 |
| Author | Post |
|---|
Foundation Staff
.
| Joined: | Sat Jul 10th, 2004 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 17283 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 26th, 2005 03:42 |
|
See also:
Food Tips
A low Carbohydrate diet is recommended
MP-safe recipes
|
Foundation Staff
.
| Joined: | Sat Jul 10th, 2004 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 17283 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 26th, 2005 04:10 |
|
(filelink)
Low carbohydrate diets
The media is reporting that the low carb is dead but surveys show that as many people are eating low carb now as were eating low carb a year ago.
Carb-controlled diets have expanded past Atkins, Protein Power, CAD, and South Beach (which likes to claim it's not low carb, but about "good carbs"). Lowcarbing has many variations; from Atkins Induction, to people who are simply adding more protein and healthy fat, while cutting out sugar, white flour, and other highly processed carbs -- with a big range of carb control in between. There are many people who insist they "aren't doing low carb" -- but now eat eggs for breakfast instead of a muffin, and meat and vegetables for supper instead of pasta. (Do you know anyone who builds a dinner party around nothing but pasta anymore?)
There are two competing diet theories; low carb and low cal. The low calorie theory fails to take into account the facts that what kind of foods we eat influence how many calories we burn, and that eating more protein and fat and less carbohydrate has been demonstrated to reduce appetite too -- it's hard to keep calories under control when you're ravenous.
On the other hand, some low carbers have gotten the idea that so long as they keep their carb count very low they can eat unlimited calories. I know of no studies that show this is so, only that the increase in metabolism and reduction in appetite means we can eat enough calories to be *comfortable*. (Most clinical studies show that low carbers lose weight at between 1800-2200 calories per day.)
The quality of every calorie counts. Vegetables are the best of the "good carbs" and whole grains, no matter how highly touted, are the least beneficial of the acceptable carbs, completely inessential in the human diet, and apt to cause bad reactions in many people.
Whether you are a true low carber or just one of those who has simply realized that bagels for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and pasta for dinner is *not* a healthy diet, you will benefit by making sure that all your food is NUTRITIOUS -- no empty calories (nor empty carbs). Then every food you eat will promote good health ~Dana Carpender
HoldTheToast Press (Dana Carpender's website)
|
Foundation Staff
.
| Joined: | Sat Jul 10th, 2004 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 17283 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 24th, 2006 22:39 |
|
Low carbohydrate eating on a budget lowcarbbudgetlink
Low Carb For Life Reprint
Low Carb on a Budget
By Dana Carpendar
(edited to omit foods high in Vitamin D)
Now that the holidays are over, while our VISA cards are still smoking in our wallets, it seems an opportune moment to tackle a common complaint regarding a low carb diet: "It's so expensive!"
At first glance, this seems true. If you've been basing your meals on potatoes, rice, pasta, and generic white bread, you've been getting away with a lower cost-per-serving than, say, steak. However, I have several thoughts on this matter.
First, and most important, is this: Any food that makes you fat, tired, sick, and hungry would not be cheap even if they were giving it away. If you are carbohydrate intolerant, if you have the illnesses that have been identified as being related to high insulin levels - diabetes, hypertension, high triglycerides, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and the like - "cheap" carbs are a luxury you can't afford. You'll pay for them in the form of doctor visits, medicines, sick days, dental bills, and new clothes in bigger sizes.
Second, remember that many carb-y foods are not even cheap to buy. I've long suspected that cold cereal is a conspiracy to get us to pay three and a half bucks for fifteen cents worth of grain. Bulk potatoes may be cheap, but Pringles are expensive. Frozen dinners, canned biscuits, boxed potatoes, and other prepared foods are not budget items, and most of them are loaded with junk carbs and bad fats. Cut all of this rubbish out of your food budget, and you'll find a bit more room for protein and vegetables.
That being said, real, good, nutritious food does cost more per pound than the cheapest carb-y junk. How to deal with this?
*Not one of those expensive low carb specialty foods is essential to your success. When I went low carb they didn't exist. Going low carb meant eating unprocessed real foods, and I suspect that some of the health benefits stemmed from this simple fact. You'll save big money eating real food instead of low carb macaroni-and-cheese mix.
