WESTERN DIET

Have you heard of western diet? The Western diet is loosely defined as a diet high in saturated fats, red meats, ‘empty’ carbohydrates – junk food and low in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, seafood, poultry^[1]. People who practice a western diet tend to consume more processed and animal-based foods instead of plant-based whole food. 

Is this a healthy diet? Perhaps you have the answer. 

 

The most common health impacts of a western diet are:

 

1.     High blood pressure;

2.     High blood cholesterol level;

3.     High glucose level;

4.     Heart disease and cardiovascular disease;

5.     Type-2 diabetes; and 

6.     Obesity and overweight.

 

Each one interrelates with all the others. Let’s take a look. High blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels are health problems and can put a person at higher risk for heart disease including heart attack and stroke. On the other hand, being overweight or obese is a risk factors for high blood pressure and it can also contribute to heart disease and type-2 diabetes. Meanwhile, type-2 diabetes is a disease of high and uncontrolled blood glucose level and it also increases the risk of developing heart disease. 

In the United States, about 47% of Americans have at least one of three risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and smoking^[2]. They are all connected. And, they have one common root cause – unhealthy diet. Therefore, these six health impacts are preventable through lifestyle choices – start from changing your diet! 

 

Sources:

1.     Definition of western diet. https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Western+diet  

2.     About heart disease. 2021. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/about.htm Accessed on 23 July 2021.

Disclaimer: Healthy Heart 231 information aims to help readers understand heart health, and encourage them adopting a whole food plant-based diet. It does not replace care provided by medical practitioners and other qualified health professionals. 

DIEATRY FIBRE - Disorder and Order

What are the potential health conditions due to insufficient dietary fibre?

Most of us are aware of the causes of constipation and the most common cause is not eating enough fibre such as fruit, vegetables and cereals. So, you will eat more fruits and vegetables as well as drink more water to relieve constipation. Dietary fibre also lowers the risk of haemorrhoids and diverticulitis – constipation associated problems. 

 

Nonetheless, the disorders that can arise from a low-fibre diet are more than constipation alone. Let’s have a look at other health conditions linked to a low-fibre diet: 

1. coronary heart disease - a narrowing of the arteries due to fatty deposits.
2. diabetes - condition characterised by too much glucose in the blood. 
3. overweight and obesity - carrying too much body fat.
4. colon cancer - a type of cancer of the large intestine.   

What are the health benefits of high dietary fibre diet?

A high-fibre diet turns the disorders to in orders. Dietary fibre helps regulate the blood sugar and cholesterol levels in check, while, helps to keep you full for longer. Check out our blog on DIETARY FIBRE – All You Need to Know to find out the major roles by soluble fibre and insoluble.

 

Fibre and Heart Disease 

Coronary heart disease also known as coronary artery disease is a type of heart disease that develops when the arteries of the heart are blocked and cannot deliver sufficient oxygen-rich blood to the heart. The blockage is caused by the build-up of plaque inside the lining of arteries as a result of high blood cholesterol levels. 

 

Soluble fibre helps lower blood cholesterol by trapping the fat so they cannot all be absorbed into your bloodstream. How does it work? Fibre binds to fat and bile acids in your gut so the bile acids with the cholesterol are eliminated from your body rather than reabsorbed them. To replace the lost bile acids, your liver uses cholesterol to produce new bile acids, thus reducing blood cholesterol.

 

Fibre and Type-2 Diabetes

Blood glucose is a sugar which serve as your body main source of energy and comes mainly from food you eat. Unfortunately, type-2 diabetes occurs when your blood glucose is too high because your body is no longer able to regulate and uses the sugar. 

 

For people with diabetes, fibre particularly soluble fibre can help regulates your blood sugar levels by slowing down conversion of carbohydrates into sugar delaying the absorption of sugar from the intestine. For those who want to reduce the risk of developing type-2 diabetes, have more fibre-rich foods and reduce high-glycaemic-index foods in your diet. This helps you to maintain lower blood sugar levels. 

 

Fibre and Weight Control  

Having your weight in control is about calories balancing between the number of calories you eat and you burn. And, for weight loss is about eating fewer calories than you burn. 

 

Compared to low-fibre foods, fibre-rich foods tend to be more filling and therefore you are likely to eat less and take in fewer calories. Diet high in fibre will also leave you feeling fuller for longer because of cholecystokinin (CCK) – one of the hormones that controls the feeling of fullness. So, start eating more fibre because it helps increase the production of CCK and keeps it acting longer. 

 

Keeping an eye on your weight, you decrease the risk of heart disease that can caused by being overweight and obesity. 

 

Want to know more about fibre, calories and carbohydrate with regards to your weight control? Read the full article here Do fibers count as calories and carbohydrates? https://www.fiberfacts.org/fibers-count-calories-carbohydrates/

 

Fibre and Colon Cancer 

A high-fibre diet likely reduces your risk of developing colon cancer. Insoluble fibre helps maintain bowel health by increasing stools bulk and keeping your bowel movements regular. It is believed this will reduce the time of potential carcinogens have in contact with the walls of the colon. Besides, when bacteria in the intestines break down the insoluble fibre, butyrate, a short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), is produced which may inhibit the growth of cancer cell.

