Jul 22

Fiber and IBS

Diet Comments Off



If you suffer from IBS, you have probably heard about fiber and its effects on Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Eating a sufficient amount of fiber is one of the major ways to help prevent IBS. By being aware of both the health benefits of fiber and how it affects your symptoms, you can use fiber effectively to ease the discomforts of IBS. There are different types of fiber, each with their own characteristics to help with your symptoms.

Fiber is primarily found in whole grains. Bread, spaghetti and other whole-wheat products are high in fiber to help your digestive system. In addition, most fruits and vegetables will help to increase the fiber in your diet. High fiber foods are known have a direct impact on Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the digestive tract. Sometimes, IBS is an indicator that your diet is not high enough in fiber.

One type of fiber is soluble fiber. Soluble fiber soothes the digestive tract, and helps to prevent both diarrhea and constipation–the two faces of IBS. Soluble fiber is typically found in starchy foods such as:

rice pasta oatmeal potatoes sweet potatoes mushrooms bananas applesauce

Soluble fiber is able to dissolve in liquid, including the water you drink with your meal. This water absorption allows the fiber to move easily and quickly through the digestive tract. Drinking plenty of water with your meals will help soluble fiber to be most effective.

The other type of fiber is insoluble fibers. Insoluble fiber is typically found in the cellulose of certain foods. Seeds, root vegetables, cabbage, wheat bran and corn bran also contain high amounts of insoluble fibers. While insoluble fiber is a key part of a healthy diet, those with IBS should be careful to avoid insoluble fiber on an empty stomach as this can exacerbate your symptoms.

During an IBS attack, you may find that consuming additional fiber will help to relax your digestive system, and return you to normal. You may want to consider a fiber supplement, such as Metamucil or Fibercon, to relieve your symptoms.

As you begin to increase your fiber intake, be aware that your body has its limitations. If you are not accustomed to a high-fiber diet, be sure to introduce fiber slowly. This will give your body a chance to get used to processing the fiber. Over time, your body will adjust, and you will be able to increase your daily fiber intake.

Fiber is part of a healthy, balanced diet, and it is even more important for those suffering from IBS. It can help to reduce the symptoms, and even prevent them. The recommended minimum fiber intake is 25-33 grams per day-more is certainly better.

Tagged with: • • • •
Jun 09

Foods that Relieve Constipation – Helpful in Preventing Constipation

Diet Comments Off



Foods that are high in roughage, bran and fiber are necessary in correcting and preventing constipation. In parts of the world where un-processed grain is used and where large amounts of fiber are consumed, there is little constipation, and passing one or two large, soft stools a day is usual. The following foods are basically used as foods of constipation.

Bran cereals – It is one of the best foods that has a larger amount of fibers and roughage. Therefore it is very useful in constipation. Vegetables — Root foods like potatoes, carrots, turnips, leafy green vegetables like lettuce, celery, spinach, or cooked high residue like cabbage. These vegetables are very good foods to avoid constipation. Fruit — Cooked or stewed like prunes, applesauce or fresh fruit (skin and pulp) Bulking Agents — Fiber is the un-digested part of plant food that passes into the colon. Certain types of fiber can soak up and can hold large sum of water. This, in turn, consequence in a larger, bulkier stool which is soft and easier to pass. Sufficient fiber in food or from supplements is recommended each day. This type of water-retaining fiber in general is easily obtained every day by one of the following: Food bran — This is obtainable as wheat, oat or rice bran. Processing of wheat and other grains takes away this important fibrous part of the food so these processed products should be avoided. Psyllium husk — The psyllium plant is outstanding because its ground seeds can retain so much water. This product is obtainable as Metamucil, Konsyl, Effersyllium, Per Diem Fiber, or the less expensive generic preparation in drug and health food stores. Although tagged a laxative, it really is not a laxative.

Tagged with: • • • •
Jun 05

5 Easy Ways to Get Flat Abs!

Diet Comments Off



Diet and exercise is guaranteed to help you flatten your belly and get rid of stomach fat, but there are also some small steps you can take to get a flatter tummy that you may not have previously thought about.

1. Get plenty of fiber – Fiber helps to prevent constipation, which will bloat your stomach. If you find out you’re not getting enough fiber in your diet, either start eating more whole grains or veggies, or also there are fiber supplements available such as Metamucil. You can search online for a fiber intake calculator to determine how many grams you should be consuming each day.

