Health and Wellness

Advantages in Eating Soluble fiber foods

Many people are aware that soluble fiber foods are healthy, but most don’t know why. Understanding exactly what fiber does for the body can be a little tricky. This is because there are two major types and each can be sourced from different foods. Learning how soluble fiber affects your health is the first step to getting your body back in top shape.

What Is Fiber?

Fiber is a substance that is found naturally in a lot of plants. It is indigestible. In other words, the body cannot break it down and that is part of its power. When consumed, it either retains its structure or blends with food until it is passed out as waste. Insoluble fiber is not dissolvable at all, while soluble fiber mixes with fluids in your system to form a gel-like substance.

The purpose of soluble fiber is to keep your stomach fuller for longer. The gel-like substance it changes into slows down the speed of digestion. The longer your stomach takes to empty, the less hungry you feel throughout the day. Eating soluble fiber foods can also help regulate your blood sugar and give your stools a healthy consistency.

What Are Soluble Fiber Foods?

There are plenty of foods that are rich in soluble fiber. Examples of soluble fiber foods that contain the highest content are passion fruits, avocadoes, oat bran, bran buds, black beans and soy nuts. Vegetables like Brussels sprouts, asparagus, sweet potatoes, collard greens and carrots also have a reasonable amount of soluble fiber. Some of the best fruit choices include grapefruits, prunes, guavas and apricots. If you are looking for protein sources, beans, chickpeas and hazelnuts can provide an adequate dose.

How Much Soluble Fiber Should You Eat?

If you are not accustomed to having these foods on your menu, try looking for recipes that use them as ingredients. Adults should typically aim to eat between 21 and 38 grams a day. Eat foods in as much a natural state as possible. Processed foods are not a good source because most of the fiber is filtered out.

Benefits of a Soluble Fiber-Rich Diet

Soluble fiber foods are mostly recommended for weight loss. Because fiber delays hunger, it can be a great aid for controlling appetite. It is also highly beneficial for people with digestion problems. It effectively manages diarrhea, helps to bulk up stools and decrease the symptoms of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

In addition to digestion, soluble fiber is essential for diabetics. Slow digestion means there are less sugar spikes and dips. Eating fiber-rich foods, therefore, helps maintain good blood sugar levels. Another great benefit is its ability to lower unhealthy cholesterol levels in your blood. Less cholesterol means there is a low risk of contracting heart diseases, strokes and high/low blood pressure.

There is much to be said about the benefits of eating soluble fiber foods. If you’ve been suffering from a range of digestive problems, it is often a sign that you need to increase your fiber intake. Make sure to consume both soluble and insoluble fiber to restore your digestive system and overall health.

Greek Yogurt Nutrition

Strained yogurt is more commonly known as Greek yogurt, but the former term describes how it is made: yogurt is simply strained through cloth or paper in order to remove its whey content. This gives the yogurt a consistency similar to cheese without sacrificing its distinct taste. And because whey protein is typically removed, it’s correct to state that Greek yogurt nutrition contains 100% casein protein.

Here’s a typical breakdown of what’s normally on the label of a 5.3 oz. Greek Yogurt product: 80 Calories; 0 grams total fat; 10 milligrams cholesterol; 50 milligrams sodium; 6 grams sugar; 15 grams protein; 15% calcium out of a 2000-calorie diet.

It’s true that regular and Greek types of yogurt can be an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. But when you compare this Greek yogurt nutrition with a regular yogurt counterpart (better use a similar brand for more accurate comparisons), and the former does seem to have an edge.
As far as protein is concerned, Greek yogurt has lots of it, which is a good thing. Six ounces of this stuff has about 15 to 20 grams of protein, which is equivalent to about 2 to 3 oz. of lean meat – an ideal alternative source for vegetarians.

You might want to take what people say about Greek yogurt fat with a grain of salt, though. The truth is, with 7 oz. of Greek yogurt alone, you treat yourself to 16g of saturated fat. If you’re on a 2000 calorie diet, this means you’ve already punched yourself with 80% of your limited fat intake. Imagine eating 3 Snickers bars. But what you CAN do is to opt for the fat-free or low-fat versions of the stuff.

