7 easy ways to increase your daily fibre intake

Fibre is the latest wellness trend to get a rebranding, transforming a necessary dietary cornerstone into something fun and sexy. “Fibre can help reduce energy intake, lower blood glucose, prevent certain cancers, promote gut health and improve cardiovascular health,” says Dr Qianzhi Jiang, pediatric and family dietitian at The Nutrition Changer. “Most people don’t consistently meet their daily fibre needs,” adds registered dietitian nutritionist Valerie Agyeman.

The US Food and Drug Administration suggests that an active, healthy adult aim for 28 grams of dietary fibre a day, but studies have found almost all adults are deficient (and some, even 95% under the daily allotment).

Eat the skin of fruits and veggies

The skin of most fruits and vegetables is actually higher in fibre than the fruit flesh, says Dr Lisa Ganjhu, a gastroenterologist at NYU Langone. “Rather than peeling and throwing out the peels, eat your fruits whole,” she says (adding that you should use common sense here: fruits like avocados, bananas, etcetera shouldn’t be eaten with the skin on). According to WebMD, eating the apple with the skin on adds 2 grams of fibre to the serving.

Top off with beans or lentils

Split peas, lentils, black beans and more—the world is your oyster when it comes to beans and legumes. “Tossing them into salads, soups or even pasta is one of the simplest upgrades because they’re naturally packed with fibre and instantly make a meal more satisfying and filling,” Agyeman says.

Reach for seeds and nuts

Both Dr Ganjhu and Agyeman love this cheat: add a spoonful of chia seeds (10 grams in an ounce), flax seeds (8 grams per ounce) or unshelled hemp seeds (9 grams per ounce) to whatever’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner. “This quietly bumps up fibre and helps meals feel a little more balanced and sustaining,” says Agyeman.

Add a plant to your dessert

“Fruits and vegetables are nutrient-dense, but also delicious and sweet,” says Dr Jiang. Topping off your final course, whether it’s ice cream, pie, a crumble or more, with something fresh can up the fibre of the dish without skimping on flavor. Some ideas include raspberries (8 grams per cup), a pear (5.5 grams in a medium pear) or an apple with the skin on (4.5 grams in a medium apple). “They also add a variety of vitamins and minerals to the dish, along with fibre.”

Choose high-fibre snacks

Drop the granola bar. Dr Jiang suggests reaching for a snack like “popcorn, nuts, seeds, roasted chickpeas or other beans” when you’re feeling hungry. “They are crunchy and savory, which is satisfying while making it easier to get fibre into your diet.” For example, three cups of air-popped popcorn have around 3.5 grams of fibre.

Cook and cool certain foods

When it comes to starchy foods like potatoes, pasta, certain legumes and rice, Ganjhu suggests the cook and cool method. “This method creates resistant starches, which improve blood sugar control, enhance satiety, increase insulin sensitivity, reduce cholesterol and improve colon health.”

Skip juice

Whole fruit keeps the fibre intact, which helps slow things down in the body so you feel fuller longer and don’t get that quick spike-and-drop you can get from juice.

 

 

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for food, medicines, exercises and so on.   

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    

https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs

How to Manage Irritable Bowel Syndrome

If you are feeling constantly gassy, or your stomach is bloated and you can’t lose your gut no matter how hard you’re exercising, if you have problems with excretion, such as suffering from constipation, diarrhea or both- you’re not alone.
Gastrointestinal diseases which can cause the symptoms are very common, and one of the most prevalent in the developed world, with about 10-15% of people suffering from it, is irritable bowel syndrome (or IBS). 

Because it is poorly understood and shares a lot of symptoms with other, more serious gastrointestinal diseases, such as Crohn’s disease, celiac, parasitic infections and even colon cancer, it would be best to rule out all other options before assuming you have IBS.

 

What do we know about IBS?

The mechanism and causes of IBS are not fully understood, though it has been posited that infectious intestinal inflammation, genetics and psychological stress could all trigger IBS. It is twice as common in women, and onset is typically before the age of 45. Common symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea and/or constipation, a feeling of fullness, a protruding gut, not feeling relieved after going to the bathroom, depression and anxiety.

One thing to understand is that a distended gut in a person with IBS does not reflect fat. Typically, your abdomen will not feel flabby if a GI condition is a culprit- on the contrary, it will feel hard to the touch, and is often accompanied by a feeling of fullness which some describe as having an inflated balloon lodged in their abdomen. The most common explanation for this symptom is too much gas in the intestines. 

While stress might trigger or exacerbate your intestinal troubles, the inverse is also true, and many people who have IBS also suffer from depression and anxiety. This correlation joins in a long list of riddles the medical world has yet to solve, but it could be due to constant pressure on the nervous system associated with the condition, the emotional hardship of dealing with this condition, or shame with regards to physical appearance, irregular excretions and gas.

