Foods that are high in fiber are widely believed to be beneficial to the body. It is now understood that foods containing fiber, particularily fiber in whole grain foods such as brown rice or whole grain breads, are helpful in maintaining a healthy digestive system. A fiber rich diet can prevent and treat constipation , diverticulosis and hemorrhoids. A high fiber diet can also reduce the risk of heart disease through the reduction of blood cholestoreol levels.
Less well founded claims include the claim that dietary fiber may reduce the risk of some cancers , especially colon cancer. Such claims are made on the supposition that dietary fiber improves the efficiency of the digestive system if eaten regularily, and therefore a person with a fiber rich diet is less likely to be exposed to toxins within the remainder of their diet for as long a period of time as an individual with less fiber in their diet.
A further health benefit of a fiber rich diet is that foods high in fiber can help to maintain a healthy body weight. High fiber foods are often low in calorie whilst providing enough bulk to leave a diner feeling "full". Fiber rich foods often require more chewing before swallowing preventing a person from eating a large calorific intake in a short time.
The question is how can you put more fiber in your diet without making your diet taste too bland?
Once you are able to identify high fiber foods you will be surprised at how you can improve your health with small changes without sacrificing to much taste from your diet and in many cases by improving the taste of your diet.
The only sources of dietary fiber available are from fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains so it is quite easy to identify high fiber foods. Foodstuffs from animals such as eggs, milk and meat do not contain fiber. Whether food is fresh, frozen or canned often does not make any difference to the fiber content. Be careful to avoid dried or crushed fruits or vegetables and remember that fruits and vegetables without seeds and peels have less fiber than those with seeds and peels.
It may be wise to consider that any additional fiber in your diet over and above what you currently eat will be beneficial for you but when you consider that a daily intake of about 25-35 grams is generally recommended you may be surprised to know that all it takes is a bowl of 100% bran flakes with a banana for breakfast and a can of baked beans for lunch to bring you all the benefits of a high fiber diet.
In the stomach fiber bonds are broken apart so nutrients and fiber particles and strands can do their magic in your stomach, small intestine, colon, and anus. Once food high in fiber is completely digested in the small intestine, fiber moves into the colon to complete its cycle in your body. If you have eaten enough fiber during a meal, your stools will have a certain shape, size, color and consistency and chances are you will not have constipation.
If you have not been eating food high in fiber, especially for many years, then mostly likely you will be struggling with having regular bowel movements.
Eating the right amount of fiber is not only necessary for keeping free of constipation but it is tied to your overall health. In the past, no one knew much about fiber. It was thought that it had no value as it entered and exited the body. But now, we know that if you don't eat food high in fiber you will live a short and painful death. Here are some of diseases that are related to not eating enough fiber.
Heart disease Diabetes Appendicitis Breast cancer Colitis Prostate cancer Gastrointestinal disorders Hemorrhoids Hiatus hernia Ulcers High cholesterol High blood pressure All types of colon diseases
These are only a few diseases that you could develop. Do you see any of the diseases in this list that people come down with as they age? Did they eat enough fiber today? Will you eat enough fiber in the future? I hope so.
How should you eat fiber?
A general rule is to eat fruits and vegetables every day. Eat fruits in the morning to assist in purging out fecal matter that has accumulated in your colon and removing urine that your kidney has created by cleansing your blood during the night.
By eating fruits for breakfast you help remove toxins out of your colon by promoting a bowel movement. The fiber in fruits helps to clean your colon walls of tacky matter that accumulates there. This tacky matter is created when you don't eat enough fiber and your stools are mushy and sticky.
When you eat lunch or dinner, always eat vegetables with these meals. Vegetables are needed when you eat meat which does not have fiber. Vegetables are needed when you eat processed food that has no fiber. Always eat vegetables when eating bread since processed bread has no fiber. When bread is eaten without vegetables, fecal matter, chime, in the colon is hard to move and is sticky. It is this sticky matter that clings to your colon walls, which prevents your colon from being strong, flexible, healthy, and non-toxic.
Always chose to eat food high in fiber everyday. This is a necessity. You were built to thrive on fruits and vegetables. Without them you commit yourself to a life of pain and disease. And it all starts in the colon with constipation.
Both Richard Merson & Rudy Silva are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.