News, Recipes & Workouts — prebiotics

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Prebiotic Fiber: The Natural, Delicious Way To Suppress Your Appetite

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Lean Bars Advanced

When it comes to losing weight, making healthier, leaner food choices needs to be the top priority. To shed pounds, you have to eliminate the high-calorie foods and beverages (including coffee with milk or creamer) from your diet, and that can be downright frustrating. I suggest taking a different approach; focus on what you can eat vs. what you can't and find a healthier, leaner go-to replacement for your favorite foods. You’ll not only lose weight, but you'll also keep it off!

That’s where LynFit Lean Bars and Advanced Lean Bars with prebiotic fiber come in. They are not only delicious, so they satisfy your cravings, they also keep you feeling full and satisfied without all of the excess calories, carbs, and sugars other protein bars contain. Also, countless studies have proven that adding more fiber to your diet can help you lose more weight and keep it off long term.

What’s the difference between Soluble Fiber vs. Insoluble Fiber

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate found in plant-based foods. While some weight loss plans try to limit carbohydrates, fiber is a healthy kind of carb that you want in your diet. Our bodies aren’t built to digest it, which is a good thing. There are two types of fiber—soluble and insoluble. Fiber also helps with digestion, which is important when it comes to boosting the metabolism.

Sources of soluble fiber include foods like oatmeal, lentils, oranges, pears, strawberries, beans, and blueberries. This type of fiber absorbs water, provides bulk to the food you’re digesting, delays digestion and gives you a fuller feeling.

Sources of insoluble fiber include whole wheat, whole grains, wheat bran, seeds, nuts, barley, and dark leafy greens. This fiber also adds bulk, speeds up the digestion process, doesn’t absorb water, and passes through your body quickly.

While they’re different, both kinds of fiber are crucial for a healthy diet. However, some of these fiber sources can spike insulin levels and block fat from being burned. That's why they are not on your metabolic boosting food list. But the best fiber is prebiotic fiber, and most of us don't get any.

A LynFit Lean Bar daily keeps the pounds away

Our busy lives make it difficult to meet our daily fiber numbers, but if you eat a LynFit Lean Bar daily, you'll be more than a third of the way to nailing your daily fiber intake goal. Studies show we should consume 30 grams of fiber daily. Preferably the prebiotic fiber like that found in LynFit Lean Bars. This specific fiber will help keep you regular, which helps to keep your stomach flat, unlike other fibers that will bloat you.

You would have to consume 2-3 (sometimes more) servings of fiber supplements to get the same benefits of eating one LynFit Lean Bar, and fiber supplements can backfire and cause you to remain constipated. 

In fact, you'd need to eat ten medium-sized apples per day to hit your fiber target. Eating one delicious LynFit Lean Bar supplies 1/3 of your daily quota, and they sure taste a whole lot better. Eating an entire head of broccoli will still only get you six grams!

LynFit Lean Bars and Advanced Lean Bars should be your go-to snack food every day to stay regular, help keep you feeling fuller longer, helping to flatten your belly and reshape your body. They help lower blood sugar levels and restore healthy gut microbes thanks to the prebiotic fiber they contain.

Now you can finally take control of your cravings and your weight loss. 

How much fiber do you need?

Most people think they are getting enough fiber, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. The recommended fiber intake is 25–35 grams per day, and the average person only gets 15 grams each day. One LynFit Lean Bar daily gets you ten grams of the best source of fiber—prebiotic fiber. No other fiber supplement on the market today does this.

A quick reminder: When incorporating fiber into your weight loss and management program, follow two rules: introduce it slowly to avoid gas and bloating issues; and stay fully hydrated at all times. Fiber works best when consumed in conjunction with plenty of water.

So enjoy a Lyn Lean Bar or Advanced Lean Bar every day, along with a bottle of water, a cup up hot tea, or our favorite is a warm cup of hot chocolate made with LynFit Complete Protein Shake. Then sit back and enjoy the bliss!

Cleanse and detox with LynFit Raspberry Ketone Cleanse and Restore

Enzyme deficiencies may result from dietary changes, age, and lifestyle. These deficiencies can lead to a variety of digestive discomforts, including occasional gas, bloating, irregularity, and indigestion. LynFit Raspberry Ketone Cleanse detoxifies and fortifies the digestive system with enzymes and probiotics to promote optimal digestion (great for the metabolism) while maintaining and restoring the digestive system's natural balance to support overall digestive health.

