Health News
by Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom
If you seem to be finding fiber in every product you look at, you?re right! Fiber is being added to all kinds of foods ? from yogurts, to juices, fruit chews, cookies, cottage cheese, and white bread. Even whole grains get an extra fiber boost ? some containing 50% of your daily recommended fiber intake in a single serving!
As a nation, we?re all so focused on the ?value added? of foods ? how much nutrition can you pack into one food ? that additions of nutrients like fiber to foods that don?t normally contain it seems quite normal. But is all of this added fiber always a health plus?
We DO need at least 20 grams of fiber daily for good health ? but is that a lot? It?s the amount in 5 servings of fruits and vegetables or whole grains (average fiber content is 3 ? 6 grams per serving). You can mix and match with these natural sources of dietary fiber to meet your requirements (and support digestive health!). So, upping your intake of these foods, boosts your fiber intake ? a win-win!
But you don?t want to make the mistake of replacing these natural sources with fiber added to other products, no matter how convenient. These foods can help support, but never replace naturally occurring fiber in foods.
And watch out for these super-fiber cereals and wraps ? sometimes containing 10 grams of fiber per serving ? half your daily intake at once! They can often cause stomach upset if you?re using it as a ?quick fix? to boost your fiber intake.
If you want to increase your fiber intake, do it gradually ? an extra serving added once each week ? about 5 grams. Add an extra glass or two of water, which is a must-do, in a fiber-rich diet to keep digestion normal. (fruits and veggies are nature?s perfect pairing: a fiber rich, high-fiber food!)
A word of caution ? if you?re considering a fiber supplement, check with your doctor first. They?re not a health-plus for everyone ? so some personal medical feedback is essential.
- Healthy Eating In Black And White: Part Two
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom You might be surprised to know that an important health-promoting antioxidant called anthocyanin also provides a dark purple/black pigment to a wide variety of foods. Like the foods described earlier this week, many nutrient-dense...
- Healthy Eating In Black And White ? Part One
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom While consuming a variety of colorful foods is a direct connection to healthy eating, nutritious eating can be as easy as ?black and white.? This week, I?m going to look at these two interesting contrasts for healthy eating. ...
- The Truth About Fruit
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Fruit is one of nature?s perfect carbohydrates ? filled with fiber, water, and nutrients. With naturally-occurring fruit sugar (fructose), it?s also referred to as ?nature?s candy,? perfect for taming a sweet-tooth. Nowadays,...
- Nutrition Rich Cookies?
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Have you heard about the new ?nutrition-rich? cookies called WhoNu?, as in ?who knew delicious could be so nutritious?? Each 3-cookie serving contains 3 grams of fiber, as much calcium and vitamin D as a glass of milk, and as...
- Eggplant Abundance And Fiber Facts
My baby Kai in his eggplant shirt!Eggplant, lovely eggplant! Most eggplant has a mild flavor, and when raw has a spongy texture, so eggplant can absorb many different types of flavors. When cooked, it acquires an almost-silky texture, and is...
Health News
Where?s the Fiber?
by Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom
As a nation, we?re all so focused on the ?value added? of foods ? how much nutrition can you pack into one food ? that additions of nutrients like fiber to foods that don?t normally contain it seems quite normal. But is all of this added fiber always a health plus?
We DO need at least 20 grams of fiber daily for good health ? but is that a lot? It?s the amount in 5 servings of fruits and vegetables or whole grains (average fiber content is 3 ? 6 grams per serving). You can mix and match with these natural sources of dietary fiber to meet your requirements (and support digestive health!). So, upping your intake of these foods, boosts your fiber intake ? a win-win!
But you don?t want to make the mistake of replacing these natural sources with fiber added to other products, no matter how convenient. These foods can help support, but never replace naturally occurring fiber in foods.
And watch out for these super-fiber cereals and wraps ? sometimes containing 10 grams of fiber per serving ? half your daily intake at once! They can often cause stomach upset if you?re using it as a ?quick fix? to boost your fiber intake.
If you want to increase your fiber intake, do it gradually ? an extra serving added once each week ? about 5 grams. Add an extra glass or two of water, which is a must-do, in a fiber-rich diet to keep digestion normal. (fruits and veggies are nature?s perfect pairing: a fiber rich, high-fiber food!)
A word of caution ? if you?re considering a fiber supplement, check with your doctor first. They?re not a health-plus for everyone ? so some personal medical feedback is essential.
- Healthy Eating In Black And White: Part Two
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom You might be surprised to know that an important health-promoting antioxidant called anthocyanin also provides a dark purple/black pigment to a wide variety of foods. Like the foods described earlier this week, many nutrient-dense...
- Healthy Eating In Black And White ? Part One
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom While consuming a variety of colorful foods is a direct connection to healthy eating, nutritious eating can be as easy as ?black and white.? This week, I?m going to look at these two interesting contrasts for healthy eating. ...
- The Truth About Fruit
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Fruit is one of nature?s perfect carbohydrates ? filled with fiber, water, and nutrients. With naturally-occurring fruit sugar (fructose), it?s also referred to as ?nature?s candy,? perfect for taming a sweet-tooth. Nowadays,...
- Nutrition Rich Cookies?
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Have you heard about the new ?nutrition-rich? cookies called WhoNu?, as in ?who knew delicious could be so nutritious?? Each 3-cookie serving contains 3 grams of fiber, as much calcium and vitamin D as a glass of milk, and as...
- Eggplant Abundance And Fiber Facts
My baby Kai in his eggplant shirt!Eggplant, lovely eggplant! Most eggplant has a mild flavor, and when raw has a spongy texture, so eggplant can absorb many different types of flavors. When cooked, it acquires an almost-silky texture, and is...