WHY
Dietary fiber from fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Fiber is important for proper bowel function. It helps reduce constipation and diverticulosis. Fiber-containing foods such as fruits help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories.
GOOD SOURCES
Beans, bran, fruits and vegetables are generally a good source of fiber.
The top bean choices are cooked versions of navy beans, kidney beans, split peas, lentils, black beans, pinto beans, chick peas - in general any kind of legumes and beans are good sources of fiber.
Lima beans, cooked green peas, artichoke, sweet potato, spinach, brussel sprouts, broccoli, turnip greens, collard greens, okra, pumpkin are top vegetable fiber sources
Asian pear, pear, raspberries, blackberries, guava, oranges, prunes, figs and dates are top fruit sources of fiber.
Besides these bran cereal, whole wheat english muffin, cooked bulgur, whole wheat pasta, almonds are all good sources of fiber.
HOW MUCH
The food pyramid recommends 25 gms per day of fiber.
Refer to the Dietary guidelines for americans http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/appendixB.htm#AppB8
for more details on how much to eat for each of these foods.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Observations on the master cleanse
The master cleanse is a 10-day regimen where you drink lots of water and a special lemonade made with lemons, grade-B maple syrup and cayenne pepper powder. It also requires you to take a laxative at night and a salt water flush in the morning. The theory is that there are a lot of toxins stored in your body, that are clinging to the intestines and colon thereby preventing food to be digested properly. The 10-day process will enable the body to flush out the toxins and make it more of the food burning machine it was designed to be.
We tried the master cleanse and we must say that it was beneficial to us. My wife and I lost 8 to 14 pounds each on the cleanse. We have kids and we were scared about doing the cleanse together. However, we did it together as we needed the support from each other. We also talked to others who have done it and got their input. Finally, the fact that Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness before he began his ministry convinced us that we should give it a try.
Here are the benefits of the master cleanse:
1) it cleans out your system of all the toxins and waste that have been built up on the inside
2) it helps your metabolism so that the food you eat is converted into more energy
3) it also cleanses your colon and intestines and the blood vessels.
4) in the process you lose weight anywhere from 8 pounds to 18 pounds. I lost 15 pounds and my wife lost 10 pounds. I attribute it to me taking psyllium husk every day for the last 5 days of the cleanse.
Other benefits of doing the cleanse included a change in eating habits, especially after you see the black stuff that you pass in your bowel movement after the first 3 days. We are now including more vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish, and legumes in our diet. It has also made us reduce intake of processed foods, white flour, sugar, etc.
The key is to view the master cleanse as a mechanism to clean up from the inside and a way to increase your metabolism. Weight loss is an added benefit, though a lot of celebrities use this for weight loss. The master cleanse is not for everybody, so check with your doctor before you start this.
The master cleanse was written by Stanley Burroughs. Here are some resources for information about the master cleanse.
Information about the master cleanse: http://www.mastercleanser.com/
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_Cleanse
It may be difficult to do the master cleanse the way it was originally written by Stanley Burroughs. Here is a helpful resource that will help you.
http://themastercleanse.org/
The secrets of the master cleanse is also a good resource to follow where they give some useful tips to cheat and also helps you to do the cleanse.
MasterCleanseSecrets.com
Here is the recipe, if you are curious about it.
For a single or a glass of the master cleanse, the recipe requires that you use 10 ounces of filtered water, two table spoons of grade-B organic maple syrup, two tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice and 1/10 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. If you wish to make a daily serving of 60 ounces, then you will need 60 ounces of filtered water, 12 tablespoon of maple syrup, 12 tablespoon of lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
You alternate between water and the lemonade throughout the day. You also have to do a salt water flush - 2 teaspoons of sea salt in 12 to 16 oz glass of filtered water, the first thing in the morning. Don't go out for about 2 hours after you drink this unless you have had a bowel movement. At bedtime, you need to drink a laxative like SmoothMove or 2 teaspoons of psyllium husk in 10 to 12 oz. of water.
Simple, but the resources above give details about how to ease into the master cleanse and also what you do after the cleanse. Easing back to normal diet after completing the cleanse is very important as otherwise it may be dangerous.
In conclusion, we are happy we did the cleanse and we plan to do a mini-cleanse of 3 days on the diet every 3 months. We normally fast once a month, drinking only water. We will do the lemonade diet now for the monthly one-days fasts as well.