*Your body does not care if you get your protein from steak, and boneless, skinless chicken breast, or from hamburger, and chicken leg-and-thigh quarters. Hereabouts those boneless, skinless breasts often run $4.99 a pound, while leg-and-thigh quarters often go on sale for 69c a pound or less. Big difference.
*Buy in bulk When hamburger, butter, canned broth, natural peanut butter, or the like goes on sale, stock up. A freezer lets you take advantage of meat specials. I bought my deep freezed used for $225 and it has paid for itself many times over.
* We love rib eye steaks, which run $8.99 a pound. So I wait till whole rib eyes go on sale for $4.99 a pound, and have the nice meat guys slice one into steaks for me. No charge for this service, and I get steaks for several months for the price of one dinner at Outback. I also buy leg of lamb on deep discount, and have it cut into steaks - much cheaper than lamb chops.
* Eat what's in season. Asparagus, lettuce, berries, and melon, all great low carb foods, are sky-high this time of year. Cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower are all in season, and are cheaper - I just bought cabbage for 39c/pound. This makes coleslaw, steamed broccoli, and cauliflower "fauxtatoes" better choices than salad. Turnips and rutabaga (I adore rutabaga!), spaghetti squash, and celery are other winter vegetables that work well for us. Grapefruit is abundant, wonderful and cheap in the winter, and has only about 10 grams of usable carb per half.
* Bagged salad, pre-cut veggies, skinless chicken, pre-made hamburgers are all expensive. The more food preparation you do yourself, the more money you will save. Spend an hour on the weekend prepping stuff yourself, and stash it in the fridge for busy days.
* Nuts are low carb, but so are pumpkin seeds, and they're far cheaper. More minerals, too!
* Drink homemade iced tea instead of diet soda.
* One of the lowest carb-and-calorie desserts is also one of the cheapest - store brand sugar-free gelatin.
* Cut way back on eating out. The same food is always far cheaper at home.
* Bag lunches are a great way to use up leftovers - who wants to pay for food to turn green in the fridge?
_______________________________________________
All contents Copyright (C) 2006, Hold The Toast Press.
Lowcarbezine mailing list
Lowcarbezine@holdthetoast.com
http://www.ericschmitz.com/mailman/listinfo/lowcarbezine
|
Foundation Staff
.
| Joined: | Sat Jul 10th, 2004 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 17283 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 19th, 2007 05:08 |
|
(filelink)
Sugar
In non-scientific use, the term sugar refers to sucrose (also called "table sugar" or "saccharose") — a white crystalline solid disaccharide. In this informal sense, the word "sugar" principally refers to crystalline sugars.
Humans most commonly use sucrose as their sugar of choice for altering the flavor and properties of beverages and food. Commercially-produced table-sugar comes either from sugar cane or from sugar beet. Manufacturing and preparing food may involve other sugars, including palm sugar and fructose, generally obtained from corn (maize) or from fruit.
Sugar may dissolve in water to form a syrup. A great many foods exist which principally contain dissolved sugar. Generically known as "syrups", they may also have specific names such as "honey" or "molasses".
Sugar-cane in its natural form provides a rich source of vitamins and minerals, but refined sugar lacks every nutrient in a measurable quantity except for pure carbohydrate in its extrinsic (and therefore disease-causing (see citations in previous sections)) form.
White refined sugar has become the most common form of sugar in North America as well as in Europe.
Sugar is another type of carbohydrate. You may also hear sugar referred to as a simple carbohydrate and a fast-acting carbohydrate.
There are two main types of sugar:
-naturally occurring sugars such as those in milk or fruit
-added sugars such as those added during processing such as fruit canned in heavy syrup or sugar added to make a cookie
On the nutrition facts label, the number of sugar grams includes both added and natural sugars.
There are many different names for sugar. Examples of common names are table sugar, brown sugar, molasses, honey, beet sugar, cane sugar, confectioner's sugar, powdered sugar, raw sugar, turbinado, maple syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, and sugar cane syrup.
You may also see table sugar listed by its chemical name, sucrose.
Fruit sugar is also known as fructose and the sugar in milk is called lactose.
You can recognize other sugars on labels because their chemical names also end in "-ose." For example glucose (also called dextrose), fructose (also called levulose), lactose, and maltose.
Although unrefined sugars contain small amounts of vitamins and nutrients, they can add considerably to the carbohydrate content of foods. All types of sugar should be very limited on a low carbohydrate diet.
