Showing posts with label meal planning diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meal planning diet. Show all posts
Fiber: The Diet Workhorse
Fiber has many health benefits, from lowering cholesterol levels to keeping you feeling full longer. Find out which high-fiber foods to add to your diet.
If you're trying to diet and finding it too tough to restrict calories because you're always starving, fiber may be just what you're lacking. "It keeps you feeling fuller for longer," says Sandra Meyerowitz, MPH, RD, a nutritionist and owner of Nutrition Works in Louisville, Ky. "You don't get as hungry as quickly, so it helps when somebody's trying to cut back on calories."
Fiber is a carbohydrate, but unlike other carbohydrates, it doesn't get broken down by your body, says Meyerowitz.
Simple carbohydrates, continues Meyerowitz, don't offer the same filling benefits. "With fiber added in, you're more satisfied. Fiber doesn't make the blood sugar go up quite as quickly. It allows the sugar to get into your system more slowly," she explains.
Beyond being a diet aid, there are many health benefits of fiber, including:
It's best that you get the fiber you need each day from foods in your diet rather than supplements. Most people need between 20 and 35 grams of fiber each day. Some good fiber-rich food choices are:
Getting fiber is great, but don't suddenly jump on the fiber bandwagon and ramp up your intake all at once. Take it slowly, and gradually increase your fiber each day to prevent side effects like diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, and gas.
Fiber is filling, delicious, and one of the healthiest things you can eat. There are a lot of easy and tasty ways to make fiber a big part of every day, and you'll quickly reap the health benefits. It's a simple way to feel full, be fit, and get your body into a healthy shape.
Source: http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/101/nutrition-basics/fiber-the-diet-workhorse.aspx
If you're trying to diet and finding it too tough to restrict calories because you're always starving, fiber may be just what you're lacking. "It keeps you feeling fuller for longer," says Sandra Meyerowitz, MPH, RD, a nutritionist and owner of Nutrition Works in Louisville, Ky. "You don't get as hungry as quickly, so it helps when somebody's trying to cut back on calories."
Fiber is a carbohydrate, but unlike other carbohydrates, it doesn't get broken down by your body, says Meyerowitz.
Simple carbohydrates, continues Meyerowitz, don't offer the same filling benefits. "With fiber added in, you're more satisfied. Fiber doesn't make the blood sugar go up quite as quickly. It allows the sugar to get into your system more slowly," she explains.
Beyond being a diet aid, there are many health benefits of fiber, including:
- Lowering cholesterol levels
- Improving digestion
- Reducing diabetes risk
- Improving heart health
- Reducing constipation
- Reducing the risk of diverticulitis (inflammation of the intestines)
- Maintaining steady control of blood sugar
Fiber in the Diet: Where to Find Fiber
Fiber is always found in edible plant materials and in the healthiest foods, like whole grains as well as fruits and vegetables. There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. "They act differently in your body when they're being processed,” Meyerowitz explains. “Soluble fiber can be somewhat dissolved by water; insoluble fiber can't."It's best that you get the fiber you need each day from foods in your diet rather than supplements. Most people need between 20 and 35 grams of fiber each day. Some good fiber-rich food choices are:
- Whole-grain breads, cereals, and pastas
- Fruits and vegetables
- Brown rice
- Dried beans
- Oatmeal
- Popcorn
Getting fiber is great, but don't suddenly jump on the fiber bandwagon and ramp up your intake all at once. Take it slowly, and gradually increase your fiber each day to prevent side effects like diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, and gas.
Fiber in the Diet: Smart Choices
Now that you know what foods are fiber-rich and good for you, it's time to start finding ways to work them into your daily meals and snacks. Try these tips to get more fiber every day:- Have oatmeal or whole-grain cereal for breakfast; top with some fresh fruit.
- Eat fruits and veggies raw and with skins for more fiber (if appropriate).
- Snack on fruits — dried or fresh is fine.
- Have bulgur, barley, or couscous as a side dish.
- Munch on popcorn when you need a snack.
- Switch to brown rice from white rice.
- Replace white pasta with whole-wheat pasta in your favorite dish.
- Add vegetables to pastas and other dishes.
- Get a minimum of 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of veggies every day. Choose those highest in fiber like pears, berries, apples, spinach, sweet potatoes, and peas.
- Have a bran muffin for breakfast or a snack.
Fiber is filling, delicious, and one of the healthiest things you can eat. There are a lot of easy and tasty ways to make fiber a big part of every day, and you'll quickly reap the health benefits. It's a simple way to feel full, be fit, and get your body into a healthy shape.
Source: http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/101/nutrition-basics/fiber-the-diet-workhorse.aspx
Carbohydrates: Your Diet's Fuel
Many fad diets give carbohydrates a bad rap, leading you to believe that they're the cause of unwanted weight gain. But carbs are an essential part of a healthy diet.
