Hello David,
Instead off a low carb diet its better too eat slow carbs and fibers,
The slow-carb diet is actually a more balanced way of eating. Instead of banning certain foods from your diet, it simply classifies them based on their glycemic index (GI). The GI reveals how high carbohydrate can raise blood glucose levels within two hours. Foods that break down quickly during digestion have a high GI, and those that break down more slowly have a low GI.
Foods with a relatively low GI level, such as whole grains, oats, fruits, vegetables, and lentils are recommended. These foods are digested slowly and provide the body with a more sustained energy supply. Foods that have a high GI index - including white bread, refined breakfast cereals, pastries, and other concentrated sugars - are digested rapidly, causing a surge of blood glucose and insulin in the body. The slow-carb diet, on the other hand, is full of complex carbohydrates - healthy carbs that positively affect hunger, concentration and mood levels.
Since the slow-carb way of eating incorporates a healthy mix of carbohydrates, protein and fat, it is more varied than low-carb diets and is therefore easier to maintain for life.
The following is a discussion of the benefits of a high fiber diet.
Fiber refers to a group of substances that include plant polysaccharides and lignin that are resistant to the digestive enzymes. They consist of the structural components of plant cell walls, primarily cellulose, hemicellulose pectins and lignin. Cellulose is the main structural component of plant cell walls, hemicellulose consists of polymers of nonglucose sugars and lignan is a non-carbohydrate cell wall material that is highly resistant to degradation. Some fiber does undergo degradation by bacteria in the colon (large intestine).
Well, so much for the scientific description and big words!
Essentially, fiber is a complex carbohydrate and the part of the plant that cannot be digested.
Fiber can be either water soluble or water insoluble. Soluble fiber, which includes vegetable fiber, gums and pectins, lowers cholesterol and helps manage blood glucose (see below). Fruits, vegetables, dried beans and peas, nuts, seeds, brown rice, oat bran, barley bran and rice bran are prime sources.
Water-insoluble fiber such as wheat bran is less subject to digestion in the colon than are the water-soluble fibers. Insoluble fiber helps mainly with intestinal disorders such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Diverticulitis. It also shortens the time food is in the bowels and promotes more frequent bowel movements. Sources include wheat and corn bran, whole grain breads, cereals, vegetables, fruit skins and nuts.
A high fiber diet affects most segments of the digestive system. It increases the chewing time, which results in increased salivary and gastric juice flow. This subsequently decreases dental plaques and decay, satisfies the appetite more quickly and as a result reduces calory intake (a high fiber diet is a natural way to feel full sooner which can lead to weight loss).
The rate at which your stomach emptys and the rates of digestion and absorption are also affected by a high fiber diet. Guar gum and pectins increase the viscosity (thickness) of the partially digested food and decrease stomach emptying, although particulate fibers such as wheat bran promote more rapid stomach emptying.
Soluble fibers also have a cholesterol lowering effect. It increases the removal of bile acids, decreases intestinal absorption of fatty acids and cholesterol and decreases cholesterol synthesis. Soluble fiber also binds cholesterol for elimination.
Once in the colon, soluble fiber is fermented causing production of substances known as short chain fatty acids which are absorbed and cause further glucose and cholesterol control.
Recently, a study from Norway has demonstrated that a high fiber diet also decreases the tendency of the blood to clot, adding another mechanism for heart attack reduction
A high fiber diet improves diabetic control. Pectins, guar and beans appear to be the most effective in stabilizing blood glucose. The main action of fiber is in the gastrointestinal tract. Water-soluble fibers slow transit through the stomach and small intestine and are rapidly broken down by colonic bacteria. They do not alleviate constipation.
Water-insoluble fibers, on the other hand, are either slow or not fermented at all, and thus act as laxatives. Oats and psyllium seeds are exceptions. Oats contain 50 percent soluble fiber. Psyllium seed also acts as a soluble fiber. Both act as laxatives.
