Category Archives: Diet & Nutrition

Fight Childhood Obesity

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Childhood_Obesity

BarnDad’s FiberDX comes to the rescue in the fight and prevention of childhood obesity.

We all know a healthy diet consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low fat sources of protein. It can be a difficult task however, to keep children from eating unhealthy foods and to have them eat a diet filled with the fiber, protein and the nutrition they need for healthier bodies. As a conscientious parent, this may seem like a daunting task at times, especially when it is recommended that children consume 25-35 grams of fiber and 20-50 grams of protein per day, depending on age while keeping fat consumption to a minimum

BarnDad’s FiberDX is an easy solution. BarnDad’s FiberDX comes in three tasty, kid-friendly flavors, German Chocolate, Strawberry Cream and Cinnamon Bun. Our flavored products boast a whopping 14 grams of fiber and 13 grams of protein, while remaining very low in fat and carbohydrates. BarnDad’s FiberDX contains only natural, plant based, soluble and insoluble fiber along with soy protein. Soy protein is a “complete protein” which provides all of the essential amino acids for human nutrition and is easily absorbed by the body. This is a simpler, more effective way for parents to curb their child’s hunger, support visceral fat loss, enhance their digestive system and assist in the absorption of toxins while regularly ridding the body of unwanted waste. It stabilizes blood sugar levels and helps to lower cholesterol, specifically LDL, or bad cholesterol.

Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition that occurs when a child is well above the normal weight for his or her age and height. In 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese. ╵ The extra pounds on these children can put them on the fast track to health problems, including but not limited to, Type II Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and excess abdominal fat. Healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and physical activity, can lower the risk of becoming obese.

Try BarnDad’s FiberDX now. Your kids will enjoy all of the health benefits our products offer, in the form of a delicious shake or mouthwatering, homemade muffin. What have you got to lose but the stress, strain and physical consequences of childhood obesity?

References:

╵Ogden CL, Carol MD, Kit BK, Flegal KM, Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011-2012. Journal of the American Medical Association 2014; 311(8) : 806-814.

Appleby, Maria, protein intake for kids. Demand Media.

American Heart Association Website www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Getting Healthy/Nutrition Center/Healthy Eating/ Fiber-and-Childrens-Diets_UCM_305981_Article.jsp

 

Introducing Two New Additions To Our Flavor Family

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BarnDad’s FiberDX® is a 100% natural, time-release, 8-LAYER soluble and insoluble fiber matrix that reduces hunger and supports healthy weight management, lean muscle and a healthy digestive system. New research shows that fiber could be the single most overlooked nutrient to help you control your blood sugar and A1C, reduce cholesterol, lose unwanted body fat, and improve the microflora in your digestive system for better immune system functioning.
 
BarnDad’s FiberDX® slows the digestion and absorption of sugars and carbohydrates, which helps reduce insulin spikes and promotes healthy cholesterol, blood glucose and A1C levels within normal limits. Our delicious NEW Cinnamon Bun and Strawberry Cream flavors are sugar free. Naturally sweetened with Stevia and Monk Fruit, they are a simple and delicious way to increase your daily fiber intake. Just one serving provides up to 56% of daily fiber requirement and 26% of daily protein requirement. Add to your favorite non-carbonated beverage to make a high fiber protein shake or use as an ingredient in baked goods, even pancakes, muffins and waffles.

Dietary Fiber and Your Health

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Fiber & Your Health-BarnDad Fiber ShakesLong heralded as part of a healthy diet, fiber has been shown to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, diverticular disease, and constipation, as well as cancer of the colon, breast, ovary, endometrium, gastrointestinal tract, esophagus, mouth, pharynx, stomach and rectum. Research has found that populations that consume more dietary fiber have less chronic disease. For instance, a high total dietary fiber intake was linked to a 40 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease and a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome, a constellation of factors that increases the chances of developing heart disease and diabetes. These factors include high blood pressure, high insulin levels, excess weight (especially around the abdomen), high levels of triglycerides, and low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.*

Type-2 diabetes – Consuming a high-fiber diet may reduce your risk for developing type-2 diabetes. In fact, a diet low in fiber and rich in high-glycemic-index foods (foods that cause a big spike in blood sugar) more than doubles the risk of type 2 diabetes compared to a diet high in fiber and low in high-glycemic-index foods.

