To much work and no play makes laura a dull Girl....

Not really.. it makes me a little insane. This past week we had the Players championship in town.. you know the golf tournament. And on top of that the last day of it was Mother's Day, so it was a very long week. We did host some fun events but they were a lot of work. But we made it, we always do. I was happy to be off yesterday, but I have to wait till saturday for my next day off. Enough shop talk is what I say!!!

On this past Saturday we celebrated our 6th wedding anniversay, time flies when your having fun. We didn't really get to do a whole lot of celebrating due to my busy work week. But when we have a chance we will.

And in other news: We have another installment of....FANTASTIC FIBER
HOW MUCH FIBER DO YOU NEED?
To get the full health benefits of dietary fiber, adults should eat 25 to 35 grams of fiber each day. Most Americans eat only around 11 grams. To calculate how much daily fiber your child needs follow this formula: age of child in years plus five. For example, a five-year-old would needs ten grams of fiber a day.

It's important even it seems yucky to talk about.
How much fiber is too much? Your intestines will tell you. Gradually build up the amount and variety of your daily fiber intake. Signs of insufficient fiber in a diet are:
Constipation
Infrequent stools
Hard stools
Abdominal pains

A general feeling of "sluggish bowels"
Signs of too much fiber are:
Excessive gassiness
Bloating
Abdominal pain
Stools uncomfortably frequent and large overall volume


TEN EASY WAYS TO BOOST YOUR DAILY FIBER
1. Consume whole fruits and vegetables instead of juice. The peels on apples and the white pith on oranges are rich sources of fiber, as are potato skins.

2. Cut back on refined foods. "Enriched flour" means the product was originally impoverished. In many refined foods, the fiber-containing parts have been removed.

3. Try a daily yogurt smoothie made in the blender with a couple handfuls of fresh fruits, such as strawberries, bananas, papaya, blueberries, and pears. Blend in a heaping tablespoon of psyllium husks. Drink it quickly before it gels.

4. Snack on dried fruits, such as apricots, figs, prunes, and raisins.

5. Use whole grains instead of white. White bread and white rice have had the fiber processed out of them. (This is why white bread and white rice have a reputation for being constipating.) Instead use whole grains: bread made with whole wheat flour, whole grain cereals that contain wheat bran or oat bran, whole grain cornmeal, wheat germ, and barley. Instead of white rice, use brown or wild rice.

6. Be a bean freak. Nearly all varieties of beans are a rich source of fiber, especially kidney beans, which can be served in many forms, such as in salads, soups, bean burritos, or chili.

7. Dip it. A chickpea dip (i.e. hummus) is nutritious and fiber-rich.

8. Choose a high-fiber cereal. If you find that high-fiber cereals are not the most palatable, try mixing a couple of tablespoons of All-Bran or psyllium husks with your favorite cereal to boost the fiber content. Add lots of milk, rice beverage, or juice and enjoy.

9. Choose your lettuce wisely. Iceberg lettuce is useless as a source of fiber and any other nutrients. Spinach and romaine lettuce are healthier choices.

10. Fresh fruits have more fiber than canned fruits because much of the fiber is in the peel, which is usually removed in processing.
Simply emphasizing grains, fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet will automatically get you enough fiber. A diet that revolves around meat, eggs, and dairy products will not contain enough fiber.

The next installment: BEST FIBER FOODS and soon recipes to follow, we must get the basic first, then move to the fun side of a fiber full life... and the health and happiness that it will bring!