The stuff also known as roughage found mainly in whole grains, fruits and vegetables and more or less indigestible and works as mopping your whole system thus flushing out the toxics. Fibers can be either soluble like fibers from cellulose of fruits and vegetables or the insoluble ones like the less digestible bran fiber.
It helps with the proper function of the intestinal tract as it aids in removing the waste products, it’s a natural laxative and an alleviates constipation. People suffering from constipation should have a rich high diet fiber, it also prevents from colon cancer as the intestinal tract gets covered by the fiber layer thus comes in less contact with the cancer causing agents.
Individuals with diabetes may also benefit from a high fiber diet as it controls the amount of sugar going into the blood stream, since it modulates the amount of glucose entering the blood stream thus control the insulin in the system. Soluble fibers may also control to reduce the sugar and cholesterol levels as fibers are filling and it gives filling of satiation and the person will consume less calcium thus controlling obesity and hypertension. A research done by the US BASED NURSES HEALTH STUDY, those women who consume 23 grams more fibers have lowered the rates of heart attack significantly.
SOURCES OF FIBER – All fruits, the dried ones even, vegetables, whole grains and the commodity made by them are rich in fibers thus lowering the chances of gastric problems, abdominal bloating and flatulence.
IMPORTANCE OF FIBER – Refined flour, polished rice, milk and milk products contain little or no fiber, even few vegetables have low fiber, fiber rich diet reduces blood sugar, and serum cholesterol relieves constipation helps in preventing and treating several diseases such as colon cancer and cardiovascular diseases. In a healthy diet one needs to consume 20 -35 grams of fiber every day.
FOUR GREAT TIPS TO FIBER UP THE SYSTEM
SWITCH OVER TO WHOLE GRAINS – We have to look in to the fibers that we consume are either whole grains or broken and split ones as the splitting means refining the cereal as a result loosing the good part of the fiber, thus switch on to whole grains food like breads, pasta, flours and beans, etc.
EAT LEGUMES EVERYDAY – LEGUMES are one of the richest source of fiber, enrich your diet with a plentiful of whole pulses instead of broken ones as they are not so rich in nutrients as compared to whole pulses.
EAT A MINIMUM OF 5 SERVINGS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES EVERYDAY – In lunch and dinner incorporate an ample of fruits in the dessert form and vegetables in salad form thus making it more yummylicious and filling stomach with them instead of the fatty carbohydrates stuff and replacing the sweet deserts high on calories with the fruits in yoghurt or simple form.
EAT A VARIETY OF FOODS – Variety not only adds good health but adds spice to your life and taste buds even, thus you end up in consuming a variety of foods and hence taking a good amount of fibers, besides you end up eating a well balanced diet.