Cinnamon Rolls, Vacation and Fiber?

Vacation is not good for diets.  It’s good for relaxation, relationship building and memory making, but not diets.  As a case in point, yesterday on a mini-motorcycle vacation with my husband I had the world’s (my world) best cinnamon roll ever, followed by pizza for dinner and fresh apple topped French toast and homemade granola for breakfast. So are we going to sit here and cry about it? Absolutely not, because it’s ok…it doesn’t matter.  The very nature of vacation is that it is special because it is the exception, not the rule.  But if we’re missing out on important nutrients, like fiber, all the time even outside of vacations, then there needs to be a big change, and fast!

I know you would rather hear more about my vacation than about fiber, but in the long run, an investment of your time and attention into how much you are consuming will pay big dividends for you later when you want to feel great and enjoy your own decadent vacation!

INSOLUBLE FIBER = BETTER ELIMINATION
Speaking of a fast change, fiber really does move things along in the digestive tract.  Insoluble fiber, meaning it doesn’t break down in water,  adds no calories for us because it passes right through and sweeps toxins cleaned out by the liver along with it.  This is the kind of fiber found in whole wheat and bran used to make this week’s Bran Apple Muffins.  If there is not enough of this kind of fiber in the diet then toxins have to dumped back into the bloodstream and re-filtered by the liver. That creates more work for your liver!  Other good sources are cabbage (in the Spring Slaw), carrots, broccoli (in the Broccoli Cheddar Quiche) and fruit. (1)  Most of the fiber is in the peel so peel as little as possible!

SOLUBLE FIBER = SUGAR DUMP
Soluble fiber soaks up water in the digestive track,  which expands the food and makes you feel more full and eat less.  The health benefit here is that eating less can help in losing weight, and losing weight is a powerful antidote to the ever increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes.  This wonderful fiber also helps to protect our insulin sensitivity by slowing down the digestive process and the speed at which blood sugar is dumped into our bloodstream.  This protects our ability to effectively produce and use insulin naturally and also protects from diabetes. (2)  Beans are one of the best sources of this kind of fiber like in the black beans we used in the Chicken Tacos.  Other great sources are fruit, oatmeal, root vegetables, and barley. (3)

TOXINS AND DIABETES
Toxic build-up and diabetes rob us of strength and vitality, and fiber wars against both.  Look around you and find three objects close together. Now think about how two thirds of all Americans are eating about half of the recommended daily allowance for fiber.  Are you one of them? Recommendations vary from 20-35 or more grams per day depending on your age and gender.  Or you can try to eat 14 grams for every 1000 calories you eat each day. (4)  See this chart to help you get an idea of you current intake of fiber.

Here’s to your future, healthy vacation!

Molly

(1) http://www.webmd.com/diet/fiber-health-benefits-11/insoluble-soluble-fiber

(2) http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fiber-full-story/

(3) http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/solublesources.html

(4)  http://www.livestrong.com/article/148178-how-to-remove-toxins-from-your-body-naturally/

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