6 Health Benefits of a High Fiber Diet

A high-fiber diet has many benefits, which include:

1. Normalizes bowel movements. Dietary fiber increases the weight and size of your stool and softens it. A bulky stool is easier to pass, decreasing your chance of constipation. If you have loose, watery stools, fiber may help to solidify the stool because it absorbs water and adds bulk to stool.
2. Helps maintain bowel health. A high-fiber diet may lower your risk of developing hemorrhoids and small pouches in your colon (diverticular disease). Some fiber is fermented in the colon. Researchers are looking at how this may play a role in preventing diseases of the colon.
3. Lowers cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber found in beans, oats, flaxseed and oat bran may help lower total blood cholesterol levels by lowering low-density lipoprotein, or "bad," cholesterol levels. Studies also have shown that high-fiber foods may have other heart-health benefits, such as reducing blood pressure and inflammation.
4. Helps control blood sugar levels. In people with diabetes, fiber — particularly soluble fiber — can slow the absorption of sugar and help improve blood sugar levels. A healthy diet that includes insoluble fiber may also reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
5. Aids in achieving healthy weight. High-fiber foods tend to be more filling than low-fiber foods, so you're likely to eat less and stay satisfied longer. And high-fiber foods tend to take longer to eat and to be less "energy dense," which means they have fewer calories for the same volume of food.
6. Prevention of colorectal cancer. However, the evidence that fiber reduces colorectal cancer is mixed.

Diet, Nutrients and Diabetes

Key Nutrients

In the past, there have been some nutrition issues and concerns with vegetarian diets. People following a vegetarian diet need to consider a few key nutrients when meal planning:

• vitamin B-12
• omega-3 fatty acids
• calcium
• vitamin D
• iron

Eating a variety of plant-based foods is important. Many foods are fortified now as well so some of these nutrients are less of a concern. Fortification is a process where extra nutrients are added to a food. Also, many people take supplements to make sure they get enough of all nutrients.

Below is a list of the nutrients that vegetarian diets lack sometimes and the foods to eat so you get enough of them:

Vitamin B-12 — B12 is only found in animal products and fortified foods, so it can be difficult for those who follow a vegan diet to get enough of it. You can get some B-12 from fortified soy and rice beverages, fortified breakfast cereals, fortified meat substitutes, and nutritional yeasts. People who follow a vegan diet should take a daily supplement to get enough. Most multi-vitamins have B-12, but check the label to make sure. It should be listed as cobalamin or cyanocobalamin. Dairy products and eggs are a good source of B-12 for lacto-ovo-vegetarians.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids — Get them from walnuts, ground flaxseed or flaxseed oil, soybeans, soybean oil, canola oil, or wheat germ.

Calcium — Get this from dairy products if you include them in your diet. Calcium is also in leafy green vegetables (bok choy, Chinese cabbage, collards, kale, mustard greens, and turnip greens), broccoli, Brussels sprouts, fortified fruit juices, calcium-set tofu, fortified soy milk or rice milk, and fortified breakfast cereals. Note that spinach is not a good source of calcium even though it is a leafy green vegetable. Other compounds in spinach prevent the calcium it has from being absorbed and used in the body.

Vitamin D — Get this from fortified milk, fortified yogurt, cheese, or egg yolk if you include them in your diet. It is also in some brands of fortified soy milk and rice milk, fortified orange juice, and some fortified breakfast cereals and margarines. Sun exposure can also help your body make its own vitamin D. There is a lot of research being done about vitamin D deficiency right now. Some experts are starting to recommend vitamin D supplements, especially for older adults.

Iron — Iron-deficiency anemia is as common in vegetarian diets as it is in non-vegetarian diets. Get iron from beans, lentils, dried fruits, enriched grain products, tofu, and cooked green vegetables. Try to eat these iron sources with a good source of vitamin C like citrus fruits (oranges, lemon/lemon juice, and grapefruit), tomatoes, broccoli, potatoes, or strawberries. This will help your body better absorb the iron.

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Meal Planning for Vegetarian Diets—A vegetarian diet is a healthy option, even if you have diabetes.

Protein and Vegetarian Diets—There are many plant foods that provide protein in a vegetarian diet.

Meal Ideas for Different Vegetarian Diets—Meal planning ideas for vegan diets, lacto-vegetarian diets, and lacto-ovo vegetarian diets.

Other Types of Vegetarian Diets—Ovo-vegetarian diet, Macrobiotic diet, Raw foods diet and Fruitarian.