Before you feast on chicken and boycott carbs, take a closer look at the U.S. Food Pyramid. Carbohydrates are highlighted as an important part of a healthy diet, and not banned by any means. Your body needs a wide variety of foods to function and stay healthy.
"Carbohydrate is one of the macronutrients that we need, primarily for energy," says Sandra Meyerowitz, MPH, RD, a nutritionist, online nutrition coach, and owner of Nutrition Works in Louisville, Ky. While fats and protein are also necessary for energy, they're more of a long-term fuel source, while carbohydrates fulfill the body's most immediate energy needs. "It's your body's first source of energy — that's what it likes to use," adds Meyerowitz. Why does the body prefer carbs? Specifically because they're easier and faster to break down and use than proteins or fats, she explains. So don't deny your body what it needs to keep up with your active lifestyle.
"It's a slower process," says Meyerowitz. But that’s a good thing — while simple carbohydrates are broken down more quickly, they don't do much for your body. Because complex carbohydrates are broken down slowly, they give your bloodstream a more consistent level of energy, so you avoid the "highs and lows" that simple carbohydrates can give you, explains Meyerowitz.
To get the carbs you need, fill your plate with the best carbohydrate sources for your body:
Whole grains like barley, bulgur, buckwheat, quinoa, and oats
This doesn't mean that you're never allowed to have a sweet treat for dessert, a bowl of white rice, or a baked potato. It just means that those should be the exceptions instead of everyday carbohydrate selections.
At the same time, you should also avoid loading up on complex carbohydrates or making them your primary source of calories. A diet too rich in even complex carbohydrates — or in any food — packs more calories into your body, which eventually leads to weight gain.
Complex carbohydrates are good for you, so don't look at a bowl of hearty whole-wheat pasta or brown rice as a bad thing or a big diet no-no. Instead, consider it a source of healthy fuel that your body needs to maintain consistent energy.
Source: http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/101/nutrition-basics/what-about-carbohydrates.aspx
Before you feast on chicken and boycott carbs, take a closer look at the U.S. Food Pyramid. Carbohydrates are highlighted as an important part of a healthy diet, and not banned by any means. Your body needs a wide variety of foods to function and stay healthy.
"Carbohydrate is one of the macronutrients that we need, primarily for energy," says Sandra Meyerowitz, MPH, RD, a nutritionist, online nutrition coach, and owner of Nutrition Works in Louisville, Ky. While fats and protein are also necessary for energy, they're more of a long-term fuel source, while carbohydrates fulfill the body's most immediate energy needs. "It's your body's first source of energy — that's what it likes to use," adds Meyerowitz. Why does the body prefer carbs? Specifically because they're easier and faster to break down and use than proteins or fats, she explains. So don't deny your body what it needs to keep up with your active lifestyle.
What Are the Types of Carbohydrates?
There are two types of carbohydrates: simple and complex. Complex carbohydrates, which should make up most of your carbohydrate intake, require more work and take longer for your body to break down."It's a slower process," says Meyerowitz. But that’s a good thing — while simple carbohydrates are broken down more quickly, they don't do much for your body. Because complex carbohydrates are broken down slowly, they give your bloodstream a more consistent level of energy, so you avoid the "highs and lows" that simple carbohydrates can give you, explains Meyerowitz.
What's the Best Source of Carbs?
You need to get between 50 and 60 percent of your daily calories from carbohydrates, according to Meyerowitz. Most should be whole grains and other complex carbohydrates, but the fiber in fruits and vegetables make them a good simple carbohydrate choice. If you don't get enough carbohydrates, you run the risk of depriving your body of the calories and nutrients it needs, or of replacing healthy carbs with unhealthy fats.To get the carbs you need, fill your plate with the best carbohydrate sources for your body:
Whole grains like barley, bulgur, buckwheat, quinoa, and oats
- Whole-wheat and other whole-grain breads
- Brown rice
- Whole-wheat pasta
- Fruits and vegetables
- Beans, lentils, and dried peas
- Whole-grain cereals like 100 percent bran
This doesn't mean that you're never allowed to have a sweet treat for dessert, a bowl of white rice, or a baked potato. It just means that those should be the exceptions instead of everyday carbohydrate selections.
At the same time, you should also avoid loading up on complex carbohydrates or making them your primary source of calories. A diet too rich in even complex carbohydrates — or in any food — packs more calories into your body, which eventually leads to weight gain.
Complex carbohydrates are good for you, so don't look at a bowl of hearty whole-wheat pasta or brown rice as a bad thing or a big diet no-no. Instead, consider it a source of healthy fuel that your body needs to maintain consistent energy.
Source: http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/101/nutrition-basics/what-about-carbohydrates.aspx
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