 

Sources: 

1.     Do fibers count as calories and carbohydrates? https://www.fiberfacts.org/fibers-count-calories-carbohydrates/ . Accessed on 14 July 2021 

2.     Fiber. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/fiber/ Accessed on 22 June 2021.

3.     Fiber. EExplanations. https://www.eleadglobal.com/company/view . Accessed on 8 June 2021 

4.     Fibre in Food. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/fibre-in-food . Accessed on 23 June 2021.

Disclaimer: Healthy Heart 231 information aims to help readers understand heart health, and encourage them adopting a whole food plant-based diet. It does not replace care provided by medical practitioners and other qualified health professionals. 

FOODS AND FIBRE CONTENT

Are you looking to add more fibre to your diet? We think this is a good move because a high-fibre diet helps reduce your risks of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Not to forget both diabetes and obesity are also risk factors for heart disease. 

 

The Institute of Medicine recommends 21 to 25 grams of fibre a day for women, while 30 to 38 grams a day for men. 

 

We think the following tables are useful for you to kick-start your high-fibre diet plan because these tables illustrate fibre-rich whole food (most of them are more than 3 grams or more fibre). More importantly, these are whole food which can be easily found at the market. 

*Rounded to nearest 0.5 gram. 

Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Legacy Release. Original article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/high-fiber-foods/art-20050948 . Accessed on 11 July 2021 

 

NOTE: The tables above serve the purpose for your reference. For the fresh foods, the fibre content can vary depending on the serving size and cooking method. As for the packaged foods, it can vary among brands. Always check the Nutrition Facts label for fibre content!

Disclaimer: Healthy Heart 231 information aims to help readers understand heart health, and encourage them adopting a whole food plant-based diet. It does not replace care provided by medical practitioners and other qualified health professionals. 

DIETARY FIBRE – All You Need to Know

What is dietary fibre?

Dietary fibre is a non-digestible carbohydrate found only in plant foods. It is a good carbohydrate which helps maintain our overall health including your heart. There are two groups of dietary fibre and we need both of them: soluble fibre and insoluble fibre.

 

You may ask why there are soluble and insoluble fibre and what roles do they have in our body? Here is the quick answer.

 

• Soluble fibre which dissolve in water to form a gel-like substance in your intestine. This thick gel formation can help slow down the movement of food so that you are likely to stay satisfied longer and eat less, thus contributing towards your weight management effort. Besides, it also helps lower blood glucose and blood cholesterol levels by delaying the absorption of sugars from the intestine and trapping the fats so they cannot all be absorbed into your bloodstream. 

• Insoluble fibre which do not dissolve in water, yet it helps to absorb water and adds bulk to stools. It prevents constipation and keeps the digestive system healthy by promoting regularity. Nonetheless, if you have loose, watery stools, do consider fibre which may help to solidify the stool as it absorbs water and increases stool bulk. 

Fibre in food

When read about fibre, you will notice certain plant-based foods are suggested for soluble fibre and insoluble fibre respectively. For example, oatmeal, beans, lentils and many fruits for soluble fibre, and whole grains, beans, lentils, and most vegetables for insoluble fibre. Should you take the trouble to sort out the sources in order to increase your fibre intake?  

 

Basically, every one of us need both soluble and insoluble fibre for our overall health. The recommended dietary fibre intake for Americans is at least 25 grams. This amount does not specify the percentage of soluble and insoluble fibre. Our recommendation is not to worry about the type of fibre as long as you consume variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains regularly. 

 

Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes (beans, peas and lentils) are the best sources of fibre and they are low in calorie and no cholesterol. They are always better than fibre supplement for you to get fibre. They are whole food which give you variety of vitamins, minerals and nutrients other than the fibre your body need. 

Sources:

1.     Fiber. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/fiber/ Accessed on 22 June 2021.

2.     Dietary fiber: Essential for a healthy diet. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fiber/art-20043983  Accessed on 22 June 2021.

3.     Jau-Fei Chen. 2015. Nutrition.Immunity.Longevity. E.Excel International Group.

4.     Tello, M. 2019. Fiber-full eating for better health and lower cholesterol. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/fiber-full-eating-for-better-health-and-lower-cholesterol-2019062416819 Accessed on 22 June 2021.

Disclaimer: Healthy Heart 231 information aims to help readers understand heart health, and encourage them adopting a whole food plant-based diet. It does not replace care provided by medical practitioners and other qualified health professionals. 

 

PRODUCTS RECOMMENDATION

Healthy Heart 231’s vision is to encourage everyone to adopt a whole food plant-based diet, the foundation for all who wants to keep one’s heart healthy. We believe a combination of a whole food plat-based diet and a healthy lifestyle, keeping the heart healthy is doable, simple and straightforward in our daily living.  

We understand behavioural change is difficult and it sounds like you have to give up all your favourite foods. It takes time to build the habit of eating more healthfully so do it gradually. A healthy diet can include the foods you love but you do need to eat less of foods that are low in nutrition and high in calories. 

Hence, we would like to recommend you the products from eLEAD. They can help you to kick-start and maintaining your heart-healthy dietary plan in a convenient and safe way without compromising nutrients you need. This selection of products fulfils our 231’s objective for a diet high in fibre and plant-based protein, and a low intake of fat, sugar and sodium. These products are plant-based products and wholesome. They are suitable for all ages. 

eLEAD Global was established by E. Excel International with more than 30 years of health food manufacturing experience. E. Excel International was established in the United States in 1987. Building upon its foundation of nutritional immunology, E. Excel explores the link between plant-based nutrition and the human immune system. So, does the eLEAD Global. 

Products are available for delivery to the following:

Australia, Brunei, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Macao, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, The Philippines, USA.

Bring them home. We can be reached by healthyheart231@gmail.com