2. No Alcohol – Alcohol is known to raise cortisol levels, which can contribute to more stomach fat. That is one reason why most people who drink have more stomach fat than those who do not drink.

3. Drink lots of Water – Water helps to flush everything away, so it’s suggested to drink around 1 gallon of water per day. This trick even works for menstrual bloating and bloating helps cover up our stomach muscles. If you don’t particularly like to drink water, you could sweeten it with some Emergen-C. For additional fat burning power, add some ice cubes. If your water is cold, your body will have to work harder to warm it up to your body’s temperature after you drink it.

4. Posture – Be sure to always sit and stand up straight. Doing so constantly can help you look up to 5 pounds thinner! Also, when weight training, try to stand up as much as possible because your abs will have to work more to stabilize your body then if you were sitting.

5. Exercise Ball – Instead of sitting on a traditional chair with 4 legs, try using a stability ball (or exercise ball) instead. This will force your abs and all of your core muscles to constantly work to keep your body in balance.

Remember that diet and exercise are the keys to your success, but combining those with the steps above should really get you on your way to a flat stomach in no time.

Tagged with: • • • •
May 29

Low Carb Diet Tips: How to Fight Intestinal Problems Easily – Part I

Diet Comments Off



Diseases such as constipation and diarrhea are not uncommon. They happen to everybody, especially when you go for a major change of diet, such as switching from a high carb to a low carb diet. Diarrhea happens mostly to low carbers because when you are on a low carb diet, your body produces fewer carbohydrates and more ketones. Low carbers also suffer from constipation. However, it should be noted that constipation doesn’t stem directly from a low carb diet regimen. In fact, constipation is caused when your body receives less than the required amount of carbohydrates. Foods such as legumes, pulses and whole grains contain a lot of fiber but unfortunately, these foods are strictly prohibited during the early periods of the low carb program. In this article I will tell you how to fight back constipation and diarrhea and regain your normal health.

How to Fight Constipation:

Let me tell you one thing upfront: if your previous diet was full of sugar and starchy foods, it would take sometime before you can adjust yourself to a low carb diet. However, constipation is not directly associated with low carb diet. In fact, it is a different kind of a problem, and can be caused by a combination of problems. Most commonly, constipation is caused because of fiber deficiency. To give your body the required amount of fiber, you need to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Also drink lots of water every day. And never ever buy over-the-counter pills, especially pain-killers, codeine and other opiates, as well as antidepressants, iron pills and diuretics. These drugs have certain ingredients in them which cause constipation.

If you want to cure constipation permanently, laxatives won’t help either. It is OK to use laxatives for a short time, but for long term I would use a stool softener such as Docusate, which are non-addictive and easily absorbed in the body.

Another way to cure constipation is to eat fiber supplements such as sugar-free Metamucil, or plain psyllium husks, which will force the bowel to move forward. Note however that you should eat this fiber supplement only with water; otherwise it will have negative effects on your body.

Another way to cure constipation is to do exercises regularly. Because when you do exercises, your whole body starts moving, and consequently, your bowel too starts moving! You can also practice yoga as it has been found to be helpful for constipation patients.

In the second part of this article, I will tell you how to cure diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome (ibs), as well as how to find good low carb food products. To access the second part, simply click on the link in my resource box below.

Tagged with: • • • •
May 26

Is There Fast Relief For Constipation?

Diet Comments Off



Fast relief for constipation like over the counter drugs are popular – it is cheap and well, fast. This is a sure lazy way to wash off the constipation problem – but not the best way.

Let’s us be more specific about constipation. Constipation may be defined as a common disturbance of the body digestive tract. It imply irregular bowel movements, or passing of hard and dry stool. Constipation is now the major cause of many diseases as it produces toxins which find their way into the bloodstream and are carried to all parts of the body, poisoning our body in the process. Appendicitis, rheumatism, arthritis, high blood pressure, cataract, cancer, loss of appetite, ageing are some of the diseases in which chronic constipation is an important predisposing factor.

Our stomach is designed to churn and mixes food so it can be digested and absorbed by the body. The near-liquid food then enters into the small intestine which the intestines extracts calories, minerals and vitamins. The small intestine ends in the right-lower abdomen where it connects to the colon. The colon, or large bowel as it is otherwise known, is 5 to 6 feet long. Its function is to withdraw water from the liquid stool, so that by the time the digested reaches the rectum, it has became soft formed stool. However, if an excessive amount of water is extracted, the stool can become hard and difficult to expel from the body.