Greek yogurt nutrition shows that it has less sodium, though. And because too much salt can cause high blood pressure and heart problems, yogurt lovers will find going Greek a healthy choice. With Greek yogurt averaging at 50 mg of sodium per serving, it’s quite far from the approximate 2,300 mg per day limit set by most dietary regulatory boards across the world.

While strained yogurt does give up on a lot of its calcium when it’s made, a six-ounce serving still possesses at an average 20% of the daily recommended intake, so it’s still quite significant.
Try using Greek yogurt to spice up your usual diet. It’s actually a great substitute for sour cream as a dip for nachos or tacos, and they also replace mayonnaise on potato salads, sandwiches, and coleslaw really well. But if you want it really simple, you can try adding flavor to your usual serving of carrots and cucumber slices by dipping them in Greek yogurt. It’s quite versatile, and learning how to use strained yogurt in various ways may need some research.

In a nutshell, experts who advise on Greek yogurt nutrition will tell you to go for the plain, nonfat or low fat types of Greek yogurt. Doing so will allow you to stay full at the cost of fewer calories, making it ideal for easy and realistic weight loss plans. On top of it all, like most yogurt, the Greek stuff is great for your digestion.

Health benefits of organic food

Organic food is generally safer. While there are so many who say that there’s little to no difference between organic food and their inorganic counterparts, it’s quite obvious that there’s lesser risks in exposing yourselves to the harm of artificial ingredients or potentially harmful chemicals like fertilizers and pesticides normally used on food that’s manufactures inorganically. Nutrition is a completely different concern from that of safety, and the two matters should be evaluated separately.

This also means that organic food is much safer for children and other people who might be more vulnerable to eating bad food. Toxins and carcinogens can be a huge threat to children, so it’s best to be cautious about what to feed them. There’s also the concern with genetically modified organisms or GMOs, which is a big issue in the agricultural industry. By sticking with organic food, you at least avoid the risk of being exposed to whatever harms GMOs might have been proven to possess.

Organic food is more nutritious. But even if we do try to compare nutritional values, studies based in the European Union have shown that organic fruits and vegetables are richer sources of antioxidants (needed for preventing heart disease and cancer) than their inorganic counterparts. They also tend to have more essential vitamins and minerals such as iron and zinc. Organic food has also been attributed to promoting better sleeping habits and helping with weight loss.

Here’s an example of the health benefit of organic food in action: people who eat organically produced eggs get them from farms that feed birds with organic supplements and are raised in much better environments. This has been shown to increase the vitamin A and omega-3 contents of these eggs.

Organic food taste better. They do simply because their flavors are not messed up with any unnatural procedure to process the food. This is why most restaurants offer organic fruits and vegetables, as opposed to the kind that are exposed to a lot of technological manipulation just to preserve them or their appearance. In the example of eggs above, organically grown eggs are also known to taste better because the way the birds are raised help preserve the flavor.

Now, some might say that organic food is more expensive. It’s true, but it would be wrong to say that organic food is extremely more expensive than their non-organic counterparts. But if you think about it, you really can’t put a price on the health benefits of organic food.

Potato Nutrition

Potatoes are almost a must-have for anyone who plans on building a good diet plan. A medium sized piece of this starchy, tube crop only has 110 calories and completely free from any kind of fat, sodium or cholesterol. Plus, potato nutrition says it’s also a good source of a lot of nutrients that are essential to a healthy body.

For instance, did you know that potatoes are a rich source of potassium? In fact, it’s got even more potassium than the most popular fruit source of this mineral known to most people – bananas. A medium sized potato has as much as 620 milligrams of potassium. That’s 18% of the average recommended amount daily with each serving. This is why potatoes rank the highest among all vegetables and fruits that are consumed raw as a potassium source.

Potassium helps lower one’s blood pressure. But because a person needs as much as 4700 milligrams of potassium each day, not everybody gets enough. Potatoes, however, can make it all easier.

