Weight Loss Nutrition Friend

I call fiber the misunderstood carbohydrate because usually it is just touted for, well, constipation issues. But I'm here to set the record straight. It goes so far beyond that.

Understand that fiber is basically the non-digestible part of a plant.  It is the cell wall of a plant, whether it is from broccoli or the skin on a potato.  What's important, is what it actually does while going through your digestive tract.

If you are losing weight remember that fiber "fills."  From a hunger perspective it satisfies hunger and can slow down digestion releasing glucose more evenly.  This helps stabilize blood sugar levels more effectively, which in turn curbs appetite, cravings, and may even promote a better mood.  If you consistently consume highly refined white flour and sugar products (void of both fiber and nutrients) they are quickly absorbed into the blood stream and cause blood sugar highs and lows.

And I'm not done yet. Fiber also dilutes, inactivates, and binds cholesterol, bile acids, potential carcinogens, and other toxic substances in the bowel. (Note: when you are losing weight there are more toxins being eliminated by the body.) The action of fiber helps inhibit the absorption of these toxins into the bloodstream, and reduces their contact time with the bowel wall. This could explain why people on high fiber diets have less colon cancer, heart disease, cholesterol problems and gallstones.

So remember fiber is your friend for both weight loss and health.

 

 

Vegetarian Protein for Earth Day

Happy Earth day! I hope you all are living up to yesterday's challenge of going vegetarian today.

Beans and legumes are such an under eaten food and yet sooooo healthy for us I'd like to discuss how we can easily work them into our current diets as a nutritious and ongoing vegetable protein with minimum hassle.

• Plan bean meals in your weekly menu so you can foresee and account for any needed prep work. (Or you can just simply make them on the weekends and freeze.) The day before you plan on cooking them post a note to soak them or you can use the quick soak method below.
• Soaking beans will lessen cooking time. Legumes and lentils do not require any soaking. Beans do. (Alternative quick soak method: Simply cook beans in water for two full minutes; turn off heat, cover, and then let stand for one hour. Drain thoroughly and proceed with cooking your bean recipe.)
• To avoid the whole embarrassing issue of gassiness, add a teaspoon of baking soda while soaking your beans and then rinse thoroughly. http://www.drmirkin.com/recipes/degas.html also offers additional hints on this issue. Or you can consume Beano prior to consumption. Beano is available at most drugstores and health food stores.
• Note, the smaller the bean the quicker it will cook but times will vary according to the freshness of the beans. Purchase your beans where you know there is a high turnover rate.
• After soaking beans you can utilize a pressure cooker. Cooking time is really quick, espececially with the bigger beans. Follow manufacturer's directions carefully! Or… Use a crock pot. The newer ones have timers that go on and off according to your directions. And of course you just cook the beans on the stove.
• Beans go well all year around. In the warmer months simply make cold bean salads, burritos, or top your green salads with them.

Earth Day is Tomorrow. What are You Doing?

Monica has already made some real good points in today's newsletter and previous blog regarding Earth Day (please read it if you haven't already) on how what we choose to eat strongly impacts our environment and our health. One of her comments, "One of the biggest ways to lower the energy cost of your diet is to reduce the amount of animal protein products you consume…" rings loud and strong. And just last week I wrote a blog suggesting that one day a week make it a "Veggie Day" based on an idea from The Super Foods Rx Diet  book. (Heavy protein eaters you can still get plenty of protein by consuming nutrition packed beans, lentils, organic tofu, low fat cheese, and small amounts of nuts and seeds.)

Here are some great tasting vegetarian recipe ideas from Dana to get you started (remember you can save these to your own free ND Pantry for future use:

• Sauteed Greens with Cannelli Beans and Garlic (Add more beans and organic tofu for protein and reduce the fat for a lower fat dish.)
• Curried Lentil, this is a meal in one with plenty of protein and veggies to warm you up on a cooler spring evening.

Readers are you up to the challenge for tomorrow? I encourage you all to make a statement on Earth Day by what you consume. Go vegetarian for a day. Please tell me how you do!