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The Case for fibre
There are 2 schools of thought about fibre, but let’s be clear – the human body is designed to use fibre. The more healthy fibre you get in your diet, the better your digestive system functions. BUT it must be HEALTHY fibre – not wheat or grain fibre, it should be mostly vegetable fibre. It also maintains a steady WEIGHT, maintains healthy CHOLESTEROL levels and keeps you REGULAR. Like so many other health issues, it all comes back to your gut. The health of your gut affects everything from your immune system to your moods. Poor diets have little fibre, are inflammatory and are full of processed food and sugar. If you don’t get enough fibre, you won’t have enough “food” to feed the healthy bacteria in the gut – it’s their favourite food. And this is KEY to good health. Healthy gut bacteria is everything. Our digestive enzymes can’t break down the vegetable fibre, so it intact as it moves through the digestive tract. And as it travels, the healthy microbes in our gut feed off the fibre’s vitamins, nutrients, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Too little fibre will starve these microbes, some die off, others end up eating the mucus lining of the digestive wall, and it becomes permeable, known as Leaky Gut Syndrome. This makes you more prone to infection as well. This weakens the immune system, a large part of which depend on these microbes, the body becomes inflamed and we are more susceptible to illness and obesity. How Much? Pretty well as much as you can because we just don’t get enough. Fibre-rich foods are a good start. Researchers have found in humans that the balance of bacteria in the gut can quickly change for the worse as soon you stop getting enough fibre. In general, women should get at least 30 grams of daily, while men should get at least 38. Some doctors say diabetics need at least 50g a day for good blood sugar control. A low-carb diet is an excellent way to eat, but this also means cutting out grains which are a source of fibre, though a very ‘bad’ source of fibre in that they inflame the intestines, cause weight gain and generally are a bad idea. They also lacerate the sides of the colon and grains themselves lead to Leaky Gut Syndrome. And don’t think “whole grains” are any good – they have extremely negative effects that cancel out their so-called benefits, such as the presence of phytic acid, which interferes with the absorption of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, and zinc. Researchers found our hunter-gatherer ancestors got about 100g or more of fibre daily from roots, berries, leaves, and other plants. A staggering amount. Whatever you do, don’t suddenly introduce massive amounts of fibre – start slowly, and ALWAYS include more water. Anytime you introduce more protein or fibre into the diet, you add more water. Best Sources of Fibre: these are generally vegetables and fruit, nuts, seeds, and in many cases a healthy fibre supplement (but there are good and bad ones here too, so be aware). Good Food Fibre: Avocado Leafy greens Cruciferous vegetables Almonds and other nuts Chia seeds Prebiotic fibre (such as is found in MaxiPrebiotic Berries Adding fibre to your diet is probably the safest way to ensure you get enough. Here are some good ways to do that: Skinny fibre MaxiPrebiotic Herbal Fibre Blend Chia seeds 4-seed mix (All available from our online store at https://sallyanncreed.co.za/shop) Food Serving Fibre (g) VEGETABLES Artichoke, cooked 1 medium 10.3g Asparagus, cooked 6 spears 1.8g Brocolli, cooked ½ cup 2g Brussel sprouts, cooked ½ cup 3g Carrots, raw ½ cup 2.3g Edamame beans, cooked ½ cup 4.3g Peas, green, cooked ½ cup 5.6g Potato/sweet with skin cooked 1 medium 3.3-4.3g Spinach, cooked ½ cup 3.7g FRUIT Avocado ½ cup 6.7g Cherries 20 3.4g Guava 1 fruit 3g Mango ½ fruit 1.7g Orange 1 medium 2.3g Pear 1 medium 5.3g Raspberries/blackberries ½ cup 4-5g WHOLE FOODS, NUTS, SEEDS, SUPPLEMENTS Oats, cooked ¾ cup 2.8-3.5g Beans, cooked ¾ cup 8.6g-13.6g Chickpeas, cooked ¾ cup 5.5g Lentils, cooked ¾ cup 6.2g Chia seeds 1 tbsp 3.7-5g Flaxseeds, ground 1 tbsp 1.9 Nuts ¼ cup 3-4g Seeds ¼ cup 3-3.7g MaxiPrebiotic Tsp serving 5.3g Psyllium Husk 1 tsp 3.2g-4g Ref: Canadian Nutrient File 2015.
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What is a good, healthy breakfast?
