Nutrition And Healthy Eating
Eat more fiber. You've probably heard it before. But do you know why fiber is so good for your health? Dietary fiber — found mainly in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes — is probably best known for its ability to prevent or relieve constipation. But foods containing fiber can provide other health benefits as well, such as helping to maintain a healthy weight and lowering your risk of diabetes and heart disease. Selecting tasty foods that provide fiber isn't difficult. Find out how much dietary fiber you need, the foods that contain it, and how to add them to meals and snacks. What is dietary fiber? Dietary fiber, also known as roughage or bulk, includes the parts of plant foods your body can't digest or absorb. Unlike other food components, such as fats, proteins or carbohydrates — which your body breaks down and absorbs — fiber isn't digested by your body. Instead, it passes relatively intact through your stomach, small intestine and colon and out of your body. Fiber is commonly classified as soluble, which dissolves in water, or insoluble, which doesn't dissolve. Soluble fiber. This type of fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material. It can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Soluble fiber is found in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium. Insoluble fiber. This type of fiber promotes the movement of material through your digestive system and increases stool bulk, so it can be of benefit to those who struggle with constipation or irregular stools. Whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts, beans and vegetables, such as cauliflower, green beans and potatoes, are good sources of insoluble fiber. Most plant-based foods, such as oatmeal and beans, contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. However, the amo Continue reading >>
More Evidence That A High-fiber Diet Can Curb Type 2 Diabetes
People who ate more than 26 grams of fiber a day had an 18 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who ate 19 grams a day or less Fiber may benefit diabetes by altering hormonal signals, slowing down nutrient absorption or altering fermentation in the large intestine, along with promoting feelings of satiety and weight loss The majority of your fiber should come from vegetables, not grains By Dr. Mercola In the US, nearly 80 million people, or one in four has some form of diabetes or pre-diabetes. One in two people with diabetes do not know they have it,1 which increases the odds of developing complications, which can be deadly. Leading a healthy lifestyle is one of the best strategies to prevent, and treat, type 2 diabetes, and even more specifically, eating a high-fiber diet is emerging as a key strategy you can use to lower your risk. More Than 26 Grams of Fiber a Day May Lower Your Diabetes Risk US dietary guidelines call for adults to consume 20-30 grams of fiber per day. I believe an ideal amount for most adults is around 50 grams per 1,000 calories consumed. Most people, however, get only half that, or less. In a recent study conducted by researchers at the Imperial College London, those who had the highest intake of fiber (more than 26 grams a day) had an 18 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those with the lowest intake (less than 19 grams a day).2 The fiber may benefit diabetes by altering hormonal signals, slowing down nutrient absorption or altering fermentation in the large intestine, along with promoting feelings of satiety.3 Eating a high-fiber diet is also associated with weight loss, and the researchers believe this may, in turn, lower diabetes risk. In fact, when the researchers accounted for participants' BMI, th Continue reading >>
How Does Fiber Affect Blood Glucose Levels?
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate (just like sugars and starches) but since it is not broken down by the human body, it does not contribute any calories. Yet, on a food label, fiber is listed under total carbohydrate. So this gets kind of confusing for people who have diabetes. Carbohydrate is the one nutrient that has the biggest impact on blood glucose. So, does fiber have any effect on your blood glucose? The answer is that fiber does not raise blood glucose levels. Because it is not broken down by the body, the fiber in an apple or a slice of whole grain bread has no effect on blood glucose levels because it isn't digested. The grams of fiber can actually be subtracted from the total grams of carb you are eating if you are using carbohydrate counting for meal planning. So, fiber is a good thing for people with diabetes. Of course, most of the foods that contain fiber (fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads, cereals, and pastas) also contain other types of non-fiber carbohydrate (sugar, starch) that must be accounted for in your meal plan. The average person should eat between 20-35 grams of fiber each day. Most Americans eat about half that amount. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that people with diabetes who ate 50 grams of fiber a day — particularly soluble fiber — were able to control their blood glucose better than those who ate far less. So if fiber does not give us any calories, why exactly should you eat it? There are two types of fiber: insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fiber keeps your digestive tract working well. Whole wheat bran is an example of this type of fiber. Soluble fiber can help lower your cholesterol level and improve blood glucose control if eaten in large amounts. Oatmeal is an example of this type of fiber. Another ben Continue reading >>