LynFit's Raspberry Ketone Cleanse contains an enhanced enzyme formula that breaks down carbohydrates, fats, fiber, and protein. Probiotics provide additional digestive support by boosting enzyme production and promoting regularity. LynFit Raspberry Ketone Cleanse is the only cleansing and detox product on the market today with an exclusive process that combines multiple strains of enzymes that work at various pH levels. The specific enzymes used in LynFit Raspberry Ketone Cleanse have been shown to be three times stronger and work more than six times faster than leading digestive supplements.*

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Boost Your Metabolism By Boosting Your Fiber Intake With Lean Bars

Boost Your Metabolism By Boosting Your Fiber Intake With Lean Bars

Full confession — I'm addicted to LynFit Lean Bars. They have become my grab-and-go meal, and the #1 go-to food when I need to eat on the run or my sweet tooth yells and cravings hit (like every day). Thankfully, they satisfy me more than any candy, cookie, or cake.....seriously!

Since I've been eating Lean Bars daily, my health has improved, and I no longer fall off the weight loss wagon due to my ferocious, undying sweet tooth. So if you're a Lean Bar lover like me, you're going to love this great news. And if you're not, you just might change your mind after reading about this research.

By now I'm sure you're aware of fiber's importance and its reputation as a "keep you feeling full" nutritional hero. It gets even better, though. It turns out that certain fibers, such as prebiotic fiber (the kind found in LynFit Lean Bars), may also be a real superhero when it comes to the fountain of youth.

Research agrees. A new Australian study followed the diets and health statuses of over 1,600 adults for a 10-year period. At the beginning of the study, all the subjects were age 49 or over and free of any chronic disease. Over the course of the 10-year study period, only 15.5 percent of the subjects remained disease-free. 

Looking at various aspects of diet, the researchers noted that fiber intake proved to be the most telling and biggest predictor of healthy aging, by a long shot. Study subjects that consumed the most fiber were 80 percent more likely to remain fully functional and free of any chronic disease. 

These findings don't surprise me at all. Over the past 20 years, fiber has earned its reputation for its impressive list of full-service health benefits. Benefits that include reducing appetite, lowering glucose and cholesterol levels, improving digestive function, and most notably, feeding the all-important microbiome — better known as gut bacteria.

Prebiotics & Obesity

Although gastrointestinal physicians have long known that a disproportionate amount of unhealthy bacteria live in the guts of overweight patients, until now there has been no conclusive data on how prebiotic fiber might aid with considerable weight loss. 

Now, however, findings show that not only do overweight individuals suffer from an unhealthy bacterial mix in the gut, but also incorporating a regimen of prebiotics into the diet helps these same overweight individuals lose weight, according to Belgian researchers at the Université Catholique de Louvain and published in the peer-reviewed British Journal of Nutrition

There is now an enormous amount of research that has occurred on gut microbiome (gut bacteria). The forefront of this research has been looking directly at the microbiome and bacterial makeup, and its relationship to the development of obesity and being overweight. As with everything we say at LynFit, there must be good science behind it first. Medical credibility is #1 on our list.

Microbiome (gut bacteria) controls your health. Prebiotic fiber nourishes your gut microbes and keeps your gut strong and fit and in good working order. So it's crucial that you eat fibrous vegetables (see veggie examples HERE and in The Metabolism Solution) and at least one LynFit Lean Bar daily.

A LynFit Lean Bar A Day Keeps The Pounds Away

Our busy lives make it difficult to meet our daily fiber numbers, but if you eat a LynFit Lean Bar daily, you'll be more than a third of the way to nailing your daily fiber intake goal. Studies show we should consume 30 grams of fiber daily. Preferably the prebiotic fiber like that found in LynFit Lean Bars. This specific fiber will help keep you regular, which helps to keep your stomach flat, unlike other fibers that will bloat you.

That's exactly the reason I made sure LynFit Lean Bars contain as much prebiotic fiber as possible. Each Lean Bar contains 9–10 grams of a unique prebiotic fiber to help keep you regular and feeling full.

The truth is, you simply cannot buy a better protein bar!

