Do You Eat Enough Fiber?

Just 100 calories.

According to Jesse Richardson most Americans are far below on their fiber intake, averaging 15g a day - half as much fiber as people should be eating, especially for men. Women should look at consuming 28g. There are 2 types of fiber:

Insoluble fiber adds bulk (making you feel fuller), reduces constipation and acts as a laxative. By removing more toxic waste in your stomach in less time, this fiber helps to regulate pH levels in the intestines (protecting you from colon cancer) and promoting regular bowel movements. More fiber not only helps with waste passage, but also boosts the health of your stomach!

Soluble fiber comes with its own set of benefits. binds with fatty acids. Eating more of this fiber often results in a lowering of LDL (bad cholesterol), reducing one’s risk for heart disease. Soluble fiber also delays sugar being from being absorbed and thus released more slowly, so those with diabetes are better able to control blood sugar. Some good sources of fiber to consider are: dark leafy vegetables, wheat bran, whole wheat products, oat bran, flax seed, fruits, and assorted nuts. (Source: Organicsoul.com)

I love my Kashi bars, Quaker Low-Fat Natural Granola and Trader Joe's Organic Golden Flax Cereal because  each serving of these have 4 to 5 g of fiber. I also eat lots of dark leafy vegetables such as broccoli & spinach - "good sources of many vitamins (like vitamins A, C, and K and folate) and minerals (such as iron and calcium) and fruits like blueberries, Danielle Chips (The Honey Banana Chips have 2g of fiber, 3g of fat & 10g of sugars), etc. Research suggests that the nutrients in dark green vegetables may prevent certain types of cancers and promote heart health and your body needs a little dietary fat to absorb some of the vitamins found in dark green vegetables. Add a bit of olive oil  or healthy salad dressing to your dark green vegetables to make sure your body absorbs all of the vitamins you eat."  (Source: www.youngwomenshealth.org)

Ingrid Cheng
Fit-Twist Founder
Yoga Teacher
Health = Wealth

http://www.fit-twist.net