Potatoes are also an excellent source of vitamin C, a very well-known and much sought after vitamin everywhere. Vitamin C helps boost the immune system, improves absorption, collagen production, prevent cellular damage, wound healing, and even keep your gums healthy. Compared to medium sized tomatoes, which contain 40% of the recommended daily value, and the sweet potato (only 30%) potatoes have enough vitamin C to satisfy 45% of the recommended daily intake, which means having 2 medium sized potatoes in your daily meals alone will give you enough vitamin C that you need.

Need help with digestion and weight loss? Your body needs fiber, and potatoes have lots of them. Potato nutrition shows that a single serving gives 2 grams of serving – that’s 8% of the recommended value each day. Fiber is great for making your body feel full (making you want to eat less), and help lower one’s blood cholesterol.

Here’s another vitamin that most people are familiar with: B6. They play an important role in the metabolism of carbohydrates and proteins, as well as produce non-essential amino acids to process proteins. It also plays a part in producing hemoglobin – an important component of red blood cells. Potatoes are a very common source of B6, each serving having as much as 10% of the recommended daily value.
Potatoes also have as much as 6% of the recommended daily value of iron, which is helps in the overall development of one’s cells. Deficiency in iron could affect various body functions and cause anemia.

But the best part about potato nutrition is that it’s so easy to integrate into one’s diet. There are so many ways to either prepare potatoes as a dish, and even more ways to add them to your favorite meals. This means anyone can benefit from having a good amount of potatoes without changing their daily menu.

As a final note: make sure you include the potato’s skin. The skin alone possesses 20% of the entire potato nutrition. It’s also where most of the fiber is found.

Foods with tyramine

Normally, increasing your intake of amino acids is one of the best things you can do for your health. In this case, people have been warned against eating foods with tyramine. Tyramine is an amino acid responsible for releasing adrenaline when it is time to fight or take flight. Studies prove that this compound does indeed have its benefits but more often than not, consuming it is discouraged because of side effects.

What are the benefits of tyramine?

Some research experts argue that tyramine can boost energy by releasing adrenaline. It is also believed that it can prevent insulin from rising. High insulin can hinder the production of growth hormones and your body from processing protein. This amino acid is often recommended to people who want to lose weight because it helps the uptake of glucose when there is a shortage of carbohydrates. Further studies are still being conducted to verify the positive effects of consuming foods with tyramine.

What are the possible side effects of tyramine?

Many patients have come forward to report migraines, increase heart rate, nausea, vomiting, excessive sweating, dilated pupils and changes in blood pressure. This is usually the case with supplements but symptoms can also occur from eating a tyramine-rich diet as well.

What are foods with tyramine?

Tyramine is usually prevalent in foods that are deliberately aged or have decayed. Dairy, especially cheeses like cheddar, gorgonzola and blue cheese, have a high content of this amino acid. Fermented foods are also loaded with tyramine. Some fermented foods and beverages include soy sauce, soybean, wine and beer.

What are foods lowest in tyramine?

If tyramine is found in aged or fermented foods, logically, it should be less in fresher food. You can substitute aged dairy with fresher cheeses like ricotta and cream cheese. You should also avoid milk and yoghurt that have gone beyond their expiry date.

Nuts, beans, fresh meat, fish, eggs, fruits and vegetables all have low content. The same is true for pasta, bread, rice and cereals.

Whether you include or eliminate foods with tyramine from your diet will depend on whether you are looking to benefit from it or avoid the symptoms it might cause.

Precautions and tips

If you would like to lower your intake, make sure you don’t leave foods in the fridge or kitchen cupboard for too long, even when they are frozen. Cooked food should always be eaten as soon as possible to prevent decay. Check food labels to make sure you do not eat them past their use-by date.
Eating decayed food to increase your intake is not a good idea. Rotten goods contain bacteria that can harm your health. Make sure foods are professionally aged and fermented if boosting tyramine is your goal.

If you experience symptoms that are usually associated with tyramine, consult your doctor for a proper diagnosis and tests. Since symptoms can be caused by many conditions, urine and blood tests are accurate ways of finding out if you need more or less tyramine.

