The Fuss About Fiber

I recently got a question from a loyal follower (thank you!!! :)) regarding fiber.  There has been a big push in the food advertising industry to discuss fiber content of products.  So what is fiber?  Why is it important for a well balanced diet?  And does the source of the fiber matter?

Fiber is the structural parts of plants and therefore is found in everything that comes out of the ground: vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains.  There are two general categories: soluble and insoluble.  Without getting too science-y, I'm going to briefly discuss the differences in the two types as well as what it means for your body. 

Soluble
Soluble fibers are found in fruits, oats, barley and legumes.  These types of foods cause a delay in GI transit, delay glucose absorption and have been shown to lower blood cholesterol.

Insoluble
Insoluble fibers are found more in grains: wheat bran, whole wheat breads, cereals, and vegetables.  These fibers accelerate GI transit, slow starch hydrolysis, and delays glucose absorption.

Translation?

GI transit means the amount of time the bolus (equivalent of a grouping of food, e.g. a bite) remains in the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract.  Soluble fibers causing a delay in this transit will allow you to feel fuller longer, while insoluble fibers will promote healthy excretory patterns.

Glucose absorption refers to the time it takes for your food to affect your blood insulin levels.  The faster absorption occurs, the more disruptive of a spike and severe drop your metabolism will experience, resulting in extreme hunger, mood swings, etc.  The fact that both fiber types delay glucose absorption allow for a steady absorption of sugars into the bloodstream, facilitating an leveling affect.  This consistency allows for greater satiety (more about this in the next blog post), or satisfaction level.  The higher your satiety, the less you will eat.  Good right?

A couple of general things to remember:  the daily recommendation for fiber intake is 25-35 grams.  A nice large salad can provide up to half of your daily intake requirements.  Most fiber rich foods contain some of bothy types of fiber, so don't stress about getting enough of one particular type of food.  As will all of our dietary recommendations, just eating a wide variety of types and colors of food will most likely satisfy your dietary needs.  A good thing to keep in mind also is that most fiber supplements are not easily absorbed by your body.  SO, the very best way to get your fiber is a well balanced diet:)

That's all for today!

Exercise Like Snacking?

I read an article yesterday in my quarterly ACSM journal I thought would be worthy of sharing.  It mentioned that everyone, even regular exercisers, can still benefit from short intense bursts of exercise throughout the day.  So, I got to thinking about this and decided that maybe exercise is like snacking.  I eat three meals and two snacks per day.  The snacks are not my main course, but my body likes them to keep my metabolism running.  Also, they prevent me from overeating at any one meal. 

Applying this to exercise, your regularly scheduled exercise bout is the main course.  If you're anything like me, you tend to go a little crazy during this session because it's your only chance during the day to try to do something good for yourself.  However, if I incorporate exercise "snacks" throughout my day, this will also keep my metabolism revved, help to not have to kill myself during each workout, and keep me mindful all day long of opportunities to do something good for my body.  These "snacks" should not, of course, replace the main course, but they definitely can help.

A few years back, I would grit my teeth everytime I read an article about squeezing exercise into your day.  These touted the calorie burn of parking further away at the grocery store and taking the stairs at every opportunity.  This push to get people to think this was all they needed to do in order to get fit landed in disaster.  However, if we use the "meal-snack" analogy, these small bouts can enhance an already existing exercise program.

Can you make it a goal to find just three opportunities per day to "snack" on exercise?  If so, what are they?  Please share, either here or on our Facebook fan page!

Until next time...happy getting healthy! :)

HOT BY SUMMER 2011!

This year I am determined to rock a two piece (tasteful, of course :)).  So following my recovery, I've looked around and discovered I need to get my bod in shape!  Are you in the same boat?

Nearly every day I hear people saying weight loss isn't as easy as when they were younger.  I got to really thinking about this and think I might have some insight.  It's easy for us to blame hormones, medications and age, and granted, these do all play a role.  However, might it all be in our approach?  I remember simply cutting out soda for a week and dropping some pounds.  And when you're in your 20's it doesn't really matter so much.  But did I learn how to change my behavior?  Not in the least.  Once it was off, I could get away with going back to my old habits until they snuck up on me once again.  This mentality carries over into dieting.  Once we're successful, we lose our way once again.  Maybe our bodies are simply saying once and for all, "I'm sick of this!".  So how can we modify our behaviors for life in simple, permanent ways?

I'm going to give simple lifestyle tips from now until the beginning of summer to make easy edits in our lifestyles and way of thinking and hopefully these will become our healthy habits, fixtures of our lives.  So here are a few things to keep in mind along the way:

• Take your measurements now.  Bust, waist, hip, thigh, all at the biggest parts.  It may be brutal, but think of how awesome it will be to track over time. 
• Keep a food journal.  This is an absolute must for mindful eating.  Record everything.  Get a baseline for how many calories you are currently consuming per day by using free websites.  Just find your favorite one and get comfy.
• Be patient with yourself!  Permanent habits take time to develop.
• Give yourself a break.  Take one day per week to do something great for yourself.  Relax with a good book, take a nap, get a pedicure, etc.
• Remember that weight loss is a big giant math equation.  The more you consume, the more you have to burn in order to maintain your weight.  Be reasonable, of course, but thinking about it as a math problem takes some of the mystery away, doesn't it?  Refer to our "Discussion" tab on our Facebook Fan page to see how much you should be consuming per day.
• Don't obsess over the scale.  I always tell people to check in once a week.  Remember, muscle weighs more than fat, so the first 2-4 weeks of any program, your scale may go up before it goes down.  It's not just about the number.  It's about the journey.
• ALWAYS check with your health care provider to make sure you are healthy enough for any fitness and/or meal plan.  Consider any special needs in your daily intake of food, beverage, and activity modification.
• Find your support system.  Maybe it's here with this blog, maybe it's your significant other, child, workmates, etc.  Establish that NOW, and make sure you will be held accountable.
• Plan rewards that are not food related.  So many times when we have a great workout, we want to celebrate with that slab of cheesecake and 2 liter bottle of soda.  Think outside the box, plan your rewards ahead of time and make sure they are fitting in to your wholesome lifestyle and outlook.
• Set your long-term goal for 6/21/11 (first day of summer).  What does "HOT BY SUMMER" mean for you?  Now work to establish reasonable goals to get there.  Remember, healthy weight loss is generally 1-2 pounds per week, so don't create a plan that is not realistic.

Got it?  Sketch out the rough ideas of your goals, plans, and rewards, then talk about it on our Facebook page!  Ready, GO!!!