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Fiber the Fantastic!

I think most of us understand the role of fiber in keeping our visits to the bathroom regular but many of us seem to overlook the other numerous wonders of this fabulous filler. A recent survey sponsored by Kellogg’s revealed that Americans hold incredibly incorrect opinions about the sources and benefits of fiber. I am mystified as to where people are getting this really, really wrong information. That’s why I felt compelled to write this post and add my own extremely accurate facts to the mix.

Over 90% of Americans don’t get the amount of fiber in their diets recommended by the USDA. We aren’t eating enough fruits, veggies, legumes, and whole grains. Instead, most people seem to be chowing more than their share of snack foods, simple carbohydrates, and meat. But, according to the Kellogg’s survey, some citizens are under the erroneous impression that hidden somewhere within the greasy depths of their Big Mac is a heap of fiber. Twenty percent of those questioned replied that they thought meats, seafood, and dairy products were good sources of fiber. Talk about wishful thinking! Ten percent of responders even voiced the opinion that water is a good source of fiber. What the what? Before I talk about the benefits of fiber it would appear that I need to take a step back and review some fiber basics.

Fiber only comes from plants, not meat or water. It’s mostly made up of carbohydrates but, unlike other carbs, these babies are not digestible by the human body. (Bacteria in the large intestine, however, do like to nibble on certain kinds of fiber a bit.)

There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber is essentially the glue that holds plants cells together. Good sources of soluble fiber include: fruit, oats, kidney beans, and barley. Soluble fiber swells or dissolves in water. It attracts water to your intestines and keeps it there. You can probably guess how your bowels benefit from that attribute.

Insoluble fiber forms the outer covering of grains and the structural parts of plants. It does not dissolve in water. Lignin, the stuff that makes pear flesh grainy, is an example of an insoluble fiber. Good sources of insoluble fiber include: broccoli, brown rice, and wheat bran. Insoluble fiber decreases intestinal transit time; it speeds foodstuffs through our systems from one end to the other.

Most people get that fiber can relieve constipation but they don’t seem to understand that it benefits your body far beyond the potty. Fifteen percent of those polled by Kellogg’s thought that they only needed fiber in their diets when they were experiencing irregularity. Hmm? I don’t know where they heard that but it certainly wasn’t from a reliable scientific source.

Studies have suggested that diets high in fiber can reduce the risk of all the big hitters from colon cancer to diabetes. One of these many studies found that men eating 25 g of fiber daily had a 36% lower risk of developing heart disease and those eating 29 g of fiber had a 41% less chance of having a heart attack. Another clinical concluded that women consuming mainly low-fiber carbohydrates were 2.5 times more likely to develop diabetes than those with a high-fiber diet. Further research found that men with type 2 diabetes showed significant improvement of blood glucose and lipid levels when given psyllium (a fiber) twice a day. The risk of colorectal cancer also appears to be decreased by an elevated fiber intake. Several studies have established that societies with a high-fiber consumption have a 30% lower rate of colorectal cancer. Looking to lose weight? Sure, fiber can help with that too. Research has shown that those with low-fiber diets gain 8 pounds more on average over a ten year period than their fiber eating counterparts. I could keep raving about the pros of fiber but I think I need to go chew on some bark now or something.

Ask not what fiber can do for you but what you can do for fiber. Scratch that. Just think about what fiber can do for you.

So how does fiber aid so many of our bodily systems? It’s sort of a mystery to be honest; fiber is full of more surprises than Houdini. Although fiber’s mechanisms of action are not totally understood we do know a few things:

When you eat a meal that contains a lot of fiber, that fiber adds bulk without adding much in the way of calories so you feel fuller and eat less. Additionally, since fiber slows the uptake of glucose and reduces the release of insulin, a high-fiber meal will spike your blood sugar levels more moderately and strain your pancreas less.

There are several theories on why fiber decreases the risk of cancer. Some think it’s because carcinogens (cancer promoting agents) are in contact with the intestinal wall for less time when fiber zooms things through our digestive tract so they have less of an effect on our cells. Others believe that carcinogens become bound to fiber in our guts preventing them from reacting with our bodies. Additional theories involve the acids contained in dietary fiber inducing cancer cell death. In the end the reason isn’t terribly important but the result, improving your chances of avoiding one of the top two lethal cancers, certainly is.

Based off current scientific data and government suggestions the average American should be consuming about 25 g of fiber a day. Are you thinking to yourself right now that you definitely get that much fiber between your daily doses of Ho Hos and potato chips? According to Kellogg’s about 80% of Americans think they are getting at least this amount of fiber in their diets but in reality only about 10% are. Are you one of those blessed 10%? Statistically speaking it’s not likely.

