Tag: diet

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Fibre, Flatulence and Weight Loss Diet

“Eat your porridge – it is good for you”

“Eat your fruits and vegetables – they are good for you.”

This is a common mantra given to people who want to eat a well balanced healthy diet. But, how often do we ask, “What does this really mean? Is there any science behind it or is it all hot air at the end of the tunnel?” You know what I mean.

Dietary fibre is found in plants. Fibre is composed of cellulose (a complex carbohydrate that is composed of glucose units, forms the main constituent of the cell wall in most plants), lignin (chief non-carbohydrate constituent of wood), pentosans (group of polysaccharides found with cellulose in many woody plants), pectin (water-soluble carbohydrate found in ripe fruits) and gums (viscid exudation from plants).

Fibre is divided into soluble and insoluble fibre.

Soluble fibre dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance. It is readily fermented by bacteria in the colon into gases and physiologically active byproducts. Sources of soluble fibre are oats, legumes (beans, peas, and soybeans), apples, bananas, berries, barley, some vegetables, and psyllium. More fibre you eat, more gas you produce. There is not much you can do about it except look over your shoulder and let it out.

Soluble fibre has now been shown to lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels through a series of processes that alter cholesterol and glucose metabolism – reduces the absorption of sugar, reduces sugar response after eating, normalizes blood lipid levels and, once fermented in the colon, produces byproducts with wide-ranging physiological activities.

Insoluble fibre increases the movement of material through the digestive tract and increases stool bulk by absorbing water and easing defaecation, reduces transit time, thus preventing constipation which decreases the opportunity for both nutrients and fecal mutagens to interact with the intestinal lining. There is no fermentation by bacteria. Sources of insoluble fibre are whole wheat foods, bran, nuts, seeds and the skin of some fruits and vegetables.

Constipation leads to hemorrhoids and anal fissures. Although insoluble fibre is associated with reduced diabetes risk, the mechanism by which this occurs is unknown. Although many researchers believe that dietary fibre intake reduces risk of colon cancer, one study conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Medicine of over 88,000 women did not show a statistically significant relationship between higher fibre consumption and lower rates of colorectal cancer or adenomas.

The five most fibre-rich plant foods, according to the Micronutrient Center of the Linus Pauling Institute, are legumes (15–19 grams of fibre per US cup serving, including several types of beans, lentils, and peas), bran (17 grams per cup), prunes (12 grams), Asian pear (10 grams each, 3.6% by weight), and quinoa (9 grams).

On average, North Americans consume less than 50 per cent of the dietary fibre levels required for good health. Current recommendations from the United States National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine, suggest that adults should consume 20–35 grams of dietary fibre per day.

Although fibre falls under the category of carbohydrates, it is low in calories. Regardless of the type of fibre, the body absorbs fewer than 4 Calories (16.7 kilojoules) per gram of fibre. In some countries, fibre is not listed on nutrition labels, and is considered 0 Calories/gram when the food’s total Calories are computed.

For weight loss, a diet rich in fibre from cereals, not from fruit and vegetables, is more likely to help limit weight gain, says Dr. Khursheed Jeejeebhoy, a well known gastroenterologist in Toronto, writing in the Medical Post (March 9, 2010). High-fibre breakfast reduces subsequent intake of energy, delays digestion and slows absorption. A Dutch study found that an intake of 10 g of total fibre per day was associated with a loss of 39 g of body weight per year and a reduction in waist circumference of 0.08 cm per year.

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A Close Look at Mediterraneaan Diet

Here is good news for the healthy and unhealthy hearts.

If you have been reading my columns faithfully and following the advice religiously (so to speak), then I guess you have settled down each evening for a hearty (pun intended) or an un-hearty meal supplemented with one to two ounces of red wine.

Bad news is red wine is not going to wash away all the cholesterol plaques you have collected in your coronaries. Those plaques are plugging your arteries. If your plate is typically filled with red meat and other foods rich in saturated fats (those that are firm at room temperature), then heart disease and cardiac death is awaiting you, my friend.

Good news is you can do something to change that so you can enjoy your favourite red wine for a long time. That magic bullet is Mediterranean diet.

What is a Mediterranean diet?

