Supplements Rise and Fall

[Lucky]

Today we are being told that we no longer need Vitamin D supplements, and calcium supplements could lead to a slight increase in risk for heart attack. So two more remedies join the list of supplements once thought helpful only to be dethroned later.

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-vitamin-d-20101206,0,1367919.story

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-calcium-heart-20101206,0,7800951.story

Finally, could a high carbohydrate diet work for you?:

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-fitness-twinkie-diet-20101206,0,5075086.story

[TampaYankee]

Today we are being told that we no longer need Vitamin D supplements, and calcium supplements could lead to a slight increase in risk for heart attack. So two more remedies join the list of supplements once thought helpful only to be dethroned later.

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-vitamin-d-20101206,0,1367919.story

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-calcium-heart-20101206,0,7800951.story

Finally, could a high carbohydrate diet work for you?:

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-fitness-twinkie-diet-20101206,0,5075086.story

Well, it seems that consistency is the hob-goblin of small minds.

Just last week I saw a story that said there were strong benefits to increasing Vitamin D to 1000 IUs per day. It also stated that we need less calcium than previously thought. So what's a body to think?

As for the high carb diet piece, this is pretty much bullshit as presented. A more accurate postioning of the article would be a High Fiber Diet Could Work Wonders For You. That is the bottom line to his 'High Carb' hypothesis. You could eat high fibre with an all-chocolate diet, all-beer for that matter, and have a good probability of losing weight.

Fibre is very good for you. It not only fills your gut, sating appetite, but it smuggles calories through and out the digestive system before they are absorbed.

High fibre and low carb would be a great combo if they were compatible. Unfortuantely, they are not generally. High fibre is found in conjunction with carbs and even a few carbs upset the low carb meatabolism balance.

As far as his hypothesis that weight loss is simply a function of calories is also bullshit as he presents it. While there is a thermodynamic law basis for this he doesn't dwell on the efficiency of the energy conversion and combustion processes. Simply put, different people have different matabolisms. Two people can eat the same caloric input (holding fibre constant) and have drastically different weight outcomes, even at the same exercise levels. Some people burn vast amounts of calories just breathing. Others convert air into stored fat.

Many of us know this to be true from life experience. We see metabolism change with age for most of us, even accounting for decreased physical activity. IMO most people who peddle this bullshit have never had a weight problem, thus observational experience never tempers their book learning physics and chemistry.

[Guest NeedSome]

Some people burn vast amounts of calories just breathing...

And these vile individuals should be obliterated from the face of the planet.

The fiber effect is so true. Whenever someone talks about going on a diet, I tell them to eat at least one bowl of Fiber One every day. A cup in the morning and you've got your fiber RDA and you're not hungry until mid afternoon.

[lookin]

. . . Others convert air into stored fat.

And sometimes it goes the other way . . .

[TampaYankee]

And these vile individuals should be obliterated from the face of the planet.

The fiber effect is so true. Whenever someone talks about going on a diet, I tell them to eat at least one bowl of Fiber One every day. A cup in the morning and you've got your fiber RDA and you're not hungry until mid afternoon.

Fibre One is a great source of fibre. I tried Fibre One off and on for a couple of months, the mega version -- one serving = 57% daily requirement. It tasted like shredded cardboard in milk. Also I tried it covered it in sugar-free cranberry sauce or sugare-free blueberry compote and milk. It made some small improvement in getting it down but it doubled the time to do it with the extra food mass. It seemed like I had to chew a mouthful for five minutes to get it ready for swallowing. Not my cup of tea.

Then I went to Benefiber. Tasteless, dissolves in water. I put it in my morning coffee. The big problem was $$$$$. Also comparing the results, it didnt deliver the same output per $ or per gram of input, if you catch my drift.