Best foods for diverticulosis

The stomach is naturally designed to digest foods in their natural state. Unfortunately, in today’s world, too many foods go through many processes that make breaking them down difficult for your body. When you eat these processed foods, it can lead to digestive problems like diverticulosis. The good news is, even though you’ve been on a diet of processed foods all your life, you can still recover by simply adding the best foods for diverticulosis to your daily meals.

What is diverticulosis?

It is a forerunner to a more serious digestive condition called diverticulitis. When you eat, food passes through the digestive tract into your large intestine or colon and then proceeds to be excreted from your body out the rectum. If the food you eat does not contain enough fiber, it cannot be properly digested and may cause constipation. When you are constipated, the colon is put under a lot of pressure and small pouches form as a result. These intestinal pouches can become inflamed or infected. This is when diverticulosis progresses into diverticulitis which displays symptoms similar to Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Eating a diet of the best foods for diverticulosis enables ingested food to be processed properly so that your large intestine will not come under pressure.

What are the symptoms of diverticulosis?

You can have diverticular pouches on your colon for a long time before you start noticing symptoms. It is only when an infection breaks out or inflammation occurs on these pouches that you become ill. In other words, when symptoms appear, you have diverticulitis and not diverticulosis anymore.

Symptoms you might experience are diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, pus in stools, and blood in stools, weight loss and excessive flatulence.

What are the best foods for diverticulosis?

The formation of diverticular pouches can be prevented by following a diet filled with fiber-rich foods. Whole grains such as whole wheat bread, whole pasta, wild or brown rice, wheat cereals, vegetables and fruits all have the necessary fiber you need for digestion. They contain soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber foods are those that slow down digestion by forming a gel in your body. Oatmeal, oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, carrots, celery, asparagus, Brussels sprouts and flax seed are examples of the best foods for diverticulosis. Most have a high water content which softens stools and can ease your intestine.

Insoluble fiber foods are those that move digested food from your stomach, into intestines and out of your body. Because pouches also form when stools are stored for longer than they should, eating insoluble fiber will move waste along faster to relieve your colon.

What are the worst foods for diverticulosis?

Foods that contain refined carbohydrates, unhealthy saturated and are low in fiber are bad for your intestine. Some of these foods include white rice, white bread, regular pasta, sugary cereals, pastry, fried foods, cake, chips and other processed food. Most of these foods cannot provide the fiber your intestine needs, which inevitably leads to all sorts of digestive and non-digestive conditions.

Best foods for morning sickness

Morning sickness is one of the biggest signs you are in your first trimester of pregnancy. However, women who take certain contraceptives or those undergoing hormonal replacements therapy can experience the same symptoms as well. Although very common, it is not as inevitable as people might think and can be managed well with sneaking foods for morning sickness into your everyday diet. Morning sickness solutions are as unique as pregnancies themselves and while foods might reduce symptoms significantly for some, it might not be the case for others.

What causes morning sickness?

Research speculates that it might be caused by changes in the body brought on by pregnancy. During the first three months, pregnant women experience a rising level of a hormone called progesterone. This hormone is believed to cause stomach acid to reflux and result in vomiting and nausea. Some experts claim that hypoglycemia is the culprit while others argue that pregnant women develop sensitivity to different odors. Another school of thought believes that symptoms of morning sickness are nature’s way of eliminating contaminated substances from the body to protect both mother and baby.

What are the symptoms of morning sickness?

The most common are nausea and vomiting. Symptoms can also include changes in the color of urine, an accelerated heart rate, inability to ingest and digest liquids and feeling dizzy when standing up.

What are the best foods for morning sickness?

As mentioned earlier, different foods work for different women. However, the most recommended foods for morning sickness that help you manage symptoms include dry foods like crackers, bread, biscuits and cereals first thing in the morning. This is not necessarily because of their nutritional value. Most women find these foods to be easier to eat when they wake up to avoid an empty stomach and get a boost of energy for the day.

Ginger is also known to be an effective cure for nausea. You can cut small cubes to take with your tea or hot water when you wake up. Many find the scent of ginger pleasant and therapeutic as well. Make sure you consume it in small doses because too much can lead to digestive problems.

