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With today's hectic lifestyle coupled with unhealthy eating habits, indigestion, gas formation in the digestive tract, stomachaches, constipation, fatigue and lack of concentration have become common everyday problems. Due to these disorders, your productivity at work decreases and irritability increases. Moreover, you start gaining weight. The root of the problem is low intake of fiber rich foods.
There is no official recommendation for the specific amount of fiber that should be consumed daily. However, nutritionists suggest that thirty-two grams of fiber should be sufficient for an average adult. Fiber is that part of plant foods that your stomach cannot digest and is largely excreted. So why is fiber so important?Fiber is of two types - one that dissolves in water, and complex fiber, largely cellulose, which does not. If you start to include adequate amounts of both types of fiber in your daily-diet you will be amazed at the health benefits you start feeling and the improvement in your entire way of life.
Consuming enough dietary fiber can take care of a number of our common health issues. Without sufficient fiber, the colon is compromised. Insoluble fiber is a natural laxative. It forms a gel by holding on to the water in your intestine and softens your stool. Thus by adding bulk to your stools fiber eliminates constipation problems and irritable bowel syndrome. Risks of hemorrhoids decrease too.
Also, this hydrated bowel aids in your digestion - it blocks harmful cholesterol from entering your blood and eliminates it. Excess fat is also drained away from your body. Formation of plaques that clog your arteries is thus averted and you have lesser possibility of having a stroke.
In fact, scientific studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in September 1999 reveals that a high fiber diet reduced the chances of a heart attack by 40 per cent in women and 50 per cent in men.
Including fiber in your daily diet protects you against diabetes. Lesser amounts of sugars are absorbed into the bloodstream, and sugar levels in your blood are thus balanced.
The hydrated, softened stool moves faster down your intestinal tract and cancerous toxins are flushed out, getting lesser time to interact with the lining of your intestines. The risk of colon cancer is thereby reduced.
High fiber food helps you feel full faster and stops you from overeating. You are actually eating fewer calories. Fiber also curbs your hunger for a longer time period. Your digestive tract needs more energy to digest the fiber-rich food you are eating, and your body thus burns up some extra calories. Fat absorption is diminished as well. Fiber thus effectively helps you in preventing excess weight gain.
Further importance of eating fiber rich foods is sure to be discovered by and by. Eat more whole grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts, and less process foods to increase your dietary intake of fiber. Gradually increasing the amount of fiber in your everyday meals is the best approach to a healthier lifestyle.
