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#22
"BULKING UP" FOR COLON HEALTH
The Importance of Dietary Fiber
Fiber, also called roughage or bulk, is necessary to promote the wavelike
contractions that move food through the intestine. It is the indigestible
residue of the foods that we eat. It is found in fruits, vegetables,
grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. There is NO fiber in animal products!
High fiber foods expand the inside walls of the colon, easing the passage
of waste. As fiber passes through the intestine undigested, it absorbs
large amounts of water, resulting in softer and bulkier stools. This speeds up
the time required to digest food and expel waste. It is believed this
helps sweep out harmful substances (toxins) before they can cause problems in
the body (chronic degenerative diseases). This helps prevent constipation
and straining, which can help avoid or prevent hemorrhoids. More bulk
means less pressure in the colon, and this is important in treating irritable
bowel syndrome, diverticulosis, and many other digestive problems.
Most Americans eat only 10-12 grams of fiber a day. The U.S. RDA
recommends 25 grams a day. I recommend 35-45 Grams/day for optimal health!
Fiber pills generally should be avoided, as they contain relatively little
fiber and can be expensive and addictive to the colon. Fiber-containing
foods are much better choices as they not only provide fiber, but health
nutrients as well.
There are two primary types of dietary fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble
fibers are the fibers that bind dietary cholesterol and carries it
out of the body. Soluble fiber also helps to stabilize blood sugar by
slowing the release of sugar into your bloodstream which prevents an exhausting
demand for the release of insulin. They are commonly found in oatmeal, oat
bran (the best source), flaxseeds, beans, strawberries, guar gum, psyllium seed,
fruit pectin (citrus fruits, apples), and gum arabic. When mixed with
water it produces a gelatinous mucous gel.
Insoluble fibers provide roughage that speeds the
elimination of feces, which decreases the time that the body is exposed to
harmful substances, possibly reducing the risk of colon cancer (the average
transit time of people on the SAD diet is 65-100 hours; whereas, a high-fiber
diet can decrease the transit time to 10-50 hours). Normal transit time is
health-promoting because environmental and dietary toxins have less time to come
in contact with the colon lining and therefore have less of a chance to be
reabsorbed into your blood stream. Insoluble fiber is incredibly
absorbent, soaking up many times its weight in water as it passes through the
intestines. As a result, it causes stools to become larger, firmer, and easier
to pass quickly. Insoluble fiber is found in wheat bran, whole grain
products, brown rice, nuts and in cellulose's from vegetables and fruits.
Why would you want to increase the amount of fiber in your diet? Here are
just a few of the health benefits of appropriate fiber:
--reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol in the bloodstream
--overall improvement of bowel function and healthier lining of colon (decreased
digestive problems)
--decreased transit time with resultant decrease in chronic degenerative
diseases
--reduce the risk of diabetes by slowing the absorption of carbohydrates
--reduce the risk of many types of cancer, particularly colon cancer
--reduces fat absorption
What foods provide high-fiber? There are high-fiber foods found in most of the
food groups. Different types of food should be selected to get the
benefits of them all:
1.) Legumes: including kidney, pinto, navy, lima and baked
beans. The bean family excels in fiber,
especially the soluble, cholesterol-lowering type.
2.) Whole Grains: Barley, bulgur, wheat germ and oat bran have
the highest content of fiber. Whole grain breads should say "whole
grain." Some manufacturers artificially color bread brown to make it
look more wholesome--beware!
3.) Whole Fresh Fruits: the valuable pectin fiber is found in
the skin and pulp. Avocados, guava fruit, figs, prunes, mangoes and apples have
the highest fiber content.
4.) Whole Fresh Vegetables: artichoke, sweet potato, turnips,
celery, spinach and broccoli are good sources.
Good general rules to follow include:
--eat your 5-9 servings of fresh, RAW fruits and vegetables EVERY day
--grind 1/4-1/3 cup of flax seeds and put in water, juice, shakes, soups or
salads for added fiber
--drink plenty of pure water (1/2 your body weight in ounces) and vegetable
juices
--eat slowly and chew food thoroughly to allow the upper digestive tract to work
well
--eat meals at regular intervals and allow time to digest food before putting
next meal "in"
--never eat under extreme stress (your foods will not be digested properly, but
rather sit like a "lump" in your stomach and cause fermentation and
putrefaction!!!)
--your increase in fiber should be gradual....gas and diarrhea are a frequent
byproduct of increasing your fiber. In fact, you may experience some
symptoms of detoxification as your body starts to rid itself of fecal matter
that has been stored, impacted and encrusted along the intestinal wall for a
long time!! This is GREAT news! Drink more water to speed it along and
keep your colon hydrated. Remember, fiber needs water to work. Fiber
alone will constipate!
And, again, for those of you who won't, don't or just can't eat this amount of
fiber every day, consider the addition of Juice Plus+ (many people experience
bowel regularity for the first time in their lives with Juice Plus+!), Juice
Plus+ Complete meal replacement drink (4 grams of dietary fiber per serving) and
Juice Plus+ Thins (wafer-like fiber supplement with 3 grams of fiber/4 chewable
wafers). These are ALL nutritional ways of getting more dietary fiber in
your diets. Please see my website below for additional information or feel
free to contact me.
DISCLAIMER:
This information is not meant to diagnose, prescribe for or treat any disease.
It is a tool that is offered to assist the individual in making educated
choices about his/her personal health and lifestyle. No health claims are
made for any product or formula mentioned herein.
Ken
& Marilyn Miracle – 425-337-7585 – kmiracle@gte.net
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Eat Whole Food & Drink Good Water?
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