IBS is not a life-threatening condition by any stretch of the imagination, but it does affect life quality for the worse, and there is no known cure for it. That being said, there are several ways to manage it:

1. Medication

Some medicine and supplements have been shown to be effective in mitigating some of the symptoms of IBS. Laxatives work well for people whose IBS manifests in constipation, while anti-diarrheals might relieve those who suffer from loose stool and diarrhea. 

Some antidepressants of the selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor family seem to have a positive effect on abdominal pain and other symptoms, independent of their effect on depression.

Antispasmodic medicine may relieve cramps and diarrhea in people with IBS, as well as relax the muscles in the colon.

Soluble fiber supplements, such as that of the psyllium plant, have been effective in both bulking up the stool of those who suffer from diarrhea and help with excretion in case of constipation.

Several probiotics can also alleviate some symptoms of IBS. B. breve, B. longum and L. acidophilus are effective at reducing abdominal pain. B. breve, B. infantis, L. casei, and L. plantarum may help with abdominal distention.
B. breve, B. infantis, L. casei, L. plantarum, B. longum, L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, and Streptococcus thermophilus all improve flatulence.

2. Physical activity and stress relief

Exercise, and in particular, aerobic activities, are effective in reducing the symptoms of IBS. Recommended activities include swimming, jogging, walking and cycling. Additionally, yoga (and especially yoga that focuses on the lower abdomen) has been shown to help reduce stress and also help with IBS symptoms.

Meditation is another way to relieve stress, alleviate IBS symptoms and improve quality of life for people with IBS. 

3. Therapy

Healthy mind, healthy body. In this case, it’s at least partially true, as psychotherapy and other forms of talk therapy (even without prescribed antidepressants) appear to improve quality of life among people with IBS and reduce symptoms.

The effect therapy has on one’s gastrointestinal health can be explained by the existence of the gut-brain axis, a two-way communication corridor between the nervous and gastrointestinal systems which informs both feelings of hunger and being sated, but can also affect gut flora in response to stress and trauma. Likewise, physical circumstances that affect gut flora (such as diet or disease) can have an adverse effect on your mental state. 

4. Changes in diet

In many cases, IBS flares up in reaction to a “trigger food”. Such trigger foods contain carbohydrates known as FODMAPs, which are poorly absorbed in the small intestine, undergoing fermentation in the bowels. This causes a buildup of gas in the intestines which may cause bloating and flatulence.

People with IBS may want to attempt to eliminate FODMAPs from their diet, and then slowly reintroduce them in order to find out which ones cause a flare-up. Giving up FODMAPs altogether is not advisable, as many of the foods that contain them, such as onions and legumes, provide valuable nutrients.

For the FODMAP diet kindly see my next post, thanks.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/    

                                                                                                                                                     FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                  https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/  

         

                   FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                  https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com  

 

Foods That'll Help Keep You Full

Some foods give a feeling of fullness for long, even though some are thought to be unhealthy !

Pesto Pasta

Whole wheat pasta is slow-digesting carbohydrate, so it will give you energy for many hours to come. Cheese and pine nuts, the two main ingredients of pesto sauce, only serve to strengthen this effect.

Brownies

This is good news for those of us with a sweet tooth. Some desserts can help you control hunger for longer, and a brownie is a fine example of this. You can thank the stearic acid in the dark chocolate for that.

 

Raspberries

Due to their high fiber content, raspberries can keep you feeling full for 5-6 hours. Furthermore, their vitamin C content supports the protein synthesis that is responsible for fat burning. These truly are a magical fruit.

Seaweed

This is another food product that helps you stay fuller for longer, while also helping you to lose a few extra inches around your waist at the same time. Seaweed contains dietary fiber that slows down digestion, making you feel satiated for longer. Consume seaweed as an independent dish or in combination with Japanese sushi rolls.

 

Popcorn

Scientists have recently found that popcorn is good for your health. This low-calorie snack contains anti-carcinogens and reduces hunger for longer. Now you have a great excuse to grab a tub of popcorn at the movies!

Goat Cheese Sandwiches

Soft cheese contains linoleic acid which brings about a quick and prolonged feeling of fullness. Furthermore, goats cheese contains very little salt, which helps prevent dehydration. When you’re dehydrated, your body tricks you into believing that you need to eat.

Chili Sauce

It’s worth mentioning that any spices added to a dish will help curb your appetite. The famous chili pepper is a record holder: not only does it help to reduce hunger, but it also burns fat.

Pine Nuts

A small pine nut contains amino acids, manganese, copper, zinc, carbohydrates, iodine, cobalt, and vitamins A, E, and K. If after a meal, you’re afraid that you’ll be hungry again soon, just make sure you have a handful of pine nuts handy. A handful of these nuts will help you forget all about food for a few hours.

 

 this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.                                                                                                             https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations                                   https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes                 https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement