Foods, their serving sizes and the amount of fiber per serving
Food---Serving---Fiber in grams [g]
Apple with skin: 1, 3.3
Blueberries: 1 c, 3.5
Banana: 1, 3.1
Pear: 1, 5.1
Orange: 1, 3.4
Broccoli: 1 c, 5.1
Carrots: 1 c, 4.8
Collards: 1 c, 5.3
Black Beans: 1 c, 15.0
Kidney Beans: 1 c, 16.4
Navy Beans: 1 c, 19.1
Pinto Beans: 1 c, 15.4
Whole Grain Bread Slice: 1.9
White Bread Slice: 0.6
All Bran Cereal: 1/2 c, 8.8
Oat Bran [cooked]: 1 c, 5.7
Recommended Fiber Intakes
Men
Age Amount
9-13: 31 g/day
14-50: 38 g/day
51+: 31 g/day
Women
Age
9-18: 26 g/day
19-50: 25 g/day
51+: 21 g/day
*Remember that if you are increasing your intake of fiber in your diet a sharp increase will cause gastrointestinal distress. By slowing increasing the amount you consume you can avoid these issues. The body needs time to adjust so the fiber does not interfere negatively on digestion, absorption, or excretion.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Fruit Smoothie Recipe
Smoothies seem to have a name that makes people think they are healthy. In reality many smoothies out there can be chocked full of kilocalories. I devised my own recipe to make a great tasting and very healthy smoothie. Try it out if you have a blender handy!
Strawberry Banana Organic Yogurt Smoothie
-2/3 crushed ice
-1 small banana in pieces
-6 frozen medium sized berries
-1/2 cup organic plain or vanilla low fat yogurt [I use Stonyfield]
--Blend until smooth on high. It made need some coercing with a spoon. Blending without the lid on should be fine since the mixture is nice and thick.
----Makes about 14 ounces of drink.
Tips:
1. If you place the items in the blender as listed you can get away with not having to use any skim milk. Sometimes if it isn't at the consistency you like you may need to add more.
2. When the banana is a nice ripeness you don't need any honey or sugar. If you want a sweeter taste however, you may need to add it to your liking.
3. Switch out the fruits. I also like blueberry banana or peach. FYI I tend to think berries without banana require honey. A TBS of honey should be enough sweetness. I prefer honey over sugar because it is a. not grainy and b. a natural sugar
I haven't figured out the kilocalories on this but depending on the amount of calories in your yogurt will affect things. Either way, it is a great way to get a couple of servings of fruits and some dairy in a tasty, filling drink.
Strawberry Banana Organic Yogurt Smoothie
-2/3 crushed ice
-1 small banana in pieces
-6 frozen medium sized berries
-1/2 cup organic plain or vanilla low fat yogurt [I use Stonyfield]
--Blend until smooth on high. It made need some coercing with a spoon. Blending without the lid on should be fine since the mixture is nice and thick.
----Makes about 14 ounces of drink.
Tips:
1. If you place the items in the blender as listed you can get away with not having to use any skim milk. Sometimes if it isn't at the consistency you like you may need to add more.
2. When the banana is a nice ripeness you don't need any honey or sugar. If you want a sweeter taste however, you may need to add it to your liking.
3. Switch out the fruits. I also like blueberry banana or peach. FYI I tend to think berries without banana require honey. A TBS of honey should be enough sweetness. I prefer honey over sugar because it is a. not grainy and b. a natural sugar
I haven't figured out the kilocalories on this but depending on the amount of calories in your yogurt will affect things. Either way, it is a great way to get a couple of servings of fruits and some dairy in a tasty, filling drink.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Water & Hydration
Just a few things to discuss:
Kidneys have an ability to work with less fluids depending on intake. If you intake less, the kidneys 'learn' to retain certain electrolytes, like sodium. This does not mean you do not need or can get away with having less fluids, however. I do not recommend stressing the kidneys, and dehydration DOES put stress on the kidneys. "The body has no provision for water storage; therefore the amount of water lost every 24 hours must be replaced to maintain health and body efficiency." [Krause's Food and Nutrition Therapy] On average the kidney will excrete 50 - 60 ml of fluid per hour. Keeping hydrated is essential. The kidneys [healthy ones] don't stop working [thank goodness!] so you shouldn't stop supplying it with the fluid it needs to do it's job.
An important way you know you need to hydrate and give those kidneys work is through the thirst mechanism. The thirst mechanism is not precise at dictating your body's state of hydration. However, your body does not sense thirst until well after dehydration begins [the point where you begin to lose weight due to water loss]. Also, as you age this mechanism becomes less strong. Seniors, for example, may not realize they are thirsty until well after they are showing signs of dehydration.
Percentage of Water in Common Foods:
Lettuce, iceberg --- 96%
Celery -------------- 95%
Cucumbers -------- 95%
Watermelon ------- 92%
Nonfat Milk ------- 91%
Raw carrots -------- 88%
Eggs ---------------- 75%
Beef, sirloin ------- 59%
Percentage of Body Weight Lost
By 1% - Thirst
4% ---- Increased effort for physical work, nausea
6% ---- Failure to regulate excess temperature
10% --- Muscle spasms, delirium, and wakefulness
11% --- Inability of decreased blood volume to circulate normally; failing renal [kidney] function
Between 9 - 12% body weight loss of water can be fatal
At rest in a cool environment your body loses 60% of its water loss through urine. Another 30% is lost through skin and respiration. The other 10% is lost through sweating and feces.
During prolonged exhaustive exercise in a cool environment your body loses 91% of its fluids through sweating. Another 7% is through respiration and the final 2% is through skin and urine.
This water loss change is because the body shuts down the unnecessary systems to perform physical exercise. This is much like the 'Fight or Flight' response. For example, even if you've just finished a meal and are attacked by someone your body will shut down your digestive system to save up energy and prepare for fighting back or running away. Again, this is why during prolonged exercise your body loses almost all of the fluids through sweat rather than through the urine [as a person at rest will].
Enjoy the month of October, and check back soon :)
Kidneys have an ability to work with less fluids depending on intake. If you intake less, the kidneys 'learn' to retain certain electrolytes, like sodium. This does not mean you do not need or can get away with having less fluids, however. I do not recommend stressing the kidneys, and dehydration DOES put stress on the kidneys. "The body has no provision for water storage; therefore the amount of water lost every 24 hours must be replaced to maintain health and body efficiency." [Krause's Food and Nutrition Therapy] On average the kidney will excrete 50 - 60 ml of fluid per hour. Keeping hydrated is essential. The kidneys [healthy ones] don't stop working [thank goodness!] so you shouldn't stop supplying it with the fluid it needs to do it's job.
An important way you know you need to hydrate and give those kidneys work is through the thirst mechanism. The thirst mechanism is not precise at dictating your body's state of hydration. However, your body does not sense thirst until well after dehydration begins [the point where you begin to lose weight due to water loss]. Also, as you age this mechanism becomes less strong. Seniors, for example, may not realize they are thirsty until well after they are showing signs of dehydration.
Percentage of Water in Common Foods:
Lettuce, iceberg --- 96%
Celery -------------- 95%
Cucumbers -------- 95%
Watermelon ------- 92%
Nonfat Milk ------- 91%
Raw carrots -------- 88%
Eggs ---------------- 75%
Beef, sirloin ------- 59%
Percentage of Body Weight Lost
By 1% - Thirst
4% ---- Increased effort for physical work, nausea
6% ---- Failure to regulate excess temperature
10% --- Muscle spasms, delirium, and wakefulness
11% --- Inability of decreased blood volume to circulate normally; failing renal [kidney] function
Between 9 - 12% body weight loss of water can be fatal
At rest in a cool environment your body loses 60% of its water loss through urine. Another 30% is lost through skin and respiration. The other 10% is lost through sweating and feces.
During prolonged exhaustive exercise in a cool environment your body loses 91% of its fluids through sweating. Another 7% is through respiration and the final 2% is through skin and urine.
This water loss change is because the body shuts down the unnecessary systems to perform physical exercise. This is much like the 'Fight or Flight' response. For example, even if you've just finished a meal and are attacked by someone your body will shut down your digestive system to save up energy and prepare for fighting back or running away. Again, this is why during prolonged exercise your body loses almost all of the fluids through sweat rather than through the urine [as a person at rest will].
Enjoy the month of October, and check back soon :)
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