The importance of fiber to a healthy diet
Tony Robinson

When it comes to eating healthy and enjoying a healthier
lifestyle, it is hard to overstate the importance of fiber in
the diet. Even though fiber is most associated with grains, rice
and breads, it is important to remember that fruits and
vegetables also contain significant amounts of dietary fiber. In
fact, the need for fiber is just one more reason to eat your
fruits and vegetables every day.

In order to understand why dietary fiber is so important, it is
a good idea to know what fiber is and what role it plays in
digestion. Simply put, dietary fiber is the portion of food that
the human body cannot digest. Fiber is found in foods of plant
origin only; there is no fiber in meat and dairy products. Fiber
plays an important role in the digestion of food, and in the
elimination of waste products as they travel through the body.

Good sources of dietary fiber include grains, cereals, legumes,
lentils, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables. As we said before,
meats and dairy products do not contain any dietary fiber, so it
is important to eat some plant based foods ever day to get the
fiber you need.

Soluble vs. insoluble Not all fiber is the same, and fiber comes
in two forms – soluble and insoluble. All plant materials
contain both types of fiber, but some sources contain more of
one than the other. Eating a variety of foods rich in fiber
every day will ensure you get adequate levels of both soluble
and insoluble fiber.

Insoluble fiber is important in keeping people regular, and it
has shown promise as well in the prevention of some types of
colon and rectal cancers. Insoluble fiber is mainly found in
wheat brain, some types of vegetables and in whole grain
products. Some vegetables rich in insoluble fiber include
carrots, peas and broccoli. The skins of fruits are also rich in
insoluble fiber.

Soluble fiber, on the other hand, has shown promise in reducing
levels of cholesterol in the blood, and at reducing the rate at
which glucose enters the bloodstream. Soluble fiber is abundant
in dried peas, lentils, beans, barley, oat bran, and in many
fruits and vegetables.

How much fiber is enough Many people are unsure just how much
dietary fiber they need every day, but most dietitians recommend
that women consume between 21 and 25 grams of dietary fiber per
day. For men, the recommendation is 30 to 38 grams of fiber each
day.

Of course, that is easier said that done, and it is important to
know which foods are high in fiber in order to boost your daily
fiber consumption. In the case of packaged foods like breads and
crackers, the fiber content will be listed as part of the
nutritional label. In the case of fruits and vegetables, there
are charts which show the fiber content of an average size
piece. Some grocery stores post this information, and it is also
widely available on the internet.

When increasing dietary fiber, it is best to make the increase
gradual. A sudden jump in dietary fiber can lead to bloating,
gas and abdominal discomfort. In addition, it is important to
drink plenty of fluids, especially water, in order for fiber to
have the best effect. When choosing breads and cereals, it is
best to go with healthier whole grains. In general, the less
processing, the healthier the foods.

Eating the skins of fruits and vegetables is a great way to
increase dietary fiber. Many people like to make fruit shakes
and smoothies that use the skins of their favorite fruits. This
makes a delicious and nutritious way to increase fiber
consumption. In addition, keeping a variety of fiber rich foods,
such as apples, nuts, seeds and bran muffins, around for snacks
is a great idea.

And finally, eating a wide variety of foods will ensure that you
get plenty of fiber, as well as the vitamins, minerals, and
trace elements that make a balanced diet so important.

About the author:

Tony Robinson is a Company CEO, webmaster husband and dad. In
his busy lifestyle he has placed importance on health and
fitness. Visit http://www.eat-healthily.com for good eating tips
and techniques to assist you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Tags: Adequate Levels, Author, Broccoli, Carrots, Cereals, Company CEO, dairy products;, Digestion Of Food, food;, Foods Rich In Fiber, Fruits And Vegetables, grain products;, Healthy Diet, Human Body, Insoluble Fiber, Lentils, less processing, Plant Materials, Plant Origin, Rectal Cancers, Soluble Fiber, Sources Of Dietary Fiber, Tony Robinson, Types Of Vegetables, waste products, webmaster, webmaster husband and dad, Whole Grain Products —

Eating Healthy Doesn’t Have to Be Hard
Rachel Williamson

So many people dread the idea of “health food,” but the truth is that many foods labelled “healthy” are actually quite delicious. The key is the way you eat them, what you combine them with, and how much you eat.

When you think of healthy foods, do you think of boring Brussels sprouts and bland broccoli? Think again! You can have all the flavor you want and still keep the number on the scale down and keep your heart healthy.

Take your favorite recipes and look at the ingredients. Decide which ingredients are the least healthy and replace them. It’s as simple as that. For recipes that call for butter, try to replace it with olive oil. For recipes that call for whole milk, replace it with skim milk (or soy milk). For recipes that call for chicken broth, replace it with vegetable broth.

One big thing you can do to lower your intake of saturated fats is to lower your consumption of red meat. Whenever you can, replace red meat with fish. If you’re adventurous, you can replace red meat with soy substitutes. There are many soy products on the market that taste delicious. Soy crumbles are particularly good in homemade tacos and casseroles.