We tried the master cleanse and we must say that it was beneficial to us. My wife and I lost 8 to 14 pounds each on the cleanse. We have kids and we were scared about doing the cleanse together. However, we did it together as we needed the support from each other. We also talked to others who have done it and got their input. Finally, the fact that Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness before he began his ministry convinced us that we should give it a try.
Here are the benefits of the master cleanse:
1) it cleans out your system of all the toxins and waste that have been built up on the inside
2) it helps your metabolism so that the food you eat is converted into more energy
3) it also cleanses your colon and intestines and the blood vessels.
4) in the process you lose weight anywhere from 8 pounds to 18 pounds. I lost 15 pounds and my wife lost 10 pounds. I attribute it to me taking psyllium husk every day for the last 5 days of the cleanse.
Other benefits of doing the cleanse included a change in eating habits, especially after you see the black stuff that you pass in your bowel movement after the first 3 days. We are now including more vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish, and legumes in our diet. It has also made us reduce intake of processed foods, white flour, sugar, etc.
The key is to view the master cleanse as a mechanism to clean up from the inside and a way to increase your metabolism. Weight loss is an added benefit, though a lot of celebrities use this for weight loss. The master cleanse is not for everybody, so check with your doctor before you start this.
The master cleanse was written by Stanley Burroughs. Here are some resources for information about the master cleanse.
Information about the master cleanse: http://www.mastercleanser.com/
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_Cleanse
It may be difficult to do the master cleanse the way it was originally written by Stanley Burroughs. Here is a helpful resource that will help you.
http://themastercleanse.org/
The secrets of the master cleanse is also a good resource to follow where they give some useful tips to cheat and also helps you to do the cleanse.
MasterCleanseSecrets.com
Here is the recipe, if you are curious about it.
For a single or a glass of the master cleanse, the recipe requires that you use 10 ounces of filtered water, two table spoons of grade-B organic maple syrup, two tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice and 1/10 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. If you wish to make a daily serving of 60 ounces, then you will need 60 ounces of filtered water, 12 tablespoon of maple syrup, 12 tablespoon of lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
You alternate between water and the lemonade throughout the day. You also have to do a salt water flush - 2 teaspoons of sea salt in 12 to 16 oz glass of filtered water, the first thing in the morning. Don't go out for about 2 hours after you drink this unless you have had a bowel movement. At bedtime, you need to drink a laxative like SmoothMove or 2 teaspoons of psyllium husk in 10 to 12 oz. of water.
Simple, but the resources above give details about how to ease into the master cleanse and also what you do after the cleanse. Easing back to normal diet after completing the cleanse is very important as otherwise it may be dangerous.
In conclusion, we are happy we did the cleanse and we plan to do a mini-cleanse of 3 days on the diet every 3 months. We normally fast once a month, drinking only water. We will do the lemonade diet now for the monthly one-days fasts as well.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Keeping off the weight you lost
You have tried hard and worked hard to lose 10 pounds over several weeks or maybe months. And then you go on a vacation or get into the holiday eating frenzy. One morning you step on the weighing scale and you realize that the weight you lost has come back on.
It happened to me. I went on a great exercise program - lifting 3 days a week and doing intense cardio the other 3 days a week. However, I noticed that after the first week, the weight loss was slow, but I lost 10 pounds or so. And then I went overseas on a month's vacation and ate to my heart's content. The weight came back on.
I could not get into the gym as often as before due to several reasons. Then one day my wife and I resolved to get back in shape. The two of us decided to try the master cleanse and then follow up with a good diet and exercise program.
The master cleanse is a 10-day fasting program where you drink a special lemonade made of 3 specific ingredients - lemons, grade-B maple syrup and cayenne pepper mixed in filtered water. We read a lot about it and researched it. We talked to friends who had fasted for 10 days on just water or on just juices. We decided to do it. It was tough, but we made it. Here is a link to my blog about my observations on the master cleanse:
http://facttalk.blogspot.com/2009/03/observations-on-master-cleanse.html
After the cleanse we carefully eased back into the normal diet. We started eating more vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish and fiber rich foods. We preferred foods that had whole grains or multi grains. We also introduced this to our children. We started eating healthy snacks like fruits or nuts. and preferred foods that had whole grains or multi grains. We started making a healthy muffin using whole wheat floor, wheat bran, oatmeal, apple sauce, buttermilk, raisins, etc. We carefully added more fiber in our diets by using spinach, legumes, etc. We drank lots of water.
