High Fiber Diet - The Benefits of Fiber

Fiber (cellulose tissue that cannot be digested) is a complex carbohydrate found in plants and acts like a broom that cleans out the gastro-intestinal tract.

It is the part of plants that cannot be digested by the human digestive tract. Fibre do not disintegrate and do not resolve in the small intestine, because our digestive organs do not secrete the enzymes, which are able to that break down the fibre that we consume with our food.

Fiber helps flush out cholesterol, and various other substances (and toxins) that might otherwise be absorbed into the bloodstream. Fiber, it is believed, is the first line of defense in regulating blood sugar levels.

There are two types of dietary fiber: soluble and insoluble.

Both kinds are needed. Each form functions differently and provides different health benefits.

Soluble fiber is soft and tender and is found in

• oats and other cereals,(read What do you Know About Wholesome Oats (Avena Sativa)?
• pulses (all types of beans and lentils),
• some fruits (especially dried and varieties with pips such as blackberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries but also in pears and oranges).

This soluble type of fibre is important in regulating blood cholesterol and blood sugar (glucose) levels; it binds fatty and toxic substances and promotes their excretion as waste.

Insoluble fiber is solid and rough and found in

• wheat and other cereals
• vegetables (especially potatoes with their skins, carrots, parsnips, broccoli, celery and cabbage).( Check out Raw: Your Biggest Questions Answered, click the link below )
  

This fibre has the ability to absorb water and increase the bulk of the faces, helping food pass through the digestive tract quickly and easily.

The benefits of fiber are many:

• High fiber diet fills up quickly; one feels fuller a longer time period.
• It helps to be in a healthy weigh and helps with weight lose.

  Women with the highest fiber intake were 50 percent less likely to gain a major amount of weight in midlife.

• High fiber foods are low in fat and provide many essential vitamins and minerals.
• Fiber shortens the time the food spends in the digestive system helping food faster leave the body, not letting the fat to be resolved.
• Slows down the rate of digestion in the stomach, so the energy release is slower and more graduated and it is easier to wait for the next meal.
• By increasing growth of beneficial bacteria and by absorbing with water, fiberincreases and softens the bulk of the stool, thus helping maintain the health of the digestive system, and keep the system from being sluggish; prevent haemorrhoids, constipation and diverticulosis of colon.
• By regulating the cholesterol level in the body it indirect by prevents the formation of Gallstones and protects the body against heart disease.
• Dilutes the carcinogenic substances and binds them to bile acids – this process reduces the incidence of colon cancers.
• Fiber decreases carbohydrate absobtion; having a low glycaemic index fibre has its tendency to increase blood sugar of a food item. It helps to reduce blood sugar in case of metabolic disorder such as diabetes and obesity.
• Fiber helps to detox your body and remove unwanted toxins and metals.

Although there are many benefits from fiber, the intake should be slow and gradually over several weeks:

• Consuming excessive amounts of fiber may decrease the absorption of such essential minerals as zinc, iron and calcium.
• High fiber diet can lead to constipation and stomach upsets. Fiber works as a sponge in the body; it absorbs water and swells up so that the body can easily dispose the waste contents of food. So it is important to drink enough water (about 8 glasses per day)..

The recommended amount of fibre intake is 30- 40 g per day, taking into consideration the ratio 3: 1, three parts insoluble and one part soluble.

Add fiber supplements if you cant reach the recommended amount of fiber through your diet.

Foods high in fiber include fruits and veggies (broccoli, carrots, kale, cabbage, and many legumes (garbanzo beans, black beans, kidney beans, etc.) and whole grains (such as quinoa). By no coincidence, these same foods contain a host of vitamins and minerals necessary for optimal metabolism. So what’s for breakfast? Think fiber! Cook Fiber!Eat Fiber!

Now when you have learned about the benefits of high fiber diet why not start right in a morning!

My top choice:

Ezekiel Cereal with Kefir.

Why?

Ezekiel Cereal are high fiber foods and living food with multiple health benefits.

Drizzle kefir over your favorite cereal! (Read about multiple benefits of probiotic drink kefir)

Start your day with a healthy eating plan.