Posts Tagged ‘constipation’

The Benefits of Fiber

Sunday, October 18th, 2009

Dietary fiber is the edible part of plant cell walls that gives plants its structure. Because it is undigestible it is not considered a nutrient, but it does aid in digestion, helps promote weight loss, helps regulate blood sugars and had been found to offer protection against certain diseases. There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble.legumes

Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water, and has also been known as “roughage”. It is found in whole-wheat products, nuts, seeds, dark green leafy vegetables, and in the skins of fruit and vegetables, such as potatoes and green beans. Here’s a list of some of the ways insoluble fiber works in your body:

1. It makes you feel full, and promotes a reduction in over-eating and weight loss.

2. It stimulates the intestinal wall to contract and relax which helps food move through the intestinal tract, acting as a natural laxative.

3. It adds bulk and softness to the stool, which promotes regularity and prevents constipation and hemorrhoids.

4. It allows waste to move through the colon quickly. This is important in preventing harmful substances from staying in the intestinal tract and coming in contact with the intestinal lining. 

5. It help prevent colon cancer by keeping an optimal pH in intestines to prevent microbes from producing cancerous substances.

Soluble fiber dissolves in water. Some good sources of soluble fiber are: oats and oat bran, barley, nuts, apples, carrots, legumes, psyllium husk and flaxseed. In your body, soluble fiber:

1. Promotes weight loss by slowing down digestion (you feel full faster).

2. Helps reduce your risk of diabetes by controlling blood sugar: The gradual absorption of digested food helps control the amount of glucose that enters your blood stream.  

3. Helps reduce your risk of heart disease.

4. Appears to help lower cholesterol. The pectin in some soluble fibers binds to fatty substances, preventing the absorption in your body and instead aids in their excretion.

When trying to add more fiber to your diet, remember to choose whole grains (including breads, cereals, and pasta), replace white rice with brown rice, and choose whole fruits and vegetables instead of canned or in the form of juices. If you have questions or would like more personalized information for your body’s needs, feel free to contact us. We’d love to hear from you.

 

Dorothy Lizak

Nutrition & Wellness Specialist

 

 

References:

Nelson, Miriam E. Strong Women Eat Well, Berkeley Publishing Group. 2001

http://www.myfooddiary.com/resources/ask_the_expert/soluble_insoluble_fiber.asp

http://www.healthcastle.com/fiber-solubleinsoluble.shtml

Photo: thank you to: http://www.body-perfect-fitness.com/images/Legumes.jpg

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Nutrition Tips | 1 Comment »

Are you suffering from adrenal fatigue?

Sunday, April 12th, 2009

Do you…

Suffer from sleepless/restless nights?

Suffer from night sweats?

Suffer from constipation and or diarrhea?

Suffer from fatigue and lack of energy?

Struggle to lose weight and or keep it off?

Suffer from mood swings?

Suffer from lack of libido?

If you answered yes to any one of the questions above you may be suffering from Adrenal fatigue.

 

WHAT IS ADRENAL FATIGUE?

There are two adrenal glands and each one sits on top of each kidney and are responsible for hormone production.  The hormones excreted by the adrenal glands are cortisol and DHEA.  In turn these two hormones continue to go on and make the sex hormones.  Therefore, when the adrenal glands have been overworked due to stressful situations such as long hours of work, lack of sleep/staying up late and a poor diet the adrenal glands stop working properly.  When the adrenal glands stop working this leads to adrenal fatigue.

Once the adrenals have become weakened you will begin to see situations arise as listed above.  The reason being is that when we are in a stressful situation whether it be physical or emotional our body releases cortisol to help up deal with the stressful situation.  In stage 1 of adrenal exhaustion one does not even feel stressed. In fact, typically one will fill energized and good because of the extra cortisol running through the body.  However, in later stages of adrenal fatigue typically stages 2 & 3 are when one begins to feel tired no matter how much sleep one gets.  The reason being is that as you move into later stages of adrenal fatigue your cortisol begins to run low and overtime the sex hormones become affected as well thus leading to severe fatigue, loss of sex drive, possible nights sweats, digestive problems and severe PMS symptoms for women.

HOW CAN I FIND OUT IF I SUFFER FROM ADRENAL FATIGUE?