The Facts About Carbs, Fiber, And Diabetes
When you watch your diet because you have diabetes, you'll want to pay special attention to carbohydrates, because they can affect your blood sugar level faster than protein or fat. You get carbs from sweets, fruit, milk, yogurt, bread, cereal, rice, pasta, potatoes, and other vegetables. It can help to count your carbs from things you eat or drink, and split them evenly between meals so that it’s in line with how much insulin is available from your body or from medicine. If you get more than your insulin supply can handle, your blood sugar level goes up. If you eat too few carbohydrates, your blood sugar level may fall too low. With carbohydrate counting, you can pick almost any food product off the shelf, read the label, and use the information about grams of carbohydrates to fit the food into your meal plan. Counting carbs is most useful for people who use insulin several times a day or wear an insulin pump, or want more flexibility and variety in their food choices. The amount and type of insulin you are prescribed may affect the flexibility of your meal plan. You don’t have to count carbs. You could use diabetes food exchange lists instead. Ask your doctor or a registered dietitian for their advice on that. Fiber helps control blood sugar. It also helps you lower your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol. Most Americans need more fiber in their diets. The average American only gets about half the fiber needed on a daily basis. You get fiber from plant foods, so plan to eat more of these foods: Cooked dried beans and peas Whole-grain breads, cereals, and crackers Brown rice Bran products Nuts and seeds Although it’s best to get fiber from food sources, fiber supplements can also help you get the daily fiber you need. Examples include psyllium and methylcellulose. Incre Continue reading >>
How To Get More Fiber If You Have Diabetes
Even dressed up, 50 grams of daily fiber is a lot to pack away.(ISTOCKPHOTO)If youve got type 2 diabetes, the quality of food is as important as the quantity. And fiber is the best stuff around. Fiber itself doesnt raise blood sugar because it can't be digested, and that's good. But even better, it can blunt the impact that carbohydrates have on blood sugar. The reason? The intestines take a bit more time to digest fiber-rich foods, and that slows the release of glucose into your bloodstream. You need to check labels and add more fiber A 2000 study of 13 patients showed that patients with diabetes who consumed 50 grams of fiber each day lowered their glucose levels 10% and insulin levels 12% more than those who consumed 24 grams of fiber a day. The problem is that 50 grams of fiber per day is a lot of fiber. Most Americans consume only 15 grams every day, according to the American Heart Association, and the American Diabetes Association recommends that people with diabetes eat 25 to 50 grams daily. While its tough to consume that much, its not impossible. "Check nutrition labels to see how much fiber there is in the foods you eat," says LuAnn Berry, RD, a certified diabetes educator and diabetes specialist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "Then go back to the ones with the most grams of fiber per serving." Good sources of fiber include: Whole grain products, such as whole wheat bread Dried beans, including kidney, black and garbanzos, lentils Oats, which are found in oatmeal Apples and pears with their skins on Berry says you can eat the fiber-high foods alone or add them to recipesfor example, put beans in a salad. However, dont forget to calculate how much carbohydrate you are adding. A half-cup of beans, for example, has the same carbohydrate count as Continue reading >>
Fiber Bars For Diabetes - Preventing & Managing Diabetes With Fiber
Fiber Bars For Diabetes: Help Manage and Prevent it with Fiber This entry was posted on November 5, 2014 Learn how dietary fiber helps to reduce risk of developing diabetes, and serves as a filling nutrient that helps to keep blood sugar levels in check for people who already have diabetes. Diabetes is a huge and growing health concern for Americans.According to the American Diabetes Association , over 30 million Americans have diabetes, while another 86 million have pre-diabetes. Based on current health trends, it is projected that by 2050, one in three American adults will be living with the chronic disease. But good news! With consistent healthy lifestyle choices, Type 2 diabetes can be very preventable. One simple step toward preventing Type 2 diabetes is eating the recommended daily fiber intake.Studies have shown that people who eat diets high in fiber specifically, the fiber found in whole grains have a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetesDiabetes is characterized by the bodys inability to keep blood sugar levels in check, and can result in serious health challenges. Because fiber is not digested, insulin is not required to help fiber pass through the body, and fiber does not increase blood glucose levels. Instead, fiber helps to keep blood sugar levels steady by providing a slow release of energy, rather than a rush of sugar that will be burned through quickly. Fiber can also help to prevent weight gain and obesity, which are risk factors for developing diabetes. For diabetics, choosing a healthy snack that wont cause drastic changes in blood sugar can seem like a difficult task.Choosing a Fiber dLish bar as a daily snack is a smart way to add healthy whole grains to the diet, while keeping blood sugar levels in check. Each Fiber dLish bar includes 12 grams Continue reading >>