Key Nutrients—Careful planning and eating a variety of plant-based foods is important to ensure you get enough of certain nutrients.

- See more at: http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/planning-meals/meal-planning-for-vegetarians/nutirents-vegetarians.html#sthash.5Ja0Hogu.dpuf

Obesity is Not and American Problem, It's reaching developing countries like India and China?

From CNN India

Is obesity an undermined public health issue in developing India?

Posted on: 12:41 PM IST Nov 23, 2015

Akshay Kumar Anugu IBNLIVE.COM

Food is the fuel for our life. It provides all essential nutrients to stay active, healthy and alive. These nutrients can be caloric and/or macro-nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats or micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Insufficient consumption of caloric nutrients lead to underweight/stunting or excessive consumption than one can burn leads to overweight/obese. 

The third type, micronutrient deficiency is not as obviously visible as the above malnutrition types, also called hidden hunger, and emphasises the importance of what we eat than how much we ate. The normal weighing people are too often victimized by this hidden form of malnutrition and make hidden hunger as the most prevalent public health issue around the world. Most of the developing and underdeveloped (economically) countries suffer from underweight/stunting issues and India with 21.92% of its citizens from below poverty line (2012, RBI annual report) is no exception. Hence, much of the government’s focus and NGOs intervention is invested in providing enough food for millions to help them sail through hunger.

A man with a large belly eats junk food on May 23, 2013 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

#carbohydrates #Doctor #food #nutrient

However, dietary issues in India are not limited to undernourishment. Changes in food habits, growing dispensable income, appetite for densely caloric food (fat, sugar/ carbohydrates) and sedentary lifestyle brought overweight/obesity to growing middle/upper economic strata. There is a significant rise in obesity/overweight in India over past several years and is evident through World Health Organization (2015) data. Prevalence of overweight in adults is increased to 22% (2014) from 19.7% (2010) and Obesity is increased to 4.9% (2014) from 4.0% (2010) in 4 years. 14% of women (18 to 49 age) in India were overweight or obese in 2008 (compared to 10.5% in 1998), with higher rates among urban women (25%) compared to rural women (8%). National Family Health Survey-3 (2006) also reported higher obesity/overweight rates in urban areas and higher socio-economic groups compared to the rural areas (urban men vs rural men: 15.9% vs 5.6%; urban women vs rural women: 23.5% vs 7.2%). Factors such as gender and economical status have significantly influenced the obesity epidemic throughout the world. 

Obesity and overweight are linked to several chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. This accumulation of fat in an individual impacts the country’s economy through direct costs (health costs), indirect costs (productivity losses) and burden of disease costs (financial/social costs). 600 million and 1.3 billion adults around the world suffer from obesity and overweight respectively. 78.6 million (1 in 3) adults in The United States were obese and the country spent as high as $147 billion (Rs. 9.5lakh crore) through medical costs in 2008. Developing nations are too catching up with wealth and obesity. The number of people affected from obesity is tripled in Developing countries compared to 1.7 times in high income countries. Mexico leads the world in childhood obesity and its government had to bring in new policies such as Sugar Tax to curb obesity. 4 million Australian adults were obese (25% of population) in 2007-08 and the country had to spend $37.7 billion (Rs. 1.8lakh crore) through direct, indirect and burden of disease costs. Currently, India is a home to 60 million obese individuals (which is 15 times higher than Australia) and its burden on economy will be significant and distractive.

The risk of obesity is increasing unlike other major public health concerns such as Tobacco around the world. Middle income countries such as India are now facing double burden (underweight and obesity) of dietary issues. India and China together accounts for 15% world’s obese population and the rate of obesity are alarmingly increasing in these countries. It is widely debated whether to categorize the obesity as a personal/individual’s issue or a public health issue that warrants government intervention. Several countries such as US and Mexico have move forwarded from these discussions and started addressing this 21st century public health issue through policy changes. After US and China, India ranks 3 in number of people suffering from obesity. It is important for India to acknowledge the prevailing obesity issue and initiate efforts to curb this menace before it claims more victims. Legislatives, school health guidelines, awareness/education, community efforts, advances in nutrition labeling and better regulations on food advertising are few of several strategies that can be used to curb obesity in India. If obesity is ignored for longer in India, its impending effects on public health will take a toll on whole economy. 

(Author Akshay Kumar Anugu is a USA based Food Scientist by profession and coordinated several Aam Aadmi Party 2013-2015 electoral campaigns from US. He no longer work with AAP and has no political affiliations)