Which Foods Are The Best Source Of Fiber?

A balanced diet is crucial to maintaining good health throughout your life, and one of the most important elements of a good diet is fiber. Eating a diet that includes fiber-rich foods can lower your blood sugar and cholesterol, among other benefits. Unfortunately, most men simply aren’t receiving the recommended daily dose of fiber needed to optimize your physical health. When you add more fiber to your diet, make sure you also increase your water intake!

So where can you get the fiber intake you need? Here are some of the top foods that provide you with tons of fiber.

Beans

Do you enjoy a hot bowl of chili? If so, I’ve got great news! Beans are an extremely powerful source of fiber. The great thing about chili is that you can toss together all kinds of different beans for the most fiber-rich meal possible. Everything from kidney beans to black beans, and white beans to garbanzo beans includes a high amount of fiber that can help ensure your bodily functions run smoothly.

Whole Wheat Grain Products 

Many people try to avoid carbs of all types when they switch to a healthier diet, but whole-wheat foods can actually bring positive nutritional value to a meal. For instance, whole-wheat bread and whole-wheat pasta both provide a larger amount of fiber than their refined, white counterparts. When wheat is refined, the grain coating is removed, along with the majority of nutrients and fiber offered by the wheat. So sticking to whole-wheat when it comes to carbs will help your reach your balanced dieting goals.

Vegetables

You’re probably already trying to increase your vegetable intake for extra vitamins, but here’s one more reason: many vegetables contain copious amounts of fiber. Broccoli, peas, spinach, and peppers, along with most other green vegetables, are sure to help you receive the recommended daily intake of fiber!

Summer Dating On A Budget

Just because you want to impress your date doesn’t mean you need to blow your budget on fancy restaurants, expensive flowers or private fireworks displays. In fact, many women appreciate the chance to spend quality time with their date regardless of the amount of money he is willing to shell out. Here are some fun ideas for dates that won’t break the bank.

Picnic In The Park

I don’t know why this isn’t a more popular date idea, especially during the summer months. Seriously, picnics can be extremely romantic. The thought and effort you put in to planning a delicious, portable meal with make your date swoon; or you can spend the morning together packing the perfect lunch for your picnic baskets. All you need is some cold drinks, a blanket and a sunny day so you can sit outside.

A Game Of Pool

Nothing breaks the ice like a bit of competition, so why not challenge your date to a game of pool at the local dive bar? Usually you pay by the hour, but it’s not expensive and you can stay for as long as you want. Tease your date about that shot she missed or teach each other your secret moves. If you play at a bar or pub, you can always break for a quick snack or meal if the date runs longer than expected. Another bonus is that most pool halls serve alcohol, so you can indulge in a drink or two if you’re nervous.

Backyard BBQ

Another excellent way to spend your summer evenings is enjoying the taste of home grilled meat. Impress your date with your barbecuing skills and serve up your favourite main course with a side of grilled veggies. Spend your meal in the backyard watching the sunset, sharing ribs and making fun of each other for dripping barbeque sauce everywhere.

Things To Look Forward To This Long Weekend

The first long weekend of the season is always a happy reminder that a full-blown summer is just around the corner. The May 24 long weekend is a sign that we’ve survived the cold, lengthy, bitter winter and the disappointing spring that simply wasn’t warm enough.

If you want to make the most of this long weekend, grab some friends, grab some beer, sit back and relax or pack up for some camping. Here are some of the signs of summer we are more looking forward to this weekend for the unofficial kick-off of everyone’s favourite season.

Enjoyable Weather 

If things go well, we will have our first taste of true summer weather and uninterrupted sunshine. But even if the weather doesn’t cooperate, we can rest assured knowing that several months of heat and sunshine are up and coming. If you’re lucky, you might even be heading to a lakeside cottage or beach where you can take full advantage of the sunshine and dip into the water for the first time this season.

Barbecuing

The best part of summer food is that we can light up the old BBQ for some smoky goodness and delicious meat. Even if you don’t enjoy cooking, there is something relaxing and enjoyable about barbecuing on a warm summer evening. If you’re not sure whether a juicy burger fits into your new diet, check out these options for healthier ways to grill.

An Extra Day Off 

Weekends are always awesome, but they are exponentially more fun when you have that extra day off to relax. There’s nothing like a long-weekend to help you chill out completely and let go of the stresses you face at work. Because next week, there is no Monday morning meeting…only an extra day of vacation that will carry you all the way to Tuesday.

Remember to drive extra safe this weekend to anywhere you’re heading to relax for the weekend!

Gas Saving Tips For Summer Road Trips

The weather’s finally getting nicer, and chances are you may be gearing up for a long weekend away somewhere. Whether you’re taking a road trip to the beach or driving several hours north for a weekend of relaxation at the cottage, one of your least favourite road trip hassles is the expense of gas for your vehicle. It’s an inevitable cost, but there are a few things you can do to minimize your gas expenses regardless of how far you’re driving this weekend.

Stop Idling 

This seems obvious, but many people still opt for the drive-through rather than leaving the car for fast-food breaks. It’s often quicker to run inside to grab your burger or coffee than wait in the line up of cars to order in the drive-through lane. And if you ever find yourself in the dreaded standstill traffic of summer highways, turn off your vehicle if you end up sitting in one spot for more than 10 seconds. In the winter, you might decide to let your car warm up for a few minutes by idling it, but in the summer, there’s really no excuse for turning on your vehicle before your start to drive.

Go For A Cruise

Cruise control is awesome for several reasons, one of which being that it reduces your gas mileage. The only scenario when cruise control doesn’t help you save on gas is when you’re climbing a steep hill, so remember to turn it off in those instances. 

Turn Down The AC 

Air conditioning is essential for long car rides once the weather warms up, but if you abuse your AC by blasting it at full power for the entire 3-hour drive, your gas tank will pay the price. This does not affect some newer cars as greatly, but any older models will definitely save gas by cutting back on air conditioning. Simply roll down your windows if all you need is a light breeze.

 

The Benefits Of Eating Paleo

You probably know at least one or two people who have sworn off carbs and committed to the Paleo lifestyle. Based off of the diet that cavemen and women ate prior to the days of harvested wheat fields, the Paleo diet consists of meat and veggies, but cuts out foods that can only be attained through processing or farming, such as corn, wheat, and certain products that aren’t ‘grass-fed’; for instance, grass-fed butter is considered part of the diet. The Paleo diet can be confusing to someone who doesn’t know what the benefits are, but there are many ways that Paleo eating is good for your health.

No More Bloating

If you avoid carbs and salts that tend to lead to feelings of bloating and a bit of expansion in your stomach, you’ll soon find yourself rewarded with a smaller waist and flatter stomach. The Paleo diet also encourages increase fiber intake, which can help you lose weight, as well as increased water consumption, which helps keep your plumbing in working condition.

Load Up On Nutrients

The cornerstone habit of Paleo eating is to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet to replace the missing grains. In addition to providing you with lots of fiber, vegetables and fruits offer an array of important nutrients that provide you with more energy, better skin and overall improved health. Of course, you don’t need to go fully Paleo to benefit from an increased vegetable intake!

Stay Full Longer

The amount of nutrients, healthy fat and protein that you attain from a balanced Paleo diet mean you will stay full for longer after a meal. Carbs, salt, and refined sugars tend to leave us feeling hungry again soon after eating. Stick to foods such as fish and nuts like almonds and you’ll find your hunger takes much longer to return, so you eat fewer calories overall but don’t have to starve yourself.