Fibre-Boosted Foods?
(Have them with a ‘pinch of salt’)
Fibre has never been what you’d call a sexy nutrient.
Suddenly, it’s a superstar: Manufacturers are adding it to biscuits, savoury snacks and even drinks. But as with many celebrities, there’s an unseemly backstory: Experts aren’t sure that these fibre-boosted foods are worth trying.
Yes, you should eat lots of fibre. There’s no question that a diet rich in high-fibre foods is a powerful lifesaver—it’s known to lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes, and it helps prevent weight gain. Recent studies show a fibre-rich diet cuts the risk of a person developing breast cancer. So with cancer of the small intestine.
But the new foods might not count.
That’s because many of them use “isolated” fibre—stuff that’s been stripped out of the foods that originally contained it, says nutrition expert Tara Gidus. Isolated fibres like inulin, polydextrose, and maltodextrin are flavourless and don’t turn juice into a gummy, grainy glop. The downside: There’s no evidence that they protect against chronic diseases.
So go ahead and try a glass of fibre-boosted orange juice. Just don’t forget to also eat more whole grains, beans, and fruits and veggies—they’re proven lifesavers.
- Janis Graham
Tastier Than You Think
Try these surprising
high-fibre foods (fibre content in grams):
1 pear
6 g
1/2 cup raspberries
4 g
1/2 cup hummus
4 g
1 cup brown rice, cooked
3.5 g
1 handful of almonds
3.3 g
1 banana (medium)
3 g
When is the Best Time to Stretch?
In an attempt to prevent injury, most of us probably stretch before and after exercise. But Dr Jonathan Folland at the School of Sport & Exercise Sciences, UK, says if we’re doing fairly steady activities (jogging, cycling, walking), stretching will improve our flexibility, but there’s not much evidence that it will help us avoid muscle injury. He advises warming up the body with five minutes of light, gradual exercise instead. “It’s important to increase blood flow to the muscles and heart steadily and not force a sudden change or your muscles will fatigue more quickly.”
Dr Folland says stretching is more effective if you’re doing exercise where you constantly land forcefully on your feet or stop and start quickly (sprinting, tennis or competitive team sports). The more flexible the muscles are, the more impact they’ll be able to sustain. This also applies when you’re lifting weights. “But it’s probably better to stretch when your body is warmer after exercise,” he advises. “Try static stretches, holding poses for more than 20 seconds, rather than dynamic ones, such as high kicks, as these themselves could cause injury.”
Family Stress can Make Kids Fatter
If you want your children to avoid weight problems, watch their stress level. Toddlers in pressured or burdened households were nearly three times as likely as those in tranquil homes to be obese when checked three years later, says researcher Felix-Sebastian Koch. The research by Sweden’s Linköping University evaluated 7443 families. Worried or overwhelmed children may gain weight for the same reasons adults do, including the fact that stress increases cortisol. This can disrupt leptin, the hormone that signals your brain that you’re full.
Fibre-Boosted Foods?
In an attempt to prevent injury, most of us probably stretch before and after exercise. But Dr Jonathan Folland at the School of Sport & Exercise Sciences, UK, says if we’re doing fairly steady activities (jogging, cycling, walking), stretching will improve our flexibility, but there’s not much evidence that it will help us avoid muscle injury. He advises warming up the body with five minutes of light, gradual exercise instead. “It’s important to increase blood flow to the muscles and heart steadily and not force a sudden change or your muscles will fatigue more quickly.”