How can you increase the amount of fiber in your diet so you will no longer have to be the president of the Preparation H fan club? Well, about 20 years ago nutritional labeling became a requirement for processed foods but most of us apparently are still not taking advantage of this readily accessible information. Dietary Fiber content is mandatorily listed on almost all food labels; it’s easy to spot right there. Now that you know where to look for fiber totals how much should you be looking for? According to the FDA, a food with at least 3 grams of dietary fiber per serving is considered a good source of fiber and a food with 5 grams or more is an excellent source of fiber. So look for whole grain options, eat a salad, and review your food labels. Foods are a much better source of fiber than supplements, since they also contain other goodies such as antioxidants and phtyonutrients, but, if all else fails, there is always Metamucil. Considering the state your colon is most likely in, you could probably use some.

To get the full scoop on the Kellogg’s survey visit: http://kelloggs.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=327

Rachel August 3, 2011 5 Comments

Comic-Khan!

Every July thousands of comic book nerds, sci-fi buffs, and screaming fans materialize in San Diego for Comic-Con. This year those geeks numbered over 130,000 so those of you who haven’t heard of Comic-Con, the largest comic book and popular arts convention in the world, what hunk of kryptonite have you been hiding under?

We took this picture in front of the convention center the night before the con began. That’s the only reason there aren’t 400 people milling around in the background
You can captain my America anytime!

For a number of years Jason and I have contemplated attending this event and drooled over all the news footage from it. This time we decided to just go for it and buy tickets. With so many passes available one would think that they would be relatively easy to come by but no, the convention sold-out in less than three hours. We only succeeded in getting tickets by refreshing our browser nonstop in true OCD fashion and by getting a little lucky.

Lou Ferrigno, who played the Hulk in the 70’s TV series, wasn’t the friendliest of guys but he was happy to smile for a picture when being paid to do so.

Acquiring passes to this illustrious conference wasn’t the only tricky part of attending. Finding a hotel with availability this side of Mexico also proved to be horrendous but we managed to book one within walking distance, just ten blocks from the convention center, after a lot of online hunting and groping.

I asked this guy dressed as Robin if I could get a picture with him. He agreed and the next thing I knew I was being whisked into his arms as he exclaimed, “I’m a strong boy!” Thus the red face and funny picture.

All the bother was worth it baby!

Comic-Con has much to keep any movie, TV, or comic book nerd on sensory overload. All day long Q&A panels fill the convention center’s massive ballrooms. And these babies are the real deal; they are headed by the stars, producers, and creators of all the shows and fantasies you love. Some of this year’s big hitters were the cast of True Blood, The Vampire Diaries, Game of Thrones, Twilight, The Amazing Spiderman, Chuck, The Big Bang Theory…I could continue but I’ve probably made you jealous enough. Did I mention that Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson were also there? Okay, okay, I’ll stop making you cry.

Ian, who plays Damon on The Vampire Diaries, is a favorite sucker of mine. His panel was a must-ogle, I mean must-see, for me. 
Bobas were everywhere at Comic-Con. One would think they were clones or something. 

Although the celebrity panels alone could definitely keep you star struck and enthralled for all four days of the con, visiting the enormous exhibit hall is not to be missed. The exhibit hall is filled with hundreds of booths where you can buy not only practically any comic book from the artists themselves but all sorts of exclusive toys and hard-to-find geeky merchandise. I’ve heard it said that you could spend all your con time in the exhibit hall and still not see everything; that seems pretty accurate. We got sucked onto the exhibit floor far more often than we were planning and yet we saw only a fraction of what was there. I guess it’s just as well that we didn’t visit more booths though because we spent $1000 as it was on cat buses, Data shirts, airship goggles, and signed comic books….how did I survive this long without a cat bus? Yes, if you go to Comic-Con bring lots of cash and plan on blowing it.

Michael Dorn was a little intimidating, it’s not everyday you run into a 6’3″ Klingon, but what a nice guy.
I couldn’t resist waiting in line with a bunch of kids to get a picture with Pikachu. You wouldn’t have been able to resist his cute little twitching ears either.

Comic-Con isn’t just famous for star appearances and nerdy merchandise though, it’s known for its lines and, although they may seem of mythical proportions, they are definitely no myth. One morning we waited in a line to get into the convention center so we could stand in another line for a chance to get passes to wait in yet another line just to buy some special Hasbro toys. Who wouldn’t wait Triforce, I mean trifold, for a Transformers/G.I. Joe mashup? The next day we lined up for panel sessions with about 6,000 other people in a never-ending row that stretched over two miles. It was madness. If you find yourself at the con expect to spend almost all of your time hanging out in winding lines that extend all the way to the Dead Marshes of Mordor.