If eating healthy is difficult for you, don’t be too hard on yourself. Focus on changing gradually. If you can’t give up your usual dinner, have a healthy lunch. Every little bit helps. While it may not be true that “you are what you eat,” it is true that your health is directly affected by what you eat. You owe it to yourself and your body to feed it the proper fuel.

Besides replacing your old stand-bys with healthier alternatives, try to add 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. You’d be surprised how easy this is. For example, you might add some sliced banana to your morning breakfast, have an orange with lunch, have an apple for an afternoon snack, eat some beans with dinner, and have some blueberries on top of ice cream for dessert. Find your own way of adding fruits and vegetables into your diet so it works for you.

Small changes in your diet can make a huge difference. Don’t beat yourself up if your diet isn’t perfect. The important thing is to make it better than it was before. Even if you only add one or two pieces of fruit per day, you’re on the right track! You’ll begin to feel the difference and that will encourage you to do even better.

About the Author

Rachel Williamson shares healthy recipes and food news in Eat This!, a food blog.

Tags: Afternoon Snack, Author, Blueberries, Broccoli, Brussels, Brussels Sprouts, Bys, Casseroles, Chicken Broth, Dread, Favorite Recipes, food blog, food news, Fruits And Vegetables, Health Food, Healthy Foods, Morning Breakfast, olive oil;, Proper Fuel, Rachel Williamson, Red Meat, Saturated Fats, soy products, Tacos, Vegetable Broth, Whole Milk —

Do you know these important facts about fiber in a healthy diet?
Zaak OConan

When it comes to eating healthy and enjoying a healthier lifestyle, it is hard to overstate the importance of fiber in the diet. Even though fiber is most associated with grains, rice and breads, it is important to remember that fruits and vegetables also contain significant amounts of dietary fiber. In fact, the need for fiber is just one more reason to eat your fruits and vegetables every day.

In order to understand why dietary fiber is so important, it is a good idea to know what fiber is and what role it plays in digestion. Simply put, dietary fiber is the portion of food that the human body cannot digest. Fiber is found in foods of plant origin only; there is no fiber in meat and dairy products. Fiber plays an important role in the digestion of food, and in the elimination of waste products as they travel through the body.

Good sources of dietary fiber include grains, cereals, legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables. As we said before, meats and dairy products do not contain any dietary fiber, so it is important to eat some plant based foods ever day to get the fiber you need.

Soluble vs. insoluble
Not all fiber is the same, and fiber comes in two forms – soluble and insoluble. All plant materials contain both types of fiber, but some sources contain more of one than the other. Eating a variety of foods rich in fiber every day will ensure you get adequate levels of both soluble and insoluble fiber.

Insoluble fiber is important in keeping people regular, and it has shown promise as well in the prevention of some types of colon and rectal cancers. Insoluble fiber is mainly found in wheat brain, some types of vegetables and in whole grain products. Some vegetables rich in insoluble fiber include carrots, peas and broccoli. The skins of fruits are also rich in insoluble fiber.

Soluble fiber, on the other hand, has shown promise in reducing levels of cholesterol in the blood, and at reducing the rate at which glucose enters the bloodstream. Soluble fiber is abundant in dried peas, lentils, beans, barley, oat bran, and in many fruits and vegetables.

How much fiber is enough
Many people are unsure just how much dietary fiber they need every day, but most dietitians recommend that women consume between 21 and 25 grams of dietary fiber per day. For men, the recommendation is 30 to 38 grams of fiber each day.

Of course, that is easier said that done, and it is important to know which foods are high in fiber in order to boost your daily fiber consumption. In the case of packaged foods like breads and crackers, the fiber content will be listed as part of the nutritional label. In the case of fruits and vegetables, there are charts which show the fiber content of an average size piece. Some grocery stores post this information, and it is also widely available on the internet.

When increasing dietary fiber, it is best to make the increase gradual. A sudden jump in dietary fiber can lead to bloating, gas and abdominal discomfort. In addition, it is important to drink plenty of fluids, especially water, in order for fiber to have the best effect. When choosing breads and cereals, it is best to go with healthier whole grains. In general, the less processing, the healthier the foods.

Eating the skins of fruits and vegetables is a great way to increase dietary fiber. Many people like to make fruit shakes and smoothies that use the skins of their favorite fruits. This makes a delicious and nutritious way to increase fiber consumption. In addition, keeping a variety of fiber rich foods, such as apples, nuts, seeds and bran muffins, around for snacks is a great idea.

And finally, eating a wide variety of foods will ensure that you get plenty of fiber, as well as the vitamins, minerals, micronutrients and trace elements that make a balanced diet so important.
About the Author

Zaak O’Conan discovers and presents useful information on how to enhance and/or repair your life, body and relationships. You’ll find his other articles on eating better and other ways how to improve your life at http://your-health-center.com

Tags: Adequate Levels, Author, Broccoli, Carrots, Cereals, dairy products;, Digestion Of Food, food;, Foods Rich In Fiber, Fruits And Vegetables, grain products;, Healthy Diet, Human Body, Important Facts, Insoluble Fiber, Lentils, less processing, Plant Materials, Plant Origin, Rectal Cancers, Soluble Fiber, Sources Of Dietary Fiber, Types Of Vegetables, waste products, Whole Grain Products —