See also Artificial sweeteners
|
Foundation Staff
.
| Joined: | Sat Jul 10th, 2004 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 17283 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 4th, 2007 00:33 |
|
[filelink]
Artificial sweeteners
Our recommendations:
Use Splenda (Sucralose) or Stevia
Limited amounts of sugar-alcohols (Xylitol, Mallitol, etc) are OK
Avoid Aspartame
Splenda (sucralose) is better than other artificial sweetners
Sucralose (sucralose) is derived from table sugar -- sucrose -- but is chemically modified so it has no calories, and so it is not perceived by the body as a carbohydrate. Unlike carbohydrates, sucralose is not broken down during its passage through the body. It can be used by diabetics, and by people who want to control their blood sugar.
In determining the safety of sucralose, the manufacturers state that the FDA reviewed data from more than 110 studies in humans and animals. Supposedly, many of the studies were designed to identify possible toxic effects including carcinogenic, reproductive and neurological effects, and no problems were seen.
Many people have reported adverse reactions to the other popular artificial sweeteners, aspartame and saccharine. Some people prefer to use Stevia which is a plant derivative but it cannot compare to Splenda to match the taste of sugar. Some processed food is artificially sweetened with natural sugar alcohols such as maltitol, lactitol, erythritol and xylitol but these can have a laxative effect.
While it is best to avoid all refined sugar and limit all sugars, most of us like to eat something sweet occasionally. Splenda seems to be the best choice to satisfy that urge without eating foods high in sugar.
I have made the judgment that Splenda's safety profile is excellent, and substitution of an O-H group by a chlorine atom does not turn the sugar molecule into a monster (at least in this case). Consequently I have personally been using Splenda for many years.
Sugars, on the other hand, profoundly affects the immune system (not to mention the pancreas). To me the relative risk is clear.
..Trevor..
Aspartame
...tests have been done on aspartame that actually involve doses reflecting possible real-world consumption. And the news is not good.
Dr. Morando Soffritti, an Italian reasearcher, spent the past year studying the effects of aspartame on cancer rates in rats. This man is a respected researcher, overseeing 180 scientists and researchers in 30 countries who collaborate on toxin research. And Dr. Soffritti has now stated that aspartame increases the risk of lymphoma and leukemia. Dr. Soffritti feels this is attributable to methanol (wood alcohol) in aspartame, which turns to formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, in the body.
Previous studies have found that aspartame doesn't cause cancer. It should be noted that these studies were performed by the GD Searle company, creators of aspartame.
Dr. Soffritti responds that those studies were flawed. The rats used were "sacrificed" - killed and examined for cancers - at the age of 2 years. This is the equivalent of 53 years old in a human being. Cancer takes a long time to develop, and people under 53 years of age are far less likely to have cancer than folks who are older, regardless of their habits.
So Dr. Soffritti let his rats die at the natural "old age" for rats - about 3 years of age. He also used considerably more rats than most of the previous studies. And using this method, he found increases in lymphomas, leukemia, and tumors at multiple organ sites.
Here's the part I find really alarming about Dr. Soffritti's study: The carcinogenic effects of aspartame cropped up at doses that were the equivalent of a 150-pound human being drinking about six to eight cans of diet soda per day. A devoted diet soda drinker might easily consume that much. I know that in my Tab-drinking days I went through a dozen or more cans a day.
To be fair, cancer is complicated, and we don't understand everything involved in causing it. Some people are more susceptible than others, and there may be various interactions involved we haven't identified. But for now, this is the best information we have to go on.
So I am recommending that all you devoted diet soda and Crystal Light drinkers give it up, or at the very least, cut way, way back. This advice extends to all beverages sweetened with aspartame - iced tea mix, bottled, artificially sweetened iced tea, diet Snapple, whatever. I'm sorry, I know it's going to be hard for you, but geez. Cancer.
Beverages are the big worry, because they're how the biggest doses of the stuff are consumed, just like regular soda is the major source of sugar in most Americans' diets. You could start drinking Diet Rite Splenda-sweetened sodas, I suppose. But while I'm completely comfortable with my modest Splenda intake, I find myself suspicious of drinking soda after soda, period.
