Constipation: The Fiber Factor

Overview

If you are one of millions who reach for over-the-counter laxatives for constipation, you should know that that there is a better way. Eating the right foods could put an end to constipation and start you off on the right foot to having regular bowel movements.

Recommended Fiber Intake

Reducing constipation may be as easy as adding more fiber-rich foods to your daily diet. According to the Institute of Medicine, adults should consume 14 g of fiber for every 1,000 calories consumed. For a woman, that would be about 28 g of fiber if you consume 2,000 calories per day. If you are a man and you consume 2,500 calories per day, you will need 35 g of fiber to satisfy the recommendation.

Functions

Fiber helps to prevent constipation by forming a gel, which binds waste, keeps the stool soft, increases bulk and stimulates action to speed the waste through your gut and out of your body.

Dependency

If your diet is low in fiber, you are likely to have few and irregular bowel movements that are hard to pass, causing a great deal of strain. This situation can cause an unhealthy dependence on laxatives.

Prevention

To reduce your dependence on laxatives, eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains along with nuts, seeds, beans and peas. Start today by treating yourself to a fiber-rich breakfast of oatmeal with raisins and milk. Then have an apple and an ounce of walnuts for snack. Add beans or peas to your lunch menu, and treat yourself to a large salad at dinner. Be sure to drink plenty of water when increasing the fiber in your diet. This will help to ensure that your stool stays soft and easy to move.

Caution

In some cases, constipation may be a sign of more serious health problems, or impaction that needs direct medical intervention. See your doctor if you think your condition is more than the run of the mill constipation. For help with planning your high-fiber diet, talk to a registered dietitian.

More About Fiber and Constipation

Eating to Prevent Constipation

Fiber Up Your Diet

The Health Benefits of Fiber

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For answers to questions about food, nutrition, diet, weight loss and health-related conditions, talk to a registered dietitian. Go to www.eatright.org to find a registered dietitian. Registered dietitians are the healthcare professionals most trained and experienced to help you with your food and nutrition questions.

Eat Less Sugar to Cut Calories

To lose weight you have to consume fewer calories than you take in. One source of excess calories is sugar. So, reducing your intake of sugary foods is clearly one way to cut calories.

Here are few ideas for reducing the sugar in your diet:

1. Reduce your intake of foods with added sugar. That means cookies, cake, candy, sodas, juice drinks, pies and sugary desserts. Breakfast cereals and other ready-to-eat foods often contain a large amount of added sugar, so read food labels carefully.
2. Add less sugar to food and drink that you prepare at home. Preparing foods at home give you the advantage of controlling just how much sugar you use.
3.  Eat smaller portions of foods that are high in sugar.
4. Retrain your appetite. Make a special effort to eat less sugar for 21 to 28 days. It usually takes about 28 days to get used to eating foods without sugar or with significantly less sugar. Give yourself time.
5. Choose naturally sweet foods, especially fresh fruits, to satisfy your sweet tooth. These foods will not only eliminate the sugar calories, they will add important vitamins, minerals, fiber and other health-promoting phytonutrients to keep you healthy as you lose weight.
6. Keep a bottle of water handy and drink at regular intervals to keep your cravings at bay.
7. Do not substitute artificial sweeteners for sugar. These sweeteners could potentially hurt your efforts rather than help you to lose weight.

Monitor your sugar intake regularly to determine how well you are doing. Be prepared to make additional adjustments as needed.

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If you need help planning your diet to lose weight, consult a registered dietitian. You can find a registered dietitian by visiting the American Dietetic Association website at www.eatright.org or doing a generic search online.

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Read Dr. Carter's Daily Diet Guide for today.

Is Your Child Drinking Too Much Soda?

Overview
Sodas (soft drinks/carbonated beverages) are a major source of added sugars in the American diet. Numerous studies link the high intake of sodas to childhood obesity and a number of related health problems, including type 2 diabetes, inflammation, and tooth decay.

If your child drinks too much soda, his bones can also be weakened and easily fractured. Additionally, when if your child drinks sodas in place of more nutrient-dense beverages like milk or 100 percent fruit juice, he could come up short on a number of key vitamins and minerals, as well as protein.

Health Problems Linked to Sodas

• Obesity 
• Inflammation
• Diabetes
• Tooth decay (erosion of tooth enamel), gum disease and bone loss
• Weak bones/easy fractures
• Inadequate intake of milk and 100 percent fruit juice, leading to low levels of vitamins A, D, calcium, and protein.
• Caffeine dependency

How to Protect Your Child From Health Risks Associated With Drinking Too Much Soda

• Do not keep sodas, whether sweetened or unsweetened, in your house.
• Explain the potential dangers of drinking too much soda to your child.
• Encourage your child to drink water when he is thirsty rather than reaching for a soda.
• Offer your child milk or other dairy products (or milk substitute) to meet his calcium needs.
• Provide your child with small amounts of 100 percent fruit juice instead of sodas. Whole fruit is an even better alternative.
• Set a good example. Children are great imitators, so don't drink sodas if you don't want your child to drink them.

Summary
Sodas are a major source of excess calories that contribute to the growing childhood obesity epidemic in the US. Drinking too much of these beverages could lead to other health problems, as well. To protect your child from the potential dangers, restrict access to sodas and offer healthy alternatives like water, milk and 100 percent fruit juice.

Resources
Healthy Beverages Toolkit

The Truth About Sodas

When was the last time you had a soda/soft drink?

Every day, millions of Americans guzzle down sodas by the can or the liter. You may be one of the millions who drink a soda when you're thirsty, when you're having a meal, or just to be sociable. Or you could be one of the millions who are literally addicted and have to have a liter or two everyday.

Unfortunately, few people bother to pay attention to what's in those sodas they drink, or the ill effects that they can have on your health. That's why I decided to blog about this subject. 

For starters, I thought it might be a good idea to let you in on the chemical soup that you might be getting every time you take a sip of a popular brand of soda. The ingredients listed below came directly off of the bottle. See if you can recognize what soda it is. If not, I have a challenge for you at the end of this blog.

Well, let's get started. Here are the chemicals you are putting in your body every time you have a  sip. So, what's that you're drinking?

Carbonated water. This is water that has been treated to produce carbon dioxide under pressure. When the water is exposed to air, it creates a fizz.

Caramel color. Caramel color is sugar/syrup that is cooked until it is slightly burnt to give the sugar a brown color.

Aspartame. Aspartame is a chemical that is made by combining two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine in the presence of an acid. The product of this chemical reaction is a substance that has a very sweet taste.

Potassium benzoate. Potassium benzoate is a chemical compound that is made by combining potassium and benzoic acid. This compound is used to preserve food for months or years.

Caffeine. Caffeine is a bitter compound that is present in coffee, tea, cocoa and kola nuts.

Natural flavor. Any flavoring obtained from plants or animals may be labeled as natural.

Acesulfame potassium. This is similar to aspartame – a compound made from two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine.

Citric acid. Citric acid is a weak acid found in fruits. It has a slightly acidic or sour taste.

Calcium disodium EDTA – This is a chemical that is used to prevent food from becoming rancid and to prevent certain cooked and canned beans from changing color.

Panax Ginseng Extract – This is added to beverages as a stimulant.

I challenge you to read the labels on soda bottles the next time you go grocery shopping and find out what drink contains all of the above ingredients.

More tomorrow on my next blog post.

If you have a question or comment, please send me a DM. And remember, October is "World Junk-Food Free Month."