10 Smart Health Resolutions that can improve your health, and quality of life.

#7: Pump up the fiber.        

➡ Include more whole grains (3 servings/day), fruits and vegetables (at least five servings/day with more even better), beans and legumes (always good protein and fiber sources), and nuts and seeds (which deliver fiber, protein, and Omega 3s).  With a recommended daily goal of 30 grams of fiber a day (women might need less and men more), most Americans fall way short of that total each day.  

➡ Try new grains and high fiber ingredients such as quinoa and Salba that are also nutrition powerhouses.  There is hardly a meal that is cooked in our house that doesn't have Salba added.  Not only does it add major fiber, but contains Omega 3s and a long list or whole food nutrition.  Quinoa is packed full of protein and nutrients, has hardly any taste, and can be easily added to salads or used as a rice substitute.  For the cost, you get a big protein bargain compared to meat sources and can work great as a non meat meal.

➡ Try to always choose brown rice over white rice.  Not only are you getting more nutritional bang for you buck, but all that extra fiber prevents you blood sugar from spiking which can trigger fat storage.

➡ Switch to organic sprouted grain breads to avoid refined flours, added conditioners, and chemicals.  Sprouted grain breads are starting to become popular for those trying to avoid the kind of refined grains that can raise blood sugar and cause the body to secrete more insulin that can lead to fat storage.  Many sprouted grain company make breads that can be safely used by diabetics.  Not only are sprouted grain breads free of flour, but deliver lower carbs and help "unlock" more nutrition in the grain through the sprouting process.  These breads not only provide whole grain goodness and satisfaction, but add more whole grain grams to your daily intake. 

➡ Don’t be fooled by labels that mislead you into thinking you are eating whole grain.  Some bread labels make you think you are buying whole grain, but they are not.  They do this with added colors (more brown) and how they word information on the label.   Use your label detective skills to go through the ingredients on the nutrition facts panel.  If you do not see the words "whole grain," it is not whole grain.  You want breads that list a whole grain ingredient first on the list.  Ingredients start from highest content to the lowest content.

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