Most of us hear the word fiber and automatically think of unappetizing foods. Fortunately, with the advancements in food technology our generation has been freed from health foods that taste like cardboard!
There are two types of fiber. For optimal benefits, you should get enough of both in your diet.
Soluble fiber dissolves in water and has been linked with lowering levels of “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Insoluble fiber cleans out your gut and is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
A diet high in fiber has many health benefits. Besides being important for digestive health, fiber is most famous for reducing cholesterol and preventing diseases related to high cholesterol. There are also indications that a high-fiber diet improves glucose tolerance. Fiber is also beneficial for weight loss. The large, bulky molecule structure increases your sense of being full without adding any calories. It also slows the emptying of your stomach, further prolonging that sense of satisfaction so that you won’t eat as frequently.
The current daily recommendation for adults is 20 – 30 grams each day.
Monday
Tuesday
Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Old thinking was to work out in a sweat-filled gym for hours a day. No pain, no gain. New studies show that even short bouts of activity can increase your fitness level, especially if you're new at working out.
How Do I Decrease My Body Fat?
Weight loss alone won’t necessarily lead to huge decreases in body fat since weight loss without exercise will lead to decreases in lean mass as well. If you really want to decrease your body fat percentage you’ve got to eat better, do cardiovascular exercise AND remember to do resistance training to build up your lean mass, otherwise about 25% of every pound you lose will come from lean, calorie-burning muscle.
It is no surprise that consumers want to know how much body fat they should expect to lose. Most experts agree that a 1% loss per month is safe and doable (1-2 pounds per week). However, it is important to recognize that most methods of measuring body fat (such as calipers, bioelectrical impedance analysis, etc) are prone to measurement error and detection of small changes in body fat percentage is just as likely due to this error as it is an actual change in body fat. Thus, it’s best to wait a couple of months to recheck body composition to see if you’ve made progress.
If you would like to get a baseline body composition contact Shelley at
www.step4wardfitness.com
It is no surprise that consumers want to know how much body fat they should expect to lose. Most experts agree that a 1% loss per month is safe and doable (1-2 pounds per week). However, it is important to recognize that most methods of measuring body fat (such as calipers, bioelectrical impedance analysis, etc) are prone to measurement error and detection of small changes in body fat percentage is just as likely due to this error as it is an actual change in body fat. Thus, it’s best to wait a couple of months to recheck body composition to see if you’ve made progress.
If you would like to get a baseline body composition contact Shelley at
www.step4wardfitness.com
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