Whey protein comparison chart

To get the most health and metabolic boosting benefits from the fiber you eat, you need to have an abundance of good bacteria residing in your colon. Here are some key strategies for establishing and maintaining a robust supply of fat-fighting, beneficial gut bacteria:

    • Eat a LynFit Lean Bar every day
    • Make your own high-fiber protein shake/smoothie 
    • Make a fiber-bomb dessert: Pour pre-made LynFit Complete Protein Shake over fresh cut peaches
    • Take 2–3 LynFit Raspberry Ketone Cleanse every night with dinner. LynFit Raspberry Ketone Cleanse is a custom blended supplement containing nutrients that help your body digest food, so you're less prone to constipation. It's gentle enough to use every day.
    • It's crucial to eat an abundance of plant-based, high-fiber foods daily. Good bacteria feed off of fiber and the more "real food" fiber you eat, the more good bacteria you will have in your gut. This is the most effective and powerful of all these strategies. Honestly, if you don't eat an abundance of fiber, success is almost impossible.
    • Include fermented foods that contain live bacteria in your diet. Foods like sauerkraut and kimchi.
    • Include superstar fiber content fruits and veggies in your diet. Foods like raspberries, snow peas, green apples, pears, canned tomato products, pumpkin, cauliflower, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, Brussel sprouts, okra, and artichoke hearts.
    • Eat more beans. Strive for one serving daily, but be careful to measure out your serving. Beans pack a calorie punch. If you're still in the weight loss phase, eat beans instead of your usual protein at dinner. A typical serving is only ¼–½ of a cup. Every bean is different so be sure to check labels. Measure for measure, beans provide more fiber than any other food (about 3–4 times more than other fruits and veggies). All of them are fiber superstars so choose the ones you enjoy the most.
    • Don't take antibiotics unless medically indicated. And, if you must take an antibiotic, be sure to take a daily probiotic supplement as directed (over-the-counter) while you are on the antibiotic and for a full two weeks after that.
    • Gardening is great for immunity. Get out in nature and get dirty. The soil contains a whole ecosystem of good bacteria. Gardening is highly recommended, especially vegetable gardening. Why not grow your own?

A startling recent discovery has shown that most overweight people have a bad mix of colon bacteria. This bad mix is technically called dysbiosis. What causes this type of bad bacterial mix to occur? It is the type of diet, often high-meat and saturated fat, that overweight people have eaten for many years. 

Prebiotics are not probiotics. A probiotic is a live bacteria that you take by mouth, as in yogurt or a pill, in the hope that it will make a beneficial change in the digestive tract. A prebiotic, on the other hand, is a plant fiber, a specialized form of soluble fiber that has distinct actions within the colon.

Simply put, these fibers are the fuel that drives the very best bacteria already in the colon to vigorously multiply. We know these good bacteria can and do grow and divide every 20 minutes if there is enough nourishment around. Keeping a rich supply of the best prebiotics, found in LynFit Lean Bars, in the colon is simply the healthiest thing you can do to prevent dysbiosis in the colon. 

Quite simply, prebiotics are what makes LynFit Lean Bars different from every other protein bar on the market. They are the best protein bar you can buy.Tris Imboden

Lean Bars are LynFit's very own custom-blended protein bar. They are made fresh (some by hand, not machine-made), making sure to protect these superhero prebiotics. How special are they? Special enough that the band Chicago's own Tris Imboden considers them his go-to snack food. As Tris says, "I simply won't go on the road without a supply of LynFit Lean Bars!"

LynFit blends weight loss and health management together in its Lean Bars. By combining, it becomes a holistic approach, which is needed for lasting weight loss to occur. 

An important note to remember — you cannot overdose on fiber. If mild bloating should occur as your body adjusts, simply reduce the amount you're consuming. Make sure you're drinking enough water to help flush things out. You may even want to try drinking hot water with lemon every day.

The prebiotics found in LynFit Lean Bars will tend to encourage an acidity within the colon. This is very healthy and is the desired effect as it's what protects us from disease. Thankfully, when this does happen, smelly rectal gas or flatus does not develop. When rectal gas no longer has a bad smell, you know you are getting enough fiber. And, if you haven't arrived at that point yet.......simple, go back and read above.

NOTE: You may need to make sure you're allowing yourself enough time each day to go to the bathroom. Sorry to be so graphic, but constipation affects almost everyone when they change their diet. It also slows down and masks weight loss.

A Leaky Gut?

When you have bad bacteria and dysbiosis in the colon, the colon wall itself weakens and allows toxins, unwanted chemicals, and even bacteria parts to seep into the bloodstream and reach your liver. Eventually, your general health declines due to the toxins that are released and absorbed.

Toxins are bad for everyone, especially if you're overweight. They lead to chronic inflammation (aches, pains, and stiffness) throughout the body, and contribute to high blood pressure and heart disease. They also contribute to obesity due to the rise in blood sugar levels.

Dysbiosis is clearly related to increased insulin resistance and difficulty in blood sugar control. However, medical trials have shown that correcting dysbiosis with prebiotics, like the ones found in LynFit Lean Bars, make Diabetes 2 easier to control.

