Know the Key Benefits of Dietary Fiber During Pregnancy

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Fiber_PregnancyThe USDA recommends people consume 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories. That’s 28 grams of fiber per day, based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Barndad’s Fiber Dx makes it easy to get all the fiber you need for a healthy pregnancy in a delicious high fiber protein shake.

Common complaints of pregnancy include heartburn, constipation and indigestion. Fortunately, upping your fiber intake is an easy and effective way to prevent or relieve these not-so-pleasant side effects of expecting.

Constipation affects approximately half of all women at some point during their pregnancy. Fiber acts as a broom and “sweeps” as it passes through your digestive system to help curb irregularity.1, 4 Studies have shown that eating plenty of fiber during pregnancy also reduces the risk and severity of hemorrhoids, which become more common as the baby grows.5

Fiber has other pregnancy benefits as well. “A higher intake of soluble fiber can help prevent the glucose intolerance that can lead to gestational diabetes, 1, 2 which affects about 5% of pregnant women in the U.S. (around 200,000 women per year.)

Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health analyzed data from the Nurses’ Health Study II, 13,000 nurses who had a baby during an eight-year period, 758 of which developed gestational diabetes. The study found that gestational diabetes was rarest among nurses with the greatest fiber intake, those who consumed an average of about 26 grams of fiber per day. Every 10-gram-per-day rise in fiber consumption was linked to a 26% drop in the nurses’ odds of getting gestational diabetes.3

Adding dietary fiber to your diet will lower blood pressure. A report in the American Journal of Hypertension found that increasing the amount of fiber in your diet during early pregnancy, reduced the risk of preeclampsia (a dangerous condition caused by elevated blood pressure.) In this study, pregnant women who consumed 21.2 grams or more of fiber a day were 72 percent less likely to develop preeclampsia than those who ate less than 11.9 grams a day.4 Plus, research has supported a link between a high-fiber diet and lowered risk of ovarian and cervical cancers.1

 

1 “In The Rough: Easy Ways to Get Fiber on Board.” http://www.fitpregnancy.com/nutrition/prenatal-nutrition/easy-ways-to-get-fiber-during-pregnancy
2 “Dietary Risk Factors for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.” Diabetes care, 2009 - Am Diabetes Assoc http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/32/12/2314.full
3 “Fiber-Rich Diet Before Pregnancy May Help Women Avoid Gestational Diabetes.”
WebMD Health News, WebMD News Archive, http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20060927/planning-pregnancy-eat-fiber 
4 “The Importance of Fiber During Pregnancy” http://www.everydayfamily.com/the-importance-of-fiber-during-pregnancy/
5 “What should I eat during pregnancy?” Medical News Today, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/246404.php

 

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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New-Products-Blog-Post
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

Got Asthma?

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Asthma

According to a study published online in Nature Medicine, fiber rich diets reduce the severity of allergic airway disease. These findings show how diet can influence immune cell development and disease outside the gut.

Benjamin Marsland and his colleagues report that in animal studies fed a diet low in fiber developed worse lung inflammation in response to allergens whereas animals fed a high-fiber diet had reduced allergic airway disease. These findings indicate that fiber alters the composition of bacteria in the gut. Once ingested, bacteria in the intestines process the fiber and release metabolites, called short chain fatty acids, which enter the blood stream influencing cells including those entering the lungs. This is great new science on finding ways to fight asthma. Human studies are soon to follow.

The Dietary Reference intake for fiber is at least 38 grams per day for men and at least 25 grams per day for women. An easy way to consume that amount of fiber is by adding BarnDads FiberDX or BarnDads German Chocolate FiberDX to your diet. With about 50% of your dietary fiber needs coming from one serving of either product, you can naturally reduce hunger and support healthy weight management as well as maintain lean muscle and a healthy digestive system.


*medicanewstoday.com/releases/270755.php
*healtheating.sfgate.com/sources-fiber-diabetic-1778.html

Learn About Gestational Diabetes

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Between 2 and 10 percent of expectant mothers develop gestational diabetes; making this condition one of the most common complications during pregnancy. Hormonal changes can make your cells less responsive to insulin during pregnancy. When your body demands additional insulin, the pancreas secretes more of it. However, if your pancreas can’t keep up with the increased insulin demand during pregnancy, your blood glucose levels rise too high, resulting in gestational diabetes.

Prego_Kelly2_SM

How can you possibly lower your risk?
Do your best to keep your blood sugar levels in check during pregnancy. BarnDad’s FiberDX is safe and natural for use before, during and after pregnancy that can put you on the right path to controlling insulin spikes and blood sugar levels.

BarnDad’s FiberDX® is a 100% natural, time release, soluble and insoluble fiber matrix that naturally reduces hunger and supports healthy weight management, lean muscle and a healthy digestive system. Originally developed in Germany, where it was used by diabetic and obese patients, BFDX reduces hunger, insulin spikes and slows the digestion and absorption of sugars and carbohydrates, allowing glucose to be metabolized more effectively. Mix it into your favorite juice or water. Please visit our website for delicious recipes.

Workout Without Pain

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Feel better during your workout!

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Have you ever been in the middle of a great workout and need to find a bathroom fast? You might be experiencing something that is very common for athletes called “leaky gut syndrome”. One of the side effects of exercise is that the cell lining of the intestinal walls start to pull apart, allowing substances from the gastrointestinal tract to leak into the bloodstream, triggering various problems, such as mid-workout bowel distress. Studies have shown that probiotics can help to correct this issue! Probiotics help keep gut cells together, which strengthens the intestinal walls, prevents abdominal pain and keeps you out of the bathroom during workouts.

A great way to get some energy before your work out and to protect your digestive and immune health is with BarnDad’s RISE World’s Finest Instant Coffee with Probiotics and BarnDad’s RISE Original Instant Green Coffee with Probiotics!

 

BarnDadORG_RISE08 stick

BarnDad’s RISE World’s Finest Instant Coffee with Probiotics is enriched with GanedenBC30 probiotics. GanedenBC30 is clinically backed by 17 published studies that support its effectiveness in helping improve immune and digestive health, along with the absorption of proteins, vitamins, minerals and other critical micronutrients.

Looking for something to help boost your weight loss?

BarnDad’s RISE Original Instant Green Coffee with Probiotics is the first instant functional coffee to contain an optimal dose of green coffee bean extract; A powerful antioxidant that contains 50% chlorogenic acid that has been shown in studies to help people manage their weight and maintain healthy metabolism and blood sugar levels. BarnDad’s RISE Original Instant Green Coffee also contains an an optimal dose of GanedenBC30 probiotics to help support digestive and immune health.