Roughing It!

To quote Havard University's School of Public Health [14]: it's time to start roughing it!

Here are some recommendations they make for increasing fiber

1. Eat whole fruits instead of drinking fruit juices.
2. Replace white rice, bread, and pasta with brown rice and whole grain products.
3. Choose whole grain cereals for breakfast.
4. Snack on raw vegetables instead of chips, crackers, or chocolate bars.
5. Substitute legumes for meat two to three times per week in chili and soups.
6. Experiment with international dishes (such as Indian or Middle Eastern) that use whole grains and legumes as part of the main meal (as in Indian dahls) or in salads (for example, tabbouleh). 

Okay, so how?  Well, again, the good folks at Harvard (all on the same website link above), nicely provide us a list of foods that you can add to your diet to increase both types of fiber (because they are both equally important!)

Soluble fiber is that which dissolves in water and is responsible for helping lower your cholesterol and regulating your blood sugar.

• Oatmeal, oatbran
• Nuts and seeds
• Legumes
• Beans
• Dried peas
• Lentils
• Apples
• Pears
• Strawberries
• Blueberries

Insoluble fiber is that which does not dissolve in water, and thus, really good at cleaning you out!

• Whole wheat bread
• Barley
• Couscous
• Brown rice
• Bulgur
• Whole grain breakfast cereals
• Wheat bran
• Seeds
• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini
• Celery
• Tomatoes

Also, another great source of information on fiber is www.dietaryfiber.com which will provide you will all the information--and much more--you could ever want or need to know about fiber!

And again (yes, you're getting this on ever fiber post!) remember to drink your water and take it slow on increasing your fiber to avoid any unfortunate, um, side effects!

~a grain of salt for your bloody mary (because it has tomatoes and a celery stick, both of which help boost your insoluble fiber!)

An "F" for FABULOUS!

There are 2 types of fiber: soluble and insoluble.  WebMD defines them as:

"Soluble fibers bind with fatty acids and slow digestion so blood sugars are released more slowly into the body. These fibers help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and help regulate blood sugar levels for people with diabetes. Insoluble fibers help move waste through the intestines and control the pH levels in the intestines. These fibers help prevent constipation and keep you regular." [13]

Basically one lowers your cholesterol and regulates blood sugar and the other makes you poop!  Either way, they are both very important to your overall health.

You'll feel better, you're blood sugars will even out, you'll lower your risk for developing cardiovascular disease, not to mention strokes and diabetes, and of course, you'll poop better and regularly.  All of this will make you a much happier person (just ask anyone who doesn't poop regularly!!) And, of course, one more reminder about increasing your intake slowly!

~a grain of salt for your bloody mary (for extra fiber, of course!)

Beans, Beans The Magical Fruit...

This week's Hellthy Habit is upping your fiber intake.  The recommended daily [12] intake is 38 grams for men and 25 grams for women (which drops to 30 & 21 grams respectively for everyone over 51 years).

JUST A WORD OF WARNING: fiber is not the thing you on which to go overboard!!  You definitely want to work your way up slowly, otherwise, your stomach, intestines, and anyone living, working, or within a 10 feet radius won't be thanking you very much!!!


The first thing you need to do is figure out how much fiber your getting already and then set about to increase it several grams a day until you've reached your goal.  So, how to up your fiber intake?


Fruits
Veggies
Whole Grains
Beans


Of course you can use supplements (think Metamucil or FiberOne), but in the long run getting fiber from food is better, as foods that have the most fiber, like fruits & veggies, have other benefits (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc, etc.).


So what's the point of bulking up your diet?


Not only does the fiber make you more regular (good pooping is important!), but it lowers your risk for heart disease by lowering your cholesterol and regulating your blood sugars (which also reduces your risk of developing diabetes), and it helps you feel fuller longer, which of course helps curb your appetite.  No matter how you look at it, you can't go wrong with more fiber!


~a little salt for your bloody mary & celery, for the fiber of course!


PS--don't forget to drink water, it helps the fiber work better!