A high fiber diet appears to protect against colon cancer . A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine disputed this beneficial effect of fiber, but there are a number of serious questions about this study, and much further study is needed. A review of 13 studies of colorectal cancer rates and dietary practices concluded there is substantial evidence that intake of fiber-rich foods reduces risks of both colon and rectal cancer.
It is estimated that the risk of colorectal cancer in the U.S. population could be reduced by almost 31 percent if fiber intake from food sources were increased an average of 13 grams/day.
On a molecular level, a recent study the mechanisms by which fiber protects against the formation of colon cancer. It has been shown that butyrate, the gas produced by the fermentation of fiber by bacteria in the colon, induces a protein formed within the cells that prevents the change of the normal colonic cell to a dysplastic (early cancerous) one. In other words, a high fiber diet clearly protects against the development of colon cancer.
A high fiber diet has also been shown to reduce the incidence of prostate cancer
There's more...
A high fiber diet decreases the rate of diverticulitis and diverticulosis. Diverticuli are small herniations (cracks or holes) in the wall of the bowel that occur over the course of years due to the very high and sustained pressures generated within the colon. Diverticulosis refers to the presence of diverticuli within the colon.
These pressures within the bowel are needed for evacuation. They are much higher in a highly refined Western diet. In fact, diverticuli are unusual in certain parts of the world where diets are consistently high in fiber. Diverticulitis results when one of these diverticuli gets obstructed and ruptures. This can be life threatening and often requires surgery. Fiber creates more bulk and water content within the stool, which results in lower pressures being needed for evacuation.
A high fiber diet has many other beneficial effects. For example, a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that fiber reduces the risk of heart attack in a way that was independent of cholesterol lowering, meaning that whether or not the cholesterol went down, the risk of heart attack was far lower if dietary fiber was increased by 10 grams per day.
It is recommended that dietary fiber intake for adults be in the range of 20-35 grams (g) per day. The average American consumes only 14 g of fiber per day, and most popular American foods are not high in fiber. The fiber-intake recommendation for children over the age of two is the age of the child plus five.
Clearly, North Americans need large increases in fiber to substantially improve overall health.
There is substantial evidence that lack of dietary fiber and nutrient deficiency are responsible for many of the diseases which afflict us.
Diabetes, heart disease, cancer, cataracts, and even aging itself can be prevented by proper nutrition.
The typical low fiber, high fat American diet is estimated to be responsible for 35% of all cancers.
Boston researchers reported in 1996 that increasing dietary fiber intake from the average 12 grams per day to 28 grams per day resulted in a dramatic 41% reduction in heart attacks .
The American Dietetic Association has advised all Americans to consume 25-35 grams of fiber each day. Guidelines have been developed for children by the American Academy of Pediatrics recommending that a child consume the number of grams of fiber equivalent to age plus 5-10 grams per day. Public health agencies are advocating the "optimal diet", that is, 25% of calories as fat and 25 grams of fiber per day .
At somewhere between 25 and 35 grams of fiber per day, people enter into a "health envelope" where there appears to be a reduction in the incidence of heart disease and certain cancers including colorectal, prostate and breast.
There are many mechanisms responsible for the dramatic health benefits of a high fiber diet.
Foods rich in soluble fiber include whole grain foods (made from oats, barley and oat bran), fruits, vegetables, legumes, brown rice and seeds. Foods high in insoluble fiber include whole grain foods (made from wheat, rice and corn) and some fruits and vegetables.
Because insoluble fiber keeps foods moving through the colon, it reduces the time that cancer-causing substances can remain in the digestive tract. Soluble fiber delays emptying of foods from the stomach resulting in a more uniform absorption of carbohydrates thereby improving glucose control. .