Fluids are very important during pregnancy and staying hydrated will ward off a lot of symptoms. Because many pregnant women tend to be resistant to fluids, it is advisable to drink small amounts throughout the day. Peppermint tea and tea with lemon can also offer relief. If you would like juice but can’t stomach a full glass, sucking on Popsicle should do the trick.

Since sensitivity to smells and tastes might develop, ideal foods for morning sickness include cold and bland-tasting foods. Fruits, veggies and plain soup might be able to prevent vomiting.

What are the worst foods for morning sickness?

Some experts advise pregnant women to avoid acidic food like oranges and tomatoes, whole or juiced. Caffeine is also another culprit, together with fried food and anything that contains too much sugar like sodas and sweet desserts.

Choline rich foods

Choline rich foods have a lot to do in terms of boosting ones memory. If you have exceptional memory, you probably have your mother to thank for it. This is because breastfeeding plays a crucial role in brain development in your early years. Breast milk is one of the top foods with choline. If you’re not familiar with the chemical choline, you will be very glad to know of its many benefits, some of which include improvement in memory, cellular health, nerve and liver function.

What is choline?

It is a chemical that is usually categorized with the vitamin B group. Your body creates it naturally but eating foods with choline can boost your levels significantly.

What are the benefits of choline?

Research suggests that choline enhances brain function, especially the part responsible for memory. It is also known to help the liver work properly, which is to cleanse your blood of harmful substances. It plays a part in keeping cell membranes healthy so that essential nutrients can enter cells to better our overall wellbeing.

Consuming choline is good for our movement because it allows the nervous system to communicate with muscles. It is said to reduce inflammation and prevent the buildup of a dangerous substance called homocysteine, which can lead to osteoporosis.

What are foods with choline?

Most people don’t pay attention to their choline intake because it is present in foods we eat daily. Among these foods are eggs, oats, chicken, butter, potatoes and peanuts. If you would like to enjoy the full benefits of foods with choline, you might start thinking of adding foods like scallops, turkey, shrimp, sardines, soybeans, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, lentils, collard greens, wheat germ, sesame seeds and flax seed into your diet.

What are the symptoms of choline deficiency?

Some of the symptoms that indicate you might be running low on choline are fatigue, muscle problems, difficulty sleeping and changes in the amount of urine you expel. In severe cases of deficiency, you might experience high blood pressure, liver complications and forms of heart disease. In some instances, it may even cause infertility problems in both men and women. Do not self-diagnose. If you experience any of these symptoms, seek help from a medical practitioner first and ask for more advice on creating a choline diet.

Taking supplements

Choline supplements are popular among athletes because of the chemical’s ability to help nerve-muscle interaction. If you need a substantial amount of choline to recover or ease symptoms, let your doctor prescribe some supplements for you. Otherwise, sticking to a diet of foods with choline remains the best option.

How much choline do you need?

The standard recommended dosage is 425mg a day. This amount will vary from person to person. Since choline is highly beneficial for fetuses and babies, pregnant women and new mothers usually need slightly higher doses. Adding foods with choline to your diet or taking supplements can increase content in breast milk and facilitate healthy growth in children. Consult a professional before giving choline supplements to children.

Make sure you avoid consuming too much choline rich foods as this can cause symptoms similar to those of deficiency.

What are the best foods for fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes pain in the muscles, joints and can be accompanied by fatigue and depression. There are a few treatments that can be administered by your physician, but eating foods for fibromyalgia can help you take control of this illness and lead to significant improvement in your symptoms. A fibromyalgia diet should vary from person to person because some foods that are usually a part of a balanced diet could cause allergic and other harmful reactions.

What causes fibromyalgia?

The research jury is still out on what really causes this condition but some studies suggest trauma, stress, abnormalities in nerve function and genes might be behind it. Symptoms that could indicate you are a candidate includes muscle strain and pain, joint pain, abdominal pain, swelling, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, depression, headaches, digestive problems, stiffness and numbness. These symptoms often appear together and the pain is usually general rather than being focused on a single part of the body like arthritis.

What are the best foods for fibromyalgia?