Being at the very end of a 6,000 person line is sure to make you a sad panda. But, despite this line’s extraordinary length, we made it into our desired ballroom just an hour and a half later.

Speaking of sessions and session lines, choosing what sessions to go to was difficult. How do you decide between the science of zombies and a Klingon lifestyles presentation? It’s a hard call believe me. A few panels I definitely wanted to be present for: Twilight, Vampire Diaries, and Star Trek: The Captains.

The Family Guy panel was rowdy and highly entertaining. Those that dared to ask questions inevitably got harassed and anal fixations, of course, were discussed.
Just north of a the convention center a parking lot was transformed into South Park in all its 2D glory. It was pretty amusing.

Since this was our first time at Comic-Con we weren’t sure how hard it would be to get into our top panel picks. Twilight was the very first session the very first morning of the con. It began at 11:30 AM but bloggers recommended getting in line before 6 AM for guaranteed seats so that’s what we did. We were up shortly after 4 and in line by 5:30. Our six hour wait was sure to be boring and, judging from the number of fans in line when we arrived, not entirely necessary. But just an hour or so later things began to get interesting.

Booboo Stewart, who plays Seth Clearwater in the Twilight saga, pushed around a cart of fruit to offer to those in line. I told him I’d pass on a banana but I would take an autograph. 

It all started with Breaking Dawn swag being dispersed: posters and coffee mugs. Muffins, fruit, juice, and water were next handed out to the waiting fans and then, all of a sudden, a great deal of commotion and press marked the arrival of some utterly unanticipated excitement.

Elizabeth Reaser was happy to sign autographs and take pictures with the Twihards. What a good sport!

Members of the Breaking Dawn cast had appeared to greet their hardcore followers that had been waiting in line for hours or days just to get good seats in the Twilight panel: Ashley Greene (Alice), Nikki Reed (Rosalie), Booboo Stewart (Seth), Julia Jones (Leah), and Elizabeth Reaser (Esme). I got autographs and pictures with a number of them. All the stars were nice but Elizabeth, Julia, and Booboo were especially grateful and accommodating. It was refreshing for this franchise to show such appreciation for its fans. To pass out swag and breakfast was more than anyone expected but to also have the actors make their way through the line was unbelievable. Way to go Twilight for showing those other shows up!

Jason was little more than a boy toy inside this giant Star Wars action figure box.
Will Shatner and Avery Brooks have drastically different personalities. Their contrasts made for a more interesting session.

The Twilight panel was terrific but it wasn’t the only session that captivated us. We went to Star Trek: The Captains and met Will Shatner, Avery Brooks, and Scott Bakula. Their quirky personalities, along with session moderator Kevin Smith, made the panel anything but dull. We also got to do a long Khan with Will Shatner. Hilarious. Incidentally, Shatner was promoting his documentary The Captains available on Epix. It looks pretty funny and is definitely something I will be checking out.

We also attended the Vampire Diaries, Family Guy, Simpsons, Futurama, and American Dad sessions and therefore got to meet a host of vampire hotties, including my favorite Ian Somerholder, along with some comical characters such as Seth Green and Matt Groening. Encountering three starship captains did not totally satiate the trekker within me so we also caught Patrick Stewart at a panel for Dorothy of Oz, a cute animated film that he did voice work for. Sir Patrick Stewart was as eloquent as expected. And, as if all that weren’t enough, we got a sneak peak at an upcoming Fox series called Terra Nova too that looks pretty intriguing. Holy panels Batman!

Cosplay doesn’t get any more intricate or nerdy than the Comic-Con Masquerade. This Totoro was my favorite even though it didn’t win any big awards. 
Patrick Stewart was as well-spoken as ever. What a thrill to be in the presence of such a distinguished gentleman and cult favorite.
A couple giant robots were hanging out on a street corner as part of a Real Steel campaign. They look even more impressive next to a miniscule dot such as myself.

The sessions weren’t the only places to get up-close and personal with celebrities though. Down in the exhibit hall I got to meet a couple members of the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast, Marina Sirtis and Michael Dorn. My teenage self would have fainted! They were both very nice even though my many years of fandom probably translated into a lot of staring and conversation befuddling. We also ran into Robert Kirkman, the creator of The Walking Dead, along with such other comic bigwigs as Ian Churchill and Ben Edlund. And we got a chance to chat with some upcoming comic artists. Shane and Chris Houghton, the creators of the Reed Gunther books, were probably the friendliest comic guys I met at the con; I look forward to their future success.