Gallstones – A study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology based on data from the Nurses’ Health Study, which looked at more than 69,000 women over a 16 year period, found that those consuming the most fiber, both soluble and insoluble, had a 13-17% lower risk of developing gallstones compared to women consuming the fewest fiber-rich foods and the protection was dose-related.**

Diverticulitis, an inflammation of the intestine, affects an estimated 1/3 of those over age 45 and 2/3 of those over age 85. In a long-term follow-up study, dietary fiber, particularly insoluble fiber, was associated with about a 40 percent lower risk of diverticular disease.*** Many experts believe that a low-fiber diet can lead to diverticulosis and diverticulitis. Many studies show that eating fiber-rich foods can help control diverticular symptoms. Try to eat at least 25-35 grams of fiber a day.

Asthma – A recent study discovered that a high-fiber diet reduces the damaging effects of allergy-induced airway disease, which leads to asthma.****

Constipation – the most common GI complaint in the US is highly sensitive to dietary fiber, and consumption of fiber seems to relieve and prevent constipation.

According to the American Dietetic Association, we should be consuming 14 g of dietary fiber per 1,000 calories, i.e. ~25 g for adult women and ~38 g for adult men. The United States National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine recommends 21-38 grams of dietary fiber a day, depending on age and sex. The more calories you eat each day, the more fiber you need. Yet the average American eats only 12-18 grams of dietary fiber a day.

Here at BarnDad Nutrition we know that eating perfectly isn’t easy, so we’ve made it simple to get all the fiber you need. Experts recommend that you increase your fiber intake gradually and increase your fluid intake as well, since fiber absorbs water. Click here for more information or to order.

*Position of the American Dietetic Association: Health Implications of Dietary Fiber. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, October 2008. http://www.journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/yjada/article/S0002-8223%2808%2901566-6/fulltext
** Long-term intake of dietary fiber and decreased risk of cholecystectomy in women. Am J Gastroenterol. 2004 Jul:99(7):1364-70. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15233680
*** www.WebMD.com Diverticulitis Diet
****Increase in dietary fiber dampens allergic responses in the lung. Nature Medicine. 2014(20):120–121
Dietary fibre dampens asthma. Nature. 2014 Jan:09(505):134–135

Weight Loss and Fiber

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BarnDad Fiber ShakesMany studies have looked at fiber and weight loss. The average value for published studies indicate that consuming an additional 14 grams of fiber daily for more than 2 days is associated with a 10% decrease in calorie intake and weight loss of 4.2 lbs. over 3.8 months, with obese individuals showing an even greater effect. Mean calorie intake in all studies was reduced by 18% in overweight/obese people vs 6% in lean people; body weight loss was 5.3 lbs. vs 1.8 lbs. The majority of studies showed that increasing either soluble or insoluble fiber intake increases post-meal satiety and decreases subsequent hunger and it the observed changes occur whether the fiber is from naturally high-fiber foods or from a fiber supplement.*

In one study of 252 women over 20 months, for each 1 g increase in total fiber consumed, weight decreased by 0.25 kg (.6 lb.) and fat decreased by 0.25 percentage point. Their conclusion, increasing dietary fiber reduced significantly, the risk of gaining weight and body fat in women, irrespective of physical activity, dietary fat intake, and several other co-founding variables.**

The main effects of dietary fiber are on the time it takes food to leave the stomach and move through the small intestinal. Both of these result in an improved glucose tolerance and a decreased digestion of starch. In addition, the short chain fatty acids that are produced from fermentation of dietary fiber in the colon, bring about changes in glucose and fat metabolism leading to lower post-meal blood-sugars and long-term lowering of total and LDL cholesterol.***

Try BarnDad’s FiberDX for a great tasting, convenient way to add dietary fiber, both soluble and insoluble, to your diet. For more information or to order, click here.

