Back to Basics: Fiber and Water

Sometimes it is good to review dietary fundamentals that lead towards wellness and can help us to prevent disease, especially in this crazy modern world of ours. The article below reminds us of the necessity of natural fiber in our diets, and briefly touches on the benefits of plenty of fluids as well.

Providing the body with sufficient fiber and plenty of pure, clean water are two steps we can all take that will greatly bolster our overall health. Keeping the intestinal tract in optimal working order enables better absorption of nutrients and efficient elimination of waste products as well. Both of these factors are critical to a lifestyle of wellness especially since constipation is at epidemic highs. Following these simple guidelines can produce more energy, leading to a better quality of life, and also play a major role in defeating many debilitating diseases. Additional suggestions regarding intestinal health include a regular digestive tract cleansing routine along with the use of a natural probiotic product that can help maintain beneficial bacteria in the gut.


Living Nutrition: Common Sense and Fiber Are Very Uncommon
By Lydia Gehring

Horace Greeley supposedly said "common sense is very uncommon." This statement comes to mind when I read that increasing fiber in the diet is the next big health trend.

High fiber, as a dietary trend, is not new. Until the Industrial Revolution introduced the milling and refining of foods, most people ate significant amounts of fiber in their daily bread, along with beans, grains, vegetables and fruits.

Dining in the 21st century does not include a lot of fiber. Our habits include fast foods with a small amount of iceberg lettuce and peeled potatoes fried in grease. The fiber from wheat to make sandwich buns is refined out, and whole-wheat bread with the fiber intact often costs more. Go figure the common sense in that process.

It is pretty clear that modern diners have trouble getting enough fiber. The best sources of fiber are whole cereal grains and beans, both of which pack more fiber per ounce than any other commonly eaten plant-based foods. Both of which are seriously restricted on many diet plans and fast-food menus. I will give Taco Bell credit for providing refried beans on their menu. They are a very high source of fiber.

Whole grains and beans that are cooked in water are very filling because the fiber and water are slower to digest. This is due to the 'wholeness' of the grain or bean, which requires much more time and digestive enzyme activity to break down into a useable form compared to the pulverized processed grain or bean. This lengthy digestive action causes a much slower rise in blood sugar and less muscle resistance of insulin. In short terms, a diet high in fiber is a healthy way to control blood sugars and avoid weight gain.

Just as sticks, leaves and tree branches scour the stream banks after a sudden thunder storm, fiber in the digestive tract helps to eliminate wastes from the body. John Harvey Kellogg, son of a Battle Creek, Mich., broommaker, advised for consuming fiber because "it would 'sweep' the bowels clean." The longer the waste sits in the lower end of the digestive tract, the harder and slower the waste becomes. Sweeping the bowels clean with fiber at least every 1-2 days is a healthy body function. Now that makes sense.

Fluid has a vital role in digestion. It carries body waste from the kidneys to the bowels. There the waste water is absorbed by the fiber and eliminated. The process is not rocket science. Fiber and fluid are vehicles of disposal. It makes a lot of sense to me. Why do people avoid fluids and fiber?

Healthy meals and well-balanced nutrition should be the next big trend, not just one component of nutrition. Increasing dietary fiber makes sense.

http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1397275/living_nutrition_common_sense_and_fiber_are_very_uncommon/#