Tag Archives: fiber

Know Your Whole Grains

Adding more whole grains to your diet is a very good idea. But the packaging and labels can be hard to understand. What’s the difference between “whole grain” and “100% wheat”? Here are some words and phrases to look for — and some to avoid. WHOLE wheat: look for 100% whole wheat or whole grain. Then check the ingredients list. The first thing on the list should be a whole grain. Whole grain foods: more than half of each serving (51%) must contain whole grains. This doesn’t necessarily mean high in fiber! Whole grain breads also contain a lot of … Continue reading →

Viscofiber: A Fiber Supplement

There are two types of fiber, insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fiber mostly stays intact as it passes through the intestines. It helps with regularity, reduces constipation, and removes waste. Soluble fiber attracts water. It forms a gel when it dissolves which collects fats, cholesterol, sugars, and bile. Absorption by the body is slowed. Waste forms and it is excreted from the body. Viscofiber is an all natural, soluble, dietary fiber made from oats, barley, and beta-glucan concentrates. Beta-glucan is found in oats. It is known to decrease: blood glucose, insulin concentration, and LDL-C levels. Viscofiber helps with maintenance of normal … Continue reading →

A New Study: Will Oligofructose Be the Answer to Weight Loss?

Fifty healthy but overweight residents of Calgary, Canada will have a chance to test oligofructose. It is a natural fiber found in certain plants and vegetables like chicory, onions, leeks, garlic, and tomatoes. Researcher, Dr. Raylene Reimer and her colleagues at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Kinesiology will require participants in the study to take a dietary supplement containing the fiber for three months. They will not be asked to change any other aspect of their diet or lives. The researchers will be documenting the participants’ body fat ratios over the course of the study. In a related study … Continue reading →

Tip of the Day- Focus on fiber

Yes, I really did just tell you to go eat some cardboard. Unfortunately, that’s what most of us think of when you mention fiber. We know we need it, but we really don’t want it. Fortunately, the food industry is making great strides to make fiber more palatable to the average American carnivore. Just be wary, all foods labeled “whole grain” or “high fiber” are not created equal. Fiber helps keep your digestive tract healthy, helping to prevent constipation, diverticulosis and colon cancer. It can also help lower your cholesterol and blood pressure, and regulate your blood sugar. Other sources … Continue reading →

Kashi Equals Fiber

Recently I learned about the product brand name Kashi. I heard that someone was using Kashi products for her weight-loss plan, so I decided to look into Kashi. First I tried the Kashi TLC® (Tasty Little Crackers) in the Original 7 Grain flavor. (There were 3 other choices available from Kashi TLC®; they were Country Cheddar, Natural Ranch, and Honey Sesame, just FYI.) I thought the Tasty Little Crackers were very good, especially for a healthy cracker. The big deal with Kashi is they claim to be all about “7 Whole Grains on a Mission.” Since whole grains help the … Continue reading →

Benefiber

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As I mentioned in my blog about Metamucil, many of us who are trying to lose weight are also fighting some of the side effects of being overweight like heart disease, high cholesterol, pre-diabetes or even full blown Type II Diabetes. Fiber, any fiber, can help us in this battle with our weight and with the accompanying health conditions. The National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine recommends that women under 50 get a minimum of 25 grams of fiber a day. Whether it is soluble or insoluble fiber doesn’t really matter. You just need to get that fiber. So … Continue reading →

Metamucil and Weight Loss

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OK, I’ll admit that the topic of fiber in our diets is something you might expect to find in a health blog by a vegetarian but this definitely belongs in a weight loss blog. Truth be told, I am a carnivore. I don’t have the discipline for a vegetarian diet. I believe human beings were given canines so that we too can rip into meat. After 39 years of living in this skin of mine, I have discovered that my body runs a whole lot better when it is running on a combined fuel of protein and vegetables. (Sadly, I … Continue reading →

Making Healthy Choices At Parties

New Year’s Eve! Time to celebrate! And that usually means time to eat, too. Believe it or not, there are party foods out there that have great health benefits. Applesauce and apples are a great source of fiber. Eat the skin if you can — it’s a great source of quercetin, which can help prevent heart disease. Cheese is full of calcium and protein. Get the most health benefit from hard cheeses, rather than soft ones. Cranberry sauce, just like cranberry juice, can be great for fighting bacteria that cause urinary tract infections. Dark chocolate is all the rage these … Continue reading →

Designing an Album Cover – Friends

When creating a gift album, sometimes so much thought goes into the creating of the album pages that designing the cover can be overlooked. It is important to do something fun and inviting on the cover as a teaser to get the viewer excited about opening the album. I just spent some time creating the cover for the “friends” album that my daughter is going to give to her friend this weekend for her birthday. I would like to share what I did to create it and I would love to hear about album cover ideas from you! Materials Used: … Continue reading →