Dietary Fiber and Hypertension
A report recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine on the DASH Trial (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) compared the effects of three different diets on blood pressure in patients with hypertension. The first group followed the regular daily American low fiber, high fat diet (9 grams fiber, 37% fat). The second group followed a high fat, high fiber diet, (31 grams fiber, 37% fat). The third group followed a low fat, high fiber diet (31 grams fiber, 27% fat) that was supplemented with calcium (1240 mg) from low-fat dairy products. Sodium intake and body weights were maintained at constant levels.
A significant reduction was seen in both high fiber groups, however, the most profound reduction was seen in the low fat, high calcium, high fiber diet group. In that group the systolic and diastolic blood pressures fell by 11.4 and 5.5 mm Hg, respectively.
In summary, a high fiber diet, low in fat and high in dietary calcium is an effective alternative approach to the treatment of high blood pressure.
7-8 daily servings of grains and grain products 4-5 daily servings of vegetables 4-5 daily servings of fruit 2-3 daily servings of low-fat or non-fat dairy foods 1-2 daily servings of lean meat, poultry (no skin, breast preferable) or fish 4-5 weekly serving of legumes, nuts and seeds. Total daily fat intake not to exceed 30%
Foods high in dietary fiber also contain many potent anti-aging and disease preventing nutrients, cofactors, vitamins and antioxidants. The list is large.
Antioxidants appear to decrease the incidence of heart disease by preventing the oxidation of cholesterol making it less likely to get stuck in blood vessels .
Antioxidants also are believed to protect against a number of cancers and age-related chronic diseases such as macular degeneration, cataracts and skin photo aging. Phytochemicals, recently discovered compounds present in fruits and vegetables, prevent cancer by helping to remove cancer-causing substances from the cell or preventing entry into cells.
Reference: A Review of Fiber by Dr. Peter Gardner, M.D.
Its very good that youre stop the intake of Xenadrine EFX,
The UCSF study involved 10 healthy adults given single doses of one of the two supplements or a placebo. The two supplements tested were Advantra Z and Xenadrine EFX.
Single doses of both products increased heart rate by an average of 11 to 16 beats per minute over baseline, the scientists found. This would be the equivalent of an 18 percent increase if baseline rate is 80 beats per minute.
In addition, Xenadrine EFX also significantly increased blood pressure by 7 to 12 percent. Xenadrine EFX appears to have similar acute cardiovascular stimulant actions as banned ephedra products, according to their report.
"These findings indicate that ephedra-free dietary supplements could have some of the same adverse health effects associated with previously available ephedra products, such as Metabolife 356 and Ripped Fuel," said Christine Haller, MD, UCSF assistant professor of medicine and lead author of the paper.
The predominant constituent of bitter orange is synephrine, which in pharmaceutical form is commonly used to treat low blood pressure and nasal congestion.
Advantra Z contains only bitter orange, while one dose of Xenadrine EFX contains several other ingredients, including caffeine equivalent to the amount in 3 cups of coffee, the researchers found.
The increased blood pressure from taking Xenadrine EFX is likely not due to caffeine alone, they concluded, but potentially related to the actions or interaction of other constituents in the multi-ingredient supplement.
The scientists call for longer term dosing studies and suggest doctors should caution patients about using ephedra-free weight-loss dietary supplements and should monitor blood pressure in those who choose to use the products.
In particular, people with health condition that could be worsened by the effects,such ashypertension, heart disease or other pre-existing conditions should avoid the supplements.
"Consumers should be aware that ephedra-free dietary supplements have not been extensively tested for safety and the health effects are not well known," Haller noted.
The research is published in the September issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
This article was adapted from a news release provided by The National Institutues of Health.
For weight loss, these easy steps can be taken every day:
Before each meal, take one of the following:
8–9 g of Enhanced Fiber Food Powder (flavored or unflavored) or
8–9 g of High Lignan Flax seed powder or
3–6 capsules of PGX soluble fiber blend
Take 200–600 mcg of Chromium daily.
Maybe Willy can have a look at this all, because he is the expert in loosing weight,
regards,
Corrij