Fiber, Fiber Everywhere!

Many of my clients suffering from gastrointestinal and digestive problems have been told by their gastroenterologist to increase their fiber intake. They go out to Giant and buy Fiber One® bars and Benefiber® and come back to me complaining of an upset stomach. Let me break it down for you: all fiber is not created equally.

Research has shown that the fiber naturally found in beans, lentils, raw nuts and seeds, skins of fruits and vegetables, and whole grains (100% rye, brown rice, old fashioned oats, quinoa) do have numerous health benefits including lowering cholesterol, reducing constipation, decreasing risk of diabetes and heart disease. This research cannot necessarily be extrapolated to include the added fiber found in a lot of foods. Scan the rows of the grocery store and you will find yogurt, cottage cheese, cereal, cookies, sweeteners, and even water with extra fiber. These fibers can be termed “functional fibers” and include chicory, inulin, polydextrose, resistant maltodextrin, oligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides, and methylcellulose. Fiber One® brand, for example, generally uses a combination of barley flakes and chicory root extract (not to mention high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils).

Now some functional fibers do have their benefits, but if you rely on these manufactured, processed products for your fiber intake, you are kidding yourself. Psyllium husk (e.g., Metamucil®), can help with constipation and is cholesterol-lowering. Inulin (aka “chicory root extract”) is a prebiotic, meaning it provides food to healthy bacteria in the gut but its possible effect on disease risk reduction is still unknown. An isolated fiber ingredient called “maltodextrin,” conversely, is less likely to have an effect on digestive regularity or disease prevention, though more research is needed. Additionally, if your gut is not used to a bolus of fiber, you will experience gas or pain. Instead of adding a bar to your diet, slowly increase fiber with these tips:

1. Mix ground turkey with black beans
2. Switch from white rice to brown rice or quinoa
3. Aim for apples and pears instead of bananas and orange juice
4. Add nuts and berries to old fashioned oatmeal
5. Choose 100% whole grain bread
6. Leave the skins on your fruits and veggies and eat them raw once in a while
7. Make a dip from lentils or add them to your soup

You can surely meet your fiber needs without relying on manufactured products and gain the health benefits - it kills two birds with one stone.

Inside the Mind of a Successful Dieter

An interesting new study shows that the right frame of mind is key to losing, and keeping, weight off. O Magazine summarized the research in their 2010 issue. Basically, by reprogramming your focal brain quadrant, you are more likely to be successful, and remain successful, at weight loss. Quadrant B participants lost, and were able to keep off, the most weight.

• "A" quadrant (upper left): People who favor this area are analytical, mathematical, logical problem solvers. Drawn to statistics and the workings of machinery, they can overanalyze a situation so much, they have trouble taking action.
• "B" quadrant (lower left): These people are controlled, methodical, disciplined, sticklers for structure and routine. Punctual and neat, they always have a plan, timetable, and calendar with appointments penciled in.
• "C" quadrant (lower right): Lower-right thinkers are emotional, spiritual, and focused on people and human connection.
• "D" quadrant (upper right): "D" types are strongly visual and easily bored, attracted to new ideas, fun, and risk taking.

Study participants who had "found a coach, mentor, or guide for the journey, had pulled back and separated somewhat from his or her old environment, and then was 'reborn' into a different way of life" were the most successful. "The newly thin person became a leader rather than a follower, a change that opened the door to further goals and achievements, often in fields completely unrelated to weight loss." This is where your dietitian comes in - we are your coaches, your motivators, and can help reprogram your mind frame. Successful subjects also had another common element - they all incorporated a meditative, or stress reliever, element into their lives that helped them reform from old behavior. This research backs up the mind-body work that EB Nutrition also does with our clients. Click through to the O article to read specific examples for reprogramming each quadrant.