*“Dietary Fiber and Weight Regulation.” Nutrition Reviews, May 2001. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2001.tb07001.x/abstract
**“Increasing Total Fiber Intake Reduces Risk of Weight and Fat Gains in Women.” J. Nutr. March 2009. http://jn.nutrition.org/content/139/3/576.Full
***“Dietary fiber, inulin, and oligofructose: a review comparing their physiological effects.” Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 1993. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8257475

Fiber & Satiety

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Feel full fiber- BarnDad NutritionDid you know that dietary fiber (soluble) slows the time it takes food to leave the stomach? This slower rate of digestion creates a feeling of satiety i.e. you feel fuller longer. Also, once the stomach contents move into the small intestine, those same dietary fibers can affect a wide variety of gastrointestinal hormones that affect appetite.* So dietary fiber actually works in several ways to make it easier to reduce your caloric intake for weight management.

A study at the University of Liverpool, England, tested the effect of dietary fiber on satiety. Ninety (90) normal to overweight participants consumed a smoothie for breakfast containing a dose of either 20g or 30g of a fiber ingredient or a non-active control. Their intake of food at lunch and dinner that same day were measured and they were asked about their levels of hunger. When the fiber ingredient was taken at breakfast, food intake at both lunch and dinner were reduced by up to 7%, influenced to some degree by the dose of the fiber ingredient. Study participants reported feeling less hunger after breakfast with both doses and less hunger after lunch with the 30g dose. It is especially pertinent that the effects on appetite were apparent throughout the day.** This study demonstrates what many of us already know from experience, that a diet high in fiber make you feel fuller and keeps you that way longer. So if you are trying to manage your weight, fiber is the perfect partner.

BarnDad’s FiberDX is a great tasting and convenient way to add both soluble and insoluble fiber to your diet. For more information or to order, click here.

*Health benefits of dietary fiber.” Nutrition Reviews, April 2009. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2009.00189.x/full
**University of Liverpool. “Fibre-based satiety ingredient shown to make you eat less.”  ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 August 2014. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140826100851.htm
“Dietary fiber, inulin, and oligofructose: a review comparing their physiological effects.”  Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 1993;33(2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8257475

Is Fiber Still Relevant in Weight Management?

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Analyst Insight by Simone Baroke – Contributing Analyst

“Old school” diet lore taught us that fiber “fills you up”, but recent research shows that there is much more to it than that. Dietary fiber has the power to alter the composition of the intestinal micro-flora, triggering the release of satiety hormones that communicate to the brain that we are full. The message, however, has not yet trickled through to consumers, leaving high fiber foods at the risk of stagnation.

Fiber More Complex than Previously Thought
After general well-being, weight management remains by far the most important health and wellness positioning platform. In 2013, the category accrued global value sales of US$156.3 million for thus positioned packaged food and beverage products.

Fiber has long played a pivotal role in weight management. For decades, pharmacies and health food shops have been selling fiber tablets based on the simple concept that, if taken with enough water, the fiber swells up in the stomach and this is meant to produce a lasting feeling of fullness. In more recent years, various types of dietary fiber have been added to weight management foods and beverages in order to enhance the feeling of satiety produced after consuming these products.

We now know that it is not just a case of “fiber fills you up”. It turns out that there are many complex biochemical pathways involved that cause the brain to register a state of fullness. These mechanisms are gradually being uncovered and officially recognized.

Fiber Alters Gut Flora
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), for instance, approved a health claim pertaining to weight loss for glucomannan, a soluble dietary fibre derived from konjac root, which triggers the release of cholecystokinin, a satiety-inducing hormone. Last year, Carmit Candy, a US-based manufacturer of private label health and wellness confectionery, added a glucomannan-fortified chocolate wafer with a weight management positioning to its portfolio.

Recent research provides some more astonishing insight into the wondrous workings of dietary fiber. A small human study published a year ago in Nutrition Journal stipulated that the fiber contained in barley kernels had a profound effect on the study subjects’ gut micro-biota, resulting in the release of the satiety hormone GLP-1, which subsequently led to a reduction in energy intake at meal times.

The researchers pointed out that previous investigations had already shown that the intestinal flora of people of normal weight differs quite markedly from that of obese people. Hence, the impact of indigestible fibers on the human digestive system and its implications for weight management are now a major area of scientific research with much promise for exciting future NPD.

In May 2014, the journal Nature Communications published a paper submitted by Imperial College London and the Medical Research Council which had concluded that the acetate molecules that are released when dietary fiber passes through the gut produce a signal in the brain, which tells the person to stop eating.

