Fitness Resources

Month: January 2017

Your Ultimate Guide to Getting More Fiber

Fit Life

December 28, 2016

guide to more fiber

If there’s one thing you need more of in your life, it’s fiber. Americans should be eating 25 to 35 grams per day, but most of us get a measly 12 to15 grams. Here’s your ultimate guide to getting more fiber from foods that are guaranteed to make you feel fabulous.

Facts About Fiber

There is arguably no other component of our food that does more for our health:

  • Fiber-containing foods take longer to digest so they contribute to satiety, which is the feeling of fullness.
  • Certain types of fiber soak up bad (LDL) cholesterol, so they help lower heart-disease risk.
  • People who eat a high-fiber diet have a lower risk of certain types of cancer.
  • Fiber helps regulate blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
  • Your gut loves fiber, because it helps reduce risk of constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticular disease.

How to Meet Your Full Fiber Potential

If you’re underperforming on the fiber front, here are some simple tips to get more fiber out of your foods:

  • Eat your fruit – don’t drink it. One of the benefits of eating fruit is that fruit flesh and skin contains fiber. When you juice fruit, you throw out most of the fiber, so skip the juice and stick to solid food when it comes to fruit.
  • Ration your refined grains. Refined grains don’t have the benefits of whole grains. Refined grains have had their nutritious vitamins, minerals and fiber removed during processing. Look for the words “100% whole” and ensure you’re eating whole-grain foods instead of refined ones.
  • Learn to love your legumes. Why aren’t you bulking up on beans? Legumes are dried peas and beans and are powerful sources of protein and fiber. Add then to soups, salads and casseroles and use in place of meat when possible.
  • Mind your meat and cheese. The food groups that DON’T contain fiber include meat, dairy and oils. Certain foods from these groups are better than others, but keep in mind that they are fiber-free, so use sparingly.
  • Power your diet with plants. Plant foods contain fiber, while animal foods do not. When possible, make swaps to include more plant foods and fewer animal foods. You’ll naturally consume less unhealthy fat and increase your fiber without even realizing it.

A Friendly Fiber Word of Caution

Before you jump on the high fiber-bandwagon, a word of caution: If you go from 0 to 30 grams of fiber a day, chances are your gut is going to hurt. Go slowly when it comes to bumping up your fiber intake. Add a few grams per day and don’t forget to drink more water as you increase dietary fiber intake.

Katie Ferraro 

Katie Ferraro, MPH, RD, CDE is a consultant, registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator based in San Diego, CA. She specializes in nutrition communications and is the author of Diet Therapy in Advanced Practice Nursing (McGraw Hill 2014). As an advocate for foods you can eat MORE of, Katie serves as a media spokesperson and writes the popular blog www.fiberisthefuture.com.

10 Tips for Managing Multivitamin Use

Fit Life

December 21, 2016

tips for using multivitamins

With a well-crafted diet you can—and should—be getting almost all of the vitamins and minerals you need from foods. But if you prefer to have a little extra insurance, a multivitamin is probably your safest bet.

About one-third of all Americans take multivitamin/mineral (MVM) supplements. But not all MVMs are created equal. Here are 10 tips for managing your multivitamin/mineral supplement use:

1. Go generic. Consumer Reports found that store brands test as well as brand name or national brands. Their biggest winner? Costco’s Kirkland Signature, whose regular MVMs cost less than 5 cents per day.

2. Avoid megadoses. If you think 1000 percent of a vitamin is 10 times better than 100 percent, you are wrong when it comes to MVMs. Look for no more than 100 percent of the FDA’s Daily Value (DV) for vitamins and minerals. One exception is vitamin D, where the DV is 400IU and should probably be higher for most populations.

3. You may not need one. A number of large-scale studies have shown that taking multivitamins does not mean you are any less likely to be diagnosed with heart disease or cancer than those who don’t take vitamins. There’s virtually no data to support this almost $5 billion industry. While MVMs in moderation are unlikely to do harm in most cases, they may be a waste of your money.

4. Lifecycle categories may matter. Multivitamins for older adults may contain greater amounts of certain vitamins that are more important with age, such as vitamins B12, D and calcium. Female-specific vitamins typically contain more iron, calcium and vitamin D, which some women may need.

5. High potency, prescription strength and pharmacy grade mean nothing – avoid flashy marketing terms. These are not backed up by any regulations and may result in you spending more money on a product that isn’t any better than a generic.

6. If you’re pregnant you definitely need one. Women who are or might become pregnant should get 400 mcg/day of folic acid from fortified foods or a prenatal supplement to reduce the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida.

7. Keep your eye out for too much iron. Adult men and postmenopausal women are advised to avoid MVMs that have 18 mg or more of iron. Unless diagnosed with iron deficiency, too much iron can collect in body tissues and organs and cause damage.

8. Store supplements out of reach of your kids. Iron supplements are the leading cause of poisoning in children. Keep adult and children’s chewable vitamins and minerals away from kids, who may mistake them for candy.

9. A word of caution for Coumadin users. If you take warfarin (Coumadin) to reduce blood clotting, be careful about consuming added vitamin K, the fat-soluble vitamin responsible for clotting blood. Talk to your doctor about all supplement use, but especially as it affects prescription drug use.

10. Don’t forget about fortified foods. In the United States, enriched grain products are fortified with iron, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin and folic acid. Your juice may have additional calcium, and your eggs can have added omega-3s. Don’t forget that fortified foods also add vitamins and minerals and an MVM on top of that may be unnecessary.

Katie Ferraro

Katie Ferraro, MPH, RD, CDE is a consultant, registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator based in San Diego, CA. She specializes in nutrition communications and is the author of Diet Therapy in Advanced Practice Nursing (McGraw Hill 2014). As an advocate for foods you can eat MORE of, Katie serves as a media spokesperson and writes the popular blog www.fiberisthefuture.com.

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