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If you’re having problems breathing, try shedding some belly fat. A lot of other maladies are curtailed by a tighter tummy too.
A waist reduction curbs your chances of high blood pressure, heart disease and an assortment of health problems tagged “metabolic syndrome.”
Abdominal obesity is defined as a circumference exceeding 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men. In “You on a Diet,” Dr. Mehmet Oz, an Oprah darling, recommends a 32-inch waist, or more specifically, a waistline not more than half your height.
Researchers in France think belly fat may impair function of the diaphragm and chest. Fat tissue is also known to increase inflammation in the body.
They expect that your physician may soon include a waist circumference measurement as part of routine assessment of lung fuction.
Dr. Oz and and his co-author, Dr. Michael Roizen, term this belly fat omentum. Dr. Roizen explained this thoroughly on The View:
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Vegetables and whole-grains are primary sources of fiber. Be sure to consume abundant liquids, preferrably water, when elevating your fiber intake. |
It fills you up on fewer calories, reduces cholesterol, and may even combat cancer.
It is no wonder then that from the American Medical Association to the Surgeon General to the National Cancer Insitute to the American Heart Association --- everybody is encouraging you to eat more fiber.
But do you know why?
According to an AMA report, dietary fiber not only helps prevent and treat constipation but also may play a role in warding off gastrointestinal disorders such as diverticulitis and perhaps heart disease. There is also some indication that a high-fiber, low-fat diet may improve control of blood sugar in diabetics, and maybe even protect against colon cancer, although evidence on the latter is minimal.
Fiber, which also goes by the nicknames of roughage or bulk, contributes to a feeling of satiety, assisting those who are trying to slim down.
The college textbook definition of fiber is “A nonnutrient constituent of foods, indigestible to the body and therefore useful in digestion because it adds bulk to the intestine's contents, giving the muscles something to push against.”
Most fiber passes intact through the digestive tract to the large intestine. Here, some types of fiber are digested to glucose by bacterial enzymes, and the free glucose molecules are absorbed into the body. Fiber in the large intestine holds water and regulates bowel activity. Some fiber binds cholesterol and certain minerals and carries them out in the feces.
There are many forms of fiber. The most notable are soluble and insoluble, with subcategories of each. Within the soluble category there are pectins, gums and certain hemicelluloses. The insoluble group contains lignin, cellulose and certain other hemicelluloses.
Wheat bran, which is composed mostly of cellulose, has no cholesterol-lowering effect, whereas oat bran and the fibers of legumes, apples and carrots do lower blood cholesterol. On the other hand, wheat bran is one of the most effective stool-softening fibers.
No need to distinguish
Trying to decipher which fiber in what food for what purpose is not worth the aggravation. All whole plant foods seem to contain many types of fibers, a lot of them having both soluble and insoluble.
Increase your consumption of complex carbohydrates: whole-wheat breads, whole-grain cereals, fruits, vegetables and legumes. These foods tend to decrease consumption of foods high in fat.
The recommended daily fiber intake for adults is 25 to 35 grams a day.
A small apple (with skin), small banana, two prunes, or 16 large cherries each contribute about two grams. Cereal boxes usually indicate grams per serving; a minimum of two is recommended. A quarter cup of cornbread supplies two grams, as does 1-1/2 cups of popped popcorn.
Two grams of fiber are supplied by 1/2-cup of broccoli, brussel sprouts or carrots, or one large tomato or one small potato.
Half cups of garbanzo beans, kidney beans or canned baked beans supply eight grams of fiber, as does one cup of dried peas or lima beans.
Adding purified fiber to foods, such as sprinkling on bran, is not recommended. Nutritionists believe such practice can easily be taken to extreme. They also worry about taking only one isolated type of fiber, whereas fiber types in foods are mixed, and usually come with a healthy component of water, minerals and vitamins.
Trainer Katrina Hodgson offers a great Skinny Spaghetti (with turkey) recipe.
Put Some Science into your Sweat
Dr. Doug McGuff, an emergency-room physician, owns/operates a one-on-one training facility in Seneca, South Carolina. Decades ago when he entered medical school, he needed a time-efficient way to stay fit.
I’ve discussed Dr. McGuff’s book, Body by Science, previously. Below is a 10-minute video clip debunking some of the popular myths:
Previous report about Body by Science.
Interesting Equipment Hits US Market Mats Thulin of Sweden has developed Nautilus-like machines that supply greater resistance in the lowering phase (eccentric contraction) than what you lift. Called X-Force, the equipment debuts this week at a fitness industry show in San Francisco. |
 The weights travel up the tilted pathway (effectively reducing the resistance level). Once the lifting phase is complete, a motor shifts the stack back to vertical. In essence, you're lifting a weight up a ramp, and then it drops straight down on you (figuratively speaking). Complete article found on Dr. Darden's website. |
Advice from The Biggest Loser Nutritionist
Cheryl Forberg discusses her role with the Biggest Losers and shows a 3-meal, 2-snack daily menu of 1,500 balanced calories:
Contact: Email -- Ph: 513-288-2235 - Skype: DandyBoy454 (video possible)
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