On the other hand, we consciously reduced or avoided sugar in our food - hence the oat meal recipe in this post http://facttalk.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-first-blog.html . We also reduced carbo-hydrate rich foods. We avoided processed food as much as possible. Chips, donuts, chocolates, sweetened yogurt was consumed very little.
My wife and I are following this regimen for over a month after the master cleanse and we have not gained any weight. My wife is working out 5 to 6 days a week on the tread mill, while I have not had the time to hit the gym. Our weight has been constant.
I believe the secret is the amount of fluids we eat, the reduction in sugar, the healthy foods with high fiber that we consume and also the increased intake of fruits and vegetables.
We plan to start a new exercise program combining intervals with targeted strength training. This will be the chest, shoulder, stomach, lower back, and legs. This is based on my experience and research and talking to a lot of my friends that work out. I believe we have found the right balance of diet, exercise and foods that will help us get fit and healthy.
It happened to me. I went on a great exercise program - lifting 3 days a week and doing intense cardio the other 3 days a week. However, I noticed that after the first week, the weight loss was slow, but I lost 10 pounds or so. And then I went overseas on a month's vacation and ate to my heart's content. The weight came back on.
I could not get into the gym as often as before due to several reasons. Then one day my wife and I resolved to get back in shape. The two of us decided to try the master cleanse and then follow up with a good diet and exercise program.
The master cleanse is a 10-day fasting program where you drink a special lemonade made of 3 specific ingredients - lemons, grade-B maple syrup and cayenne pepper mixed in filtered water. We read a lot about it and researched it. We talked to friends who had fasted for 10 days on just water or on just juices. We decided to do it. It was tough, but we made it. Here is a link to my blog about my observations on the master cleanse:
http://facttalk.blogspot.com/2009/03/observations-on-master-cleanse.html
After the cleanse we carefully eased back into the normal diet. We started eating more vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish and fiber rich foods. We preferred foods that had whole grains or multi grains. We also introduced this to our children. We started eating healthy snacks like fruits or nuts. and preferred foods that had whole grains or multi grains. We started making a healthy muffin using whole wheat floor, wheat bran, oatmeal, apple sauce, buttermilk, raisins, etc. We carefully added more fiber in our diets by using spinach, legumes, etc. We drank lots of water.
On the other hand, we consciously reduced or avoided sugar in our food - hence the oat meal recipe in this post http://facttalk.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-first-blog.html . We also reduced carbo-hydrate rich foods. We avoided processed food as much as possible. Chips, donuts, chocolates, sweetened yogurt was consumed very little.
My wife and I are following this regimen for over a month after the master cleanse and we have not gained any weight. My wife is working out 5 to 6 days a week on the tread mill, while I have not had the time to hit the gym. Our weight has been constant.
I believe the secret is the amount of fluids we eat, the reduction in sugar, the healthy foods with high fiber that we consume and also the increased intake of fruits and vegetables.
We plan to start a new exercise program combining intervals with targeted strength training. This will be the chest, shoulder, stomach, lower back, and legs. This is based on my experience and research and talking to a lot of my friends that work out. I believe we have found the right balance of diet, exercise and foods that will help us get fit and healthy.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Eat healthy and tasty
A Healthy Lifestyle
In this age of 'instant everything' cultivating a healthy lifestyle would lead to a long life. A healthy life is not just keeping your body healthy. It also comes from keeping your mind healthy and worry free. I plan to blog what I have learnt in over 40 years of my life in various cultures, east and west. Since the basic need of man is food, I will start from here.
Eating Healthy
The population has never been so health conscious than in recent years. At the same time there is so much of conflicting material about what to eat and what not to eat. Further, eating healthy is also tied in to diet and exercise. Having gone through several diet programs and eating healthy fads, here is what I have finally discovered.
You are what you eat
The human body has all natural elements and minerals known to man. So natural foods are automatically suitable for easy absorption. Moreover they provide much of the essential nutrients and vitamins in the natural form that are necessary for normal function of the human body. Salads, fruits and nuts, field greens, and most vegetables can be consumed raw. There are advocates of these kinds of foods classified as the raw diet. I do like it and it helps you to eat more without worrying about adding weight. However, you cannot keep this up for long as you will start feeling that you are a cow or some other farm animal. On the other hand, we do have to eat grains and legumes to provide other vital components for our health and these need to be cooked. If you are like me, and you like to cook, every meal that you prepare has to be unique. Variety is the spice of life.
