Fiber

Dietary fiber generally refers to parts of fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and legumes that cannot be digested by humans. There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble.

Soluble: Makes us feel full, helps with digestion, maintains lower blood sugar levels, dissolves in water, and is mainly found in fruits, legumes and oats.

Insoluble: Adds bulk to the diet, helps maintain intestinal health, may help in some cancers, does not dissolve in water and is mainly found in vegetables and the bran layer of grains.

Women should get approximately 25 grams of fiber/day, whereas men should get approximately 38 grams of fiber/day.

A high fiber diet may increase your the need for calcium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, copper, and iron. A low fiber diet may lead to constipation.

Here is the fiber content of select high fiber foods:

Bananas, 3 grams - medium 8" long
• Beans, 6-10 grams - baked beans, black beans, great northern beans, kidney beans, garbanzos, pinto beans, white beans
• Berries, 4-5 grams - blackberries, raspberries
• Bran Cereals, 5-10 grams - All-Bran, Bran Buds, 100% Bran, Raisin Bran
• Bread, 4-7 grams - 2 slices whole wheat, pumpernickel, seven-grain
• Broccoli, 4-5 grams
• Brussels Sprouts, 2 grams
• Carrots, 3-4 grams
• Dried Figs, 10 grams - 3 figs
• Fruit, 4 grams - medium apple, medium pear
• Green Beans, 2 grams - broad beans, pole beans, snap bean
• Greens, 4-6 grams - beet greens, collards, kale, spinach, turnip greens
• Lentils, 6 grams
• Lima Beans - 4-6 grams
• Peas, 7-9 grams - black-eyed peas, green peas
• Potatoes, 4-5 grams - medium baked Idaho or sweet potato
• Sweet Corn, 5 grams

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Waist/Hip Ratio

Waist/Hip ratio differentiates between android and gynoid obesity.

Android obesity is defined as carrying most of one's fat in the abdoman or being "apple-shaped". It is associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease, hypertension, visceral obesity, glucose intolerance, and insulin resistance. Waist to hip ratio is increased as fat increases in the abdominal regions.

Gynoid obesity is defined as carrying fat in the lower part of the body such as hips and thighs, also called being "pear-shaped". It is not associated with increased heart risk. Waist to hip ratio is not increased as fat increases in femoral-gluteal regions.

To measure: measure around the smallest part of your waist and the largest part of your hips. Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. This will give you your ratio.

A waist/hip ratio of 0.8 or greater in women and a 1.0 or greater in men is indicative of android obesity and an increased risk for obesity-related diseases.

Exercise Physiology and Nutrition

At rest and during normal activities, fats provide 80-90% of the energy source; carbohydrates provide 5-18%; and protein provides 2-5%.

During low to moderate intensity aerobic activity (long duration, steady speed, also known as endurance exercise), fat is a significant energy source.

Exercise above 60-65% of maximal oxygen uptake, carbohydrate is needed as a fuel source.

During prolonged exercise, there is a reliance on carbohydrate to provide pyruvate for continued fat oxidation.

Muscle glycogen (the storage form of carbohydrate in the muscle) is depleted in 2-3 hours of continuous exercise at 60-80% of oxygen uptake.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans were written by the USDA and HHS, and were designed to prevent chronic diseases. The components are:

1. Adequate nutrients within calorie needs: Limit intake of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars, salt, and alcohol. Balance eating pattern using USDA's Food Guide Pyramid.

2. Weight Management: Balance calories consumed with calories expended. To prevent gradual weight gain over time, make small decreases in intake and increase physical activity.

3. Physical activity: To reduce risk of chronic disease, at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most days. To manage body weight, engage in 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity on most days, while not exceeding caloric intake needs.

4. Consume/Choose: 2 cups fruit; 2 1/2 cups vegetables; 3 oz or more whole grains, 3 cups fat-free or low fat milk products; <10% of calories from saturated fats; <300 mg cholesterol; 20-35% calories as fat; <2300 mg sodium.

5. Food safety: Cook foods to safe temperatures. Chill perishable food promptly. Clean hands, food contact surfaces, fruits and vegetables. Do not wash or rinse meat and poultry. Separate raw, cooked, and ready-to-cook foods.

Vegetarian Diets

The advantage of a vegetarian diet is that it tends to be low in fat and high in fiber. The disadvantage is that is can be low in iron, vitamin D, zinc, vitamin B2, and vitamin B12.

The ovolactovegetarian diet allows for dairy products and eggs. It provides 80% of your need for zinc, but it is low in iron.

The vegan diet contains no animal protein ( meat, fish, eggs, poultry, dairy) and lacks vitamin B12.

When following any one of these diets, you need to consume complementary proteins to obtain complete proteins over the course of a day. An example of this would be beans and rice. A complete protein is a protein that has all the essential amino acids in amounts required for human use. Soy protein is considered equivilent in quality to animal protein.

Also, make sure to take a multivitamin daily to supplement your diet.

Trans Fats

Trans fats are a type of unsaturated fat that are neither required nor beneficial for health. Eating trans fats increases your risk for coronary heart disease, therefore you should consume as little as possible. The good news is that many companies are voluntarily removing trans fats from their products or coming out with trans-free product lines.

Trans fats are naturally found in small amounts in dairy and meat prducts. However, most of the trans fats that we consume today are made industrially as a side effect of partially hydrogenating plant oils. By adding hydrogen to unsaturated oils, products have a longer shelf life and decreased refrigeration requirements.

Major food sources of trans fats:

40% from pies, cakes, cookies, breads, crackers

21% from animal products

17% from margerine

8% from fried potatoes

5% from potato chips, corn chips, popcorn

4% from household shortening

3% from salad dressing

1% from breakfast cereal

1% from candy

Data based on FDA’s economic analysis for the final trans fatty acid labeling rule, "Trans Fatty Acids in Nutrition Labeling, Nutrient Content Claims, and Health Claims" (July 11, 2003)

What is Diabetes?

We all need some sugar is our blood because sugar is needed for energy. But too much blood sugar could mean you have diabetes. Normally, your body breaks down food into sugar and sends it into your bloodstream. Next, your pancreas makes a hormone called insulin. Insulin keeps blood sugar in normal range by taking the sugar from your blood and putting it into your cells to be used for energy. For people with diabetes, they either don't make enough insulin or it doesn't work well.

The long-term effects of high blood sugar include: heart, eye, kidney, blood vessel, and nerve damage. These can cause serious health problems and death. Therefore, people with diabetes need to make sure that their blood sugar levels are as close to the normal range as possibe.