Colon and breast cancer are also associated with obesity and dysbiosis. There is much research being done to unravel the cause and effect. It is known, however, that you are in a different and worse group altogether if you are overweight and have dysbiosis.

If bad bacteria are present, or you become constipated, your body may not absorb nutrients, liquids, vitamins, and the minerals it should. This leads to feelings of fatigue, cause illness, and prevents weight loss. Have you ever wondered why you can't lose weight when you're not eating much? Now you know. All the more reason for establishing and maintaining that robust supply of good gut bacteria. It's also a good reason to make sure you're not constipated by taking LynFit Raspberry Ketone Cleanse.

It is quite surprising that so much medical research has occurred so quickly in this area. So, let's review what we've learned:

    • A predominance of good bacteria in the gut makes fewer calories than when bad bacteria are predominant.
    • There is a hunger hormone made in the wall of the stomach. Less of this hormone is made when prebiotics are a rich part of your diet. You have less hunger.
    • There are satiety or fullness hormones made in the wall of the small intestine. Prebiotics increase the release of these beneficial hormones to give you an earlier sense of fullness when you eat.
    • A leaky gut is corrected, and the passage of toxins and other unwanted materials into the blood is slowed down or stopped.
    • Blood sugar control is better, and there is less insulin resistance, which helps promote weight loss.
    • Inflammation in the gut and body is reduced.
    • Believe it or not, when a good bacterial balance is present in the gut, different chemical signals are sent to the brain via the blood stream. Positive behavioral emotions seem to occur, perhaps even changing your eating habits. Mood and emotions seem to improve.

For an easy-to-follow weight loss plan that includes LynFit Lean Bars, download the LynFit Lean Bar Diet HERE.

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References:
1. Delzenne, Nathalie M., Neyrinck, Audrey M., Cani, Patrice D. (2013) Gut microbiota and metabolic disorders: how prebiotic can work? Brit J of Nutr 109, Suppl. S2. S81-S85. 

The New Way To Lose Weight If You Have Hypothyroidism

HypothyroidismIt's estimated that 11 million adults and children have hypothyroidism. Two out of every three people with hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid gland) may not know they have the disease.

Why are so many people getting the disease? This is something the medical community can't agree, but lots of people who struggle with weight loss think that if they simply take a thyroid pill they will lose weight. This couldn't be further from the truth. The fact is that as we age, most of us will experience our thyroids slowing down simply because of age.

Combine this thyroid-slowing issue with the fact that we lose muscle every year (which is estimated at 1–2 percent per year after age 50) and that we eat more and exercise less due to fatigue, and you've got the perfect weight gain storm. There are very simple effortless steps anyone can do to lose weight, even if you have hypothyroidism.

The fact is if you want to lose weight you're going to have to do things differently after you turn 40. If you're willing to make a few adjustments, you're sure to succeed at losing weight.

The Facts: 

Taking prescribed thyroid medication will treat the symptoms but it doesn’t cure hypothyroidism. There isn’t a cure, but you’ll feel some relief from the medications help. Taking prescribed thyroid medication will improve health but it won’t necessarily help you lose weight or make it any easier. Until you understand how your metabolism works, you might not ever lose that weight. Diet is 90 percent of your weight loss success. Not just any diet will do when it comes to losing weight when you have a sluggish thyroid. In fact, the wrong diet can make you gain weight.

Unfortunately, an underactive thyroid almost always means constipation and weight gain. Being constipated masks your weight loss and makes you feel bloated and uncomfortable. This usually causes you to eat for comfort, which is counterproductive when it comes to losing weight. To combat this, it’s critical that you eat thermogenic vegetables that not only promote weight loss and regularity but boost your metabolism — exactly what we hypothyroid gals need.

Limit your intake of “goitrogens”, which are compounds found naturally in some foods that make it difficult for the thyroid gland to create hormones. Foods that are high in goitrogens include cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and products made with soy.

High in metabolic boosting proteins, but low in high-fat proteins? The solution is to eat more white fish. Eat with this in mind if you’re trying to lose weight: ”The lighter and whiter the fish the faster your metabolism will be."

While proteins from chicken, or better yet turkey breast, serve as important building blocks for our hormones, they can also be higher in fat than our hypothyroid metabolisms can handle. When trying to lose weight choose proteins that boost weight loss versus block it. Try to eat more white fish such as scrod, cod, halibut, and flounder versus higher fat fish that are higher in mercury. Fish is also higher in iodine, which is great for the metabolism. Often, iodine deficiency can be what brings on the hypothyroidism in the first place. Don’t like fish? Try tuna burgers. Even fish haters love them.