I went back to psyllium aka Metamucil, but generic. Very effective form of fibre, as good as Fibre One, much better than Benefiber based on outcome, cheap bought online. Tasteless too (unflavored) but gritty texture if not dissolved well. Turns into gel if left to dissolve too long, so there is an optimun midpoint for consumption. Stir fast, stir well, chug. Mildly unpleasant experience but quick to endure. I have found flavored sugar-free version at Walmart for nearly the same price as online generic (less than half cost of Metamucil) which I will try, to see if it improves the experience.

Psyllium is definitely my preference of all the versions I have tried to date. If you can deal with the texture and taste and don't mind the extra $ then Fibre One is as effective.

BTW Consumer Reports rates psyllium as one of the top ten best dietary supplements one can take. FWIW

[TampaYankee]

And sometimes it goes the other way . . .

lookin,

This is priceless and you are a national treasure.

[Guest NeedSome]

Fibre One is a great source of fibre. I tried Fibre One off and on for a couple of months, the mega version -- one serving = 57% daily requirement. It tasted like shredded cardboard in milk. Also I tried it covered it in sugar-free cranberry sauce or sugare-free blueberry compote and milk. It made some small improvement in getting it down but it doubled the time to do it with the extra food mass. It seemed like I had to chew a mouthful for five minutes to get it ready for swallowing. Not my cup of tea.

BTW Consumer Reports rates psyllium as one of the top ten best dietary supplements one can take. FWIW

Believe it or not, I really enjoy the taste of Fiber One and tend to eat a full cup of it (2 servings) for breakfast. If I decide that something like pancakes are in order, then I tend to eat the cereal later in the day. I have taken psyllium in the past, but the...er...effects don't seem to be as...um...full as what I get from eating the real food. But I will own up that I have to avoid other cereals for the most part, because shifting back to Fiber One after eating something else can be a bit of a shock. Seriously, if you had a choice of Captain Crunch or Fiber One, which would you pick?

FWIW, I have done quite a few things to work the cereal into other foods, for the sole purpose of increasing my fiber intake. When I make fruit crumbles I crush the fiber one and add it to the topping. I've also used it in granola mix and in crusts for pies and tarts. I figure that if I want to eat a slice (or 7) of cheesecake, then I should at least feel a little better knowing that I'm getting fiber in the crust. I have tried it in pasta and gnoochi dough too, though as I recall the results weren't optimal. Makes the dough heavy and grainy. If you don't cook a lot, try adding it to non fat yogurt or putting it in a salad. If you use pre-packaged mixes for things like cakes and muffins, try crushing up about a half cup and putting it into the mix (you will need a little more liquid in that case)...Or just stick with the psyllium.

FYI - I have NFI in General Mills.

PS - Love Lookin's pics. Not just this one, all of them. Lookin' is a hoot and a half.

[MsGuy]

lookin,

This is priceless and you are a national treasure.

Yes it is and yes he is.

I poked around on Google Images for the better part of an hour last night trying to find an appropriate compliment but everything I could come up with seemed weak by comparison. Way to go, lookin.

[lookin]

Well thankee kindly gents but modesty demands that the credit go to my fellow members for strewing the Forums with such choice nuggets that need the merest bit of bending over and picking up. I mean here we are in the midst of a thread on fiber and regularity. All that's left to do is find a snapshot of a beaver leery of making any sudden moves. Y'all have done the heavy lifting.

(A friend reminds me that y'all is actually the singular and I should use all a y'all to include everyone. Not sure of the spelling though. )

[Guest NeedSome]

(A friend reminds me that y'all is actually the singular and I should use all a y'all to include everyone. Not sure of the spelling though. )

I found these. But definitely not up to Lookin's standards:

[MsGuy]

A friend reminds me that y'all is actually the singular and I should use all a y'all to include everyone. Not sure of the spelling though.

You all (informally y'all) is a heroic Southern attempt to repair the confusion generated by the loss of thou, the second person singular pronoun in English, and it's replacement by the plural form you. It's the Southern equivalent of you guys or, god forbid I should ever hear this usuage again, youse (guys).

It ain't never ever singular. All of y'all would be ok though as a way of indicating all without exception. "Kids, all a y'all shut up or I'm gonna get my belt out!"

wikipedia