Anywhere else this guy’s amazing costume would have stood out but at Comic-Con he was just one of the herd.

Comic-Con was crazy. The convention center and the streets surrounding it were always congested and overflowing with humanity. The lines were insane and at times I was so sick of sifting through the huge crowds that I had to go back to our hotel room for a wee breather to regain a smidgen of my personal bubble space but it was a once in a lifetime experience. Interacting with some of my favorite stars and meeting other personalities that are sure to become new favorites was a surreal hoot. And almost all of the celebrities we met were very obliging, which was unexpected. Being in the heart of nerdom was amusing too. When you are in line for a session and the people in front of you ask you if you want to participate in a dungeon crawl or you see a gaggle of storm troopers meander by you know that you are living every geek’s fantasy right down to the vinyl clad women.

Rachel July 30, 2011 8 Comments

A Blackout Birthday

Do you remember me complaining last month about Jason always getting sick at the most inconvenient times? Well, that illustrious tradition continues.

I had great plans for Jason’s birthday. I’d work half a day while he slept in and relaxed and then we’d catch the new Potter film and go out for a fancy dinner. Sounds nice, right? I thought so too.

Unfortunately, the night before Jason’s big day his tummy started hurting and then, less than an hour after we had gone to sleep, I awoke to him wandering out of our bedroom in a hurry. Somewhere in the recesses of my consciousness I concluded that his stomach issues were probably causing an emergency potty run and then I quickly drifted back to sleep…until I was roused again by a disquieting thud. This unnatural clatter was very loud but I thought it must be a product of my sleepiness since I couldn’t imagine what would cause such a ruckus. It turned out that the clamor was no slumber-induced figment yet a “what” didn’t cause it but a “who” rather.

Jason’s cake featured a huge hand made out of Rice Krispies and tubes that released dry ice smoke from a reservoir below. Special effects and tastiness-now that’s a cake!

Jason had hurried into the bathroom to upchuck and, after doing so, had felt a surge of heat run through him and then all had gone black. He had passed out and hit the tiled bathroom floor hard giving himself some cuts and a monster of a headache. Happy birthday Jason!

Worrying about Jason and all the implications his sickness would mean for his birthday plans kept me up until 5:30 that morning. An hour and a half of sleep is a catnap not a restful slumber. Not a good night for either of the Sabins.

This isn’t the greatest picture of Jas but the kids kept swarming the cake so it’s the best I could get. 

Luckily, Jason’s illness vanished almost as quickly as it had struck. By the time I dragged myself out the door for work the next morning he was already feeling well enough to eat the sweet rolls I had bought him for his birthday breakfast. Yeah! So we still got to see Harry Potter that afternoon as planned (armed with a barf baggie that thankfully we didn’t need to use). We decided to delay going out for an elegant birthday dinner that night though. Jason wasn’t too hip on the possibility of his nice meal boomeranging back up his esophagus, and truthfully I wasn’t terribly stoked about that idea either, so we just got Café Rio takeout and took it easy at home. It wasn’t exactly how I had envisioned his birthday ending but at least it didn’t conclude with more barfing escapades.

Volleyball has become a standard at Jason’s birthday parties and my inability to play it has also become expected. 

The next day I had a party in the park planned for Jason and, since his fluids were once again all properly contained, he was ready to socialize. I bought pizza from Malawi’s for everyone and my friend Robyn made a surprise Hulk cake. She did an amazing job! I totally threw Jason off the scent with a decoy cake so he was completely shocked by his superhero. I am so clever!

His party mostly consisted of the adults eating and chatting at the park’s gazebo while their kids enjoyed the playground. Of course we also brought it on with our customary volleyball tournament. My side won-no thanks to me. At one point my buddy Cameron told me that it would be better for our team if I just didn’t even try to hit the ball. I should have reminded him that whether I tried or didn’t try the outcome would be the same; either way I wouldn’t be making contact with that airborne orb.

Cameron relieved us of all the cherries leftover from the party. I’m guessing he might have had to relieve himself after eating all of those. 

Even though Jason’s birthday started out with a thud at least it didn’t end like a dud. Most of my plans worked out and, although it still hurts Jason to chew, his face deflated after about 24 hours and didn’t bruise too much. Good thing because I think when people say that birthdays are scarring they don’t mean it literally.

Rachel July 19, 2011 4 Comments
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