note with a great tip from an inspirational health vlog I watch.
Whatever meal you are about to enjoy, if it does not involve fruits or veggies, eat a fruit or vegetable first. So if you are just having cereal for breakfast eat a banana or something else first. If you are having fruit salad than you are good to go. If you obey this rule you will notice that you are closer to getting your daily intake of fruits and vegetables than you ever have been!
Thanks for reading, may you live a long and healthy life!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Not the why but the how...
How do we lower cholesterol and triglycerides?
The obvious answer of course, nutrition! Nutrition is the starting point for changing almost any health issue into a non issue.
So now we know diet is the best way hands down but what kind of diet?
One high in fiber of course! Fiber and good fatty acids are the bread and butter of lowering cholesterol levels and triglycerides. The funny thing, most people don't even know what fiber is or how many different food groups are loaded with fiber. I know I didn't before I got my ass on google to find out.
So here it is, the down low on fiber:
To quote Wikipedia, fiber is the indigestible portion of plant foods that acts by changing the nature of the contents of the gastrointestinal tract, and by changing how other nutrients and chemicals are absorbed.
WTF does that mean?
It means it's and indigestible component of food that helps us digest what we eat. It comes in two forms, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber is broken down by the body and creates a gel like substance when mixed with water in the digestive tract. Soluble fiber binds with fatty acids and prolongs stomach emptying time so that sugar is released and absorbed more slowly. Soluble fiber is the main factor in controlling cholesterol levels and insulin levels in the body. You could say it has a bigger sweet tooth than we do. People with diabetes should pay close attention to the benefits of soluble fiber.
Insoluble fiber passes through the body relatively in tact to move the bulk of the food we eat through the intestines, sort of like and intestinal Draino. Insoluble also fiber helps control and balance the pH (acidity) in the intestines by absorbing it like a sponge and carrying it out through the bowels. Ever wonder why a bowel movement smells so much worse when you eat a buttload (pun intended) of insoluble fiber? That's why! Back to Draino, insoluble fiber promotes more frequent bowel movements and combats constipation. No it does not produce watery bowel movements, just more. A healthy human being should have between 2 and 4 bowel movements in a day depending on how much they eat. The coolest thing about insoluble fiber is that it helps prevent intestinal and colon cancer by balancing the PH level in the digestive tract and depriving cancer causing microbes of the environment they love.
You want about a 3 to 1 ratio of soluble and insoluble fiber in your diet. So 1/4 soluble and 3/4 insoluble, it is not practical to stress yourself out over the exact numbers so just try to keep it with in that ball park and you'll do just fine.
So that's the what's what, how about the where is what?
Here is a great list of foods that are high in fiber that has been mega useful to me over the years:
Mind you, it's not all of them but a few to help you get the idea. This guide is especially important for those who have IBS or other digestive issues. Soluble is highlighted in blue and insoluble is highlighted in green.
Insoluble:
Whole wheat flour, whole wheat bread, whole wheat cereal
Wheat bran
Whole grains, whole grain breads, whole grain cereals
Granola
Meusli
Seeds
Nuts
Popcorn
Beans and lentils (mashed or pureed they're much safer)
Berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, cranberries, etc.)
Grapes and raisins
Cherries
Pineapple
Peaches, nectarines, apricots, and pears with skins (peeled they're much safer)
Apples (peeled they're safe)
Rhubarb
Melons
Oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes
Dates and prunes
Greens (spinach, lettuce, kale, mesclun, collards, arugala, watercress, etc.)
Whole peas, snow peas, snap peas, pea pods
Green beans
Kernel corn
Bell peppers (roasted and peeled they're safer)
Eggplant (peeled and seeded it's much safer)
Celery
Onions, shallots, leeks, scallions, garlic
Cabbage, bok choy, Brussels sprouts
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Tomatoes (peeled and seeded, especially raw, they're much safer)
Cucumbers (again, peel and seed them and they're much safer)
Sprouts (alfalfa, sunflower, radish, etc.)
Fresh herbs
Recommended fiber amounts for women is 21 to 25 grams a day and for men is 30 to 38 grams a day.
To look up Nutrition facts and fiber contents of certain foods not on this list go here:
You can also find great recipes for adding healthy foods to your favorite meals.
http://www.whfoods.com/
References for this blog post came from these sites:
http://www.healthcastle.com
http://www.helpforibs.com
http://www.wikipedia.org/
Last but not least, I am not a nutritionist. DON'T be afraid to do your own research, you will fare better having found the knowledge yourself. I hope this post has helped answer some of your questions on the health benefits of fiber. Next time we will tackle liquids for cholesterol!
May you live an long and healthy life!
