Day Six
Pretty impressive. How does fiber do it. The First thing to understand is that whereas fiber is not a nutrient, is affects the way the body absorbs nutrients. It can add bulk to the diet,relieving constipation. It may bind to cholesterol and flush it from the body, which in the long run means lower risk of heart disease. It speeds up the digestive process. It speeds up the digestive process, possibly minimizing exposure to harmful wastes in the intestinal tact, which means protection against colon cancer. And it may slow the release of sugars into the bloodstream, which is a boon for diabetics.
If you are an average American you’re probably consuming about 15 grams of fiber a day_rougly half the protective amount.(Consult the Superfoods chart and your food diary to compute the amount you’re actually eating.)
*It really isn’t all that difficult to get enough fiber. A cup of 100percent bran cereal, one apple, one patato with skin, a necatarine, halt cup of split peas and half cup of cooked spinach a day supply about 47 grams.
*Your dietary fiber sould come from a variety of sources, like whole-grain foods, vegetables, fruits nuts and dried beans. Variety is the key word here because all fibers are not alike. Wheat
Bran, for example, relives constipation, but it is a matter of some controversy as to whether it can
Lower cholesterol levels. On the other hand, oat and corn bran can lower blood cholesterol levels. So can pectin, one of the forms of fiber found the produce like pears,bananas, apples,tomatoes and carrots. But neither oat bran nor pecatin can relieve constipation. That’s
Why variety is so important.
*Snack on fresh fruit. It’s light, energizing and high in vitamins and you-know-what. Top
Ranking fruits, fiber –wise, are dried prunes,pears,nectarines and blackberries.
*Legumes—peas,soybeans,lentils and chick peas—are super-high in fiber,outdoing most fruits and vegetables. A can of baked beans provides more than 7 grams of dietary fiber per 100 grams (3/1/2 ounces)of beans,outdoing raw broccoli, which provides jut 1.4 grams per 100grams.
*Eat whole –grain breads and muffins. Use brown and muffins. Use brown nice instead of white.
If you determine that you need more fiber,the increase should be gradual,since you system
Needs time to adjust. Go slowly. Increase your intake of dietary fiber in easy stages. If you suddenly blitz yourbody with bran, you’ll experience intestinal distress. It will take a while for the helpful bacteria that live in your intestine to learn how to break down whole wheat, for example. The products of bacterial fermentation buld up, causing bloating and gas. So prepare
A sensible planfor adding fiber your meals.
Thanks for patience reading
MR
