How Can I Possibly Eat Enough Fiber?

You may not be aware of this, but the average American only eats HALF the amount of fiber recommended by the USDA. Now, generally I'm a glass half full kind of person, but HALF the amount of fiber you should be eating...that's more of a glass half empty scenario. Ideally, women should get 25 grams of fiber/day, and men 38 grams/day. That's a lot of fiber, especially if you're not a whole gains, fruits and veggies kind of person. So, what are some reasonable solutions to fixing this problem?

1. Exchange your favorite white bread for whole grain bread. I know, that's a tough one, but there are whole grain white breads out there that taste almost exactly like the original white bread. This should add about 2 grams of fiber per slice of bread. If you eat a sandwich or a couple of pieces of toast for breakfast, that's 4 extra grams of fiber you could be getting.
2. Switch out the white rice for brown rice. I know this can be heard to get used to, but topped with sauce you'll hardly notice the difference. And one cup of brown rice contains between 3-4 grams of fiber. 
3. Anytime you go to eat a cracker, make it a whole grain one. This simple change can add a couple more grams of fiber to your diet.
4. Keep the peel on your fruits and vegetables. The peel is where a lot of the fiber and vitamins are found. On average, fruits and vegetables contain about 1-2 grams of fiber/serving. You are supposed to get 5 servings of fruits and veggies/day, so that adds up to about 7-8 grams of fiber. 
5. Make breakfast a whole grain event. Whether it's oatmeal, wheaties, shredded wheat, cheerios, etc. breakfast is a great time to pack a lot of fiber into one bowl. 
6. High fiber cereals and granola bars are another usually tasty option if you are in need of a fiber boost. These contain functional fiber, which is basically a fiber supplement in food form.
7. If you are still running low on fiber, adding a little fiber supplement powder to your juice, smootie, or even water can give you the extra boost you need. But be careful not to take too much, because too much fiber can have it's negative effects as well. 

Okay, so I bet you're wondering why you should care about eating enough fiber, right? The reason is becoming more and more clear the most science learns about it. They have already discovered that fiber helps reduce the risk of heart disease (especially fiber from whole grains) and may be helpful in preventing colon cancer. Overall, fiber helps keep your digestive system healthy and your weight at a stable level. There have been studies that have found that women who eat more whole grain tend to weigh less. That's just an added bonus ;)

-Kamie

Kamie's Tip of the Week:

Feeling a bit cold this winter season? Tempted to run to those high carbohydrate foods to comfort yourself? Maybe what you need is a warm bowl of soup :) I discovered a yummy recipe this week: Tomato soup. Find the recipe here: http://www.food.com/recipe/kittencals-thick-and-rich-creamy-tomato-soup-low-fat-option-350894. Homemade soups are generally better for you because they have fresher nutrients and less sodium.

A few tips: If you're not a huge tomato fan, add more milk or 1/4 cup cheese. This will tone down the intense flavor. I added some chopped spinach as well. It's not super flavorful and is a good way to add extra nutrients to the meal. If you're a simplistic cook like me, don't worry about adding all the extra spices. Normal pepper works fine. Use half the amount of butter suggested by the recipe (just enough to lightly saute the onions). Also, no tomato soup is complete without some crushed crackers (whole grain is best) or a grilled cheese sandwich. Enjoy!

-Kamie

Why Should I Eat Meat?

It is so interesting to see how vastly different the world is from one country to another. In most countries where starvation is a major problem, the situation could be drastically improved just by adding a few ounces of meat to their diet each day. Of course this would not solve every problem, but it would give them the adequate protein they need in order for their body to grow healthily. In contrast, in the United States and other developed countries, the majority of people eat far more meat than they need nutritionally. This is not necessarily a problem, except it can lead to excess calorie and fat consumption as well.

Nutritionally, meat is a wonderful thing. It is the easiest way for our bodies to get the right kind of protein in the right amount (for more on protein, refer back to my post on protein by following this link). What does that mean? Well, put simply, the same molecules (called amino acids) that make up the steak you ate for dinner will be making up your muscles, enzymes, and other tissues within a few hours. The type of protein found in meat is the kind our body needs. Can we get it from other sources? Yes, but then it becomes more complicated because plant sources are not an exact match of what we need. Therefore, you'll have to mix and match different grains and beans in order to get all of the amino acids your body needs to build its own proteins.

For those of us who eat meat everyday, this may not seem that important.  But if you take a look around the world at populations that live mostly on one type of grain, you can see what affect this can have. They are not getting all of the amino acids they need, and therefore their body cannot grow. Children in these countries are stunted (short for their age) and extremely skinny (for pictures click here). We are very blessed to have access to the meat our body needs around the corner at the local grocery store.

What else is good about meat? Well, it is rich in iron that can easily be absorbed. Iron is important especially in our blood. It helps our blood cells carry oxygen from our lungs to our tissues so they can live. Pretty important! Also, it contains vitamin B12 (ONLY found in meat and dairy products) which is essential for proper nerve function. Without it, you could lose your ability to feel, become paralyzed, and even die. It also helps keep your blood cells healthy, so without it you can get pernicious anemia, a very dangerous condition of the blood.

So, it's pretty obvious that meat is a good thing (at least for our bodies). However, you may have heard on the news lately that frequent consumption of red meat can be a bad thing. For more details on that, check out WebMD's article here: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/the-truth-about-red-meat. My advice is simple: Eat red meat sparingly, maybe once or twice a week, and get the rest of your meat from lean sources including chicken, pork, turkey, and ESPECIALLY fish. If you're not a meat fan, eggs are a great source of protein too. And don't forget to drink your milk!

-Kamie

Should I Be Taking Nutritional Supplements?

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the supplement industry, at least from a nutritional standpoint. Do supplements really help? And are they safe to take, considering they don't have to approved by the FDA?

Here's how I view supplements: Go ahead and take them if you want, but don't let them replace fruits, vegetables, whole grains, light dairy, and lean meats in your diet. All of these foods contain essential nutrients (vitamins, minerals, fiber, calcium, iron, protein) that you are far better off getting from food than from supplements.

Why is it better to get nutrients from food? The truth is, science hasn't quite figured that out yet. Tory Parker, a professor at Brigham Young University, has been doing research on this subject, and has found that for unknown reasons, eating a whole orange has healthier benefits than just taking vitamin C, the main vitamin in the orange. The conclusion reached at this point is that there must be other beneficial biomolecules in the whole foods we eat that science has not yet identified. We do not know what they are or how they specifically help, we just know that they do. From plant sources, we call these biomolecules phytochemicals, and it is agreed they work best when consumed from a whole food source.

So, if you are totally set on taking supplements just in case, there's no problem with that. Just be careful that you are taking safe amounts. You can double check this by reading the labels on the supplement. For vitamins, minerals, and some other essential nutrients, the % Daily Value, which is the percent of the total amount recommended each day, should be posted on the nutrition label. Check to see that none of these are over 200%, and most are equal to or under 100%. This precaution should be taken to insure you do not consume a toxic level of these nutrients.

Are there times when you definitely should take a supplement? If you are deficient in a certain nutrient, your doctor may prescribe supplements to help restore your health. If you are pregnant or could get pregnant, take prenatal vitamins, and make sure you are getting enough folic acid. For younger women, it could be beneficial to take iron and calcium supplements: iron to prevent anemia during menstruation, and calcium to build bone mass and thereby prevent osteoporosis in later life. However, a healthy diet and exercise are always most important and are irreplaceable in the health benefits that they give.

-Kamie