The obvious answer of course, nutrition! Nutrition is the starting point for changing almost any health issue into a non issue.
So now we know diet is the best way hands down but what kind of diet?
One high in fiber of course! Fiber and good fatty acids are the bread and butter of lowering cholesterol levels and triglycerides. The funny thing, most people don't even know what fiber is or how many different food groups are loaded with fiber. I know I didn't before I got my ass on google to find out.
So here it is, the down low on fiber:
To quote Wikipedia, fiber is the indigestible portion of plant foods that acts by changing the nature of the contents of the gastrointestinal tract, and by changing how other nutrients and chemicals are absorbed.
WTF does that mean?
It means it's and indigestible component of food that helps us digest what we eat. It comes in two forms, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber is broken down by the body and creates a gel like substance when mixed with water in the digestive tract. Soluble fiber binds with fatty acids and prolongs stomach emptying time so that sugar is released and absorbed more slowly. Soluble fiber is the main factor in controlling cholesterol levels and insulin levels in the body. You could say it has a bigger sweet tooth than we do. People with diabetes should pay close attention to the benefits of soluble fiber.
Insoluble fiber passes through the body relatively in tact to move the bulk of the food we eat through the intestines, sort of like and intestinal Draino. Insoluble also fiber helps control and balance the pH (acidity) in the intestines by absorbing it like a sponge and carrying it out through the bowels. Ever wonder why a bowel movement smells so much worse when you eat a buttload (pun intended) of insoluble fiber? That's why! Back to Draino, insoluble fiber promotes more frequent bowel movements and combats constipation. No it does not produce watery bowel movements, just more. A healthy human being should have between 2 and 4 bowel movements in a day depending on how much they eat. The coolest thing about insoluble fiber is that it helps prevent intestinal and colon cancer by balancing the PH level in the digestive tract and depriving cancer causing microbes of the environment they love.
You want about a 3 to 1 ratio of soluble and insoluble fiber in your diet. So 1/4 soluble and 3/4 insoluble, it is not practical to stress yourself out over the exact numbers so just try to keep it with in that ball park and you'll do just fine.
So that's the what's what, how about the where is what?
Here is a great list of foods that are high in fiber that has been mega useful to me over the years:
Mind you, it's not all of them but a few to help you get the idea. This guide is especially important for those who have IBS or other digestive issues. Soluble is highlighted in blue and insoluble is highlighted in green.
Insoluble:
Whole wheat flour, whole wheat bread, whole wheat cereal
Wheat bran
Whole grains, whole grain breads, whole grain cereals
Granola
Meusli
Seeds
Nuts
Popcorn
Beans and lentils (mashed or pureed they're much safer)
Berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, cranberries, etc.)
Grapes and raisins
Cherries
Pineapple
Peaches, nectarines, apricots, and pears with skins (peeled they're much safer)
Apples (peeled they're safe)
Rhubarb
Melons
Oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes
Dates and prunes
Greens (spinach, lettuce, kale, mesclun, collards, arugala, watercress, etc.)
Whole peas, snow peas, snap peas, pea pods
Green beans
Kernel corn
Bell peppers (roasted and peeled they're safer)
Eggplant (peeled and seeded it's much safer)
Celery
Onions, shallots, leeks, scallions, garlic
Cabbage, bok choy, Brussels sprouts
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Tomatoes (peeled and seeded, especially raw, they're much safer)
Cucumbers (again, peel and seed them and they're much safer)
Sprouts (alfalfa, sunflower, radish, etc.)
Fresh herbs
| Soluble: Rice Pasta and noodles Oatmeal Barley Fresh white breads such as French or sourdough (NOT whole wheat or whole grain)* Rice cereals Flour tortillas Soy Quinoa Corn meal Potatoes Carrots Yams Sweet potatoes Turnips Rutabagas Parsnips Beets Squash and pumpkins Mushrooms Chestnuts Avocados (though they do have some fat) Bananas Applesauce Mangoes Papayas (also digestive aids that relieve gas and indigestion) |
Recommended fiber amounts for women is 21 to 25 grams a day and for men is 30 to 38 grams a day.
To look up Nutrition facts and fiber contents of certain foods not on this list go here:
You can also find great recipes for adding healthy foods to your favorite meals.
http://www.whfoods.com/
References for this blog post came from these sites:
http://www.healthcastle.com
http://www.helpforibs.com
http://www.wikipedia.org/
Last but not least, I am not a nutritionist. DON'T be afraid to do your own research, you will fare better having found the knowledge yourself. I hope this post has helped answer some of your questions on the health benefits of fiber. Next time we will tackle liquids for cholesterol!
May you live an long and healthy life!
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