The researchers made the salient point that the diet of the average European contained just 15g of fiber a day, compared to the 100g that would have been consumed by a human in the Stone Age. Considering that our digestive systems are still on a Stone Age setting, a lack of dietary fiber has many negative implications for our health, including obesity.

Turning Consumers Back on to Fiber
Our data show that naturally healthy (NH) high fiber food achieved global value growth of 7% in 2013, and that while the category had been gaining in dynamism globally and in Western Europe over the 2008-2013 review period, North American growth rates have gradually diminished, lingering at an unexciting annual 2% for the past three years.

A renewed emphasis on weight management benefits could give high fiber food a second wind, and propel it out of the doldrums in the North American region, which was, not so long ago, its most buoyant growth market.

As yet, there is precious very little consumer awareness of how dietary fiber manages to produce weight management benefits, besides the rather simplistic rationale that it provides extra bulk in the stomach. Manufacturers of weight management foods and beverages may want to pay attention in the coming years to providing fresh scientific angles when hammering out their marketing strategies in order to drive it home to consumers that fiber has lost nothing of its relevance.

Credit: http://blog.euromonitor.com/2014/05/is-fibre-still-relevant-in-weight-management.html

Are Your Protein Bars Filled With Sugar?

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Did you know that today’s fiber and protein bars typically have between 12 – 25g of sugar?! Today’s health conscious consumer is looking for high protein and high fiber grab and go snacks, but is often unaware that with high sugar content we are basically eliminating the health benefits!

High sugar content will cause your blood sugar to spike quickly and drop your blood sugar just as quick. When your blood sugar is high your body releases insulin, which, if done on a regular basis can lead to diabetes.

Once the body’s blood sugar drops we begin to feel hungry again… so eating a protein or fiber bar that we mistakenly thought was “good for us’ will have bad effects on the body.

Consider the amount of sugar in your protein bar the next time you go to grab a snack! There are good, healthy options out there such as Natur’s Diet Biscotti. Natur’s Diet Biscotti has 8g of fiber and 10g of protein with only 1g of sugar!

 

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Dietary Fiber Aids Type 2 Diabetes and Weight Loss

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glucosemonitorIt seems these days, we are having more and more difficulty taking care of our weight. Why may this be? First off, our lifestyles have become much more stationary. We see more television and we spend much more time on the web. Many of us spend our days working behind a desk as opposed to being outdoors. Stress is an additional aspect that appears to prevent weight loss. Not just does it create the release of tension hormones which by themselves might create weight gain. However tension and other factors cause us to eat way too much.

However I think most of us comprehend that it is the type of foods we eat that prevent our efforts at weight loss. We eat high fat and high carb foods. They taste good, and they are cheap and convenient. They are missing nutrients including vitamins and minerals. However there is one particular nutrient that we actually should eat more of, it is fiber.

Dietary Fiber
One of the primary reasons why we do not get enough fiber is that most of our foods are highly processed. Most of the grains we eat have the fiber got rid of. And we do not eat entire fruits and vegetables. To enjoy the benefits of fiber, we should get more of these entire foods into our diets. However the question is, why is fiber vital and just how is able to it help with weight loss.

There is one very basic reason why fiber is able to assist with weight loss. It is bulk, it is not digested like most of the further elements of food. So It leaves us feeling complete and pleased. This fiber fills up our digestion tracts and sends a signal to our brains that we are complete. Most of the processed foods we eat are digested very rapidly, and this leaves us feeling starving after awhile.

Fiber is able to even bind up a specific quantity of fat and cholesterol in a dinner. This fat might be excreted before it is also taken in. And in general, keeping your digestion tract regular has been associated with lower weights.

Diabetic Issues
Some people do not recognize this, yet diabetic issues and being overweight go hand in hand. And the good news is that fiber is able to assist with both of these situations. However there is a certain kind of fiber that is especially helpful for diabetic issues. It is soluble fiber. The reason dietary fiber is so helpful for diabetic issues is that it forms a gel when blended with water. The carbohydrates in our food mixes with this gel. This greatly reduces the absorption of these carbs in our blood streams, which then will certainly slow blood glucose spikes that every diabetic dreads.