10 Fiber-rich Foods For Your Diabetes Diet
Focus on Fiber, Balance Your Blood Sugar Ready to give your health a clean sweep? Then consider fiber — nature’s broom, says Toby Smithson, RDN, LDN, CDE, spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and author of Diabetes Meal Planning and Nutrition for Dummies. Found in plant-based foods, fiber is a carbohydrate that the body can’t digest, which helps slow the rise in blood sugar following a meal. There are two types of fiber — soluble and insoluble, and they’ve both got big benefits. “Foods high in soluble fiber become gummy or sticky as they pass through the digestive tract, helping to reduce the absorption of cholesterol,” Smithson explains. Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve and promotes bowel regularity. Other benefits include weight management, because fiber can help you feel more full and satisfied, and better regulation of blood sugar levels. And since people with diabetes are at double the risk for cardiovascular complications, fiber’s ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels is a great way to improve heart health. To get the recommended 20 to 35 grams per day, include these fiber-rich gems in your type 2 diabetes diet. Continue reading >>
6 Reasons A High-fiber Diet Is Insanely Healthy For Diabetes
Fiber directly improves insulin sensitivity iStock A number of studies have found that eating more dietary fiber for a period of weeks or months is linked to a reduction in biomarkers for insulin resistance. This may be due in part to dietary fiber’s anti-inflammatory effects—high-fiber diets have been associated with reduced blood levels of C-reactive protein, a marker for systemic inflammation—and also to the fact that the short-chain fatty acids that fiber produces when it ferments in the intestinal tract tend to inhibit the breakdown of the body’s fat stores into free fatty acids. This breakdown of fat stores appears to play a major role in creating insulin resistance in the skeletal muscles. iStock Soluble fiber’s general effect of slowing down the digestive process means that the carbohydrates we eat take longer to be broken down into glucose. As a result, the release of glucose into the blood after eating tends to occur more slowly over a longer period of time following a high-fiber meal. This means that glucose doesn’t rise to as high a peak after eating, putting less stress on the glucose metabolism process. iStock The same fermentation process that signals the body to become more responsive to insulin also suppresses glucose production in the liver—countering the liver’s glucose overproduction that occurs as the result of insulin resistance. Fiber makes you feel more full so it’s easier to eat less iStock A number of studies have found that people who eat diets high in fiber feel more full after eating and also feel less hungry between meals. For starters, dietary fiber is simply bulkier than other nutrients. This causes the stomach to become more distended when you eat fiber, which sends appetite-suppressing signals to the brain. Soluble fib Continue reading >>
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Fibre And Diabetes
Porridgeis a good source of fibre Increasing the amount of fibre in your diet can help you manage your diabetes. It also helps keep your gut healthy and can reduce your bloodcholesterol, which lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease. If you are trying to maintain a healthy weight, it can also be beneficial. The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), who looked at the role of fibre in maintaining good health, published these new recommendations in July 2015: adults 16 years and over: 30g per day 11-16 years: 25g per day 5-11 years: 20g per day 2-5 years: 15g per day Currently, the average adult in the UK consumes only around 19g per day. Here, we’ll help you identify foods that are high in fibre and simple ways you can increase your intake. Remember that you’ll also need to increase the amount youdrink. If you have diabetes, or are just managing your weight, the best options for drinks are water, no-calorie/low-calorie sugar-free drinks, unsweetened tea or coffee with milk. What is fibre? Dietary fibre is a type of carbohydrate that’s found in plant-based foods. It’s not absorbed or digested by the body, but plays an important role in maintaining good health. There are two types of dietary fibre – soluble and insoluble. Most foods contain both types, but are usually richer in one type than the other. Soluble fibre Found in oat, oat bran, linseeds, barley, fruit and vegetable, nuts, beans, pulses, soya and lentils. Insoluble fibre Good sources include: wholemeal bread, bran, wholegrain cereals, nuts, seeds and the skin of some fruit and vegetables. Why is fibre important? Having diabetes can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Evidence shows that increasing your intake of fibre, especially cereal and wholegrains, can help reduce the risk Continue reading >>
Effects Of Dietary Fiber And Carbohydrate On Glucose And Lipoprotein Metabolism In Diabetic Patients.