If you regularly eat aspartame sweetened desserts, I'd recommend you cut back on those, too, or even cut them out. I will no longer be using aspartame-sweetened diet gelatin or pudding mix in recipe development. I'll start working on alternatives to my best desserts that use aspartame-sweetened products. Still, people who eat 6 servings a day of diet gelatin are rare. People who drink 6 cans a day of diet soda are relatively common.
I still believe that Dose Is Everything. I wouldn't panic about the occasional diet soda, it's the daily habit I worry about. I'll still occasionally make one of my dessert recipes that calls for sugar-free pudding or gelatin mix - I mean, have you tried the "Better Than S-X" recipe from 500 More Low-Carb Recipes?
But if you're a diet beverage addict, it's time to wean yourself. Iced tea, hot tea (regular or herbal,) unsweetened sparkling water, coffee, or good old water. If you must sweeten coffee or tea, a little Splenda, Sweet 'n' Low (saccharine was taken off the list of carcinogenic products years ago; apparently it was one of those products where they used unreasonable doses in the tests) or stevia should be okay.
But best of all is to get over the idea that drinking sweet stuff all day is a good idea. ~Dana Carpender
|
Foundation Staff
.
| Joined: | Sat Jul 10th, 2004 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 17283 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 5th, 2007 20:25 |
|
[filelink]
Fruits lowest in sugar:
· Rhubarb
· Strawberries
· Cranberries
· Raspberries
· Blackberries
· Blueberries
· Grapefruit
· Melons
· Apricots
· Plums
· Peaches
· Pears
· Guava
· Cherries
· Apples
These are fairly high in sugar:
· Grapes
· Tangerine
· Oranges
· Pineapple
· Kiwi
The following fruits are very high in sugar and generally going to be very infrequent visitors to the low carb diet:
· Bananas
· Dried Fruit
· Mango
· Papaya
|
Foundation Staff
.
| Joined: | Sat Jul 10th, 2004 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 17283 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 5th, 2007 20:45 |
|
[filelink]
Low Carb Vegetables
This list is roughy arranged from lowest to highest carbohydrate counts, but all are non-starchy and generally low in carbohydrates. Exact carb count depends on serving size. Remember when counting carbs in vegetables that the fiber is not counted, and can be subtracted from the total.
· Sprouts (bean, alfalfa, etc.)
· Greens – lettuces, spinach, chard, etc.
· Hearty Greens - collards, mustard greens, kale, etc.
· Radicchio and endive count as greens
· Herbs - parsley, cilantro, basil, rosemary, thyme, etc.
· Bok Choy
· Celery
· Radishes
· Sea Vegetables (Nori, etc)
· Broccoli
· Cauliflower
· Cabbage (or sauerkraut)
· Jicama
· Avocado
· Cucumber (or pickles without added sugars)
· Peppers (all kinds)
· Summer Squash (including zuchinni)
· Scallions or green onions
· Asparagus
· Bamboo Shoots
· Leeks
· Brussels Sprouts
· Snow Peas (pods)
· Green Beans and Wax Beans
· Tomatoes
· Eggplant
· Artichoke Hearts
· Fennel
· Onions
· Okra
· Spaghetti squash
· Celery Root (Celeriac)
· Carrots
· Turnips
· Water Chestnuts
· Pumpkin
Starchy (High Carb) Vegetables
The main veggies to be avoided when reducing carbohydrates are the starchier vegetables:
· Beets
· Carrots
· Corn
· Parsnips
· Peas
· Plantains
· Potatoes in all forms
· Winter Squashes (particularly acorn and butternut)
|
Foundation Staff
.
| Joined: | Sat Jul 10th, 2004 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 17283 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 5th, 2007 21:17 |
|
[filelink]
Protein Primer
What are proteins?
Proteins are made up of several different amino acids, some of which your body can make on its own. But some of them have to be ingested. These are called the “essential” amino acids.
What is an adequate amount of protein?
Varous sources list anywhere from 0.5gm to 1gm of protein per one to 2.2 pounds of body weight as the recommended protein intake.
A long-time, rough rule of thumb for daily protein intake has been 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight (a kilogram, or Kg., is equal to 2.2 pounds). This would be about 50 grams daily for a 110-pound person, and about 70 grams for a 154-pounder. Active individuals may require as much as 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass while 0.5 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass may suffice for inactive people. The average mixed American diet provides from one to two times the RDA for protein.
