“A journey
of a thousand steps begins with a single step.”
--Lao Tzu
| uncooked oats |
What is the
one thing you can do to start losing weight?
Eat more fiber.
Here are 3
reasons why this simple strategy works:
- Fiber fills you up. When you eat foods high in fiber, you eat less.
- All packaged foods have a Nutrition Facts label that lists how many grams of fiber a serving contains. That makes it easy to make a good choice.
- Soluble fiber absorbs water and slows the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream. If your blood sugar level is lower, your pancreas makes less insulin, which means your body is less likely to store fat. Examples of soluble fiber: oats, apples, blueberries, beans, and nuts.
How much
fiber do we need? For women, it is about 25 grams a day and for men about 35 grams. The USDA’s 2010 Dietary Guidelines
for Americans (to be updated sometime this year) recommends 14 grams of dietary
fiber per 1,000 calories consumed.
The fact is
that Americans are really bad at getting enough fiber. Eating processed foods which have been stripped of fiber in order to increase the shelf life of foods is partly to
blame. Most Americans eat far less than
half the dietary fiber they need.
Ready for fun? Listen to Pop Up Health with Chef Michael Glatz and me (in Vero Beach on WAXE 107.9 FM/1370 AM every Tuesday and Sunday between 3 and 4 PM or from anywhere in the WORLD on www.iheartradio.com and search for WAXE). To listen to one of our recent shows, just click here.
Ready for fun? Listen to Pop Up Health with Chef Michael Glatz and me (in Vero Beach on WAXE 107.9 FM/1370 AM every Tuesday and Sunday between 3 and 4 PM or from anywhere in the WORLD on www.iheartradio.com and search for WAXE). To listen to one of our recent shows, just click here.
Keep it
simple. Eat real food. Buy from your local farmers. Give lots of hugs. Be kind.
In
gratitude,
Nancy
Heinrich
Founder,
Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.