Dr. Stephen Choi, in an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, summarizes this quite well. He says, “Although there is no single “Mediterranean diet,” the term has come to represent a food pyramid consisting at the base of bread, pasta, rice and other whole grains, and potatoes, supplemented with fruits, beans, vegetables and nuts to which olive oil is added, along with cheese and yogurt. Fish, chicken, eggs and refined carbohydrates are eaten less frequently (weekly). Red meat is consumed infrequently. The whole pyramid is supplemented with moderate alcohol consumption.”

What is the proof that Mediterranean diet helps reduce heart disease and death?

Researchers from the University of Minnesota conducted a study in seven countries which started in 1958 and was first published in 1970. They found that heart disease was rare in the Mediterranean and Asian regions where vegetables, grains, fruits, beans and fish were the dietary mainstays.

In 1999, the Lyon Diet Heart Study compared the effects of a Mediterranean-style diet with one that the American Heart Association recommended for patients who had survived a first heart attack. The study found that within four years, the Mediterranean approach reduced the rates of heart disease recurrence and cardiac death by 50 to 70 percent when compared with the heart association diet. Isn’t that remarkable?

It is important to know that the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet is not really low in fat, but its main sources of fat – olive oil and oily fish as well as nuts, seeds and certain vegetables – help to prevent heart disease by improving cholesterol ratios, reducing inflammation and prevent the formation of artery-damaging LDL cholesterol.

Fruits, vegetables and red wine (or purple grape juice) have antioxidant properties and reduce bad cholesterol. Olive oil is a type of food that can easily replace commonly used animal oils, lard, and butters that are no good for one’s girth and health. One can use canola oil for cooking and use margarine based on canola oil. You can use more expensive and aromatic olive oil for salads.

Is Mediterranean diet good for weight loss?

There is plenty of scientific evidence to show that one diet is no better than the next when it comes to weight loss. It is how much you put in your mouth that affects your girth, hips and thighs. Source of the calories you consume is not important to your weight but it may affect your heart, your blood sugar level and your risk of developing cancer.

So, have a glass of red wine and be smart. The quality and quantity of what you eat is important. Too much alcohol will destroy you, your loved ones and other innocent bystanders. Do some physical activity daily and for heaven’s sake, do not smoke. And embrace Mediterranean diet warmly.

That is a simple recipe. Now start cooking, my friend.

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What Do We Know About Artificial Sweetners?

An artificial sweetener is a sugar substitute which duplicates the effect of sugar in taste but has fewer calories. Some sugar substitutes are natural and some are synthetic. Those that are not natural are, in general, referred to as artificial sweeteners.

Certain sugar substitutes are known as high-intensity sweeteners. Sweetness of these compounds exceeds many times the sweetness of sucrose which is our common table sugar. As a result, much less sweetener is required, resulting in minimal calorie consumption. The taste of artificial sweetener is not as good as our regular sugar. So they are often used in complex mixtures that achieve the most natural sweet sensation.

Is it safe to use artificial sweeteners?

Six intensely-sweet sugar substitutes have been approved for use in the U.S. They are saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, neotame, acesulfame potassium, and stevia. Artificial sweeteners are considered food additives and hence regulated and approved in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration.

In Canada, food additives are also subject to rigorous controls under the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations. New food additives (or new uses of permitted food additives) are only permitted once a safety assessment has been conducted, says Health Canada website. Several artificial sweeteners have been approved for use in Canada (see Health Canada website).

Let us look at couple of examples where safety questions have been raised.

Does saccharin cause cancer? Saccharin is a man-made sweetener that is used in food products in many countries. Health Canada says that in the 1970s, scientific studies raised concerns that saccharin could be carcinogenic (cancer-causing) in laboratory rats. As a result of these studies, saccharin was not permitted as a food additive in Canada, although restricted use of saccharin as a table-top sweetener has been allowed.

Since that time, further studies have revealed that the carcinogenic effect of saccharin in rats does not have the same effect on humans. Health Canada says that their scientists have thoroughly reviewed the scientific information available and as a result are considering re-listing saccharin in the Canadian Food and Drug Regulations to allow its use as a sweetener in certain foods.