Other causes of bowel difficulty include faulty and irregular habit of defecation, frequent use of purgatives, weakness of abdominal muscles due to sedentary habits, lack of physical exercise and emotional stress and strain.

So what are the common causes of constipation?

Poor diet or diets rich in animal meats but low in fibre are the most common cause of bowel difficulty. Do note that fibre helps to smoothen the bowel movements process and promoting bowel regularity.

Poor bowel movement habits – this is a common cause especially in kids. It is important that once the children are toilet trained, they must be encouraged to go to the toilet regularly everyday. Adults usually suffer from the bowel problem when they ignore the urge to evacuate the waste over a long period of time.

Constipation symptoms include lesser than three bowel movements per week, one or more episodes of stool incontinence per week, passing of huge stools in which that they obstruct the toilet, retentive posturing (withholding behaviour) and painful defecation.

Symptoms of Constipation – Take note if you experience these:

a) If you experience a variation in your bowel routine (going to toilet lesser) this is sign of constipation.

b) If you still have regular bowel habits but you are having difficulty passing stools because they are hard and small, this is also constipation.

Treating constipation include avoiding caffeine and alcohol, because they deplete body water stores. If you cannot avoid them, then try to match your caffeinated or alcoholic beverage intake with an equal amount of plain water.

Control your diet by trying to eat three meals per day that are at least 4 hours apart. Frequent feeding keeps your intestines contracting and moving smoothly stool along.

Constipation Natural Remedy Treatment That You Can Consider

By far, the most effective method is to make fundamental changes in your lifestyle. To help ease the constipation symptoms, try including a fiber supplement diet, such as oat bran, Metamucil, Konsyl or Citrucel. These natural fibre supplements help make stools softer. They are natural and are safe to use every day. Be sure to drink plenty of water or other fluids every day as well. Otherwise, fiber supplements can actually worsen your constipation problems. Incremental adding of fiber to your diet is key to avoid problems with gas.

Water is the best health drinks and is beneficial not only for constipation but also for cleaning the system diluting the blood and washing out the poisons in our body. It is highly recommended six to eight glasses of water to be taken daily. This helps facilitate digesting and dissolving food nutrients so that they can be absorbed and utilized by the body. But one must remember that water should not however be taken with meals as it actually dilutes the gastric juices which is essential for proper digestion of the food we eat.

Tagged with: • • • •
May 19

The Portfolio Diet: The Solution to Heart Disease

Diet Comments Off



What if there was a combination of foods that were as effective at lowering LDL cholesterol as prescription drugs? Would it be worth adding some new foods to what you eat each day to avoid medication?

This is what the latest in a series of research studies Dr. Jenkins from the University of Toronto shows. Studies have previously shown that various foods, such as nuts, soy protein, oat bran, and plant sterols all can have a cholesterol-lowering effect. But what if you combined all these foods together? Dr. Jenkins’ latest research shows that combining all these foods together is as effective as taking a statin drug. The results showed a 30.9% decrease in LDL cholesterol from the statin and a decrease of 28.2% from the portfolio combination of all these foods.

Dr. Jenkins is calling this a dietary portfolio, but it’s becoming known as ‘The Portfolio Diet’. The concept is to add all of these foods, in a type of portfolio plan, like investments, to cover all possibilities for better heart health. This is not a weight loss diet, however, although the concepts for weight loss and lowered cholesterol could certainly be combined, with proper education and guidance by a qualified nutrition expert.

What is the Portfolio Diet?

Just follow these guidelines:

1. Substitute soy foods for meat. Drink soy milk instead of milk and substitute soy protein foods for other meats.

2. Eat as much ‘sticky’ fiber as possible. People in the study took three daily servings of natural psyllium supplements. Oats and barley replace other grains and preferred vegetables include eggplant and okra.

3. Include plant sterol-enriched margarines, such as benecol and Take Control. Plant sterols are also available in capsule form as dietary supplements.

4. A handful of nuts every day. In the study, almonds were eaten and the Almond Board of California offers portfolio diet recipes on its website (look at recipes on http://www.almondboard.com/), but any tree nut will reduce cholesterol.

Here are some examples of a typical day:

Breakfast – Include soy milk, oat bran cereal with chopped fruit and almonds, oatmeal bread with sterol-enriched margarine, and some jam.