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of protein according to U.S. government standards is 0.8 gram per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of ideal body weight for the adult. This protein RDA is said to meet 97.5% of the population's needs.
If some people consume too much protein (over 2.0 g/kg/d), the extra protein may become a stressful stimulus for kidneys with limited function.
National and international recommendations for protein intake are based on animal sources of protein such as meat, cow's milk and eggs. Plant proteins may be less digestible because of intrinsic differences in the nature of the protein and the presence of other factors such as fiber, which may reduce protein digestibility by as much as 10 percent.
Calculating lean body mass, body mass index and protein needs
Lean body mass is calculated using standardized charts that use height, hip and abdomen measurements in women and weight, wrist and waist measurements in men.
You can calculate your body mass index at this link.
Wake Forest Univeristy Baptist Medical Center, provides a calculator to determine protein needs.
Sources of protein
You must eat a variety of foods to make sure you’re getting all of your essential amino acids. The 8 amino acids you need can be supplied by any diet commonly encountered in developed countries - omnivorous (all foods), lacto-vegetarian (vegetarian plus milk products), lacto-ovo-vegetarian (vegetarian plus milk products and eggs) or, with carefully-chosen combinations of plant foods, vegan (no foods of animal origin). It is still true, however that eggs are the best food source of high quality protein for people. Eating two or three eggs a week is certainly compatible with good health and fitness.
Animal and plant or vegetable foods are the two major protein sources. Animal protein foods include meat, poultry, fish, dairy products and eggs and are said to be of high biological value. That is, they contain all nine essential amino acids that can not be synthesized in the body (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine).
Plant protein sources, although good for certain essential amino acids, do not always offer all nine essential amino acids in a single given food. For example, legumes lack methionine, while grains lack lysine. What is needed are complementary proteins, various protein food sources that, eaten together, enable a person to meet the standards of a high biologic protein diet.
There are two types of vegetarians. Lacto-ovo vegetarians and strict vegetarians or "vegans". Lacto vegetarians eat animal protein of high biological value, eggs and dairy products. Vegans, however, eat a more limited diet and often must take amino acids supplements to make up for their not-so-high biological protein diet. If vegans eat a variety of plant foods -- cereals, nuts, seeds, grains and legumes -- they'll be fine. They don't have to eat all these food items at a given meal. However, they should consume most or all of them during the course of the day to insure a well balanced protein diet of high biological value.
The typical American diet, as we said earlier, is already providing plenty of protein. There is no value in adding even more protein to that amount, since protein cannot be stored in the body and the excess is eliminated in urine and feces.
Plant Sources of Protein in Vegan Diet
The main protein foods in a vegan diet are pulses (peas, beans & lentils), nuts, seeds and grains, all of which are relatively energy dense. As the average protein level in pulses is 27 percent of calories; in nuts and seeds 13 percent; and in grains 12 percent, it is easy to see that plant foods can supply the recommended amount of protein as long as the energy requirements are met.
Plant Sources of Protein Quite Adequate
Furthermore, dietary studies show clearly that diets based solely on plant sources of protein can be quite adequate and supply the recommended amounts of all essential amino acids for adults, even when a single plant food, such as rice, is virtually the sole source of protein. The American Dietetic Association emphasizes that protein combining at each meal is unnecessary, as long as a range of protein rich foods is eaten during the day.
List of foods high in protein
List of foods high in protein for vegetarians.
MeatLast edited on Mon Feb 4th, 2008 23:30 by Foundation Staff
|
Foundation Staff
.
| Joined: | Sat Jul 10th, 2004 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 17283 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 5th, 2007 21:25 |
|
[filelink]
Starch
Foods high in starch include:
· starchy vegetables like peas, corn, lima beans, and potatoes
· dried beans, lentils, and peas such as pinto beans, kidney beans, black eyed peas, and split peas
· grains like oats, barley, and rice. (The majority of grain products in the US are made from wheat flour. These include pasta, bread, and crackers but the variety is expanding to include other grains as well.)
The grain group can be broken down into whole grain or refined grain. A grain contains three parts. The parts are the bran, germ, and the endosperm. The bran is the outer hard shell of the grain. It is the part of the grain that provides the most fiber and most of the B vitamins and minerals. The germ is the next layer and is packed with nutrients including essential fatty acids and vitamin E. The endosperm is the soft part in the center of the grain. It contains the starch. Whole grain means that the entire grain kernel is in the food.
