Back in the days, around 1940, a surgeon named Dennis Burkit was working in a country in East Africa and noticed that most people there rarely saw conditions like hemorrhoids and appendicitis. Instantly, he concluded that it was probably because of their diet and he was right.
What is Fiber?
Fiber is the part of our diet that our bodies cannot digest. They come from fruits, vegetables and grains. There are two kinds of fibers; have the soluble and insoluble fibers. Soluble fibers are digestible and travel through our system slower in comparison to insoluble fibers that are not digestible.
Our Fiber consumption
According to my research, the minimum amount of fiber required in our diet is 25 to 35 grams but the average American consumes only 5-20 grams of fiber a day. Many nutritionist believe that if we consume more fiber we will be a much healthier population.
Five conditions that you can fight by increasing your fiber intake
In addition to many other conditions that I read about, below are few conditions that we can fight by just increasing our fiber intake...
1. Diabetes: Fiber helps your body handle insulin/glucose more efficiently.
2. Heart attacks and strokes: Fiber helps eliminate cholesterol that can clog your arteries and cause strokes and heart attacks
3.Impotence: Fiber filled vegetables can help maintain strong blood flow to the penis by lowering your cholesterol and keeping blood vessels unclogged. Additionally, L-arginine which is found in beans helps improve potency.
4. Cancer: A high-fiber diet can defend against colon and rectal cancers. Furthermore, a high fibrous diet can speed up cancer causing compounds out of the digestive system. (Also, you poop better, just saying! lol)
Moving on... Burkitt also mentioned that fiber can also protect us against conditions like gall bladder disease, varicose veins, hernia's etc.. (I believe that fiber can even help with reducing menstrual cramps but thats a story for another day.)
Weight Gain: The best way to lose weight hands down is to reduce your caloric intake and this can be done by increasing your consumption of vegetables and bulky fiber-rich foods.
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High fibrous foods that you can start adding to your diet
- Whole -wheat bread,
-Multi-gran bagels,
-Oatmeal
- Veggies like: spinach, carrots, squash, kale
-Sweet potatoes ( with skin)
-Fruits ex.plums and strawberries,
- Beans
How to fiber in your meals in seconds...
1. Go Raw: Doesn't have to be all the way but adding raw veggies to your meal can take seconds- literally.
2. Prepare your meals: The more you prepare your meals, the more control you have over what is inside
3. Snack with fruits and vegetables: It's fast and easy
4. Add beans to your soups and salads
5: Do not forget about water.
Watch my video on how to choose the right snack: Click Here
Reference
Eat and Heal by FC & A Medical Publishing
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