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 —

Carrots : The master key for healthy living!
Jasdeep Singh

It slows ageing, promotes healthy vision, has anti-cancer properties, increases immunity towards various chronic diseases. Yes, carrot does it all for you. This natural health booster enhances your health on various grounds and fills in the essential vitamins to your body like pro-vitamin A, B3, C and E. Other important advantages of carrot besides those mentioned above includes preventing various gastrointestinal complaints like colic and ulcers and it also prevents heart attacks and cancer by reduces cholestrol levels as it has high soluble fibre levels.

. Tip: Carrots are more nutritous when eaten cooked. The valuable nutrients lie either in or just beneath the skin.

See how Carrot works?

Beta-carotene, the main content of carrots, is maily responsible for improving your vision. The vitamin A forms a purple pigment called rhodopsin the eye needs to see in dim light. Hence, if we dont get adequate vitamin A, it can lead to night blindedness.

Beta-carotene also acts as an anti-oxidant which prevents free radicals responsible for cancer and heart attacks. A study at Texas and Chicago states that men with higher content of Beta-carotene are 37% less prone to heart related diseases. Carrot has one more anti-oxidant called alpha-carotene which reduces the risk of lung cancer.

. Tip: Cut off the leafy tops of the carrot before storing them. The leafy tops suck the vitamins from the main body robbing its nutritions. You can make best use of carrots by adding it to your favourite juices.

Wow, see the magic of carrot which is so easily available and cheap too. So start having atleast 50 gm of Carrot daily to fill in the required amount.

Get More Diet Tips at http://www.weightloss-health.com/Diet%20Tips.htm

About the Author

About the Author

Jasdeep : for http://weightloss-health.com/ your complete and most comprehensive family guide on Health.

Also get free tips and tricks on weight loss and a chance to go through other informative articles targetting various health issues at http://weightloss-health.com/Articles.htm

Tags: alpha, Alpha Carotene, Anti Oxidant, Author, Cancer Properties, cancer;, Carrot, Carrots, Chicago, Cholestrol Levels, Chronic Diseases, Colic, Diet Tips, Dim Light, Diseases, Free Radicals, Gastrointestinal Complaints, Heart Attacks, Lung Cancer, Master Key, Natural Health, Nutritions, Pro Vitamin, Purple Pigment, Soluble Fibre, Texas, Vitamin A —

A Cheap and Natural Way to Healthy Skin
Wendy Owen

Healthy skin happens when we eats good foods, have enough exercise, minimize stress and protect our skin from the harsh environment.

Certain foods are especially beneficial to the skin. Garlic is one such food. It contains sulphur compounds (which give it its rather strong odor) which are beneficial to your skin. It also acts as a natural antibiotic and cleanses the whole system. If you like garlic, eat it as much as you can. If the smell worries you, chew a piece of parsley afterwards and this will neutralize it. Odorless garlic tablets are available if this is all too hard.

Vitamin C is probably the most important skin vitamin in my opinion. Not least because the human body can neither make it or store it. This vitamin helps collagen formation which keeps the skin looking young and plump. This could be why smokers skin can look older than a non smokers. Smoking also uses up the oxygen in the blood. Give it up if humanly possible or at least cut it down.

Vitamin C is best consumed together with bioflavonoids, the way it is normally found in nature. The two have a synergistic effect. They can be found in Citrus fruit, berries such as strawberries and blueberries and vegetables such as broccoli.

Broccoli also contain vitamin A, an important vitamin for skin as it helps it fight infection from the inside out. Great for those with acne! Have some every other day if you can.

Carrots are a great source of carotenoids such as “beta-carotene” which your body converts to vitamin A . Beta-carotene is absorbed into the skin and can also protect it from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Carrots also contain “alpha carotene” which protects against free radical damage. Carrots are a great way to get your vitamin A as excess carotenoids are expelled by the body. Too much vitamin A is toxic to the body.

Dark leafy green vegetables, particularly kale and spinach are a good source of zinc and iron. Iron will make sure your skin gets enough oxygen and zinc is a great pimple fighter. Eat some every day if you possible can or include some in a fresh juice.

Parsley deserves a separate mention as it is rich in just about all the skin boosting nutrients. It contains beta carotene, chlorophyll, vitamin B12, folic acid (great for firm skin), vitamin C and iron. Parsley can be added to juices, casseroles, sprinkled over any savory dish or simply chewed by itself. Its great for fresh breath too. Parsley is easy to grow, pop some in a pot and keep it near the kitchen door.

Olive oil is fabulous for dry skin and wrinkles. Use it for cooking – it contains monounsaturated fats and anti oxidants- or slather it on your skin after a bath.

Flaxseeds and flax oil (also known as linseed) contain the essential omega 3 oils not found in many foods. (Fish also contains omega 3). Flaxseeds contain fiber and phytoestrogens which balance the body’s hormones and are vital for younger looking skin. Sprinkle some on your cereal or use in soups and stews.

Avocados give skin (especially dry skin) a boost. Although fairly high in fat, its the healthy monounsaturated kind which makes dry skin supple. Avocados contain glutathione which is one of the most powerful antioxidants around and will prevent cell damage in all skin types. They are also high in potassium.

