The Importance of a High Fiber Diet
Fiber seems to be all people are talking about, how much do you need, what it does, what foods have high fiber content, how much is too much, and do you need a fiber supplement. First, people who eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds as part of a healthy and balanced diet should not need a fiber supplement. Now, let’s get familiar with gut-friendly fiber.
There are two types of fiber out there, soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber acts like a sponge, slowing down the digestion and reducing the absorption of glucose, or sugar, cholesterol and fat into the bloodstream. This is why whole grain oat and oat bran cereals say they can lower cholesterol when incorporated into a balanced and healthy diet. Soluble fiber is found is oats, rice, beans, barley, and psyllium (which us usually taken in the form of a powder). Insoluble fiber is more like a broom, sweeping stuff out of your gut, by absorbing water and keeping things moving in your digestive system. Insoluble fiber is found in wheat, fruit and vegetable peel, beans, nuts, and seeds
In addition to the aforementioned benefits, a high fiber diet can reduce the risk of some kind of cancers, including colon cancer. In keeping things moving in your digestive system, fiber sweeps up carcinogens and other toxins, and sends them on their way. With soluble fiber absorbing the less desired stuff and insoluble fiber pushing things along, fiber increases peristalsis, which is the technical term for keeping things moving. The less time carcinogens and toxins spend in your intestines, the less time harm they can do. Fiber also helps ensure the growth of good, or gut friendly bacteria, that aid in digestion and absorption of nutrients from food.
Because of its bulk, fiber fills you up, and because it takes longer to digest you stay fuller longer. Another perk of fiber being so filling is you eat less, so you consume fewer calories, which helps you lose weight. Make sure to eat a balance of soluble fiber and insoluble fibers, and make sure to drink plenty of water. Fiber and water go hand in hand in keeping things moving. Be advised that too much fiber will more things through the gut too quickly, so keep track of how much fiber you eat in a day.
A person needs between 25 and 35 grams of fiber daily. Add more fiber to your diet slowly, a few grams a day, to prevent bloating and any other unwanted gastro-intestinal discomforts from a sudden increase. Start small, add half a cup of berries to yogurt or cereal, or eat a high fiber cereal, eat whole grains, use more vegetables and less pasta in pasta salad, grate carrots and/or zucchini into tomato sauce, serve fresh fruit with whipped cream for dessert instead of cake or cookies, or swap white flour half and half with whole wheat flour in baking.
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Cranberry Pineapple Crisp
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 can pineapple pieces in juice, drained or 2 small cans crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup rolled or quick cooking oats
1 cup whole wheat flour (or mix half unbleached white and half whole wheat)
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup canola oil
1 tsp cinnamon
In a 9x13 baking dish mix the cranberry sauce and pineapple with a fork until combined. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl until it forms wet crumbs. Sprinkle over cranberry pineapple mixture. Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Variations: Use 3 peeled, chopped apples in place of pineapple. For less fat, use one quarter cup pineapple juice or applesauce in place of one quarter cup oil. For less sugar, reduce sugar to one half cup.
Serves 12
Nutrition information: 240.85 calories, 9.7 grams fat, 0.795 grams saturated fat, 24.75mg sodium, 38.49 grams carbohydrates, 2.785 grams fiber, 21.152 grams sugar, 2.2775 grams protein.
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What’s the Deal with Oatmeal?
The great foodstuff that is oatmeal appears on every list of super foods written. Why is that? One half cup of uncooked oats, be the rolled, steel cut, or quick cooking contains about 150 calories, five grams of protein, and four grams of fiber. It is a great source for iron, calcium, and B vitamins, and can help lower cholesterol when eaten daily. As a versatile grain, oatmeal, in any form, can be added to baked in toppings of crisps and crumbles, eaten as hot cereal with some chopped dried fruit and nuts for a great breakfast, and even to thicken soups. Keep in mind that quick cooking oats has less fiber and protein because it is processed more so it will cook faster. Steel cut oats and whole rolled oats take a few minutes longer to cook, but are the better nutritional choice.
Tags: fiber supplement, high fiber diet, insoluble fiber, soluble fiber
