Arthritis Bracelet
Arthritis Pain Relief

Arthritis Bracelets

Recent Posts

More Stuff

 

October 31st, 2009 | in Health and Fitness | Leave a comment

Net carbs are the carbohydrates that can be digested and processed by the body as dietary carbohydrate. Therefore, they directly impact blood sugar. You can determine how many net carbs you are eating by subtracting the grams of fibre, glycerine, and sugar alcohols from the total grams of carbohydrate. Net carbs are the only carbs that you need to count when you are on low-carb diets, such as the Atkins diet.

It is important to understand why fibre does not count as a regular carbohydrate. Fibre substance does not break down into sugar, so it does not play a part in the overall sugar load of the carbohydrate. If a slice of bread has 27 total carbohydrate grams and 3 grams of fibre you have a net carbohydrate content of 24 grams (27 g – 3 grams = 24 grams). This explains why some high fibre foods will have a more favourable impact on the blood sugar and insulin levels.

Only plant foods contain dietary fibre. Fibre has a number of effects on digestion, some beneficial, and some more harmful. One positive effect is that fibre is likely to decelerate the rate of digestion of food. This leads to a more gradual emptying of the food from the stomach into the small intestine. This means that there is less possibility of large quantities of glucose being absorbed quickly from the small intestine into the blood, and therefore a lower chance of an insulin surge. Insulin is the hormone that is released when glucose is absorbed from the small intestine. It is possible that by slowing stomach emptying, fibre helps avoid the situation where the body has to produce large quantities of insulin, as a result of repeated rapid release of glucose into the intestine. In turn this may help protect against diabetes in susceptible people.

However, fibre does get in the way with the absorption of some nutrients. For example, up to 5% of the fat in a moderately high fibre diet is not absorbed because of this interference. This may even be a good thing in Australia, given that 63% of men and 47% of women were overweight in 1995, with no sign that these levels of overweight and obesity will decrease. High fibre foods also interfere to some extent with the absorption of some essential minerals and trace elements, but a high fibre diet is also probable to provide you with extra minerals and trace elements, so the effect is not believed to be very significant for normal Western diets.

Despite these minor detrimental effects, a high fibre intake is understood to be considerably advantageous on the whole. Low intake of fibre, particularly of the insoluble forms of fibre such as those in bread and other wheat products, is one of the major causes of constipation. Low fibre intakes are also strongly associated with an increased risk of diverticulitis. Although the evidence is less compelling, lack of fibre in the diet may also contribute to the incidence of rectal cancer, haemorrhoids, obesity, appendicitis and ulcerative colitis. High intake of soluble fibres such as the pectin and gums, found in fruits, vegetables, rolled oats, and saponins, found in legumes, is associated with reduced blood cholesterol. High intake of foods of plant origin, all of which contain some fibre, is linked with a reduced threat of heart disease, cancer, and an improved life expectancy.

Another benefit, and one that may help with weight control, is the sensation of satiety, that is, a feeling of fullness, which follows a meal plentiful in fibre. It is also true that high fibre foods are almost always low in fat, so a high-fibre diet will usually be a low-fat diet.

[Sponsored] Bryan Seawell is the proud owner of this article and he owns a site called: “lipo 6 review“. See how he can help you with his site: “lipo 6 review” and allow him to share with you his best known secrets here at his exclusive site, “lipo 6 review“. Thank you for your trust and belief in Bryan. Hope it will benefit you and others. Have a wonderful day ahead. [Sponsored]

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

May 28th, 2009 | in Health and Fitness | Leave a comment

Ulcerative colitis is a sickness that causes swelling and sores in the lining of the large intestine, or colon. It normally affects the lower section of the colon and the rectum. However it can also affect the entire colon. In rare cases, the swelling could expand into the small intestine.

Experts are still uncertain what causes the disease. A number of theories have been made to explain the condition. Some experts think that the disease is brought about by a bacterium or a virus in the digestive tract. However, no such organism has been found. Some experts believes the immune system of the body becomes confused and begins to attack the body?s own cells as though they were foreign invaders.

Some people used to think that ulcerative colitis is caused by stress. Even though researchers oppose to this idea, they say that if you have ulcerative colitis, stress can absolutely make it worse. This illness occurs in all age groups and affects men and women equally. Experts say you are more likely to get the disease if other people in your family have history of having it.

The main symptoms include abdominal pain or cramps. You may feel an urgent need to have a bowel movement and experience bleeding from the rectum. Some people may have a fever, lose weight, and in severe cases may have diarrhea 10 to 20 times a day.

Surgery and medications help in controlling the illness. Depending on its severity, medications are used to control the symptoms. Changes in diet are also beneficial. For some with persistent and severe symptoms, surgery may be needed to remove the colon. Alternative treatment choices can also be used to help minimize the inflammation caused by the disease.

As of now, there are no known ways in preventing the illness. Ulcerative colitis can be very difficult to live with. But a warm support from family, friends or, a counselor could tremendously help if you are having a hard time. Talk to others who are coping with the disease.

Search treatment for colitis and colitis symptoms

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,