You can test for adrenal exhaustion through saliva testing.  What needs to be assessed is ones cortisol and DHEA levels.  Cortisol should be higher in the morning as this is what wakes you up in the morning, hit its peak around mid day and then tappers off into the evening making one tired and sleepy.  Because cortisol changes throughout the day saliva tests are a good idea as you can test  the entire cycle (4 samples) of cortisol within a day. It is also a good idea to test estrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels.  Saliva testing also tests for the active hormones in the blood stream where as blood tests the stored hormones. However, it is a good idea to have both tested.   If you are interested in saliva testing you can contact Replenishing Soul and we will gladly send you a kit that you can perform in the comforts of your own home.

CAN I RECOVER FROM ADRENAL FATIGUE AND IF SO HOW?

Yes, you can recover from adrenal fatigue.  However, it does take time.  The reason being is because your body has to reset and get back into balance.  Your brain and adrenal glands need to relearn how to communicate to each other.  If you suffer from adrenal fatigue it is a good idea to work with a Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach.  They can help you get back on track by evaluating and restructure your lifestyle as this is what weakened your adrenal glands in the first place.  Getting healthy again is about learning what foods and what proportions are right for your body and what type and what intensity of exercise is appropriate for your body at a particular time. You need to be taught how to manage stress through ways such as meditation or yoga.  In addition finding hidden stressors such as food intolerances also needs to be assessed.   Even though each person that we see in our clinic is entirely different and needs different strategies specific to them here are a few quick tips that will help you get back on track.

  • 1. Eliminate C.R.A.P. from your diet- caffeine, re-fined sugar, alcohol and processed foods
  • 2. Eliminate Gluten
  • 3. Get to bed by 10:00pm. Between 10pm-2am your body repairs physically and between 2am-6am your mind repairs. Therefore, if you are not sleeping between these hours your body is not healing.
  • 4. Find ways to manage stress

If you would like more information about Adrenal fatigue purchase James Wilson’s book:  Adrenal fatigue the 21st century stress syndrome.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Prevention information | No Comments »

Solutions for Leaky Gut Syndrome

Sunday, February 15th, 2009

As you may recall I spoke about leaky gut syndrome a few weeks ago and therefore I would like to take the time to discuss solutions for leaky gut syndrome.  

Just to recap, leaky gut syndrome is when there is separation of tight junctions between the cells of the gut wall.  The separation of these junctions happens as a result of stress, food intolerance and a poor diet.  When these junctions begin to separate, undigested or partially digested food particles cross the gut wall and as a result they land in joint tissues, organ tissues, nerve tissues and anywhere else via the micro-circulatory system causing inflammation and over time causing chronic pain and possibly an auto-immune disease. In addition if you have been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) you too can benefit from the solutions I list below.

SigA is a protective mucous that lines our entire intestinal tract and when one suffers from Leaky gut syndrome or IBS this protective mucous gets broken down which leads to holes in the intestinal tract.  Leaky gut and IBS can be healed, it just takes awhile to do so.  Below is a list of strategies to get you on track to heal your gut. Even if you currently do not have gut problems you too should do the following for prevention.

  • Start eating right (eat for your metabolic type)… stop the C.R.A.P. eating (caffeine, refined sugar, alcohol and processed foods).  All of these items need to be removed from your diet.  Why, because it’s these items the wreak havoc on the intestinal tract.
  • Begin taking a probiotic. Probiotics are good bacteria.  Your gut is lined with both good and bad bacteria and the ratio of good to bad bacteria needs to be 85:15.  Unfortunately though because of what we eat in this country the ratio is reversed.  There are many probiotics on the market today and with that being said you should purchase a probiotic that contains L. Sporogenes.  L. Sporogenes is a good choice of probiotics because it survives stomach acid. 
  • Begin taking an enzyme to begin to rebuild your protective mucosa.  What you need to make sure you understand is that probiotics rebuild good bacteria but not mucosa lining.  These are two separate items.
  • Depending on the severity of your gut dysfunction you may need digestive enzymes.
  • Manage your stress.  Stress creates hormone imbalances and these hormone imbalances can affect the gut directly.  Managing stress can be done through yoga, qi gong, and tai chi, walking mediation or simply conscious breathing. 
  • Drink water. A general rule of thumb is ½ your body weight in ounces of water.  In addition, your urine should be clear enough to see through. Water is important because it keeps our bodies lubricated.  You should drink 2-3 glasses of water upon awakening.  If you suffer from constipation this may help you to get things moving.
  • Gut testing may be applicable if symptoms persist.

 

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Digestive Health | No Comments »