Fiber of Life
Fiber of Life
Fiber is the indigestible remnants of plant cells found in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and beans. As they work their way through the digestive tract, they increase the elimination of waste matter in the large intestine and give you an urge to have a bowel movement. Eating fiber can turn the frown right side up for those people walking around with constipation.
Since we’re on the subject, the kind of fiber that promotes colon health is found in low-carbohydrate, high-fiber foods such as broccoli, cauliflower, soaked or sprouted seeds, nuts, grains, berries, celery, greens, and fruits. Fruits and vegetables with edible skins, like apples, berries, and tomatoes, are especially high in fiber. These foods are right in the bull’s-eye of a healthy diet.
Not enough fiber in the diet, however, means increased transit time for the food to wend its way through the small and large intestines before being expelled through the colon.
High-fiber diets cut down on that transit time, so food has less time in the colon, and toxins are quickly flushed out of the system.
Another way to classify fiber is by how easily it dissolves in water. Soluble fiber, which is found in oatmeal, nuts and seeds, beans, apples, pears, strawberries, and blueberries, partially dissolves in water. Insoluble fiber, which cannot be broken down by the water, does not dissolve in water and is credited with reducing the risk of colon cancer. Certain weight-loss programs promote foods high in insoluble fiber, such as whole grains, barley, brown rice, cereals, carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, and tomatoes, because these foods satiate hungry appetites without a whole lot of calories.
Americans rarely consume enough fiber each day, eating only around ten grams a day, when we should be eating double or triple that amount. With a reputation for “getting things moving” in the gastrointestinal tract, fiber is a healthy addition to any diet.