Fiber for a Healthy You
June 15, 2009
Fiber Favorites
by Chef Noche
As you will learn, American's average 10 grams of fiber per day, while the body needs 30 to 40 grams to achieve optimum health. I have found the foods that can get you that extra 25 grams of fiber, are also foods that don't come with nutritional labels. Here are my favorites:
- An apple, with the skin on has 5 grams of fiber.
- 5 pieces of dried apricots have 3 grams of fiber.
- A half of a grapefruit has 6 grams of fiber.
- A medium pear has 5 grams of fiber.
- A cup of strawberries or blueberries have 4 grams of fiber.
- A cup of plain oatmeal has 12 grams of fiber.
These are the ones that work for me, but you can do a quick search on the Internet and get a huge list for yourself. The goal is to get to 25 EXTRA grams a day. |
Fiber for a Healthy You
by Andrew Lessman
Grandma called it "roughage" and today we may call it fiber, but it is the simple path to regularity, gastrointestinal health and so much more. It is now medically accepted that people who consume more fiber have fewer weight problems, along with a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and most cancers. And when it comes to heart health, fiber is a real superstar.
Unfortunately, the typical American diet is sadly lacking in fiber. In fact, fiber is perhaps our most glaring dietary deficiency. Our diets are based on foods that offer little nutrition and even less fiber. We love our fast-food burgers, pizza, pasta, and other fare. As a result, most of us average just over 10 grams of fiber a day, considerably less than the World Health Organization's recommendation of 25 to 40 grams.
In fact, of all the ways you can alter your eating habits, no single change will make more of a difference to your health than eating more fiber-rich foods. That's because it forces you to eat healthier. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are not just high in fiber, but they are also rich in antioxidants, essential oils, phytosterols, phytonutrients and many other heart healthy nutrients.
The Many Ways Fiber Helps Your Body
Especially Your Heart
Fiber plays a number of roles in supporting cardiovascular health and protecting against heart disease. Eating foods high in fiber can help balance blood sugar, lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol levels. In fact, of all the ways to reduce your risk of heart disease, the simplest and most effective is to have a high fiber diet help you achieve the benefits above.
But how does fiber have an impact on cholesterol levels? Actually, it is related to the mechanism of the natural Phytosterols in CHOLOX. When you consume fiber, it forms a gel that traps both the cholesterol from your diet and the recyclable cholesterol found in our body's bile salts. Instead of being absorbed into the bloodstream, this trapped cholesterol is excreted out of the body, thereby lowering your cholesterol levels.
Better yet, research shows that when you combine a high-fiber diet with Phytosterol supplements, you can reduce your cholesterol levels by more than 35%, which is comparable to the results you would get by taking one of the popular cholesterol-lowering Statin drugs. But unlike Statins, Phytosterols and fiber are 100% natural, and unequivocally safe. One convenient source is CHOLOX, which contains 400 mg of Phytosterols per capsule; two capsules per day gives you the amount recommended by the FDA.
What Happens If You Don't Get Enough Fiber?
Beyond the effects on regularity and your digestive system, consuming insufficient amounts of fiber can impact heart health. Foods that are dense with fiber can have a moderating effect on carbohydrate absorption, which in turn helps balance blood sugar levels. Fluctuating blood sugar can cause the body to fall into a vicious cycle of cholesterol synthesis. And, when the body produces more cholesterol than it needs, the coronary arteries suffer damage, which can lead to heart disease.
How Can You Include More Fiber In Your Diet?
By far the best way to achieve the World Health Organization's recommended daily Fiber intake of 25-40 grams is by eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains. Beans, legumes, seeds and nuts are particularly high in Fiber.
If you'd like to learn more, please visit Andrew Lessman's ProCaps Labs: The informed choice in Vitamins and Supplements.
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