Vim & Vigor - Fall 2008 - North Denver - (Page 17)

private lessons From helping dieters shed unwanted pounds to lowering your risk of heart disease and diabetes, ﬁber packs a powerful punch. “High-ﬁber diets have been shown to reduce the occurrence of several chronic diseases,” says Katherine Tallmadge, M.A., R.D., spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. “It lowers diabetes risk, plus doubling your ﬁber intake could reduce your chances of developing colorectal cancer by 40 percent.” That’s not all. Fiber can help lower cholesterol, which helps lower the risk of heart disease, adds Thomas Weida, M.D., a member of the board of directors for the American Academy of Family Physicians. go Would a one-to-one chat with a registered dietitian make it easier for you to manage nutritional concerns? St. Anthony Hospitals offers a twosession personalized class for just $50. Call 303-629-4323 for information. a diet aid It also has been deemed the nutrient of choice for most dieters. “High-ﬁber foods have lower calories, and they’re bulky and watery so they ﬁll you up with fewer calories,” Tallmadge says. But what exactly is this miracle ingredient, and where do you ﬁnd it? “It’s found in fruits, veggies and whole grains,” says Weida, and it comes in soluble and insoluble forms. Soluble ﬁber, which dissolves in water, is found in fruit (for example, oranges, apples, pears, berries), legumes and cereal grains (oatmeal, barley, bran), and also helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Insoluble ﬁber—found in whole grains, seeds and tomatoes, for example—doesn’t dissolve in water and helps improve intestinal function. “You should have both kinds in your diet to maintain a balance,” Weida says. “To get those numbers, you really have to make an effort,” Tallmadge says. To ﬁt it all in, Weida suggests starting your day off with a high-ﬁber cereal (about 5 grams per serving) or oatmeal. “Add some prunes and you get even more ﬁber,” he says. At lunch add broccoli, beans, ﬁgs and dates to your salad, and use whole-grain bread for your sandwich. At dinner, try more leafy greens and mix bran into dishes such as meatloaf. “It’s just something you have to plan for,” Tallmadge says. “You need to make sure you have some ﬁber during all of your meals and your snacks.” can’t i just take a pill? It seems there’s a vitamin or pill for everything, so why not fiber? “There’s really not much fiber in the capsule form,” says Dianne Johnson, R.D., a registered dietitian with St. Anthony Hospitals. “Powdered forms of fiber can be helpful in meeting daily dietary requirements, plus some types can help lower cholesterol. “I advise my clients to try to get 30 grams of fiber a day—10 grams per meal—by including whole grains, fruits and vegetables in their menus. These types of fiber also contain antioxidants and nutrients such as magnesium, zinc, vitamin E and others that promote wellness. Look for food labels that say ‘100% whole grain.’ While ‘enriched’ flour may sound healthy, it’s actually flour that’s had some 16 nutrients removed and only three or so—vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid— returned during the ‘enrichment’ process.” fitting in fiber Considering all the health beneﬁts, why then, are we not consuming more ﬁber? Because the recommended daily amounts are 38 grams for men under 50, and 25 grams for women under 50. That equals a lot of ﬁber each day. vim & vigor · fall 2008 17

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Fall 2008 - North Denver

Vim & Vigor - Fall 2008 - North Denver Contents A Mission in Motion For Your Health Goal! Seeing Beyond Time Equals Muscle The Fiber Solution Prize Fighters On the Cover: Spreading the News I'm Glad I Had a... Tailor-Made Beyond the Bedside On Track Living the Good Life Little Kids, Big Decisions Zeroing In Right At Home Beating the Clock Community Connections Ask the Experts

Vim & Vigor - Fall 2008 - North Denver

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