‘Too busy’ to stay healthy? Read this

MANILA, Philippines – Today, many Filipino adults have demanding schedules and juggle multiple roles, leaving very little time for rest, proper exercise, or even the simple act of preparing and eating healthier meals.

For example, when you’re rushing to work or scrambling to meet a deadline, it’s easier to go for whatever is available for take-out, regardless of its nutritional value.

Some combat long hours and late nights by bingeing on doughnuts, soft drinks, or other snacks that have high sugar content. Then, when you get some free time for a night-out, Filipinos tend to equate “celebration” with oily, high-fat fare like sisig and crispy pata – and don’t forget the extra rice and occasional beer.

Cycles of “no time to eat / eat to celebrate” can take a toll on your health. Poor diet choices can lead to problems such as irregular bowel movements, higher glucose and cholesterol levels, and feelings of lethargy and heaviness. These can put you at risk of diabetes, obesity, and other heart-related health ailments.

If you love yourself and your family, you’ve got to take the right steps towards healthier food habits.

Cleaner insides – the first step

Aside from regular exercise and eating right, a healthy body also needs a healthy digestive system. When your intestines function optimally, your body can better rid itself of wastes. 

How do you clean up your act? Start by eating more fiber. According to the Philippines Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Filipino adults are recommended to consume 20 to 25 grams of dietary fiber daily¹.

Fiber is naturally found in grains, fruits, and vegetables, and work to improve digestion. In the long run, it can also contribute to reducing your risk against the above-mentioned diseases. However, most busy adults’ intakes are way less than this amount. If you find it challenging to include whole grains and vegetables into your daily diet, you can consider taking a dietary fiber supplement to help up your intake.

Choose the fiber supplement you need

Contrary to popular belief, the benefit of fiber doesn’t end with just encouraging regular bowel movement. Fiber, keeps your insides cleaner and more primed to stay healthy.

Among different “kinds” of supplements, Psyllium is a great soluble fiber source from the husk of the seeds of the plant Plantago Ovata. Adding Psyllium husk to your daily routine has more benefits than insoluble fiber alone, such as:

• Helps promote digestive health – fiber adds bulk to digested food to help it pass easier through the digestive tract²
• Helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels  – Psyllium has been scientifically proven to help trap some unwanted wastes like excess bile acids and some cholesterol²
• Helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels as part of a healthy diet – Soluble fiber, such as psyllium, forms into a gel-like substance that helps trap sugars²
• Helps you feel less hungry between meals – Psyllium forms a gel in the to slow down digestion and absorption, contributing a sensation of fullness and allowing you to feel fuller between meals.³

Take note that having enough fiber is not your free pass to eating whatever you want, whenever you want. But if you squeeze it into your busy routine, it can help you start a healthier lifestyle. – Rappler.com

Sources:

¹ Food and Nutrition Research Institute. FNRI Digest: Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intakes for Filipinos. Retrieved from http://www.fnri.dost.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1122. Accessed May 18, 2015.

² A. Moreyra. “Expert Views: The Health Benefits of Dietary Fibre”in GI Health & Wellness. Issue 4. Febuary 2011.

³ McRorie, J. W. (2015) Evidence-Based Approach to Fiber Supplements and Clinically Meaningful Health Benefits, Part I. Nutrition Today, Vol 50 (2).

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