Sugar and Fiber
Sneaky Sugar
Sugar is the first thing we remove - for good reason! Sugar is one of the most detrimental things for your health and it is EVERYWHERE! It sneaks into processed foods, condiments, salad dressing, hot sauces, breads, beverages, and even salty seasonings like garlic salt! We often say, "Check the ingredients!" but it is important to know what to look for. Sugar has many forms and many names, so it is unusual to see just plain old sugar in an ingredients list. Here is a ridiculously long list of sugar's sneaky names:
- Agave
- Barley Malt
- Buttered Syrup
- Beet Sugar
- Cane Juice
- Caramel
- Carob
- Coconut Sugar
- Corn Syrup
- Date Sugar
- Dehydrated Cane Juice
- Dextrin
- Dextrose
- Ethyl Maltol
- Fructose
- Fruit Juice Concentrate
- Galactose
- Glucose
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Honey
- Lactose
- Malt Syrup
- Maltodextrin
- Maltose
- Mannose
- Maple Syrup
- Molasses
- Muscovado
- Nectar
- Palm Sugar
- Raw Sugar
- Refiner's Syrup
- Rice Syrup
- Sorbitol
- Sorghum Syrup
- Splenda
- Sucrose
- Treacle
- Turbinado
- Xylitol
- Yellow Sugar
Helpful Hint:Ingredient labels are listed in order of quantity. If sugar is the first ingredient listed, the food is mostly made of sugar! If sugar is the last ingredient listed, there is much less sugar in it. This is true for all ingredients and can help you make more informed decisions in the future.
Fabulous Fiber
Fiber is one of the most important factors in a nutrient-dense food plan and is necessary for proper gut function. Have you been told to get more fiber in your diet? Most Americans, especially those following the Standard American Diet, don't get enough fiber in their day! Let's talk about how fabulous fiber is and how you can get more of it!!
What is fiber?
Fiber is naturally occurring and found in plant foods like vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and fruits. It is a type of carbohydrate that your body doesn't digest and it can help regulate your digestion, improve blood sugar response, and feed the good bacteria in your gut. There are two types of fiber, insoluble and soluble, and each plays an important role in your body.
Insoluble Fiber:
This type of fiber is bulky and is often found in the bran of veggies and grains. Insoluble fiber can be compared to the scrubby side of the sponge. Because fiber is not digested like other foods, it moves along your intestines, scrubbing the walls, and pushing the buildup towards your colon to be removed in your stool. Insoluble fiber helps promote regularity and creates bulkier stools, and it can be found in starchy vegetables, nuts, leafy greens, fruits with skin, and grains.
Soluble Fiber:
This type of fiber feeds the healthy bacteria in your gut. This can be compared to the soft, absorbent side of the sponge. It soaks up the water in your digestive tract and creates a gel-like substance that picks up the unwanted junk in your intestines. Soluble fiber sweeps up things like toxins, extra cholesterol, and unwanted dietary fats. This can help lower LDL cholesterol and blood glucose levels. Soluble fiber is found in things like beans, oats, berries, and seeds.
Most Americans get less than 1/3 of the daily recommended value of fiber. The goal for fiber intake is at least 5 grams per serving of food, or 25-35 grams per day and this can be easy to reach when you incorporate more nutrient dense, whole foods into your meals. The more plants you eat, the more fiber you eat. If you find yourself eating mostly animal products, try to increase fiber by just adding two servings of fruits or vegetables to what you’re eating. When transitioning from a low fiber diet to a high fiber diet, you may experience slight discomfort as your gut gets used to the changes. This will go away as your body regulates but to avoid this you can increase fiber slowly and be sure to increase your water intake as well! Your gut will thank you!