Spot on when it comes to healthy fats. If you eat too much, you’ll gain weight. Healthy fats are often found in plant oils and certain seeds, but if your metabolism is slow, you may want to eat these foods with caution. Fat is also high in calories, and it’s the excess calories that cause us to gain weight, not the fact that our thyroid is low.

That being said, healthy fats in the right amounts can help promote and protect thyroid gland function. You’ll want to keep your fat grams to 15–20 grams per day, and choose from good sources such as salmon that’s rich in Omega 3, and a small amount of olive oil.

It’s better to add a Pure Omega 3 Supplement to your diet instead of trying to get your needs met through diet. Often, we overeat on these fats (avocado is a fat, but it’s also one of the worst foods when it comes to weight loss) so supplementing tends to be a better choice when it comes to losing weight with hypothyroidism.

High in vitamin D, but not from dairy. Supplements are a better source. Studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is associated with the severity of hypothyroidism. If you’re not losing weight, your vitamin D levels may be to blame. To ease the symptoms of hypothyroidism, increase your intake of vitamin D through supplements such as LynFit D3 Boost and make sure to include sources such as salmon or other fatty fish.

Selenium-rich — LynFit Daily Power Shot. Increased selenium intake has also shown promise when it comes to the synthesis of thyroid hormones according to recent studies. Some good sources of selenium, are Brazil nuts (be careful they pack a high-calorie and high-fat punch) and various fish such as tuna, or halibut. Supplements are also a great way to guarantee your body gets the selenium it needs to keep your metabolism and thyroid running at optimal levels. You can find the right amount (100mcg of selenium that is 143 percent of your recommended daily allowance in the LynFit Daily Power Shot) in a colloidal liquid making it easier for your body to absorb.

Pumped up with prebiotics. The only thing that’s better than probiotics is prebiotics. Probiotics are important for keeping your gut bacteria at healthy levels (low gut bacteria affects every aspect of your health, including hypothyroidism). The one thing that’s even better is prebiotics. They help control blood sugar and have been known to affect our ability to burn fat and make it harder to store fat, something we hypothyroid girls need more of.

Normal levels of bacteria protect our bodies against invaders, undigested food, toxins, and parasites. When good and bad bacteria get out of balance, you may experience fluctuations in your thyroid activity and your immune system. LynFit Lean Bars are a great source of prebiotic fiber. So is LynFit's new Chocolate Sauce. Both are sweetened with prebiotic fiber. They sure beat kefir or sauerkraut or worse, kombucha tea.

What about your workout you ask? Or How should you work out if you have hypothyroidism? If you’re hypothyroid, and you’re trying to lose weight, your workout needs to have specific requirements just like your diet does to be successful. If you have been trying to lose weight and have hypothyroidism, your workout needs to address these issues without hurting your current condition. Not all workouts are created equal when it comes to losing weight. Iin fact, most of them are the opposite of what you need.

In order for you to lose weight your hypothyroidism workout plan needs to be daily cardio workouts. By walking or doing more cardio workouts, you’ll help boost your serotonin levels, which are typically low in people with under-active thyroids. That is why we struggle with depression. Serotonin is a brain chemical that affects your mood, appetite, and your sleep cycle. I suggest “core walking," which is a good form of walking that includes your core. You get a whole body workout, and you don’t need tons of energy to get it done. As you know hypothyroid types tend to be exhausted all the time, so high energy aerobic workouts almost always get blown off. Walk daily for 30–45 minutes at a moderate pace.

Boost your metabolism with the right kind of strength training workout. It’s important to build muscle and strength (don’t worry you won’t get bulky) when trying to lose weight. After all, it’s the muscle that helps you burn fat and lose weight easier due to its metabolic boosting effects. But not all workouts are created equal when it comes to weight loss. Metabolic booting workouts are “the best” if you’re trying to lose weight, especially if you have hypothyroidism. Want to transform your body fast? Swap out your current routine and start doing metabolic boosting workouts three times weekly. You’ll see results within the first week.

Sleeping lean should be a part of your workout routine. Hypothyroidism takes a toll on your energy levels, so nothing is more important than establishing a regular sleep routine. To recharge your body so you can perform your workouts and stick to your hypothyroid diet, you’ll need to aim for 7–9 hours of sleep every day. If you’re having trouble sleeping, and most of us woman over 40 do, consider using LynFit Lean Sleep to help you fall asleep and stay asleep. LynFit Lean Sleep contains melatonin rather than the harmful metabolism slowing sleep aids.

For more information on thermogenic eating for hypothyroidism, refer to The Metabolism Solution by Lisa Lynn.