At this point you should be feeling quite a few positive changes to your overall health.

This week we take a step to improving your health and even more specifically the health of a very important part of your system: your heart. Besides exercise(and an overall healthy diet), there is one action that you need to do this week and continue to make a part of your ongoing healthy lifestyle: adding fiber to your diet. A diet with an adequate amount of fiber may just help lower high levels of cholesterol, prevent some cancers, control diabetes to some degree, and may prevent gallstones and kidney stones.

FIBER - Overcoming a Deficiency

The average diet get barely half the recommended amount of fiber each day.

Fiber is a substance that your body cannot digest.

Because you cannot digest it, it is not considered any measurable source of calories.

That's right!

Fiber = No Calories

There are two types of fiber: soluble fiber, which dissolves in water, and insoluble fiber, which does not.

Soluble fiber sources include oats, bran, oatmeal, prunes, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, apples, oranges, peaches, pears, strawberries, and other citrus fruits. Oats have the highest proportion of soluble fiber of any grain. Soluble fiber has health benefits, such as lowering cholesterol, relieving constipation, and even relieving hemorrhoids. It has a positive influence in the prevention of heart disease by helping to control cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Adequate fiber can also help regulate blood sugar levels, which is important in avoiding diabetes. Many experts agree that a diet with adequate amounts of fiber may help prevent colon cancer.

Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water. Insoluble fiber sources include whole wheat breads, wheat cereals, wheat bran, popcorn, brown rice, rye, barley, carrots, brussel sprouts, turnip, cauliflower and apple skin (the rest of the apple is soluble). Insoluble fiber doesn't have the same benefits as soluble but seems to be especially important to the normal function of the bowels. This type bulks up waste and moves it through more efficiently. Fiber is a "dieter's" dream since fibers called cellulose and hemicellulose takes up space in the stomach, making us feel full, therefore food intake is less.

Citrucel and Metamucil are good forms of insoluble fiber that can be consumed once a day or as directed by your doctor.

Some Sources of Fiber

NOTE: A large increase in fiber over a short period of time may result in bloating, diarrhea, gas, and general discomfort. It is important to add fiber gradually over a period of time (three weeks) to avoid abdominal problems.

GOAL FOR THE WEEK:

Add fiber to your diet

End of Week Reward

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Comments?

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1 Comment

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  #1

  Rhonda Chevalier (Monday, 04 January 2010 07:57)

  I knew going into this one that it would be a tough one. Three days I did remember to add my fiber powder to my drink, tried adding more fiber to my diet in food form - this one will be an ongoing one for me.
  
  

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