Fiber:
Nature's Remedy

Fighting the War

Fiber is a truly a soldier in the war against weight loss heart disease, breast and other cancers, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, constipation, diabetes and many other health problems. Eating enough of it will ensure your body will be healthier, and will perform better.

That being said, most people still don't get enough in their daily diets. The recommended intake is 25 grams every day. Most people only consume about 1/3 of that amount.

What Is It?

It is a mixture of indigestible substances that make up the structural components of plants. When we eat it, it passes through our digestive systems without breaking down or being absorbed. For that reason, it has very few calories but also provides little food energy.

It carries the cholesterol and other toxins out of our systems. There are two types: soluble and insoluble and they work differently.

• Soluble dissolves in water and as it moves through the digestive tract, it picks up bile acids and other toxins and takes them out of the body.
• Insoluble is like the scouring pad of your intestines. It is coarser, and keeps food moving through the digestive tract.

A diet rich in it also makes weight loss a lot easier. It fills you up, so you'll eat much less of the foods that put on the pounds.

Here are some simple ways to add more of it to your diet:

• Easy Does It. It works great, but eating too much too fast can have some unpleasant side effects, such as gas, bloating and diarrhea. Start off slowing adding it to your diet for the first week, then gradually building up to the recommended amount.
• Drink Enough Water. Eating enough can help to keep you regular, but only if you also drink enough water. If you don't get enough water, it can actually have a opposite effect. So make sure to get your 8 glasses a day of water.
• Vary Your Sources. Eat a combination of soluble and insoluble sources. The best way to do that is to eat a variety of foods each day. Fruits, vegetables and whole-grain cereals are all good sources.
• Sprinkle It On. Pick up a box of oat bran at the store and sprinkle it on yogurt, ice cream, fruit, cereal and salads. Use oat bran instead of bread crumbs in meat loaf or stuffing, or as a thickening agent for soups and stews.
• Eat Whole Fruit. Instead of a glass of orange juice in the morning, try eating a whole piece of fruit. When fruit is juiced, almost all the fiber if left behind. Eat apples, peaches and pears with the skins on instead of peeling them.

Incorporating fiber into your daily diet isn't difficult, as long as you read the labels carefully. Don't assume a product that says "bran" or "oats" has the amount you need. Always check the nutrition label to see how much the product actually contains.

Fiber is a vital part of a healthy diet but remember that it works best when used in conjunction with a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet and plenty of exercise.

Return from Fiber to Health Eating

Return to Health-and-Fitness-Source