Abstract Dietary recommendations for the treatment of diabetic patients issued by national and international diabetes associations consistently emphasize the need to increase carbohydrate consumption. However, these recommendations have been questioned on the basis of growing evidence that, in both insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients, a high-carbohydrate diet does not offer any advantage in terms of blood glucose and plasma lipid concentrations compared with a high-fat (mainly unsaturated) diet. It has been shown repeatedly that a high-carbohydrate diet increases plasma insulin and triglyceride levels and can deteriorate blood glucose control in the postprandial period. However, much of the controversy between advocates and detractors of dietary carbohydrate can be settled by taking into account dietary fiber. Several studies have shown that the adverse metabolic effects of high-carbohydrate diets are neutralized when fiber and carbohydrate are increased simultaneously in the diet for diabetic patients. In particular, these studies demonstrated that a high-carbohydrate/high-fiber diet significantly improves blood glucose control and reduces plasma cholesterol levels in diabetic patients compared with a low-carbohydrate/low-fiber diet. In addition, a high-carbohydrate/high-fiber diet does not increase plasma insulin and triglyceride concentrations, despite the higher consumption of carbohydrates. Unfortunately, dietary fiber represents a heterogenous category, and there is still much to understand as to which foods should be preferred to maximize the metabolic effects of fiber. There are indications that only water-soluble fiber is active on plasma glucose and lipoprotein metabolism in humans. Therefore, in practice, the consumption of legumes, Continue reading >>
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The Best Sources Of Fiber For A Diabetic
Fiber is the part of plant foods that your body can't digest. It has a number of health benefits, including lowering your risk for high cholesterol and heart disease and helping you control your weight. When diabetics consume a diet high in fiber, they are better able to keep their blood glucose and cholesterol levels under control. Some foods are better sources of fiber than others. The Dietary Reference Intake for fiber is at least 38 grams per day for men aged 50 and under and at least 25 grams per day for women aged 50 and under. However, consuming even more fiber than this may be beneficial for diabetics, notes a study published in 2004 in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition," which found that diabetics who consumed between 21 and 50 grams of fiber per day had the best cholesterol and blood glucose results. Foods High in Fiber If a food has at least 5 grams of fiber per serving, it is high in fiber, and foods that contain at least 2.5 grams of fiber per serving are good sources of fiber. Beans, whole grains, nuts and fruits and vegetables, especially those that contain peels and seeds that you eat, are all good options for increasing the amount of fiber in your diet, whether or not you are diabetic. Glycemic Index The glycemic index is a scale used to measure how quickly a particular food increases your blood sugar levels. Foods are compared to either white bread or glucose, since these are two foods that quickly cause blood sugar levels to spike. Diabetics may find it easier to control their blood sugar if they consume foods that are low on the glycemic index, including beans, fruits, non-starchy vegetables and whole grains, all of which are also good sources of fiber. Baked goods that are high in sugar are still likely to be high on the glycemic ind Continue reading >>
Eating A High Fiber Diet Can Help Manage Diabetes In An Unexpected Way
Eating a High Fiber Diet Can Help Manage Diabetes in an Unexpected Way Eating a High Fiber Diet Can Help Manage Diabetes in an Unexpected Way Type 2 diabetics will want to pay attention to this new research. Weve known for a while that eating a high fiber diet is good for our bodies. Fiber is found in plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. It helps to keep us full, maintain healthy body weight, reduce chances of overeating, and potentially lower cholesterol and reduce risk for chronic diseases and cancer. Plus, it can support a healthy gut by helping waste pass through your digestive system efficiently. Fiber is great on its own, but a recent study shows it may be even more beneficial for those with type 2 diabetes. According to the study, published in the journal Science, eating a high fiber diet can create the ultimate environment for gut bacteria and help prevent and manage type 2 diabeteswhich occurs when the pancreas cannot make enough insulin or your body becomes resistant to insulin. The six-year study examined two groups with type 2 diabetes over 12 weeks. The control group was given regular type 2 diabetes dietary recommendations and patient education. The test group was given the same calorie goals, but a diet recommendation that was much higher in dietary fiber, including whole grains, traditional fiber-rich Chinese-medicinal foods, and prebiotics. Both groups were given the drug acarbose to help control blood glucose. RELATED: Whats the Difference Between Prebiotics and Probiotics? At the end of the study, those following the high fiber diet had significantly lower blood sugar levels, lost more weight, and their fasting blood glucose levels dropped faster. People with type 2 diabetes typically have lower levels of Continue reading >>
