Categories
Weight Loss Exercise

Soluble fiber and insoluble fiber

I was looking through some cereals at the store the other day and noticed that fiber is now being broken up on food labels into the amount of soluble fiber versus insoluble fiber.

This made me a little nervous as I was not sure what I would really want in my diet. Is one better than the other? Well in a word, NO. Here is the differences:

Soluble Fiber

Soluble fiber is a fiber that binds with fatty acids, this helps it sit in your stomach and allows the sugars (carbohydrates) to site in your stomach longer and to be broken down. This will help to lower your cholesterol and to also regulate your blood sugar level better so it is helpful for everyone but especially those with diabetes.Soluble fiber and insoluble fiber

Insoluble Fiber

Insoluble fiber does not bind with anything and is the most common type of fiber in any diet. The insoluble fiber in your diet is the one that people most think about with fiber, it moves the bulk through your digestive system as well as toxins out of your colon.

Also insoluble fiber is helpful for regulating the PH level in your digestive tract.

So now you know. You will more than likely, when you look, see that there is more insoluble fiber but do not go out looking for more or less of either more often just go and make sure that you are getting a lot of fiber in your diet.

Most North American diets are very low in fiber as it is a natural food and as we know most people eat a lot more very processed and refined food and are therefore missing out on the health benefits of fiber.

Increasing Fiber Intake

How can you increase your intake of fiber easily? Well there are some obvious sources like Bran cereals and bran muffins but also legumes peas, soybeans, and other beans oats, rye, chia, and barley some fruits including apples and bananas, and berries, vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, zucchini, celery and tomatoes also root vegetables, such as potatoes and yams.

Is that enough sources of fiber? And can you see why most people do not get much fiber in their diet?

Categories
Weight Loss Exercise

Soluble fiber and insoluble fiber

I was looking through some cereals at the store the other day and noticed that fiber is now being broken up on food labels into the amount of soluble fiber versus insoluble fiber.

This made me a little nervous as I was not sure what I would really want in my diet. Is one better than the other? Well in a word, NO. Here is the differences:

Soluble Fiber

Soluble fiber is a fiber that binds with fatty acids, this helps it sit in your stomach and allows the sugars (carbohydrates) to site in your stomach longer and to be broken down. This will help to lower your cholesterol and to also regulate your blood sugar level better so it is helpful for everyone but especially those with diabetes.Soluble fiber and insoluble fiber

Insoluble Fiber

Insoluble fiber does not bind with anything and is the most common type of fiber in any diet. The insoluble fiber in your diet is the one that people most think about with fiber, it moves the bulk through your digestive system as well as toxins out of your colon.

Also insoluble fiber is helpful for regulating the PH level in your digestive tract.

So now you know. You will more than likely, when you look, see that there is more insoluble fiber but do not go out looking for more or less of either more often just go and make sure that you are getting a lot of fiber in your diet.

Most North American diets are very low in fiber as it is a natural food and as we know most people eat a lot more very processed and refined food and are therefore missing out on the health benefits of fiber.

Increasing Fiber Intake

How can you increase your intake of fiber easily? Well there are some obvious sources like Bran cereals and bran muffins but also legumes peas, soybeans, and other beans oats, rye, chia, and barley some fruits including apples and bananas, and berries, vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, zucchini, celery and tomatoes also root vegetables, such as potatoes and yams.

Is that enough sources of fiber? And can you see why most people do not get much fiber in their diet?

Categories
Weight Loss Exercise

The case against Antioxidants?

For years we have looked at antioxidants as being one of those magic substances that will heal our bodies from the ravages of free radicals and also the natural breakdown of the body.

New Scientist has an article today that disputes the help of antioxidants on getting rid of free radicals and even mentions a couple of reports and studies that support their hypothesis.

I am not to sure how much to trust this story but it is always important to look at any studies with a critical eye and watch as more and more come out. For now I will continue taking my vitamins and working on getting as many antioxidants into my diet as possible.

Wondering about what exactly an antioxidant is? Here is some info from Wikipedia:

Since the discovery of vitamins, it has been recognized that antioxidants from the diet are essential for healthful lives in humans and many other mammals. More recently, a large body of evidence has accumulated that suggests supplementation of the diet with various kinds of antioxidants can improve health and extend life. Many nutraceutical and health food companies now sell formulations of antioxidants as dietary supplement. These supplements may include specific antioxidant chemicals, like resveratrol (from grape seeds), combinations of antioxidants, like the “ACES” products that contain beta carotene (provitamin A), vitamin C, vitamin E and Selenium, or specialty herbs that are known to contain antioxidants such as green tea and jiaogulan. However, to date, the FDA finds insufficient evidence to endorse health claims that have been made regarding antioxidant supplementation (see Clinical Trials above).