Fiber Content In Foods

Dr. Gleixner's Top 5 nutritional guidelines

Developing a framework that can help Canadians make better dietary choices is important. For many, the Canadian Food Guide is the most accessible and well-known guide.

But is this nutritional information enough to improve our health?

Such a food guide and other similar guides focus mainly on food groups and their recommended daily servings.

Does such a simplified model omit key guidelines about nutrition?

Eating doesn't have to be complicated. Adopting simple eating guidelines is one way to improve your dietary choices. This way, decisions about what to eat will become easier and lead to improved health.

Here are Dr. Gleixner's Top 5 nutritional guidelines:

Eat whole foods

Whole foods are those that are the least processed. To eat more of them follow these following suggestions:

1) Shop at your local markets or buy mostly from the outside aisles at your grocery store. There you will find fruits, veggies, meats, fish, and eggs.

2) For certain processed foods such as breads, yogurt, and staples such as mustard, soya sauce, etc... buy the best quality possible. Processed foods generally have a longer list of ingredients (often ones you don't understand). Therefore, always review the list of ingredients to check for their purity.

3) Avoid food claims. If it says low in calories, it is usually low in fat (& often protein), but higher in sugar; if it's 'heartsmart' it usually includes fiber or sterols (which are good things), but may contain other refined or processed ingredients. You will note that whole foods (such as an apple) do not have any food claims associated with them.

4) Cook as often as you can. Learn to cook and invest in a good cookbook. A home cooked meal using whole foods is the number one way to avoiding processed foods. Cooking as a family can be fun, and a great way to spend time together.

Eat quality foods

Quality foods are those with increased taste, purity, vitamins, minerals and micronutrients (such as antioxidants, omega-3, etc...). Following these guidelines will help you to eat more quality foods:

1) Buy organic. New studies in 2007 and 2008 have shown that buying organic foods may be worth the extra costs. After analyzing 100 peer-reviewed studies and articles, Dr. Charles Benbrook and colleagues at the Organic Center, concluded that in general, organically grown foods contain 25 per cent higher levels of nutrients than conventional produce.

Dietary Fiber For Natural Health - Natural Cures and Remedies Review

Dietary Fiber For Natural Health

When people look at the nutritional content of foods, they tend to concentrate more on calories, protein, fats and vitamins. Most of the time, people forget to consider the dietary fiber content of foods. In recent studies, it was shown that in America alone, less than half of the population gets enough fiber in their diet.

Taking in enough fiber will greatly improve your natural health and well-being. Here are some facts that you have to know about dietary fiber

What is it? Roughage or dietary fiber is the indigestible part of plants that travels through the digestive tract. In an overview, it helps the body absorb more water and improves elimination of wastes. It also helps in the absorption of nutrients and other chemicals.

There are 2 types of fiber. The soluble fiber is the one responsible for lowering blood cholesterol levels. Because of this, intake of enough soluble fiber will reduce your risk of developing heart diseases and stroke. Insoluble fiber increases bulk that your body needs to maintain the functions of your stomach and intestines. This type of fiber prevents you from experiencing constipation.

What are the benefits of getting enough fiber in your diet?

Bowel Movement and Integrity Having enough fiber provides you with bulk. It helps you have well-formed and soft stool so wastes can pass easily. With this, you are sure not to have constipation. When you have diarrhea, adding fiber to your diet will help you absorb water and form bulky stools. It is also said that fiber can help relieve patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Having a high fiber diet also reduces your risk of developing hemorrhoids, diverticulosis and diverticulitis. Since fiber helps you pass stool easily. There is no need for straining during defecation. This is one of the ways fiber helps prevent these health conditions.

Regulates Blood Cholesterol Levels Soluble fiber helps maintain an ideal cholesterol level by reducing the amount of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) in your body. LDL is also called as bad cholesterol. It has also been studied that fiber can also lower your blood pressure. Maintaining a good blood cholesterol level puts you at lesser risk of developing heart diseases.

Regulates Blood Sugar Levels This is one of the reasons that most diabetic patients add fiber in their diet. Getting enough soluble fiber aids in the absorption of sugar in your body. It helps your body absorb sugar slowly so diabetics can avoid sudden peaks on their blood sugar level. Enough insoluble fiber in your body is also said to prevent development of type 2 diabetes.

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