Is aspartame safe? Aspartame is a non-nutritive sweetener first approved for use in foods and as a table top sweetener in Canada in 1981. Health Canada’s scientists evaluated an extensive array of toxicological tests in laboratory animals, and more recently, a large number of clinical studies in humans. Aspartame is also currently permitted for use as a sweetener in food in many countries and its safety has been carefully examined by health authorities and international expert groups around the world.

Stevia is a herbal supplement and is used as a sweetener. But there is not enough research on stevia’s safety as a sugar substitute and there is some controversy about its approval.

According to the National Cancer Institute (U.S.), there’s no scientific evidence that any of the artificial sweeteners approved for use in the United States cause cancer. And numerous studies confirm that artificial sweeteners are safe for the general population.

Here are some examples of commercially available artificial sweeteners: Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), Saccharin (Sweet’N Low, SugarTwin), Acesulfame K (Sunett, Sweet One), Sucralose (Splenda).

Diabetics and weight watchers who use artificial sweeteners should know that if they consume “sugar-free” drinks and food that are high in carbohydrates and proteins then these products may contain calories that may undermine your ability to lose weight and control blood sugar. Remember, it is not only what you eat, it is also how much you eat.

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Addiction to Sugar Continues to Adversely Affect our Health

It is reported that the North American diet contains about 20 per cent sugar. This is equivalent to 30 teaspoons a day! Most of it is hidden in pop, processed food and baked goods. Like alcohol, sugar has no nutritional value. It has no vitamins, minerals or fiber.

North American children’s consumption of sugar per day is reported to be between 25 to 35 per cent of total calories. Is this too much? Yes. The World Health Organization recommends daily dietary sugar intake of no more than 10 per cent of total calories.

What is sugar? Sugar is any of numerous sweet, colorless, water-soluble compounds present in the sap of seed plants and the milk of mammals and making up the simplest group of carbohydrates. The most common sugar is sucrose, a crystalline tabletop and industrial sweetener used in foods and beverages.

Sucrose is found in almost all plants, but it occurs at concentrations high enough for economic recovery only in sugarcane and sugar beets. Sugarcane ranges from seven to 18 percent sugar by weight, while sugar beets are from eight to 22 percent sugar by weight.

Sugarcane, once harvested, cannot be stored because of sucrose decomposition. For this reason, cane sugar is generally produced in two stages, manufacture of raw sugar taking place in the cane-growing areas and refining into food products occurring in the sugar-consuming countries. Sugar beets, on the other hand, can be stored and are therefore generally processed in one stage into white sugar.

Different methods of crystallization of sugar containing syrup are used to produce variety of sugars and at least six or seven stages of boiling are necessary before the molasses is exhausted.

The first three or four strikes are blended to make commercial white sugar. Special large-grain sugar (for bakery and confectionery) is boiled separately. Fine grains (sanding or fruit sugars) are usually made by sieving products of mixed grain size.

Powdered icing sugar, or confectioners’ sugar, results when white granulated sugar is finely ground, sieved, and mixed with small quantities of starch or calcium phosphate to keep it dry.

Brown sugars (light to dark) are either crystallized from a mixture of brown and yellow syrups (with caramel added for darkest color) or made by coating white crystals with brown-sugar syrup. Nutritional value of brown sugar per 100 gm is 380 kcalories compared to granulated sugar which is 390 kcalories.

Beet sugar factories generally produce only white sugar from sugar beets. Brown sugars are made with the use of cane molasses as a mother liquor component or as a crystal coating.

Sugar is dangerous because it causes obesity, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease leading to sickness and death. Sugar is very tempting and addictive because it tastes good and is very satisfying to our palate.

Men who drink sugary drinks have 46 per cent increased risk of stroke, possibly because of sugar’s blood-thickening osmotic effect or its known ability to raise cholesterol levels
Reports suggests diets high in refined sugar increase the risk of developing Crohn’s disease and colorectal and pancreatic cancer

Smokers keep smoking although they know smoking is dangerous. Similarly, sugar consumers will continue to eat sweet stuff as long as it tastes good and give you a temporary sugar buzz. It is a dangerous addiction and a slow poison.

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