Many people ask me what we eat for breakfast – well that’s a loaded question – all sorts of things! But we’ll get to that later. A healthy breakfast is really important in helping you to avoid the mid-morning crash that most people feel after eating an unhealthy breakfast. It’s all about the secret of keeping your blood sugar stable. Here are some tips and ideas of how to have a great breakfast that keeps you feeling fabulous all day. However, be cautious and bear the following in mind: Eat fruit with a low-glycaemic index– As this will help stabilise your blood sugar levels thereby minimising the crash, which can often leave you feeling irritable and hungry. Fruits with a low glycaemic index/sugar content include apple, blueberry, cherry , grapefruit, grape, orange, peach, pear and a plum. Minimise your sugar intake – Minimising sugary foods is the best way to avoid the brain fog, mid-morning sugar cravings and subsequent weight gain and inflammation that sugary food brings with it. What about that morning cuppa? Habitual intake of 3 to 4 cups of coffee is said to be safe and is associated with the most robust beneficial effects. Brews solely made with chicory will not give you the beneficial properties so rather steer from it. You know what they say, “life begins after coffee”. Reduce your intake of refined breads, cereals, breakfast bars and pastries – Eating refined starches is similar to eating sugar, as they are quickly converted to sugar in the body and have the same effect as sugar. If eating a healthy breakfast – which will give you energy, a clear mind, great mood, prevent both cravings and even hunger for most of the day – is what you’re after, here are some tips: Eat healthy fats – Healthy fats are extremely beneficial and nutritious. Think pasture-fed butter, pork lard, duck fat, coconut oil, olive oil and macadamia oil for a start. (Healthy fats won’t make you fat by the way.) Treat yourself to some real food in the form of animal protein – such as eggs, chicken livers, fatty fish (salmon, sardines, pilchards, tuna), and steak. Fry lightly in butter or coconut oil, and you will be set up for the day. Don’t be scared of having eggs every single day. Steak and eggs is a great brekkie – with a few sprigs of rocket. Mmmmm…. Add in some vegetables like rocket, spinach, watercress, a slice or so of aubergine, asparagus, even ½ an avocado – anything you fancy. Have a cup of coffee if you wish, but try it black without sugar. Avoid tea directly after breakfast as the tannins will interfere with iron absorption – save that for tea time. People often ask us what we have for breakfast, so here are OUR favourite healthy breakfasts: Avocado with smoked salmon or fresh sautéed salmon. Rocket/watercress with scrambled eggs and sometimes a little slice of goat cheese. Wilted spinach with scrambled eggs in butter (or our homemade Hollandaise sauce). Eggs and bacon, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms – all done in pasture-fed butter. Chicken livers sautéed in butter or coconut oil or both, with asparagus and mushrooms. Baby mixed grill of a small pasture-fed charcuterie sausage, little piece of steak and an egg with asparagus and a few cherry tomatoes, maybe even fatty bacon and mushrooms. It’s not necessary to overeat by the way, just eat enough for a good brekkie. The variations are endless, and you need to have what you feel like that day. We need to only eat to hunger, not routine or habit. However, don’t try to avoid food – eat when you are hungry and three good meals a day will give you a wonderful array of nutrients your body needs. Not eating often deprives you of much-needed nutrition, and it’s different for everyone. So just eat when you are hungry.
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Are you eating enough Protein?
Here are some tell-tale signs you may not be getting enough protein in your diet. If you suspect you are not eating enough you can increase your meat, fish, eggs and poultry. Protein is essential to prevent muscle loss, and stay alive and well. Loss of muscle mass and decreased strength You are seldom full and snack constantly – protein keeps you satisfied for 5-7 hours without snacking You get hungry soon after eating a meal – if so eat more in that meal Anaemia – a sure sign of deficiency You struggle with energy levels, often feel tired and experience blood sugar highs and lows Are you often in a bad mood? It’s one sign of deficiency Do you have frequent infections/colds/flu, or do you stay sick longer without recovering? Do you have very weak/brittle finger nails and hair? Does your hair grow very slowly? Slow wound healing is a sign of protein deficiency You experience “stress fractures” – the body will ‘steal’ protein from your bones and organs if you don’t have enough proteinSo make sure you have plenty of healthy, clean protein (not the takeaway kind), with fresh vegetables and enough healthy fats to make you feel full and prevent snack attacks. You’ll feel so much better on more protein. Disclaimer: This post is subject to our general disclaimer https://sallyanncreed.co.za/disclaimer/.
Read moreCOLLAGEN 101
COLLAGEN 101 Collagen is found throughout your body. It’s a structural element of bones, muscles, tendon, and ligaments in fact collagen and skin are always talked about together. This is because it’s a major component of your largest organ. Below I discuss Collagen 101. You may not be aware that collagen is also found in: • blood vessels • the cornea of your eye (just about pure collagen) • teeth (it’s true!) • cartilage • discs between your vertebrae • the digestive tract The fibrous nature and strength of collagen make it an ideal protective casing for your kidneys and other organs, and connects cells all over your body to each other. It’s “large scale” from bones and organs right down to the cellular level. The structure of collagen protein is what gives it the unique strength your body needs – it’s a triple helix, three chains twisting around each other – and there are 1,050 amino acids in each of the three chains that make up collagen. They’re held together with hydrogen atoms which are the smallest of all the atoms. Glycine is the amino acid that takes up the middle of the triple helix structure because it’s the only one that can fit. These long fibres don’t just exist as single protein ropes, collagen can come together to form striated horizontal sheets. Disclaimer: You can simply click on the name of each product mentioned above (in bold) and a hyperlink will take you directly to the product for an easy purchase. Originally published on https://www.facebook.com/SallyAnnCreedSA/ in 2020.
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