In my quest to eat healthy I did not want to compromise on taste. So I started thinking about how I can use my knowledge about cooking and spices and herbs to make an ordinary healthy meal into a savory meal. I started experimenting and collecting recipes and making them healthier. I made healthy recipes tastier using herbs and spices. Let me start by sharing a simple recipe for breakfast which I enjoy each morning. There is a very important weight loss tip in this recipe.
Who says oatmeal can be boring?
Or it has to be sweet and with milk and sugar only?
Here is an oatmeal preparation that does not use any of the above and it tastes better than the above. To 1/3rd cup of steel cut quick cooking oats, add a handful of diced onions, a 1/4 teaspoon of ginger paste, a 1/4 teaspoon of garlic paste (or a whole garlic clove), two dashes of sea salt and cook these over medium heat for as long as the directions call for. When it comes to a thick consistency, add an egg and another dash of salt, 3 dashes of ground pepper and a teaspoon of chopped cilantro. Stir gently for a minute allowing time for the egg to cook. Turn off the heat and let it cool. Add a teaspoon of wheat bran or flax seed just before serving and serve warm.
Oatmeal for fiber, garlic for cholesterol control, ginger for digestive health, an egg for protein and other nutrition, and the herb cilantro for good health.
The weight loss tip is that we are reducing the sugar intake by using this recipe instead of the pre-packaged oatmeal recipes that have a lot of added sugar. Sugar is a primary cause of weight gain. If you reduce your intake of sugar and sugar rich foods, you will see remarkable results in weight management and an increased activity level. I will write more about it in a later blog.
In this age of 'instant everything' cultivating a healthy lifestyle would lead to a long life. A healthy life is not just keeping your body healthy. It also comes from keeping your mind healthy and worry free. I plan to blog what I have learnt in over 40 years of my life in various cultures, east and west. Since the basic need of man is food, I will start from here.
Eating Healthy
The population has never been so health conscious than in recent years. At the same time there is so much of conflicting material about what to eat and what not to eat. Further, eating healthy is also tied in to diet and exercise. Having gone through several diet programs and eating healthy fads, here is what I have finally discovered.
You are what you eat
The human body has all natural elements and minerals known to man. So natural foods are automatically suitable for easy absorption. Moreover they provide much of the essential nutrients and vitamins in the natural form that are necessary for normal function of the human body. Salads, fruits and nuts, field greens, and most vegetables can be consumed raw. There are advocates of these kinds of foods classified as the raw diet. I do like it and it helps you to eat more without worrying about adding weight. However, you cannot keep this up for long as you will start feeling that you are a cow or some other farm animal. On the other hand, we do have to eat grains and legumes to provide other vital components for our health and these need to be cooked. If you are like me, and you like to cook, every meal that you prepare has to be unique. Variety is the spice of life.
In my quest to eat healthy I did not want to compromise on taste. So I started thinking about how I can use my knowledge about cooking and spices and herbs to make an ordinary healthy meal into a savory meal. I started experimenting and collecting recipes and making them healthier. I made healthy recipes tastier using herbs and spices. Let me start by sharing a simple recipe for breakfast which I enjoy each morning. There is a very important weight loss tip in this recipe.
Who says oatmeal can be boring?
Or it has to be sweet and with milk and sugar only?
Here is an oatmeal preparation that does not use any of the above and it tastes better than the above. To 1/3rd cup of steel cut quick cooking oats, add a handful of diced onions, a 1/4 teaspoon of ginger paste, a 1/4 teaspoon of garlic paste (or a whole garlic clove), two dashes of sea salt and cook these over medium heat for as long as the directions call for. When it comes to a thick consistency, add an egg and another dash of salt, 3 dashes of ground pepper and a teaspoon of chopped cilantro. Stir gently for a minute allowing time for the egg to cook. Turn off the heat and let it cool. Add a teaspoon of wheat bran or flax seed just before serving and serve warm.
Oatmeal for fiber, garlic for cholesterol control, ginger for digestive health, an egg for protein and other nutrition, and the herb cilantro for good health.
The weight loss tip is that we are reducing the sugar intake by using this recipe instead of the pre-packaged oatmeal recipes that have a lot of added sugar. Sugar is a primary cause of weight gain. If you reduce your intake of sugar and sugar rich foods, you will see remarkable results in weight management and an increased activity level. I will write more about it in a later blog.
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