Lunch – Soy lunchmeats, oat bran bread, bean soup, fruit.

Dinner – Stir fry with vegetables, tofu, fruit and almonds.

Snacks – Include nuts, yogurt, and soy milk thickened with a psyllium supplement such as Metamucil.

Has this diet shown to be effective?

Jenkins et al were curious how this diet would work in the real world, so they signed people up who said they wanted to lower their cholesterol levels. They told them what to eat and gave them sample menus — but they didn’t provide any prepared foods.

Dr. Jenkins said that about 30% of the people had a 20% reduction in their LDL cholesterol levels after six months. Another 30% had a 15% reduction in LDL levels, and another third failed to lower their cholesterol levels, believed to be because they were unable to follow the diet as strictly as those with good results. What seemed to be the biggest obstacle for people was eating soy food products. Dr. Jenkins said that most people could eat almonds and substitute plant sterol products for margarine.

Is the diet for you?

Many people are concerned about heart disease and stroke, especially if they are struggling with weight control and high blood cholesterol levels. However, many people are not comfortable going on prescription medications. Since this is an eating plan that does not eliminate food groups or follow some type of fad, there is no risk to going on this ‘diet’. In fact, it’s not really a ‘diet’ at all, but a way of eating. And no one has to do anything but substitute some of the recommended foods for foods they normally eat today.

So, let’s say you would like to try the diet, but, like many other Americans, are concerned about adding soy foods to your diet. You have never eaten them and don’t even know where to find them! Well, they are actually in your favorite supermarket already! It may be time to experiment, though, because not everyone is going to like all the soy foods that are available. For more on soyfoods, check out the Soyfoods Association of American at http://www.soyfoods.org/. Here is a list of foods to consider:

Soy milk. There are multiple brands and different fat levels. You can buy whole fat, low fat and non fat. You can buy ‘regular’ (no flavoring), or any number of flavors. I have personally found one brand that I like over others and you may have to experiment to find one you like, as well.

Edemame. These are frozen whole soybeans that are harvested when still green. They can be found in most health food stores, such as Trader Joes or Whole Foods Market, in the frozen food section, usually next to the lima beans. These can be found shelled or in the shell. You can add them to soups or stews or eat them by themselves. I like to eat them as my protein for breakfast.

Tofu. Also known as ‘bean curd’, tofu is a soft, cheese-like food made my curdling soymilk. The curds are then pressed into a solid block. There are different levels of firmness; silken, soft and firm. Silken is a creamy, custard-like product that works well with pureed or blended dishes. Soft tofu is best used in recipes that call for blended tofu, or in soups. The firm tofu is more dense and solid and holds up well in stir fry dishes, even on the grill. The firm tofu is higher in protein, fat and calcium than the other forms, but since this is a plant fat, this should not be an issue. For recipe ideas, see this link from the Indiana Soybean Board; http://www.soyfoods.com/soyfoodsdescriptions/tofu.html

Textured Vegetable (or Soy) Protein Products. This is the soyfood product that many soy burgers and other ‘meat substitute’ products contain. The best way to determine if these foods are for you are to experiment with a few options.

Miso. Miso is a rich, salty paste condiment that characterizes the essence of Japanese cooking. Traditionally, miso is made by combining with a grain, salt, and a mold culture and then aged in cedar vats for one to three years. Readers may recognize the name because this is a popular soup.

Soy nuts. Soy nuts are whole soybeans that have been soaked then baked. They can be found in snack isles and manufacturers now include soynuts in any number of coatings, including chocolate.

Tempeh. This is a traditional Indonesian food that is most commonly found in Asian stores. It is a chunky, tender soybean cake. It can be marinated and grilled or added to soups, casseroles, or even chili.

It can be very easy for some people to add nuts to their diet. In fact, it may be harder to not add too MANY nuts! It may also be ‘doable’ to add more sticky fiber to your diet, also, with a little planning. However, it may be a greater challenge to find soy foods that can be enjoyably substituted for meats you are used to eating. However, if your health depends on it, and you refuse medications, this may be a great thing to try, especially since there are no risks involved with adding these foods to your diet. Just remember that these are foods to be substituted, not added, to the diet. Since calories do also still count, adding extras to your current diet could result in weight gain, leading to new concerns.

Tagged with: • • • •
Previous Entries
preload preload preload
Copyright © 2010   Tips For Healthy Lifestyle   All Rights Reserved.