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A diet high in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes provides a lot of healthy fiber, which has recently been shown to protect women's hearts. In a recent study from Sweden, researchers found that women who ate a diet high in fiber had an almost 25 percent lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease when compared to women who ate little fiber.

In this study, over 20,000 residents (8,139 males and 12,535 females) of the Swedish city of Malmö gave blood samples, completed a seven-day food diary, a 168-item food questionnaire, and a one-hour diet interview. Researchers then gathered all of the data and followed the subjects for an average of 13.5 years. At the end of 13.5 years,1,089 males and 687 females developed ischemic cardiovascular disease. The women who ate 6.5 grams of fiber/1000kcals were more likely to have developed cardiovascular disease than those women who consumed 12.9 grams of fiber/1000kcals.

Bottom Line: In America, most of us consume less than half of the recommended daily fiber. Increase your fiber today: choose a cold bean salad or a hearty chili with lots of vegetables; no matter how you get your fiber, you're helping your heart. 

Source 

Children who are overweight or obese are a serious concern in the U.S. Excess weight leads to high rates of type 2 diabetes. The good news is that type 2 diabetes is generally a reversible disease if treated well with medication, diet and lifestyle modifications. However, new alarming research shows that children are not as easily able to reverse type 2 diabetes once they have acquired it.

In this study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers followed about 700 children with type 2 diabetes for four years. They found that the standard oral medication (metformin) administered for managing type 2 diabetes stopped working in about half of the participants in just a few years, which meant these children had to take injected insulin to control their blood sugar. This is generally not the pattern seen in adults, where oral medication works a lot better.

Elevated blood glucose can set the stage for blindness, increased heart disease risk and amputation. These results are especially alarming because the more years a person has elevated blood sugars, the more likely he or she is to develop one or more of these diseases.

Bottom Line: Prevention is the best medicine. We need to do more to prevent the steady increase of overweight and obese children in our population before it is too late. 

Ever wonder if your metabolism is keeping you from reaching your weight goals? Let a Sensible Nutrition RD measure YOUR metabolism and tell you the truth! Call 781-741-5483 or send an email to nutritionist@sensiblenutrition.com to schedule your appointment.  

About Sensible Nutrition

Sensible Nutrition is a consulting firm established in 1994 that provides nutrition and fitness services to individuals, universities, corporate wellness programs and nonprofit groups. SN's client list includes the United States Coast Guard, Blue Cross Blue Shield, EMC, Putnam Investments, Corcoran Jennison, Harvard Business School, the Boston Ballet and Children's Hospital. For more information about our corporate wellness services, please check us out at www.wellnessworkdays.com.

SN services: One-to-one counseling, fitness counseling and training, group lectures, metabolism measures and more! Let the Sensible Nutrition staff develop a nutrition program to help you finally reach your health and weight goals! Gift certificates are available!

Debra Wein, MS, RD, LDN, SN President and Co-Founder writes a regular nutrition column for the National Strength and Conditioning Association's  Performance Training Journal, has been quoted in Family Circle, Muscle & Fitness, Shape, Self, Men's Health, Allure and Prevention and has appeared on Fox 25, Channel 56, Channel 5, New England Cable News and several radio stations.

Contact us at www.sensiblenutrition.com or 781-741-5483.