It has been shown by numerous studies that featuring more fiber in your diet may be a step in the correct direction for you even if you are diabetic, or simply should lose some weight.

Link to original article: http://diabeteseffect.com/147/dietary-fiber-for-aiding-type-2-diabetes-and-weight-loss/

More Fiber May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

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fitwoman

 


By Stephen Daniells, 23-Jan-2012
Related topics: Fibers and carbohydrates, Cancer risk reduction, Research

Higher intakes of soluble fiber, but not other types of fiber, may reduce the risk of breast cancer, suggest findings from a meta-analysis from Imperial College, London and the University of Leeds.

Every 10 gram per day increase in soluble fiber intake was associated with a 26% reduction in the risk of breast cancer, but no such effect was observed for insoluble fiber, according to findings published in the Annals of Oncology.

When the researchers looked at the different types of fibers, they only observed an inverse relationship for soluble fiber, and not for insoluble fiber, fruit fiber, vegetable fiber or cereal fiber.

In addition, the greatest risk reduction was observed for fiber intakes over 25 grams per day, said the researchers.

“Achieving such a level of fiber intake may be a challenge in many populations, nevertheless, considering the few dietary risk factors that have been established for breast cancer and the relatively low or moderate fiber intake in many populations, diets with high intake of plant-based foods rich in fiber could have an impact in the prevention of breast cancer,” wrote the researchers.

Fiber benefits

Increased intakes of fiber have been linked to a range of health benefits. Researchers from the US National Cancer Institute <http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Fiber-may-keep-you-healthier-for-longer-NIH-study>  reported last year that increased dietary intakes of fiber are associated with lower risks of dying from cardiovascular, infectious, and respiratory diseases (Archives of Internal Medicine, doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2011.18).

The message has filtered through to consumers, with a 2008 International Food Information Council survey reporting that 77% of people are proactively trying to consume additional fiber.

Meta-analysis

For the new meta-analysis, the England-based researchers said that several mechanisms may explain the observations, with a role for fiber in binding estrogen or reducing the absorption of the hormone. Fiber may also slow down the speed at which the stomach empties, and this would decrease the absorption of glucose, and reduce the secretion of insulin.

“High intake of dietary fiber may also reduce the risk of overweight/obesity, which is an established risk factor for postmenopausal breast cancer,” they added, “however, the association was also present in studies that adjusted for body mass index or weight, suggesting an association independent of overweight/obesity.”

“Further studies of specific types of fiber and breast cancer risk stratified by hormone receptor status could clarify the biological mechanism(s) behind this finding,” they concluded.

Source: Annals of Oncology <http://annonc.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/01/10/annonc.mdr589.abstract>
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdr589
“Dietary fiber and breast cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies”
Authors: D. Aune, D.S.M. Chan, D.C. Greenwood, A.R. Vieira, D.A.N. Rosenblatt, R. Vieira, T. Norat

Health Boost From New Forms Of Dietary Fiber

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Assortment of High Fiber Foods

 

High-fiber foods are on the way to becoming tastier and more appealing to consumers thanks to new types of dietary fiber now under development. These consumer friendlier forms of fiber, which could be a boon to health, are the topic of an article in the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS’ weekly newsmagazine.

C&EN Associate Editor Jyllian Kemsley notes that dietary fiber plays key roles in human health. Fiber creates a feeling of fullness that can reduce calorie intake, and provides an energy source for beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract. Studies link high fiber diets to a reduced risk of diseases such as diabetes and colon cancer. However, Americans on average eat only about 15 grams of fiber per day, barely half the recommended amount. Getting consumers to eat more fiber can be difficult, particularly when people find some high-fiber foods unpalatable, Kemsley notes.

Scientists and food manufacturers are hoping that a new type of food fiber, called digestion-resistant starch, will help boost fiber intake without agitating the palate. Some scientists are trying to produce these new fibers by heating or chemically altering existing starches. Others are focusing on engineering plants, such as wheat and rice, so that they can produce these fibers naturally. One study found that when a group of men ate pieces of white bread containing a form of the new fiber, their blood glucose and insulin levels dropped by nearly half.

ARTICLE: “New Fibers for Foods”

Source:
Michael Bernstein
American Chemical Society