For fibromyalgia patients, any food with gluten should be avoided at all costs. Gluten can be found in many foods, from white bread to pastry. The reason why gluten is harmful is because it leads to digestive problems like indigestion, diarrhea and abdominal pain in most cases. Next time you visit the grocery store, make sure you ask for and stock up on gluten-free products like bread and oatmeal to avoid aggravating your symptoms.

Fruits and vegetables should be among your top foods for fibromyalgia because they contain properties that keep blood sugar balanced, boost energy and lessen mood swings. The best fruits and veggies to include in your daily diet are tomatoes, green peppers, spinach, kale, broccoli, sweet potatoes, berries, citrus fruits and tropical fruits like mangoes and papayas.

Fish such as sardines, salmon, mackerel, herring, trout and mackerel are also great foods for fibromyalgia. They provide plenty of protein and fatty acids to restore damaged muscles and can ease muscle and joint pain. Instead of frying them, bake or grill them to obtain as many nutrients as possible. Eggs, chicken, pork and turkey also give you the amount of protein you need to manage muscle-related symptoms.

You should also opt for healthy fats in olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocadoes and butter instead of trans or saturated fat from packaged foods and fast food.

What are the worst foods for fibromyalgia?

The foods you should avoid depend on your body’s reaction to them. Many claim to experience digestive problems and inflammation when they consume cheese, milk, sour cream and other dairy products. The best way to find out is to keep a food diary, where you can have a clear record of the meals you eat so you can determine which foods you should stay away from.

In general, eat as many plants (fruits and vegetables), cold water fish and healthy fats as you can. Swap your carbonated drinks and sweet juices with fruits instead. Establish a diet with a good calorie count to manage your weight, drink lots of water and you should notice a difference sooner than you think.

What are the worst foods for flatulence?

Some blame it on beans and others on dairy. Regardless of what you consider to be the worst foods for flatulence, passing gas is inevitable. Gas or flatulence can be caused by a few factors. It occurs when you pass a combination of different gases out of your rear end. While it is usually not dangerous, excessive flatulence or emitting gas with stronger odors can be a sign of digestive problems. If you fart more than 20 times a day or your gas consistently smells stronger than usual, it might be time to improve your diet.

What causes flatulence?

Gas is the product of digestion. It comes out of your body the same way that feces does except instead of digested food, a mixture of hydrogen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and methane is expelled. The simplest cause of flatulence is the swallowing of air. Just as we ingest food, we also “eat” air and instead of burping or hiccupping, the air passes through the digestive tract, mixes with other gases and is passed out of the buttocks. The noise gas makes when it exits is a result of a vibrating anal sphincter, a muscle responsible for pushing waste out of the body.

Another popular cause is eating the worst foods for flatulence. Different foods affect people in different ways. Even the medication and supplements you take can lead to unusual flatulence. Constipation is also a diet-related cause. The buildup of undigested food in the stomach can influence the odor of gas.

Excessive or abnormal flatulence is common among people with digestive conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Chrohn’s disease and bowel construction. Women with PMS can also experience bloating and superfluous flatulence.

What are the worst foods for flatulence?

As mentioned earlier, certain foods can increase unhealthy flatulence in some and not others. There are however, some foods that are frequently accused of causing gas. Packaged, processed and fried foods are on the top of this list. They are the worst foods for flatulence because they contain saturated fats, trans fats and carbohydrates that are difficult for your body to process. They can lead to a range of digestive complications like constipation and bowel disease.

Carbonated drinks have been reported to cause similar effects. Their sugar content is high which disturbs digestion and causes harmful gases to enter your tract. Other beverages to limit are beer, wine and ciders.

Lactose-intolerant people have to be careful of milk, cheese and other dairy products. Look for products that contain higher levels of lactose because it helps to digest the sugar into carbohydrates that can be processed more easily.

Many have reported experiencing increased flatulence after eating beans, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, onions, cabbage, asparagus, cauliflower, artichokes and foods made with wheat flour. To find out which foods cause you to pass gas more frequently, keep a food journal to record what you eat. These foods are very healthy and should not be eliminated from your diet until you are absolutely sure they are to blame for excessive flatulence.