If you eat a whole grain food, it contains the bran, germ, and endosperm so you get all of the nutrients that whole grains have to offer. If you eat a refined grain food, it contains only the endosperm or the starchy part so you miss out on a lot of vitamins and minerals. Because whole grains contain the entire grain, they are much more nutritious than refined grains.[size=]Picking out foods in the store that are whole grain can be confusing. You cannot tell by the color of the food. Some manufacturers add coloring to make pasta look brown for example. Reading the ingredient list is the easiest way to tell if a food is made from whole grains. Look for the first ingredient to be whole wheat flour, brown rice, rye flour, barley, or oats.
When you start reading ingredient lists, you will notice another term on most bread products made in the United States. It is enriched wheat flour. This is not the same thing as whole grain. In the United States, we enrich -- or add some vitamins and one mineral back into refined grains. For example, if a whole grain of wheat is ground into flour, you retain the vitamins, minerals, and fiber from all three parts of the grain. But when the germ and bran are removed before making it into flour (refined flour), your food will contain only the starchy part of the grain. So, wheat flour in the United States adds back a few of the nutrients that are removed. You lose about 11 vitamins and minerals, and five are added back. The nutrients added back are iron, and four of the B vitamins -- Niacin, Riboflavin, Thiamin, and folic acid.
Enriched wheat flour is a refined grain. You also see enriched wheat flour listed as all-purpose flour, cake flour, bleached flour, and bread flour. You find it in breads as well as baked products like cake, cookies, muffins, and snack bars. Other refined grains are white rice and white pasta. Often, products that used enriched wheat flour and have added sugar and fat are called processed foods. A good rule of thumb, especially for grains is that the further away a food is from its natural state, the less nutritious. For example brown rice contains more nutrients than a cookie.
|
Foundation Staff
.
| Joined: | Sat Jul 10th, 2004 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 17283 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 5th, 2007 21:57 |
|
[filelink]
Fiber
Fiber comes from plant foods so there is no fiber in animal products such as milk and other dairy products, eggs, meat, poultry, and fish. Fiber is the indigestible part of plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes. When you consume dietary fiber, most of it passes through the intestines and is not digested.
Adults need to try to eat 25 to 30 grams of fiber each day. Most Americans do not consume nearly enough fiber in their diet, so while it is wise to aim for this goal, any increase in fiber in your diet can be beneficial. Most of us only get about ½ what is recommended. Fiber contributes to digestive health, helps to keep you regular and helps to make you feel full and satisfied after eating.
Good sources of dietary fiber include:
· Fruits and vegetables, especially those with edible skin (for example, apples, corn and beans) and those with edible seeds (for example, berries).
· Whole grains such as:
-- whole wheat pasta
-- whole grain cereals (Look for those with three grams of dietary fiber or more per serving, including those made from whole wheat, wheat bran, and oats.)
-- whole grain breads (To be a good source of fiber, one slice of bread should have at least three grams of fiber. Another good indication: look for breads where the first ingredient is a whole grain. For example, whole wheat or oats.)
· Beans and legumes. Think black beans, kidney beans, pintos, chick peas (garbanzos), white beans, and lentils.
· Nuts -- try different kinds. Peanuts, walnuts and almonds are a good source of fiber and healthy fat, but watch portion sizes, because they also contain a lot of calories in a small amount.
In general, an excellent source of fiber contains five grams or more per serving, while a good source of fiber contains 2.5 - 4.9 grams per serving.
It is best to get your fiber from food rather than taking a supplement. In addition to the fiber, these foods have a wealth of nutrition, containing many important vitamins and minerals. In fact, they may contain nutrients that haven't even been discovered yet!
It is also important that you increase your fiber intake gradually, to prevent stomach irritation, and that you increase your intake of water and other liquids, to prevent constipation.
Because fiber is not digested like other carbohydrates, for carbohydrate counting purposes, if a serving of a food contains more than or equal to 5 grams of dietary fiber, you can subtract the grams of dietary fiber from the total carbohydrate serving of that food.
|
Current time is 02:50 | |
|
|
|
|