Drink as much water as you can, this flushes out toxins and helps to hydrate the skin. If you cant drink eight glasses a day – I cant unless its 40 degrees – then just drink as much as you can without being uncomfortable.

Skin needs sufficient protein to replace and repair itself. Most of us have plenty of protein in our diets but a lot of it comes with a lot of fat attached. If you can substitute low fat items e.g. milk, peanut butter, cheese etc, then do so. Youll still be eating the same amount. Lean meat is fine, fish is even better as it contains natural omega 3 oils which are great for your skin and your health.

Try and add as many fruits and vegetables as possible to your diet. If you re a committed junk food junkie this may seem impossible, but if you tackle it in small bites (pun intended!) It will be easy. Commit yourself to healthy foods on certain days of the week or drink water instead of soda in the afternoons. When this becomes comfortable, expand it to every day. Its just breaking old habits and replacing them with new ones. After a while youll be comfortable with it. And youll feel better and loose weight too.

The purists tell us that all vitamins and minerals can be obtained from foods and there is no need for us to take supplements. In theory this is true, however the stress of life today probably robs our system of vitamin B. Smoking uses up about 35 mg of vitamin C per day.
Added to this, the practice of storing fresh produce for extended amounts of time, cant help but deplete the natural vitamins in these foods. The pollution in our cities and some of our bad habits like eating junk and smoking (who me?) leads to the production of free radicals in the body. For this we need an antioxidant which contains among others beta carotene (a precursor of vitamin A), vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, lycopene (found in tomatoes) and zinc.

Healthy skin loves exercise! It doesnt matter what kind. Walking, jogging, all types of sport, aerobics, thumping around in the gym, whatever you enjoy try and fit it in three times a week. If you dont enjoy any exercise, find one! Join a group of people or find a walking buddy, you will get to enjoy it I promise!

Stress is bad for you and bad for your skin. Stress will slow the circulation of blood to the skin causing a shortage of oxygen to the cells. It will also deplete certain nutrients from the body – for example vitamin B. It can ruin your sleep thus preventing the repair and regeneration of skin cells. It will put worry lines on your face and will make you look old before your time! Who needs it? No-one! check out this page on stress to see how you can deal with this incapacitating disorder now!

As you may have gathered from all this, having a healthy skin is the same as having a healthy body, its worth maintaining a good diet and lifestyle so you not only look great but you feel great too!

About the Author

Like to have better looking skin? http://www.holistic-facial-skin-care.com will give you detailed information on all facets of skin care. The author, Wendy Owen has had a lifetime interest in general and alternative health and skin care.

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We want everything in life to be free, like the air we breathe. But reality is not that easy nor is it that kind. There are people who will exploit every opportunity to get even the smallest amount of money from various services.

Fortunately, there are still a considerable number of good people in the world. Some of whom share their knowledge and experiences free of charge. Take for example the weight loss programs and techniques. It is common practice to hire experts to help individuals to loose weight.

Nowadays, one can just go online, conduct a search and voila! You’ll find instant and free tips and strategies that will guide adults and teens alike from loosing those excess pounds.

Take for example the following tips. The following general guidelines were taken from the internet. They showcase some basic, at times rather obvious, words of advice on how teens should loose weight. Overweight teens have somewhat a tricky problem when it comes to loosing weight.

They should take care and monitor their diets and weight loss closely since they might not be taking enough food that will give them the proper nutrients for them to grow and their bones and muscles to develop. The following tips include ingenious ways that teens can follow which can help them loose those body fats.

Overweight is usually a result of overeating of junk foods rich with saturated fats, salts and loaded with calories. To curb your desire to eat chips, you learn to replace these types of foods with healthier ones like carrots or fruits.

Replace a bag of potato chips with carrots sticks or apples or bananas. Another way to restrain your uncontrollable craving for extra foods like desserts and sweets, make sure that you brush your teeth at the end of every meal. Brushing have this unconscious effect that sends signals to your brain that says you’ve finished eating.

Sometimes, when you do something while you eat, you don’t seem to notice that you are already full or you are already eating more than what you should have. So as a recommendation for mothers at home, keep the kitchen free from clutter unrelated to cooking like homework, paper jobs, etc. When you’re at school, keep your snack time to a minimum.

The more you stay lingering around the school grounds or canteen, the more chances you have to buy something to eat. When eating, eat slowly and in small bites. Forcing yourself to chew your food will help you recognize that you’re full. The brain takes around 20 minutes to determine if the stomach has just enough food or not. That’s why by eating slowly, you could get the right portions of food since you would always be able to avoid over eating.

It is also known hat music affect eating habits. The faster the music the faster you tend to eat and we don’t want that. And also, be sure to be as active as possible.

Also, it seems that sunlight affects cravings for sweets. It is said that when teens are exposed less to the sun, they tend to grab more high-calorie, fatty carbs like cakes, cookies, ice cream and chips,

These are just a few free tips that I’ve found in the Internet. The World Wide Web is full of articles just like this. All you need to learn is how to use the internet to your advantage.

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