Soluble Fibre And Diabetes
Soluble fibre can help to slow rises in blood sugar Soluble fibre is a form of water soluble carbohydrate that cant be digested by the body. Soluble fibre dissolves in water which can have beneficial effects on digestion, metabolism and longer term health. Soluble fibres in our diet include pectin, psyllium, beta-glucans and gums such as guar gum. Fruits and berries, particularly apples, strawberries and blueberries When soluble fibre interacts with water it forms a gel. In this gel form, the emptying of the stomach, the passage of digestion and the absorption of glucose are slowed. Research studies have found that even modest increases in soluble fibre intake helps to lower blood glucose levels. The fact that soluble fibre could help improve blood glucose in two ways. The slowing down of passage through the digestive gives digestive hormones more time to act and by forming a gel with water, soluble fibre prevents carbohydrate from being so quickly absorbed by the small intestine . Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2000 compared a moderate fibre diet (24g of total fibre including 8g of soluble fibre) with a high fibre diet (50g of total fibre including 25g of soluble fibre) over 6 weeks. The high fibre diet saw a reduction in pre-meal blood glucose levels by 0.7 mmol/l compared to the moderate fibre diet as well as reducing triglyceride levels and post meal blood glucose levels. Soluble fibre also helps to reduce levels of LDL cholesterol, the so-called bad cholesterol . Research has found that soluble fibre in the diet results in bile being excreted from the body. Bile is produced from cholesterol and bile acids. When more bile is excreted and therefore less bile is reabsorbed by the body, it can therefore help to regulate cholesterol as the Continue reading >>
How Fiber Helps Control High Blood Sugar
Are you filling up on fiber? If you have type 2 diabetes, you should be — including high-fiber foods in your diet is a healthy way to control high blood sugar. As an added bonus, you may be able to stay full longer on the correct portion sizes than you would if you were eating more refined foods. And eating lots of soluble fiber (the kind found in oatmeal, beans, and apples, among other foods) may help reduce dangerous visceral belly fat, according to a recent study. "Fiber promotes good bowel health, lowers the risk of cancer and heart disease, and also controls your blood sugar in a certain way," explains Amy Kranick, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator with the adult diabetes program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. When fiber is digested, your body handles it differently than the way in which refined carbohydrates, such as white flour, are digested. A portion of the fiber simply passes through your digestive system intact. This difference means that eating foods rich in fiber is less likely to cause a spike in high blood sugar. "Fiber doesn't require insulin [to digest], so it isn't counted as part of your carbohydrates," says Kranick. As a result, when you are reading labels and budgeting daily carbohydrates, you can subtract half the grams of dietary fiber from the total carbohydrate count. At the same time, you should be keeping track of how much fiber you eat. Adults need at least 25 grams of fiber daily for best health outcomes, says Kranick. Other Benefits of Fiber Fiber may also help you manage your overall eating habits, says Kranick. Here are some of the additional benefits of eating high-fiber foods: Antioxidants. Many of the foods that contain fiber also contain antioxidants, which are generally good for you Continue reading >>
Treating Diabetes With Fiber
I wrote last week about the amazing benefits of dietary fiber . But what is fiber? It comes in numerous forms. In this entry, well look at what type of fiber to eat, how much to have, and how to make it enjoyable and doable. Fiber is a catchall term for various kinds of plant matter. A common definition is this one from the Linus Pauling Institute: Dietary fiber is a diverse group of compounds, including lignin and complex carbohydrates, which cannot be digested by human enzymes in the small intestine. Because theyre not digested, they pass through into the large intestine. There they are colonized by bacteria and turned into short-chain fatty acids or SCFAs, which have wonderful effects on blood glucose, cholesterol, and the immune system. Scientists have classified fibers in several ways. One common classification is soluble versus insoluble. According to Amy Campbell, soluble fiber is the kind that turns into a gel in the intestines and slows down digestion. I think of it as being like cooked squash: a nice, soothing mush. Insoluble fiber doesnt break down as much. Its in things like carrots and oat bran. It helps to speed the passage of food through the digestive system and adds bulk to stool. If youre dealing with inflammatory bowel or irritable bowel , you want to maximize soluble and decrease insoluble fibers. But from a diabetes angle, it doesnt make much difference, because nearly all plant foods include both types, and both are good. Other terms used for soluble fibers are viscous and fermentable. All these terms are similar. They mean bacteria in the colon can ferment the fiber, and thats what we want. For the most part we can ignore these distinctions. The Institute of Medicine also classes fibers as dietary and functional. Dietary (or intact) fibers come f Continue reading >>
