Fiber, Fats and Living Well, Longer

March 2023

March

What Is Fiber? Everything You Need To Know: If you’ve worked with me, you know how important I think fiber consumption is to your overall health. It’s as important, if not more, than the type and amouint of protein, carbs, and fat you consume. Fiber’s benefits are endless. Here’s what you need to know. Shoot for a minimum of 25-35 grams of fiber per day from various WHOLE FOODS such as veggies, fruits, beans, lentils, soy, whole intact grains, and nuts/seeds. (January AI)

Muscle Building, Sports Performance, and Diet: What you eat can impact performance and muscle but not in ways you might think. (Tuft’s nutrition letter)

To Stay Healthy in Old Age, Research Finds Building Muscles is Key: Even for youngsters, researchers reaffirm that exercise is essential. But, just walking won’t cut it. Break out the weights and do strength training, too. (Washington Post)

Biomarkers Predict Weight Loss; Suggest Personalized Diets : Is a low-fat or a low-carb diet best for weight loss? It may depend on your gut microbiome. (Scope Blog Stanford University)

5 Numbers Linked to Ideal Heart Health: This topic warrants a dedicated newsletter all to itself. I’ll work on that, promise! Until then, here are a few labs you can have done that will help you assess your heart health. (Harvard Health newsletter)

11 Trader Joe’s Foods Nutritionists Love for Winter Meal Prep : If you’re fortunate to have a Trader Joes near you, here’s a great list of healthy items to throw in your grocery cart weekly! (Clean Plates)

The Surprising Ways Walking Delivers a High-Intensity Workout: Cardio is essential for heart health. While a daily walk is wonderful for the body and soul and highly encouraged, it typically isn’t taxing enough to count as cardio. To make walking more beneficial, follow the tips in this article. (Wall Street Journal)

5 Warning Signs You're Eating Too Much Fat: No need to fear fat. Our bodies and brains need it! In fact, I encourage you to eat some fat, along with protein and carbs at every meal. But, choose wisely. As with the other macronutrients, there are healthy varieties and unhealthy options. This article does a good job of laying out the “skinny” on fats. (Eat This, Not That)

5 Exercise Habits That Are Destroying Your Body After 50: I learned this the hard way! Loss of muscle and bone mass after 50 made me rethink my exercise routine. I’ve since incorporated all 5 of these suggestions into my workouts and thankfully have reaped the benefits. (Eat This, Not That)

More Hype Than Substance: Erythritol and Cardiovascular Risk:

"Another flawed paper, another spray of alarming headlines, another rush by the scientific community to set the record straight before panic spreads.” If you want to play it safe, as more studies are conducted, switch to allulose or pure monk fruit as your sweetener of choice. (Petter Attia)

The 11 Best Foods To Lower Heart Disease Risk: Admittedly, I don’t typically turn to this site for medical advice, but they definitely hit the nail on the head with this list. Do note though, to lower your cholesterol through dietary measures, you should not only include these foods in your diet frequently but also significantly reduce foods high in saturated fat and sugar/ refined flour (ultra-processed carbs). Saturated fat is found in full-fat dairy (butter included), beef, pork, lamb, coconut products/oil and palm oils. Sugar and/or flour are found in almost all processed foods. Read the ingredient list. (Clean Plates)

Eat Right Be Fit Live Well: Forgot to read my previous newsletters? Here's another chance.☺

About Jean Varney

Jean Varney is the founder and president of Eat Right, Be Fit, Live Well LLC, a health and nutrition consulting firm committed to empowering men and women to improve their health through sustainable changes to their diet and lifestyle. Based in the Washington DC metropolitan area, Jean coaches clients nationwide by phone and in person. She focuses on helping individuals make smart choices about the foods they eat in order to maintain high energy levels, avoid unwanted weight gain and decrease their risk of heart disease, cancer, type II diabetes and other chronic illnesses. Jean received her training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. To learn more about her practice, please visit her website at: www.EatRightBeFitLiveWell.com.