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.

Whole (Grain) Truth and Nothing But the Truth

If you are confused by the term "whole grain," you definitely are not alone. Most food manufacturers love to throw these two words around to help market their products, but more often than not, these foods are not quite as healthy as they are made out to be.

Whole grains contain more fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Refined grains, or processed grains, end up being stripped of their nutrients when the bran and germ are removed. In the United States, the FDA requires that refined grains be enriched with niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, folic acid, and iron so these nutrients are added back in to the final product. Lately, you will also see products that re-add the fiber. Unfortunately, this form of fiber is not proven to be as beneficial as the fiber found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and beans and lentils.

How do I spot a whole grain? If you see other words like made with or enriched or even flour, keep searching. Look instead for words like 100%, or whole.

If you are looking for that perfect slice and aren't confident that you'll make the right choice, refer to this list. The Center for Science in the Public Interest Reviewed the post popular brands on your grocer's shelves and compared the taste of the whole grain varieties. Hold your own taste test!

Chia - Seeds, NOT Pet

I was recently asked about the nutrition content and benefits of chia seeds. These edible seeds are actually the same seed used to have your "pet plant" grow its hair. The seed has its roots in Mexican history, with Aztecs using it as a staple food in their diets. Chia seeds are a nutritional supplement similar to flax. By sprinkling chia seeds on your cereal, yogurt, smoothies, and salads or sandwiches, you are adding a significant amount of protein, essential fatty acids, fiber, and vitamins and minerals.

Chia seeds absorb an absorbidant amount of water, creating a gelatinous structure as the seed swells and expands. This gel, like other soluble fibers, creates a barrier in the gut, thus slowing the absorption of carbohydrates into sugars. This gives chia seeds a low glycemic index, meaning they provide sustained energy. This is not only beneficial for diabetics trying to avoid blood sugar peaks and valleys, but beneficial for the general population. We will all experience an influx of blood sugars after eating simple, white, and processed carbohydrates. With the sharp rise in blood sugar, our body secretes an equal amount of insulin to help our cells quickly take in the sugar (glucose) and bring our blood sugars sharply back down. As blood sugars reach a low, you may feel weak, jittery, and hungry before you have actually metabolized the calories. Including foods rich in fiber, like chia seeds, fruits and vegetables with skins, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and oats, helps stabalize your energy, maintain regularity, and keep cholesterol levels at bay.

The chias ability to absorb and hold on to water also makes them great hydrators. They help maintain electrolyte (potassium, sodium, chloride) balance which influences hydration as well. Although chia seeds have often been used by endurance runners for this reason, I would not necessarily recommend their use during endurance events. During long periods of exercise, athletes need quick forms of energy. Their are many products available such as GU, Power Gels, Hammer Gels, Clif Shots, and even Gatorade and other sports drinks that consist primarily of glucose. Glucose is your body's preferred source of fuel - all other forms of sugar must be first converted into glucose before your body can utilize the energy. These nutritional gels are made from glucose so that your body can use the fuel immediately, where as the energy from chia seeds will not be utilized until after the longer, more complex carbohydrate bonds are broken down.

The healthy protein and fat in the seeds will also delay digestion, possibly causing gastrointestinal upset. Carbohydrate breakdown starts in the mouth with the secretion of the salivary enzyme amylase, where as protein and fats are not digested until the stomach and small intestine where protease and lipase are produced. Blood flow to the gut is altered during physical activity because the heart, lungs, and muscles take priority. Additionally, for those of us who are not used to diets high in fiber, the chia seeds may create additional "burdens."

Overall, my advise is to use the chia seeds on a regular basis to add omega-3 fatty acids and amino acids as well as fiber into your diet, but to hold out on their usage during athletic events. If you are tempted to try them, make sure to do so before a competitive event or race.